Container Door Locking Mechanism for Tilt Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing container door locking systems, such as the 'Dutch lock', pose a safety risk when opening as they can suddenly swing open due to filling pressure, potentially injuring operators, especially when containers are inclined.
Innovation Solution
The design features a console-like door frame with cantilever arms and a striker mechanism that allows the hand lever to be released independently, enabling safe operation up to a 45° tilt and preventing sudden movement, with a thorn-like projection and self-locking hexagonal nut for enhanced safety and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the locking bar and hand lever are arranged perpendicular to each other in existing Dutch lock systems, then the structure is simple and robust, but the door leaves can suddenly swing open due to pressure from contents when the locking disengages
Solution Approach 1:
The door frame is segmented into a base part and two cantilever arms (first and second), creating distinct functional zones. The receptacle is formed between these arms, allowing the hand lever to be received in a controlled manner during opening, preventing sudden door movement while maintaining structural robustness.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution introduces a vertical dimension to the door frame structure by arranging the two cantilever arms vertically relative to each other. This vertical arrangement creates a receptacle space that controls the hand lever's movement path, enabling safe operation at tilt angles up to 45° without increasing horizontal complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the container is inclined or door leaves are tilted during opening, then loading/unloading flexibility is improved, but the door leaves can suddenly swing open due to pressure from contents
Solution Approach 1:
The hand lever is received in the receptacle formed between the cantilever arms before the locking hook fully disengages. This preliminary positioning constrains the hand lever's movement and prevents sudden door leaf swinging during the opening process, even when the container is inclined or tilted during loading/unloading operations.
3Reliability
If the hand lever is secured in a U-shaped retaining box with a locking bolt, then the structure is robust, but the device complexity increases and operator safety during opening is not improved
Solution Approach 1:
The solution extracts the hand lever from a complex retaining box and locking bolt mechanism and replaces it with a simpler receptacle formed directly in the door frame between two cantilever arms. This receptacle allows the hand lever to be received and controlled during opening without requiring additional locking components, reducing device complexity while improving operator safety.
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 significantly enhances operator safety by allowing controlled opening and closing of container doors, preventing sudden movements and injuries, while maintaining robustness and simplifying the construction.
Implementation Method 1
the closing bar being arranged such that the center of gravity of the closing bar and hand handle lies below the second cantilever arm, so that the closing bar holds the receptacle of the door frame in the closed position up to a tilt angle of the door leaf of a maximum of 45°
Implementation Method 2
a clamping and closing device assigned to the upper region of the door leaves, which is rigidly connected to the locking bar via an eccentric lever to hold the door leaves together under load
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a device for the safety locking of a first (2) and second door leaf (3) pivotally mounted on the container frame (6) in hinges (4), comprising a locking rod (7), a clamping and closing device (11) associated with the upper region (10) of the door leaves (2, 3), a hand lever (12) associated with the lower region (13) of the door leaves (2, 3) and fixedly connected to the locking rod (7) for rotating the locking rod about the axis of rotation (DA) into an open or closed position, wherein the hand lever (12) has a horizontal position in which it can be either received or released by a door frame (18) projecting from the first door leaf (2), and is engaged in the closed position by a hook receptacle (15) of a locking hook (17) fixedly connected to the base of the container frame (6).The object of the invention is to improve a device of the type mentioned above in such a way as to increase the safety of the operator when opening the door leaves, even with inclined containers or door leaves, while simultaneously simplifying and increasing the robustness of the construction. This object is achieved by forming the door frame (18) from a console-like base part (23) in which a receptacle (26) for the hand lever (12), arranged perpendicular to the horizontal position of the hand lever (12), is formed between a first cantilever arm (24) and a second cantilever arm (25), wherein the second cantilever arm (25) is arranged vertically below the first cantilever arm (24) and has a shorter length (1) than the first cantilever arm (24), and in which a handle (22) provided with a locking bar (21) extends vertically from the door leaf (2 or 3)3) is pivotably mounted on the base part (23) of the door frame (20) in a pivot axis (SA), wherein the locking bar (21) is arranged such that the center of gravity (P) of the locking bar (21) and handle (22) lies below the second cantilever arm (25), so that the locking bar (21) holds the receptacle (26) of the door frame (20) in the closed position up to a tilt angle ( ) of the door leaves (2,3) of a maximum of 45° and opens completely in its manually given position up to approximately 135°.