Self-Adjusting Locking Piece With Spring-Clip Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing locking pieces for furniture are difficult to adjust and require laborious manual alignment due to installation-related tolerances and settlement behavior over time, leading to misalignment with lock mouths.
Innovation Solution
A self-adjusting locking piece with a spring clip that secures a slide within a housing, allowing the locking arm to adjust itself to the lock mouth position and maintain alignment using frictional engagement and a permanent magnet for detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If elongate holes are provided for adjustment, then the locking piece can be adjusted to compensate for installation tolerances and settlement behavior, but the adjustment operation becomes laborious and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The locking piece is designed to be self-adjusting through the spring clip mechanism. The spring clip automatically allows the locking arm to shift position when force is applied, enabling the locking piece to adapt to misalignment without requiring manual adjustment operations. The system serves itself by using the operational forces during locking/unlocking to achieve the necessary positioning adjustments.
2Ease of operation
If a spring clip is used to secure the slide, then the locking piece becomes self-adjusting, but additional components are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The spring clip serves multiple functions simultaneously: it secures the slide to the housing, allows for positional adjustment through controlled frictional engagement, and enables self-adjustment during operation. By designing a single component that performs these diverse functions, the overall device complexity is minimized despite the added adjustability capability.
3Reliability
If the locking arm is supported in a floating manner, then the locking arm can assume the optimum position in the lock mouth, but the locking arm may not be introduced sufficiently or cannot be moved into the locking position due to installation tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The locking arm transitions from a static floating support to a dynamic self-adjusting system. The spring clip creates a controlled frictional engagement that allows the locking arm to move and adapt its position dynamically during operation. This dynamic capability enables the locking arm to overcome initial misalignment caused by installation tolerances and achieve proper positioning in the lock mouth.
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
Enables easy, stepless adjustment and secure locking without additional components, ensuring the locking arm remains aligned with the lock mouth through frictional retention and magnetic detection.
Implementation Method 1
the slide is pressed by the spring clip into abutment against the housing in such a manner that the slide is fixed in position in each of the displacement positions thereof which are possible in the displacement direction
Implementation Method 2
The permanent magnet cooperates with a reed contact of the lock in order to detect the locking arm in the lock
Data Source
AI summary
A locking piece includes a housing which has a, in particular, rectangular housing opening and a slide which is arranged in the housing. At the housing side, the slide is guided so as to be able to be linearly displaced between two end positions and which has a locking arm which extends at right-angles with respect to the displacement direction of the slide and protrudes forward through the housing opening. A spring clip is arranged behind the slide, which spring clip extends in the displacement direction and which is anchored at the two clip ends thereof in the housing. The slide is arranged between the housing and the spring clip and is retained in abutment with the housing by the spring clip.