Compact Electric Motor Lock Plug for Standard Door Installation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current automatic locking systems with split electric motors face difficulties in being mounted into standard-sized door holes due to their larger dimensions, requiring secondary processing on the door panel to accommodate the motor, increasing installation complexity.

Innovation Solution

A lock plug design where the electric motor is fixedly connected to the lock plug core and features a conductive contact sleeve, with a semicircular hole groove and set screw groove, allowing direct insertion into a standard door hole without enlarging the door, and includes an electric motor fixation part and spring mechanism for stability and manual override.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the electric motor is arranged outside the lock plug core, then the motor can be connected to the lock plug core, but the overall dimension of the lock plug becomes larger than the door hole groove size

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemotor connectionVSAvoidlock plug overall dimension
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The electric motor is nested inside the lock plug core, with the motor housing positioned within the core's internal cavity. This nesting arrangement allows the motor to be integrated into the lock plug structure without increasing the overall external dimensions, enabling the lock plug to fit through standard door hole grooves while still incorporating the motor functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Ease of operation

If the lock plug overall dimension is reduced to fit through the door hole groove, then the lock plug can be installed without secondary processing, but the motor may not have sufficient space for operation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation processVSAvoidmotor operating space
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The lock plug core is designed with non-uniform internal structure, creating a localized cavity specifically sized to accommodate the electric motor. The core has different internal volumes at different locations, with sufficient space allocated to the motor housing area while maintaining a compact overall external dimension that fits through the door hole groove.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Volume of moving object

If the electric motor is integrated inside the lock plug core, then the overall dimension is reduced, but the motor needs additional fixation structures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelock plug overall dimensionVSAvoidmotor fixation structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The motor fixation structure is merged with the lock plug core structure itself. The core includes integrated fixation features such as positioning protrusions and corresponding recesses, as well as threaded holes that are part of the core's wall structure. This integration eliminates the need for separate fixation components, reducing device complexity while maintaining the compact design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3885515B1Lock cylinder with electric motor
Publication Date: 2023.05.24 WANJIA GRP CO LTD
  • EP3885515B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3885515B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3885515B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Disclosed is a lock plug (2) with an electric motor (1). The electric motor (1) is mounted at an end of the lock plug body, the lock plug body includes a lock plug core (3), a surface of an electric motor reducer is provided with an electric motor conductive contact sleeve (5), a position, corresponding to an electric motor output shaft (6), of the centre of the lock plug core (3) is provided with a semicircular hole groove consistent with the electric motor output shaft (6) in shape and size, the lock plug core (3) is provided with a set screw hole (7), a position, corresponding to the set screw hole (7), of the electric motor output shaft (6) is provided with a set screw groove (8), and an overall dimension of the electric motor (1) is smaller than that of a lock plug hole groove of a door.