Gas Cylinder Cupboard Locking for Simultaneous Door Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas bottle cupboards require significant physical effort to unlock due to the use of locking pins interacting with mushroom heads, making the process uncomfortable and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A rotary bolt mechanism that simultaneously unlocks and locks both the espagnolette lock on the fixed leaf cabinet door and the latch lock on the active leaf cabinet door, allowing both doors to be operated with a single actuating element, reducing the effort required for locking and unlocking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If locking pins are used to lock the cabinet door to the cabinet body, then the locking mechanism is simple in structure, but significant physical effort is required to unlock making the operation uncomfortable and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the locking pin mechanism with an espagnolette lock system where the locking pin is integrated into a rotatable bolt assembly. The locking pin (7) is connected to the espagnolette lock (6) through a common mounting plate (8), allowing both locking functions to be operated simultaneously by a single actuating element (4) rather than requiring separate operations for each lock type.
Solution Approach 2:
The espagnolette lock (6) serves multiple functions: it locks the active leaf cabinet door (3) to the fixed leaf cabinet door (2), simultaneously controls the locking pin (7) to lock the fixed leaf cabinet door (2) to the cabinet body (1), and provides a unified operating interface through the common actuating element (4). This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate locking operations.
2Reliability
If separate locking mechanisms are used for the fixed leaf and active leaf cabinet doors, then each door can be locked independently, but the overall locking and unlocking process becomes time-consuming and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the control of both locking mechanisms through a single actuating element (4). The espagnolette lock (6) and locking pin (7) are both mounted on the same mounting plate (8) and controlled by the same actuating element (4), enabling simultaneous locking or unlocking of both the active leaf cabinet door (3) and fixed leaf cabinet door (2) in one operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting plate (8) is pre-configured with both the espagnolette lock (6) and locking pin (7) in positions that allow them to engage their respective locking points simultaneously. The guide tongue (10) and follower tongue (7) are pre-positioned to ensure proper alignment and engagement sequence, allowing the locking action to occur in a single coordinated motion without requiring separate adjustment or timing of each lock.
3Ease of operation
If a common actuating element is used to control both espagnolette lock and latch lock, then the operation is simplified and can be performed with one hand, but the mechanism requires a more complex multi-part rotating bolt design
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating bolt mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: the espagnolette lock (6) with its guide tongue (10), the locking pin (7) with follower tongue (7), the mounting plate (8) that carries both locks, and the actuating element (4). This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while being coordinated through the common actuating element (4), making the overall system manageable despite its multi-functional requirements.
Data Source
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AI summary
The subject matter of the present invention is a cupboard, in particular a gas cylinder cupboard, with a cupboard body (1) and with at least one fixed wing cupboard door (2) having an espagnolette-type lock (6, 7) and at least one moving wing cupboard door (3) having a clip-type lock (8, 9, 10). According to the invention, both the espagnolette-type lock (6, 7) and the clip-type lock (8, 9, 10), and therefore both cupboard doors (2, 3), are designed to be unlockable/lockable simultaneously by means of a common spagnolet (7, 10, 11).