Caravan Door Locking Device with Synchronized Indicator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing locking devices for caravan or mobile home doors may not reliably ensure that all locking slides engage behind the door frame, making it difficult to determine if the door is properly locked, especially in dark conditions, and potentially leading to unlocked deadbolts being overlooked.
Innovation Solution
A locking device with a bidirectionally coupled actuating element and locking slides, featuring a locking indicator that provides visual feedback on the locking status, ensuring all locking slides are correctly engaged by moving the actuating element in conjunction with the locking slides, and preventing independent movement to guarantee synchronized operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple locking slides are used to lock the door across its entire height, then the reliability of door locking is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring the locking status increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple locking slides are merged into a single functional unit through the actuating element. When one locking slide moves to the unlocked position, it mechanically couples to the actuating element, which then moves all other locking slides to the unlocked position simultaneously. This combining approach maintains reliable locking across multiple points while simplifying status detection to a single indicator.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuating element serves multiple functions: it couples all locking slides together for synchronized movement, provides a single detection point for locking status, and enables unified control of all locking points. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by making the complex multi-point locking system detectable through a single universal indicator.
2Ease of operation
If locking slides are pre-tensioned into the locking position using springs, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability of automatic locking may deteriorate if not all slides engage properly
Solution Approach 1:
The locking indicator provides visual feedback on the locking status by coupling to the actuating element. When all locking slides are properly engaged in the locked position, the indicator shows a specific state. If any locking slide fails to engage properly despite spring pre-tensioning, the indicator reflects this incorrect status, alerting the user that the door is not securely locked.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring pre-tensioning performs preliminary action by automatically moving locking slides to the locked position when the door closes. However, the locking indicator performs a preliminary check before final confirmation - it allows the user to verify proper engagement before assuming the door is securely locked, preventing premature closure of potentially insecure doors.
3Ease of operation
If a single actuating element is used to control multiple locking slides, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases due to bidirectional coupling requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling mechanism employs dynamic, movable connections between the actuating element and locking slides rather than rigid fixed connections. The coupling allows automatic bidirectional movement transmission - when any locking slide moves, it automatically moves the actuating element and all other locking slides. This dynamic approach simplifies the overall structure compared to rigid mechanisms while maintaining synchronized control.
Solution Approach 2:
The bidirectional coupling mechanism is self-actuating and requires no external control or additional actuators. When one locking slide moves to the unlocked position, it automatically triggers the actuating element, which in turn automatically moves all other locking slides. The system serves itself through mechanical coupling without requiring complex control systems or multiple independent actuators.
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 solution ensures reliable locking across the door's entire height, providing clear visual feedback on the locking status, thus preventing incorrect assumptions about the door's locking state and ensuring secure closure.
Implementation Method 1
each having a locking slide that is pre-tensioned by a spring in the direction of a locking position
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 1c~1e
Figure 2a~2b
AI summary
The invention relates to a locking device (10) for locking a door, in particular a door of a caravan or motorhome, against a door frame, with at least two bolt latches (1), each of which has a bolt slide (1.1) biased by a spring (4) in the direction of a locking position (V) and automatically locking, and with an actuating element (3) which is coupled to the bolt slides (1.1) for unlocking the bolt latches (1), wherein the actuating element (3) has a locking indicator (3.2) and the bolt latches (1) are each mechanically coupled to the actuating element (3) to indicate correct locking of the bolt slides (1.1) by means of the locking indicator (3.2).