Knob-less Horizontal-Shift Fire Door Lock Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fire door lock mechanisms require operators to use one hand to push the door and another hand to turn a knob, making the operation effort-consuming and not ergonomic.
Innovation Solution
A knob-less horizontal-shift fire door lock design featuring a longitudinal bar, unlocked-state positioning members, a pivotally mounted latch, a push board, and a handle bar with a guide pin, allowing the operator to use one hand to horizontally shift the handle bar to set the latch in a locked or unlocked position without changing hand posture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional knob-based lock mechanism is used, then the lock can be set in a normally unlocked state, but the operator must use one hand to push the door and another hand to turn the knob, making the operation effort-consuming and not ergonomic
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the traditional rotary knob from the lock mechanism, extracting the problematic element that required two-handed operation. The knob is completely eliminated and replaced with a push-board and handle bar system that can be operated with one hand, directly resolving the ergonomic issue while simplifying the overall mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a rotary motion (turning the knob) to unlock the door, the invention inverts the operation to a linear pushing motion. The push board and handle bar move in a straight line toward the door, allowing the operator to push the door open with the same hand motion, which is more ergonomic and intuitive in emergency situations.
2Ease of operation
If a knob-less design is implemented to improve ergonomics, then one hand can be used to operate the lock, but the positioning and locking mechanism must be redesigned
Solution Approach 1:
The guide pin acts as an intermediary element that translates the linear pushing motion of the handle bar into the appropriate movements of the latch and locking components. This mediator ensures that the simplified one-handed operation reliably controls the complex positioning and locking functions through a clear mechanical relationship.
Solution Approach 2:
The positioning members are nested within the base structure, with positioning sections that guide the guide pin through specific paths. This nested arrangement allows multiple positioning functions (unlocked state, locked state) to be achieved within a compact structure, managing the complexity of the positioning mechanism efficiently.
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 design enhances ergonomics by allowing the operator to use one hand to operate the lock, reducing effort and improving usability in emergency situations, while maintaining the latch in a secure locked or unlocked state.
Implementation Method 1
a latch (20), which is pivotally mounted, by means of a pivot pin (21), to a first end of the base (10), the latch (20) being biased and elastically supported by a spring (22), such that a part of a free end of the latch (20) is normally biased out of the base (10)
Implementation Method 2
the handle bar (40) being normally biased by at least one elastic element to eject outwards and moving the guide pin (41) to slide into the guide groove (132)
Data Source
AI summary
A knob-less horizontal-shift fire door lock includes a base including a longitudinal bar, an unlocked-state positioning member arranged in the longitudinal bar and having a positioning section; a latch pivoted to the base and having a free end elastically biased outside the base to engage a keeper on a door jamb; a push board pivoted in the base; and a handle bar slidably mounted on the longitudinal bar. The handle bar is biased by an elastic element to protrude outwards and moving a guide pin to slide in a guide groove of the positioning section. The handle bar is depressible toward the longitudinal bar to move the push board to drive the latch to retract into the base to achieve an unlocked state. The handle bar is further shiftable horizontally to cause the guide pin to slide into a horizontal groove of the positioning section for being secured in position.