Espagnolette Lock With Separate Drive Paths for Reliable Unlocking

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing deadbolt locks with both motor-driven and manual operation often have complex structures and suffer from interference between the motorized and mechanical drives, compromising functional reliability.

Innovation Solution

A deadbolt lock design featuring a slide plate actuated by a motor gear for motorized unlocking and a nut lever for manual unlocking, with separate lines of action to prevent interference, allowing for direct retraction of espagnolette bars without hindrance during manual operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a central slide plate is used to operate both motorized and manual lock components, then the lock can be operated by both motor and manual, but interference and jamming between the two drives occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedual operation capabilityVSAvoidfunctional reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The lock mechanism is divided into separate operational paths: the motorized drive acts on the slide plate independently, while the manual drive acts on the bell crank independently. This segmentation prevents interference between the two drive systems, allowing each to operate without jamming the other while maintaining dual operation capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The bell crank serves as an intermediary element that translates the rotational motion of the nut lever into linear motion of the retraction slides. This intermediary mechanism allows manual operation to bypass the motorized path entirely, preventing interference while enabling both operation modes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the motor gear is disengaged from the central slide plate in the rest position, then jamming between motor and manual drive is prevented, but the structure becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprevention of jammingVSAvoidstructural complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The disengagement mechanism is achieved through segmentation of the drive paths. The motor gear engages only with the slide plate during motorized operation, while the manual drive engages with the bell crank during manual operation. This segmentation automatically prevents jamming without requiring complex disengagement mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of operation

If the nut lever acts directly on the retraction slides for manual unlocking, then manual unlocking is simplified and faster, but the motorized drive path must be completely separated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanual unlocking speedVSAvoiddrive separation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The bell crank acts as an intermediary that provides a direct mechanical link between the nut lever and the retraction slides for manual operation. This intermediary path is completely separate from the motorized slide plate path, enabling fast manual unlocking while maintaining clean separation of the two drive systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4632178A1Espagnolette lock with motorised and manual unlocking
Publication Date: 2025.10.15 ASSA ABLOY SICHERHEITSTECHNIK GMBH
  • EP4632178A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4632178A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4632178A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a drive bolt lock (2) for a passive leaf (14) with an upper drive bolt rod (24) connected to an upper retraction slide (241) and a lower drive bolt rod (25) connected to a lower retraction slide (251), wherein the two retraction slides (241, 251) are connected by means of a two-armed reversing lever (26), and wherein a motor-movable slide plate (27) is provided in order to motor-drivenly unlock the drive bolt rods (24, 25) and to manually unlock a lock nut (23) with a nut lever (231) for the drive bolt rods (24, 25).In order to ensure safe manual and motorized unlocking of the espagnolette lock (2) at all times, it is proposed that the motorized unlocking and the manual unlocking are separated in such a way that during motorized unlocking the motor (3) acts directly on the slide plate (27), wherein the slide plate (27) cooperates with the reversing lever (26) in order to pivot the latter and unlock the two espagnolette rods (24, 25), and that during manual unlocking the nut lever (231) acts directly on the lower retraction slide (251) or the upper retraction slide (241) in order to unlock the two espagnolette rods (24, 25).