Door lock with door switch
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing door lock mechanisms for household electrical appliances lack a reliable and secure method to transition between open and closed states, potentially leading to unintended switching or failure to maintain the locked state, especially under forced opening attempts.
Innovation Solution
A door lock system featuring an electric door switch with two contact elements and a pusher mechanism that moves between distinct positions, utilizing a control path with multiple sections to ensure accurate state transitions and increased security by varying the effective length of the pusher, preventing accidental switching when the door is locked.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a simple pusher mechanism is used to operate the door switch, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of state transition and security against forced opening attempts deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control path is segmented into multiple distinct sections (first path section, second path section, third path section) that guide the pusher through specific movement sequences. Each section corresponds to a specific operational phase (normal closing, forced opening detection, state transition), ensuring reliable state changes while maintaining a relatively simple overall mechanism structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The pusher mechanism is designed to dynamically adjust its effective length during operation. The pusher can extend to engage contact elements during normal door closing, retract to detect forced opening attempts, and assume different positions based on the control path section currently active. This dynamic behavior enhances reliability without requiring a complex fixed-structure mechanism.
2Reliability
If the pusher maintains constant contact with contact elements to ensure reliable switching, then the reliability of state detection improves, but the security against unintended switching during forced opening deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control path includes a first path section that is configured to detect forced opening attempts before the door switch state needs to be transitioned. When forced opening is detected, the mechanism preliminarily activates countermeasures (preventing state transition or resetting the switch) before the harmful unintended switching can occur, thereby maintaining security while ensuring reliable normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The pusher dynamically adjusts its contact pressure and position based on the operational phase. During normal door closing, the pusher maintains reliable contact with contact elements for accurate state detection. During forced opening attempts, the mechanism dynamically modifies the pusher's engagement with contact elements to prevent unintended switching, thus resolving the contradiction between reliable detection and security.
3Ease of manufacture
If the pusher is designed with fixed length for simplicity, then the ease of manufacture improves, but the adaptability to different operational states (normal closing, forced opening, locked state) deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pusher is designed with variable effective length capability, allowing it to adapt to different operational states. The pusher can extend to engage contact elements during normal door closing, retract to detect forced opening attempts, and assume different positions when the door is locked. This dynamic adaptability is achieved through a relatively simple mechanical design that maintains ease of manufacture while providing versatile response to different operational conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The pusher's effective length parameter is made variable rather than fixed. The mechanism allows the pusher to change its operational length based on the door state and control path section, enabling it to perform multiple functions (state detection, forced opening detection, locked state maintenance) with a single component that remains simple to manufacture.
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 system effectively and securely transitions between open and closed states, preventing unintended switching and ensuring the door remains locked, even under forced opening attempts, by using a pusher mechanism that adjusts its effective length and maintains a clear distance from the contact elements in the locked state.
Implementation Method 1
the two contact elements are pre-loaded by spring force in reciprocal contact
Data Source
AI summary
A door lock for a household electrical appliance has an electric door switch with two contact elements, a pusher and a pusher control element. The pusher presses against a first contact element that holds the door switch in one of the two switching states. When the pusher is displaced from a first pusher position to a second pusher position, the door switch transfers into the other of the two switching states. The pusher control element, which is movable relative to the pusher, moves from one of the two control positions to the other on closing of the door. The pusher control element has a control path where a first path section blocks the pusher against displacement from the first pusher position to the second pusher position and a second path section provides the pusher with space for a displacement from the first pusher position to the second pusher position.