Door Lock Assembly for Frameless Glass Panels
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional door lock assemblies are not well-suited for vertically frameless glass movable wall panels or swinging doors, as they require a sufficient door thickness to house the latch bolt assembly, which interrupts the aesthetic appeal and complicates manufacturing, and do not minimize the effective thickness of the door panel.
Innovation Solution
A door lock system with a movable latch bolt assembly that is coupled to a handle assembly, allowing the latch bolt to translate between extended and retracted positions without interrupting the vertical glass edge, and is mounted in a way that minimizes the impact on the door panel's thickness and manufacturing complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the latch bolt assembly is fixedly mounted within a cavity in the door panel, then the locking mechanism is secure, but the door panel must have sufficient thickness to house the assembly, interrupting the vertical glass edge and diminishing aesthetic appeal
Solution Approach 1:
The latch bolt assembly is extracted from the door panel cavity and relocated to the handle assembly. The handle assembly becomes the housing for the latch bolt, eliminating the need for a cavity in the glass door panel. This extraction resolves the conflict by removing the structural intrusion into the glass edge while maintaining the locking function through the handle-mounted assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch bolt assembly is nested within the handle assembly structure. The handle assembly serves as the container for the latch bolt, retractor, and associated components. This nesting eliminates the need for separate cavities in the door panel while consolidating the locking mechanism within the existing handle structure, preserving the glass edge continuity.
2Reliability
If a separate housing is provided to house the latch bolt assembly and fixedly attach it to the glass door panel, then the locking mechanism is secure, but it interrupts the vertical glass edge and significantly diminishes aesthetic appeal
Solution Approach 1:
The housing function is merged with the handle assembly. Instead of providing a separate housing attached to the glass panel, the handle assembly itself serves as the housing for the latch bolt assembly. This merging eliminates the need for additional components that would interrupt the glass edge, as the handle assembly is already a necessary component mounted on the glass surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle assembly performs multiple functions: it provides the gripping interface for users, serves as the housing for the latch bolt assembly, and acts as the mounting structure for the locking mechanism. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate housing components, preserving the aesthetic continuity of the glass edge while ensuring secure locking.
3Reliability
If a cavity is configured within the door panel to house the latch bolt assembly, then the locking mechanism is secure, but it adds significant difficulty to the manufacture of the door panel
Solution Approach 1:
The latch bolt assembly is extracted from the door panel manufacturing process. Instead of requiring cavity formation within the glass panel during manufacturing, the assembly is mounted on the exterior handle assembly. This extraction simplifies door panel manufacturing by eliminating complex cavity formation steps while maintaining secure locking through the handle-mounted configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking system is segmented into separate components: the door panel and the handle assembly with integrated latch bolt. This segmentation allows the door panel to be manufactured without complex cavity formation, while the latch bolt assembly is manufactured and assembled separately on the handle. This modular approach simplifies overall manufacturing while ensuring secure locking.
4Reliability
If the latch bolt assembly is housed within the door panel, then the locking mechanism is secure, but it increases the effective thickness of the door panel
Solution Approach 1:
The latch bolt assembly is extracted from the door panel thickness and relocated to the handle assembly. This extraction eliminates the need to increase door panel thickness to accommodate the latch mechanism, as the assembly now resides on the exterior handle structure. The door panel thickness remains minimal while secure locking is maintained through the handle-mounted configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
A door lock assembly for a door. The door lock assembly includes a handle assembly, a latch bolt assembly disposed within a portion of the handle assembly and a mounting assembly that movably couples the handle assembly to a door panel member. The latch bolt assembly includes a movable latch bolt that translates relative to the handle assembly between an extended position and a retracted position.