Integrated Door Lock Rocker for Stable Hook Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing door lock apparatuses for electronic products, such as drum washing machines, are prone to failures and incorrect operations, especially during emergencies, leading to potential accidents and economic losses due to the need for frequent replacements when users try to forcibly open the door while locked.
Innovation Solution
A door lock apparatus with a simple, compact structure integrating a rocker and position fixing rod, which stabilizes the coupled or separated state of the rocker and hook, allowing for easy maintenance and repair, and includes a release mechanism for emergency situations, preventing incorrect operations and ensuring high reliability and safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the door lock apparatus uses a complex structure with separate rocker and position fixing components, then the locking reliability is improved, but the device complexity and number of assembly steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the rocker and position fixing rod into a single unified component structure. The rocker includes an integrated position fixing rod that extends from its body, eliminating the need for separate position fixing components. This merging reduces the number of parts and assembly steps while maintaining the locking reliability through the coordinated interaction between the integrated rod and corresponding position fixing holes in the door lock body.
2Device complexity
If the door lock apparatus uses a compact integrated structure, then the device complexity is reduced, but the stability of the coupled state between rocker and hook may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated rocker structure maintains stability through precise geometric design of the position fixing rod and corresponding holes. The rod extends from the rocker body and fits into position fixing holes that are strategically positioned to maintain the rocker in its coupled state with the hook.
Solution Approach 2:
The position fixing rod is pre-positioned on the rocker at a location that ensures proper alignment with the position fixing holes in the door lock body during the locking operation. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the rocker rotates to the locked position, the rod automatically engages with the holes to maintain the stable coupled state without requiring additional adjustment or complex mechanisms.
3Ease of manufacture
If the door lock apparatus uses a simple structure with integrated components, then the number of assembly steps is reduced, but the ease of repair and maintenance may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated rocker assembly reduces the number of separate components that need to be handled during assembly and repair. The position fixing rod is permanently attached to the rocker, forming a single replaceable unit. This design simplifies assembly by reducing the number of fastening operations required, and facilitates repair by allowing the entire rocker assembly to be replaced as one unit if needed, rather than requiring disassembly and reassembly of multiple separate components.
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 reduces the number of assembly steps, minimizes failures, and allows for safe and quick manual release during emergencies, reducing economic losses and ensuring the door remains securely locked during operation, thus enhancing user safety and product reliability.
Implementation Method 1
to receive an elastic force from a first elastic member in the direction in which the hook enters
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a door lock apparatus which is adopted in an electronic product to lock or release a door of the door lock apparatus. The door lock apparatus includes a rocker, a rocker supporting member, a door lock main body and a locking unit. The rocker rotates when the hook of the door enters or withdraws from the door lock apparatus, to be coupled with or separated away from the hook. A rocker hinge rod and a position fixing rode positioned in parallel to the rocker hinge rod are integrated into the rocker. The rocker supporting member is hinge-coupled with the rocker hinge rod to rotatably support the rocker, reciprocatingly moves in a direction in which the hook enters or withdraws when the rocker is rotated, and receives an elastic force from a first elastic member in the direction in which the hook enters. The door lock main body supports the reciprocating movement of the rocker supporting member, and includes position fixing holes to guide movement of the rocker while being coupled with the position fixing rod when the rocker rotates and to fix the rocker while the rocker is coupled with or separated from the hook. The locking unit locks the rocker while the rocker is coupled with the hook. Accordingly, the door lock apparatus has a simple, compact structure, which has fewer failures, ensures convenience in maintenance and repair and reduces the number of assembly steps.