Control Knob Lockout Device Using Latch and Keeper Housing Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lockout devices for stoves lack an effective mechanism to render control knobs inoperable, as they often rely on insecure or easily removable shields, failing to provide a robust and secure solution for preventing unauthorized use.
Innovation Solution
A lockout device comprising a pair of latches, keepers, and a housing that mounts over the control knobs, using a combination of hinges, slots, and padlocks to securely position the housing over the knobs, making them inaccessible by engaging a shackle of a padlock through a locking eye, thereby ensuring the knobs are rendered inoperable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a shield with selectively openable ports or a hingedly coupled shield is used, then the device allows for some accessibility and ease of operation, but the security and reliability of rendering the knobs inoperable is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The lockout device is divided into separate functional components: a housing that covers the control knobs, latches that secure the housing, and keepers that provide mounting points. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally while working together to achieve both security and controlled accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing acts as an intermediary barrier between the user and the control knobs. It physically covers and protects the knobs while allowing authorized access through the latch mechanism. The latches and keepers serve as intermediary locking components that mediate between the need for security and the need for operational access.
2Reliability
If a simple shield structure is used, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but the effectiveness in rendering knobs inoperable is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into distinct functional modules: housing, latches, and keepers. Each module is relatively simple in design but contributes to the overall effectiveness. The housing provides coverage, the latches provide locking capability, and the keepers provide secure mounting, together achieving reliable lockout without requiring each individual component to be complex.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple simple components (housing, latches, keepers) into an integrated lockout system. While each component is simple and easy to manufacture, their combination creates a effective lockout mechanism that is more reliable than any single component alone, without requiring any one component to be overly complex.
3Reliability
If a secure locking mechanism is implemented, then the reliability of preventing unauthorized use is improved, but the ease of operation for authorized users may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The latch mechanism incorporates dynamic elements that allow it to transition between locked and unlocked states. The latches can be engaged to secure the housing and prevent unauthorized access, but can also be disengaged to allow authorized operation. This dynamic capability enables the system to adapt between providing strong security and allowing easy access as needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The keepers are pre-positioned on the housing at locations that align with the latches, preparing the structure for secure engagement before use. This preliminary arrangement of components ensures that when the latches are engaged, the locking action is immediate and effective, requiring minimal operation from the user while maintaining high security.
Data Source
AI summary
A control knob lockout device for rendering knobs of a stove inoperable includes a pair of latches, a pair of keepers, and a housing. The latches are mountable to a stove so that the latches are positioned singly proximate to opposed sides of the stove. The latches also are positioned in substantial alignment with a set of control knobs that is engaged to a surface of the stove. The housing defines an interior space and has a rear face. The rear face has an opening positioned therein to insert the set of control knobs so that the housing is positioned thereover. The pair of keepers is engaged to a front face of the housing. Each keeper is positioned proximate to a respective opposed end of the housing and selectively engages a respective latch to fixedly position the housing over the set of control knobs.