Cylindrical Lever Lock Plate Shaft Spring Cage Design
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Cylindrical lever locks face issues with deformation and malfunction due to strong wrenching forces, leading to drooping and increased manufacturing costs, especially when made from non-ferrous metals like Zn or Al, which are structurally complex and costly to produce.
Innovation Solution
A cylindrical lever lock design featuring a rotation spring elastically connected to a plate shaft through a spring cage and holder, with double engagement of fixing pieces and stopper protrusions to maintain lever horizontality and control rotation angle, using metal plates for main parts to enhance strength and reduce manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If casting of Zn or Al is used to manufacture inner and outer attachment plates with mounting recess, fixing protrusion and fixing hole, then the structural complexity is reduced, but the material cost and process cost increase, consequently increasing the manufacturing cost
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment plate is divided into a base plate and a separate reinforcing structure. The base plate can be manufactured from simple metal plates using conventional processes, while the reinforcing structure (mounting recess, fixing protrusion, fixing hole) is added as a distinct component through welding or bolting, thereby segmenting the complex structure into manufacturable parts.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment plate uses a composite structure combining a simple metal plate base with additional reinforcing elements made from the same or different materials. This composite approach allows the base to be manufactured economically from standard metal plates while the added structures provide the necessary functional complexity without requiring expensive casting processes.
2Device complexity
If inner and outer attachment plates and movable plate are made of non-ferrous metal, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the strength is insufficient to withstand wrenching force, causing deformation and separation of parts
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment plates use a composite structure where a base plate made of cost-effective non-ferrous metal is combined with reinforcing structures made of high-strength ferrous metal. This composite material approach allows the majority of the structure to benefit from the low cost and good corrosion resistance of non-ferrous metals, while the critical load-bearing portions gain the necessary strength from ferrous metal reinforcements to withstand wrenching forces without deformation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If locking nut and interval maintaining plates are provided for adjusting interval among component parts, then the adaptability to different door thicknesses is improved, but the number of parts increases, making pre-assembling and installation processes time-consuming and complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment plate is designed with multi-functional features including integrated mounting recess, fixing protrusion, and fixing hole that can accommodate various door thicknesses without requiring additional adjustment parts. The universal design allows the same attachment plate structure to serve multiple functions and adapt to different installation scenarios, eliminating the need for separate locking nuts and interval maintaining plates.
Solution Approach 2:
The functions of interval adjustment, locking, and mounting are merged into a single integrated attachment plate structure. The mounting recess, fixing protrusion, and fixing hole are combined in one component, allowing interval adjustment among component parts to be achieved through the design of the attachment plate itself rather than through separate adjustment mechanisms, thereby reducing the total number of parts.
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 effectively withstands strong wrenching forces, prevents lever drooping, and simplifies assembly and installation by reducing the number of adjustment parts, while lowering material costs and improving durability and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
a rotation spring is elastically connected to a plate shaft through a spring cage and a spring holder
Data Source
AI summary
A cylindrical lever lock using a lever as a handle for convenient use by even the disabled and the old is disclosed. Since plate shafts, spring holders and spring cage covers constituting the cylindrical lever lock are made of general metal plates, the material cost and the prime cost may be reduced. In addition, the spring holders are connected through double engagements with spring cages and the spring cage covers. Therefore, deformation of parts or drooping of levers may be prevented in spite of an excessive force applied. Furthermore, assembling and disassembling of the parts can be quickly and easily performed by achieving adjustment of intervals of the parts according to thickness of a door using a female screw of an outer attachment plate and a male screw of a boy assembly.