Electronic Lock with Mobile Carriage and Sensor Feedback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current electronic locks for doors and furniture lack the ability to detect obstacles or unauthorized manipulations, leading to inadequate closure and potential damage from forced opening.

Innovation Solution

An electronic lock system with a mobile carriage, elastic elements, and sensors that monitor the closure element's position, triggering alarms and taking protective measures when obstacles or unauthorized manipulations are detected, ensuring secure and reliable operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a closure element is used to lock doors and drawers, then the basic locking function is achieved, but the system cannot detect obstacles or unauthorized manipulations, leading to inadequate security and potential damage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity detection capabilityVSAvoidlock mechanism structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms through sensors that continuously monitor the closure element's position and the lock's operational state. The sensor detects whether the closure element is in the open position and provides real-time feedback to the electronic control module, enabling the system to identify unauthorized manipulations and obstacles, thereby resolving the contradiction between basic locking function and security detection capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a mobile carriage as an intermediary component between the closure element and the electronic lock mechanism. This carriage includes a sensor that detects the closure element's position and transmits information to the control module, serving as a mediator that enables obstacle and manipulation detection without fundamentally redesigning the entire locking system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the closure element moves freely to open or closed positions, then the locking operation is simple, but obstacles or friction from incorrect fitting can impede movement or prevent proper closure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveclosure element movementVSAvoidclosure completion
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor mounted on the mobile carriage provides continuous feedback about the closure element's position during movement. The electronic control module receives this feedback and can detect if the closure element fails to reach the closed position due to obstacles or friction, allowing the system to identify incomplete closure operations while maintaining simple free movement during normal operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If the lock provides no detection means, then the mechanism is simple, but it cannot identify forced opening attempts or blocking obstacles, leading to potential damage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanipulation detectionVSAvoidsensor and control system
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs feedback through the sensor and electronic control module to monitor the lock's operational state. The sensor detects the closure element's position and the control module analyzes this data to identify forced opening attempts or blocking obstacles, providing reliable manipulation detection while keeping the added complexity minimal through efficient use of sensor feedback.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The mobile carriage acts as an intermediary that houses the sensor and translates physical conditions (closure element position, obstacles, forced movements) into detectable signals for the electronic control module, enabling manipulation detection without requiring direct integration of complex sensing mechanisms into the core locking structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Reliability

If the closure element is held from moving by an obstacle, then the basic locking structure remains simple, but the lock cannot complete closure or detect the blocking condition

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveobstacle detectionVSAvoiddetection mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor on the mobile carriage provides feedback about the closure element's position during the closing operation. When an obstacle blocks the closure element, the sensor detects that it remains in the open position and reports this to the electronic control module, enabling obstacle detection while maintaining a relatively simple locking structure with minimal added components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

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 provides real-time detection of obstacles and unauthorized attempts, preventing damage and ensuring secure operation by triggering alarms and taking corrective actions, such as automatically opening the lock to prevent damage.

Implementation Method 1

a first elastic element located between the mobile carriage and the closure element, where the first elastic element can move in relation to the mobile carriage in the same direction the mobile carriage is moving

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

a male element coupled to the mobile carriage by means of a second elastic element, where the male element can move in relation to the mobile carriage in the same direction the mobile carriage is moving

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3196387B1Electronic lock
Publication Date: 2019.10.23 OJMAR
  • EP3196387B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3196387B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3196387B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to an electronic lock comprising: a mobile carriage (2) that can move in a linear manner, defining an open position and a closed position, wherein the mobile carriage is coupled to a closure element (3) and to an actuation mechanism (7); a first spring (4) located between the mobile carriage (2) and the closure element (3), wherein the first spring (4) can move in relation to the mobile carriage (2); a lock sensor (13) for controlling the position of the closure element (3); and an electronic control module which is connected to the sensor (13), and which identifies non-authorised manipulations of the lock when it should be closed, said lock sensor (13) detecting when the closure element is in the open position or, if it should be open, the lock sensor (13) does not detect when the closure element is in the open position.