Auto-open door-lock device for home appliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing door-lock devices for home appliances, such as washing machines and dryers, suffer from complex structures, high production costs, and mechanical failures due to tolerance issues and excessive parts, which hinder durability and convenience.
Innovation Solution
An auto-open door-lock device with a simplified configuration comprising a motor, locker, locker shaft, protruding piece, locker spring, rack slide, pinion gear, and stopper, which ensures stable locking and unlocking through precise rotation and reduced parts, minimizing mechanical failures and production costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a clutch gear and ratchet mechanism are used to connect the rack slide and locker shaft, then the locker can be rotated, but the structure becomes complex and tolerance accumulation occurs during processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the complex clutch gear and ratchet mechanism from the system. Instead of using these intermediate transmission components, the invention directly connects the rack slide to the locker shaft, eliminating unnecessary parts and simplifying the overall structure while maintaining the essential function of locker rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of the rack slide and locker shaft connection into a single integrated structure. By directly coupling these components without intermediate gears or ratchets, the design reduces the number of parts and simplifies the mechanism while achieving the same rotational effect.
2Reliability
If multiple intermediate components (clutch gear, ratchet, pawl) are used for locker rotation, then the locking function is achieved, but the number of parts increases and production cost rises
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the clutch gear, ratchet, and pawl components from the system. The invention achieves the locking function through a simplified direct connection between the rack slide and locker shaft, removing three separate parts and reducing the overall component count while maintaining functional reliability.
3Ease of operation
If a complex mechanism with multiple meshing gears is used, then the locker rotation is controlled, but tolerance accumulation during processing occurs and defect rate increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the multi-stage gear meshing system (pinion gear meshing with rack gear) that caused tolerance accumulation. By implementing a direct connection between the rack slide and locker shaft, the invention eliminates multiple machining interfaces, thereby reducing cumulative tolerance and improving manufacturing precision.
4Reliability
If the rack slide and locker shaft are connected through intermediate components, then the locking mechanism functions, but mechanical shaking occurs during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the connection between rack slide and locker shaft into a single rigid structure without intermediate components. This direct coupling eliminates the mechanical play and shaking that occurred in the previous design with multiple loose-fitting parts, thereby improving mechanical stability while maintaining the locking function.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device achieves a compact, durable, and cost-effective solution with reduced defect rates, ensuring stable operation and space efficiency by eliminating mechanical shaking and complexity.
Implementation Method 1
a motor (20) installed inside the body cover (10) to provide a driving force
Implementation Method 2
a rack slide (210) configured to provide a rotational force of the motor (20) to the locker (110)
Implementation Method 3
a locker spring (130) configured to connect to one side of the locker (110) and to provide a rotational restoring force to the locker (110)
Data Source
AI summary
An auto-open door-lock device according to an example embodiment relates to an auto-open door-lock device including a body cover with a space inside and a motor installed inside the body cover to provide a driving force, and includes a locker configured to couple with or decouple from a hook coming in from outside through rotation; a locker shaft having its one end connected to the locker and formed at the center of rotation of the locker; a protruding piece configured to connect to another end of the locker shaft and to induce rotation of the locker; a locker spring configured to connect to one side of the locker and to provide a rotational restoring force to the locker; a rack slide configured to provide a rotational force of the motor to the locker; and a pinion gear configured to transmit the rotational force of the motor to the rack slide.