Symmetrical Casement Window Lock Bar for Low-Friction Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing casement window locking mechanisms face issues such as frictional wear due to fixed end plates, difficulty in proper installation of tie bars and guides, and the need for separate assemblies for left- and right-handed windows, leading to confusion and increased production costs.
Innovation Solution
A symmetrical tie bar and tie bar guide system with a partially curved profile and tongue-and-groove design, allowing for easy alignment and installation, using eccentric projections and detents for precise positioning, and eliminating the need for roller pins.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed end plate is used in the roller pin design, then the keeper is held securely between the tie bar and end plate, but friction and wear increase when multiple roller pins and keepers are simultaneously engaged
Solution Approach 1:
The end plate is made rotatable about the inner pin, transforming it from a fixed component to a dynamic one. This allows the end plate to rotate with the outer roller as the tie bar slides, converting sliding friction into rolling motion and significantly reducing wear and friction when multiple roller pins engage their keepers simultaneously.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional locking mechanisms are installed on a wide variety of window frames, then versatility is improved, but installation confusion increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The tie bar guide incorporates a locating mechanism with a projection that engages a corresponding recess in the tie bar before final installation. This preliminary positioning action ensures the tie bar guide is correctly located on the window frame prior to securing it, eliminating installation confusion and improving productivity while maintaining versatility across different window frame types.
3Manufacturing precision
If the tie bar guide wraps around the entire tie bar profile, then positioning precision is improved, but installation difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tie bar guide wraps around only a portion of the tie bar profile rather than the entire profile. This segmentation provides sufficient positioning precision through the locating projection-recess mechanism while simplifying the installation process by reducing the complexity of fitting the guide to the complete tie bar.
4Adaptability or versatility
If separate assemblies are produced for left- and right-handed windows, then adaptability to specific window types is improved, but device complexity and production costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is designed with symmetrical components, including the tie bar guide and locating projection, that can be installed on both left-handed and right-handed windows using the same assembly. This universal design eliminates the need for separate assemblies for different window types, reducing device complexity and production costs while maintaining full adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
A locking assembly for a casement window including a frame having an elongated surface, comprising a tie bar guide adapted to be mounted on the window frame surface, the tie bar guide having first and second receiving grooves for slideably receiving segments of a tie bar in a tongue and groove manner, and a tie bar adapted to slide axially in a direction parallel to the window frame surface and having a partially curved profile and a cross-section comprising a flat central portion with a first segment comprising a first tongue and a second segment comprising a second tongue, the first and second segments on opposite sides relative to the central portion. The tie bar is slideably received in the tie bar guide such that the tie bar first tongue is received in the tie bar guide first receiving groove and the tie bar second tongue is received in the tie bar guide second receiving groove, to permit the position of the tie bar to be adjusted with respect to the tie bar guide in the longitudinal direction while preventing movement of the tie bar in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. One of the tie bar and tie bar guide has an opening in an exterior surface thereof and the other has a projection extending in a direction of the opening, wherein when the tie bar is slideably received within the tie bar guide, the projection and opening act as a detent to maintain the tie bar guide in a desired position.