Door Handle Supplemental Lock for Child Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing door locks are not effective in preventing children, especially toddlers, from unlocking the door and leaving the room unsupervised, as they can easily operate the interior lock buttons or levers.
Innovation Solution
A child-resistant door handle set with a supplemental lock that has a secondary rotational axis parallel to the primary axis, featuring an actuator that blocks the handle rotation regardless of the primary lock's state, making it difficult for children to operate but easily accessible for adults from both inside and outside.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional latch bolt assembly with interior lock button is used, then the door can be easily opened from inside, but a child can also easily operate the lock button and unlock the door
Solution Approach 1:
The locking system is divided into two independent parts: a primary lock mechanism for normal operation and a supplemental child-resistant lock mechanism. Each has its own actuator and locking components, allowing the child-resistant feature to operate independently without affecting the primary lock's ease of use.
Solution Approach 2:
A supplemental lock mechanism acts as an intermediary between the child and the primary locking system. This intermediate mechanism requires a different, more complex operation that children cannot easily perform, while still allowing adult access through the primary mechanism.
2Ease of operation
If a vertical slider member lock is used that is in plain view, then the locking mechanism is visible and accessible, but a child can still easily see and operate it to unlock the door
Solution Approach 1:
The actuators for the supplemental child-resistant lock are positioned in locations that are not easily visible or accessible to children. The actuator may be positioned higher on the door, obscured by the handle assembly, or require a specific sequence of movements that are beyond a child's capability.
3Reliability
If a supplemental lock with a second axis parallel to the primary rotational axis is used, then the lock can block handle rotation effectively, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The supplemental child-resistant lock mechanism is integrated with the existing handle assembly and primary lock mechanism. Shared components such as the housing, mounting structure, and even some actuating elements are common to both mechanisms, reducing the overall complexity despite the added functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
A door handle set includes a handle assembly having a primary lock and having a handle rotatable about a primary rotational axis. A latch bolt assembly has a latch bolt. The latch bolt assembly is operatively coupled to the handle assembly, wherein a rotation of the handle results in a linear translation of the latch bolt. A supplemental lock has a second axis parallel to, and spaced apart from, the primary rotational axis. The supplemental lock has an actuator that is operable relative to the second axis. The supplemental lock is configured to selectively block the rotation of the handle regardless of the locking state of the primary lock.