Automatic Door Lock Using Magnetic Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic closing systems for windows and doors are compromised by safety issues due to protruding elements that can accidentally activate the unlocking mechanism, and they often require ferromagnetic materials, limiting their functionality and reliability, especially in cases of imperfect alignment between the door/window leaf and the frame.
Innovation Solution
An automatic closing system featuring a lock body with a switch that uses magnetic poles to securely engage and disengage the closing mechanism only during the final approaching step, ensuring the mechanism remains locked until alignment is complete, and utilizing a second magnetic member to attract the first member and activate the switch, thus preventing accidental activation and functioning with non-ferromagnetic materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a protruding button is used to activate the unlocking mechanism, then the automatic closing function is achieved, but the safety is compromised due to accidental activation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the protruding button element from the lock body surface. Instead, the unlocking mechanism is activated internally through magnetic interaction between the magnet in the counter-plate and a ferromagnetic element within the lock body, eliminating the external protruding element that could be accidentally pushed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical button-pressing system with a magnetic field-based activation system. The magnet in the counter-plate generates a magnetic field that acts on the ferromagnetic element in the lock body to trigger the unlocking mechanism, substituting mechanical contact with magnetic interaction.
2Ease of operation
If the first magnet is housed in a retracted position to enable bolt release, then the unlocking function is achieved, but the device complexity increases due to the retracted positioning requirement
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of retracting the magnet to enable bolt release, the patent positions the magnet in a fixed, accessible location within the counter-plate. The ferromagnetic element in the lock body is what moves or becomes active when the door approaches the closed position, reversing the traditional approach of hiding the magnet.
Solution Approach 2:
The magnet in the counter-plate serves multiple functions: it activates the unlocking mechanism when the door is aligned, and it also serves as part of the alignment sensing system. The ferromagnetic element in the lock body similarly participates in both unlocking and alignment detection, reducing the need for separate components.
3Ease of operation
If the system uses ferromagnetic materials for the face-plate, then the magnetic attraction for bolt release is achieved, but the adaptability is limited due to material constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a ferromagnetic element as an intermediary component within the lock body that interacts with the magnet in the counter-plate. This intermediary allows the system to function with non-ferromagnetic face-plates while still achieving the necessary magnetic attraction for bolt release, as the ferromagnetic element mediates the magnetic interaction.
4Ease of operation
If the unlocking mechanism has sufficient displacement stroke to release bolts, then the bolt release function is achieved, but the length of the moving object increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic magnetic field interaction where the force of attraction varies with the distance between the magnet and the ferromagnetic element. As the door approaches the closed position, the magnetic force increases, providing sufficient activation force for bolt release without requiring large mechanical displacement of the unlocking mechanism itself.
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 system ensures reliable and secure automatic closing by preventing accidental bolt release and operating independently of the distance between the lock body and counter-plate, maintaining safety and functionality across various alignments and material types.
Implementation Method 1
a mobile magnet housed in the counter-plate is attracted by the ferromagnetic face-plate of the lock body and exits so as to press a projecting button installed on said face-plate
Implementation Method 2
the unlocking mechanism forms a single part with a first magnet which, when the door or window leaf is aligned to the frame, is attracted by a second magnet housed in the counter-plate
Implementation Method 3
the second magnet is slidably housed in the counter-plate and, when the door or window leaf is aligned with the fixed frame and the lock body is facing the counter-plate, the second magnet is attracted by a third magnet, rigidly fixed to the lock body
Data Source
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AI summary
An automatic system (1) for closing windows or doors, comprising a counter-plate (2) provided with a first member (3) and a lock body (20). Closing means (4) is movable between a release configuration, in which it engages the counter-plate (2) when the latter is aligned with the lock body (20), and a retained configuration, in which it is maintained inside the lock body (20) and does not engage the counter-plate (2). A switch (5) is mounted in the lock body (20) and is configured to assume a locking configuration in which the switch (5) locks the closing means (4) in the retained configuration and an unlocking configuration in which the switch unlocks the closing means (4). The switch (5) and the first member (3) are configured to exchange an activation magnetic-type action adapted to switch the switch (5) from the locking configuration to the unlocking configuration only in a final approaching step of the lock body (20) to the counter-plate (2).