Self-Adjusting Latch for Vibration-Resistant Door Securing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing latching devices for imaging devices face challenges in securely engaging with protrusions of varying sizes and shapes due to manufacturing variances, leading to potential vibration and unexpected door opening.
Innovation Solution
A latching device featuring a pair of spaced apart latches, where at least one latch is self-adjusting relative to a rod, allowing it to compensate for manufacturing variances in spacing, size, or shape of both protrusions and latches, ensuring firm engagement and reducing the likelihood of unexpected door opening.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If fixed-position latches are used relative to the rod, then the device structure is simple, but the latches cannot compensate for manufacturing variances in protrusion spacing and sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The latch is designed with dynamic positioning capability, allowing it to move relative to the rod along a guide structure. This enables the latch to self-adjust its position to accommodate manufacturing variances in protrusion spacing and sizes, transforming a static system into a dynamic one that adapts to dimensional variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch incorporates a self-adjusting mechanism where the latch itself performs the positioning adjustment without external intervention. The guide structure and spring assembly enable the latch to automatically find its correct engagement position, compensating for manufacturing tolerances in both the latch and protrusion dimensions.
2Reliability
If self-adjusting latches are used to compensate for manufacturing variances, then latch engagement reliability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The latch is designed with dynamic positioning capability, allowing it to move relative to the rod along a guide structure. This enables the latch to self-adjust its position to accommodate manufacturing variances in protrusion spacing and sizes, transforming a static system into a dynamic one that adapts to dimensional variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch incorporates a self-adjusting mechanism where the latch itself performs the positioning adjustment without external intervention. The guide structure and spring assembly enable the latch to automatically find its correct engagement position, compensating for manufacturing tolerances in both the latch and protrusion dimensions.
3Ease of manufacture
If both latches are fixed relative to the rod, then the manufacturing and assembly process is simple, but vibration and unexpected door opening may occur due to loose engagement
Solution Approach 1:
The latch is designed with dynamic positioning capability, allowing it to move relative to the rod along a guide structure. This enables the latch to self-adjust its position to accommodate manufacturing variances in protrusion spacing and sizes, transforming a static system into a dynamic one that adapts to dimensional variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch incorporates a self-adjusting mechanism where the latch itself performs the positioning adjustment without external intervention. The guide structure and spring assembly enable the latch to automatically find its correct engagement position, compensating for manufacturing tolerances in both the latch and protrusion dimensions.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~3
Figure 4A~4C
AI summary
A latching device is mountable to a door. The device includes a rod and a pair of latches spaced apart along the rod. The rod is slidably movable relative to a channel between a first position and a second position, with the rod biased into the first position. Upon slidable movement of the rod, both the first and second latches generally move in unison to permit a releasable engagement of the first and second latches relative to two spaced apart protrusion of a frame to releasably secure the door relative to the frame. At least one of the first and second latches is slidably movable relative to the rod between a first position and a second position closer to the other respective latch.