Locking Device for Sliding Door with Return Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing locking devices for movable components, such as sliding doors, face challenges in stopping the component quickly enough to prevent damage or injury when an obstacle is encountered, due to mechanical delays and the need for a specific feed rate, which increases the risk of accidents at higher speeds.
Innovation Solution
A return device is integrated between the contact strip and the component, which activates the contact strip to pivot towards the component upon encountering an obstacle, allowing sufficient time for the component to stop, and a preloaded helical compression spring or energy storage element facilitates faster movement of the contact strip away from the obstacle, reducing dynamic mass and enhancing stopping efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the component is moved at a higher infeed speed to increase productivity, then productivity is improved, but the stopping distance increases and safety is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The contact strip is positioned in advance of the component's lower edge at a predetermined distance. This preliminary positioning ensures that when an obstacle is encountered, the contact strip has sufficient distance to activate the locking mechanism before the component reaches the obstacle, enabling safe stopping even at higher infeed speeds
Solution Approach 2:
The contact strip serves as an intermediary element between the component and the locking mechanism. It is mechanically connected to both the component (via the pull rod) and the locking member, translating the contact force from an obstacle into locking action with sufficient force and speed to stop the component safely
2Device complexity
If mechanical connecting elements are used to link the contact strip to the locking mechanism, then the structure is simple and reliable, but time delay occurs between obstacle contact and locking activation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex multi-element mechanical linkages with a streamlined mechanical connection consisting of the contact strip, pull rod, and locking member. This simplified mechanical system reduces the number of moving parts and minimizes time delay while maintaining structural simplicity and reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates unnecessary intermediate mechanical elements from the connection between the contact strip and locking mechanism. By directly connecting the contact strip to the locking member via the pull rod, the system removes redundant components that would otherwise contribute to time delay and complexity
3Force
If the locking member requires a certain path along the guide column to exert sufficient stopping force, then the locking force is adequate, but the stopping distance increases and risk of damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The contact strip is positioned in advance of the component at a distance sufficient to allow the locking member to travel the required path along the guide column. This preliminary positioning ensures that the locking mechanism has adequate distance to build sufficient locking force before the component reaches the obstacle, preventing damage while limiting stopping distance
Solution Approach 2:
The locking member is designed to move dynamically along the guide column with optimized mass and friction characteristics. The guide column provides a controlled friction interface that enables the locking member to exert sufficient stopping force over a minimized travel path, reducing the stopping distance required to prevent damage
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
This solution enables higher infeed speeds without compromising safety, as the contact strip is moved faster than the component's infeed speed, providing additional time to stop and preventing damage or injury by ensuring the component stops before hitting an obstacle.
Implementation Method 1
a preloaded helical compression spring or energy storage element facilitates faster movement of the contact strip away from the obstacle
Implementation Method 2
a preloaded helical compression spring or energy storage element facilitates faster movement of the contact strip away from the obstacle
Implementation Method 3
the locking element is activated via mechanical connecting elements by pivoting the contact strip. By pivoting the contact strip, the mechanical connecting elements are transferred from their starting position to an end position and this movement is passed on to the locking member, so that it is transferred from a position encompassing the guide column to a position interacting with the guide column by friction
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 1c
AI summary
In a device (1) for locking a movable component (2), in particular a protective or sliding door arranged in front of a work or access point to be shielded, - with one or two profile rails (3, 4) running parallel to each other, in which the component (2) is guided on one or both sides and adjustable by means of a servo device (11), - with a locking element (21) which interacts with a guide column (7) running parallel to the profile rails (3, 4) to lock the component (2), or with a locking circuit by which the servo device (11) can be deactivated, - and with a contact strip (18) attached to the component (2) which is in mechanical operative connection with the locking element (21) via connecting elements (29), or is electrically connected with the locking circuit, the approach speed of the component (2) should be able to be increased,without violating the legal safety regulations for stopping the component (2). This is achieved by arranging a return device (31) between the contact strip (18) and the component (2), by connecting the return device (31) to the contact strip (18) via a drive mechanism, by activating the return device (31) by the resistance of the obstacle when the contact strip (18) encounters an obstacle interfering with the work or access point, and by moving or pivoting the contact strip (18) linearly towards the component (2) by the return device (31).