RV Drawer Latch With Resilient Slide Engagement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Recreational vehicle drawers often unintentionally open during transit due to movement, such as cornering or driving over rough terrain, despite existing drawer latch solutions.
Innovation Solution
A self-retaining drawer slide system with a drawer latch featuring a base, a drawer stop, and arms with protrusions that engage indents on slide members to securely retain the drawer in a closed position, using a telescopic engagement mechanism and flexible, resilient arms for secure engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing drawer latches are used, then the drawer can be kept closed during normal use, but the drawer slides open when the recreational vehicle is driving on the street, going around a corner, or driving over rough terrain
Solution Approach 1:
The drawer latch system is designed to automatically engage and disengage without user intervention. The resilient arm with protrusion automatically engages with the indent on the slide member when the drawer is closed, and automatically disengages when the drawer is opened, eliminating the need for manual latch operation and improving reliability during vehicle transit.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient arm changes its physical state from a compressed/engaged position to an extended/disengaged position in response to forces applied during vehicle movement. This parameter change allows the latch to maintain engagement during normal use but release when subjected to sufficient external force, solving the reliability issue during transit.
2Strength
If a resilient arm with protrusion is used to engage indents on slide members, then the drawer is securely retained in the closed position, but the latch mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The latch mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: a base for mounting, a resilient arm for engagement, a protrusion for interfacing with the indent, and a drawer stop for positioning. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall simplicity and reducing manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient arm functions as a flexible element that can elastically deform to engage and disengage from the indent on the slide member. This flexibility provides strong retention force while allowing the mechanism to respond to external forces during vehicle transit, achieving high strength without complex mechanical structures.
3Reliability
If the protrusion is compressible and sized to fit within the indent, then secure engagement is achieved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The compressible protrusion on the resilient arm allows for parameter variation in the engagement interface. The compressibility provides a tolerance buffer that accommodates variations in manufacturing dimensions of both the protrusion and indent, maintaining reliable engagement without requiring extremely tight manufacturing tolerances.
Solution Approach 2:
The compressible nature of the protrusion provides a cushioning effect that absorbs dimensional variations and misalignments between the latch mechanism and the slide member. This beforehand cushioning ensures reliable engagement even when manufacturing precision varies within acceptable ranges.
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
Effectively prevents drawers from opening unintentionally during transit, ensuring contents remain secure and organized within recreational vehicles and other applications.
Implementation Method 1
the arm is flexible and resiliently biased to facilitate engagement of the protrusion with the indent
Data Source
AI summary
A drawer latch comprising a base configured to couple to a first slide member, a drawer stop disposed on the base and positioned to contact a second slide member at a retracted position within the first slide member, and a least one arm extending from the base in a direction parallel to an axis of the first slide member and towards the second slide member, a distal portion of the arm having a protrusion configured to engage an indent disposed on a side of the second slide member when the second slide member is in the retracted position.