Flexible Line Panel Door Lockout Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lockout devices for panel doors, such as breaker boxes, are not well-suited for multi-user applications, are difficult to install and remove, and are often cumbersome and limited in their range of use, making them unsuitable for efficient group lockout practices and storage.
Innovation Solution
A lockout device featuring a flexible line and openable/closable housing that can be mounted to the panel, allowing for secure attachment of multiple locks and easy installation/removal, accommodating various panel widths and facilitating compact storage through its design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid bar or strap is used to lock the panel door, then the door is securely prevented from opening, but the device becomes large and cumbersome to carry and store
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible locking bar instead of a rigid one, allowing the bar to bend and conform to the panel door shape during installation. This dynamic flexibility enables the device to be compact during storage while maintaining full locking capability when deployed, directly resolving the contradiction between security reliability and device size.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking bar is designed as a flexible element that can be bent into various configurations to fit different panel door dimensions. This flexible structure allows the device to collapse into a compact form for portability while extending to provide secure locking when needed, addressing both the security and size concerns.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a single lock design is used, then the device is simple to manufacture, but it cannot accommodate multiple users performing work simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is divided into multiple independent lockable positions along the flexible bar, with each position capable of accepting an individual lock. This segmentation allows multiple users to attach their own locks at different positions, enabling simultaneous work by multiple personnel while maintaining overall system simplicity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The device is designed to accommodate multiple types of locks at multiple positions, making it universally applicable for various user needs and lock preferences. This multi-functionality allows a single device to serve multiple users simultaneously without requiring different locking mechanisms for different users.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a multi-component locking device is used, then the device can provide multiple locking positions, but the components are difficult to assemble and easy to misplace
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple locking mechanisms into a single unified flexible bar structure, eliminating the need to separately assemble multiple independent components. The locking positions are pre-configured along the flexible bar, allowing users to simply attach locks to the appropriate positions without complex assembly procedures, thus maintaining versatility while improving ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A lockout device is able to secure a door on a panel. The lockout device includes a housing and a flexible line. The housing has a first mounting portion adapted for securement to one side of the panel and the flexible line has on one end thereof a second mounting portion adapted for securement to another side of the panel from the first mounting portion. The housing further supports at least one line engagement element, and the flexible line extends through at least a portion of the housing including the at least one line engagement element for selective engagement therewith. In use, the mounting portions may be affixed or attached to opposing sides or edges of the panel, the flexible line drawn taut, and the line engagement element(s) of the housing used to engage the flexible line to hold it in position with respect to the housing.