Lock having a security device for an automatic storage machine and automatic storage machine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage machine locks cannot prevent unauthorized locking of open compartment doors, posing risks to children and animals, and may unintentionally lock them in during power failures or malfunctions.
Innovation Solution
An electromechanical lock with a safety device that prevents unauthorized locking by using a mechanically simple and compact design with few moving parts, ensuring the compartment door remains unlocked during power interruptions and automatically locks only with a high-energy signal, thus minimizing the risk of accidental or unauthorized locking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a passive locking mechanism is used that automatically locks when the compartment door is closed, then the locking function is simple and reliable, but it creates a safety hazard by potentially trapping children or animals inside during power failures or malfunctions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional locking logic by making the lock actively unlockable rather than passively lockable. The locking element is designed to be actively retracted by an electromechanical drive element when a control signal is received, rather than automatically engaging when the door closes. This inversion ensures that locking only occurs when intentionally commanded, preventing accidental trapping while maintaining reliable locking function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a control signal as an intermediary between the door closing action and the locking engagement. The electromechanical drive element acts as a mediator that must receive and process a control signal before actuating the locking element. This intermediary layer prevents direct automatic locking, ensuring that power failures or malfunctions cannot cause unintended trapping while preserving the ability to lock reliably when properly commanded.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If an active electromechanical locking mechanism is used that requires control signals to lock, then safety hazards are reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the control logic from the mechanical locking mechanism itself and places it in a separate control system. The electromechanical drive element is designed as a simple actuator that responds to control signals, rather than incorporating complex control circuits within the lock housing. This extraction reduces the complexity of the lock mechanism while maintaining the safety benefits of active control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical locking mechanisms with a simpler electromechanical system. Instead of using intricate mechanical linkages and springs to achieve controlled locking, the invention uses an electromechanical drive element that directly actuates the locking element when energized by a control signal. This substitution simplifies the mechanical structure while providing precise control over the locking function.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the lock is designed to actively unlock only with control signals, then unauthorized locking is prevented, but the energy consumption increases compared to passive spring-based locking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic or intermittent energy consumption rather than continuous energy use. The electromechanical drive element is energized only momentarily when a control signal is received to actuate the locking element, rather than requiring continuous power to maintain the locked state. Once locked, the mechanical locking element holds the door without additional energy input, significantly reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining unauthorized locking prevention.
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 effectively prevents unauthorized locking and ensures secure operation even during power failures, enhancing personal safety by ensuring the compartment door remains unlocked unless actively locked with a proper signal, thus reducing the risk of children or animals being trapped.
Implementation Method 1
The lock (1) can be actively unlocked and locked using control technology
Implementation Method 2
When the door is closed, the locking pawl is pushed into the locking position by a spring force acting on it
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
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AI summary
The invention relates to a lock (1) which can be actively released and locked by control technology, particularly for use in automatic storage machines having a plurality of compartments with compartment doors (2) which are to be opened individually, and to an automatic storage machine having at least one such lock (1). The lock (1) comprises a detent pawl (14), which can block a locking element (9), which is permanently connected to a compartment door (2), in the lock such that the compartment door (2) can be held in closed position. The lock further has a first electric drive element (17) which transitions the detent pawl (14) from the blocking position to a release position upon the applying of electrical power, such that the compartment door (2) can be opened. The lock (1) further comprises a security device (32), which prevents an automatic reset of the detent pawl (14) from the release position to the blocking position when the lock (1) is in an unpowered state or the automatic storage machine is in an unpowered state, and an unintentional, accidental or improper locking of a compartment door can thus be avoided. In order to properly lock a compartment door, the security device (32) of the lock (1) comprises a second electric drive element, by means of which the detent pawl (14) can be transitioned back to the blocking position thereof upon the applying of electrical power to said second electric drive element during closing of the compartment door (2).