Self-Aligning Door Lock Catch Plate Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional barrel bolts require high accuracy during installation and can become misaligned due to temperature fluctuations and structural stresses, leading to unboltable doors, necessitating inconvenient repositioning or cosmetic repairs.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable door lock with a catch plate and door plate system, where the locking bolt reciprocates along a first linear path and the catch automatically adjusts along a second orthogonal path, ensuring alignment without the need for reinstallation or alignment by the user.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional barrel bolt is installed, then the door can be locked, but the bolt and catch become misaligned due to temperature fluctuations and structural stresses, causing the door to become unboltable
Solution Approach 1:
The catch plate is designed with a movable catch that can dynamically adjust its position along the vertical path to maintain alignment with the locking bolt despite door frame shifts or misalignment. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the system to adapt to changing conditions while maintaining reliable locking functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The catch plate acts as an intermediary component between the fixed door frame and the movable locking bolt. It introduces a degree of freedom through the movable catch that mediates the alignment between the bolt and the fixed mounting points, absorbing misalignment without compromising locking reliability.
2Ease of operation
If the barrel bolt is repositioned to realign the bolt and catch, then the door can be locked again, but the process requires removing and refitting the locking bolt or catch, causing cosmetic repairs to the door and wall
Solution Approach 1:
The movable catch on the catch plate performs self-alignment with the locking bolt automatically during the locking operation. The user simply needs to operate the locking mechanism, and the catch will naturally adjust to the correct position, eliminating the need for manual realignment or professional reinstallation services.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic adjustment mechanism allows the catch to automatically find its correct position relative to the bolt during normal operation, making the system self-correcting and eliminating the need for manual intervention or cosmetic repairs.
3Device complexity
If the locking bolt is made fixed and rigid, then the locking mechanism is simple, but it cannot accommodate door misalignment caused by temperature fluctuations and structural stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The catch plate incorporates a movable catch that can shift position along a vertical path, introducing controlled dynamics to an otherwise simple locking mechanism. This allows the system to accommodate misalignment while maintaining overall structural simplicity and ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking system is segmented into fixed components (door plate, mounting points) and a movable component (catch on the catch plate). This segmentation allows the movable part to absorb misalignment while the fixed parts maintain structural integrity and simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable door lock includes a catch plate having a body and a plurality of flanges positioned on an exterior face of the body such that a corresponding gap is formed between the body and each of the flanges, respectively. Advantageously, a catch having a channel is adjustably connected to the catch plate wherein the catch is selectively interfitted through at least of one of the gaps. A door plate is disposed adjacent to the catch plate and adapted to be secured to the door. A locking bolt is in communication with the door plate and linearly reciprocated along a first linear path passing along the door plate and the channel. Notably, the catch is automatically adjusted along a second linear path orthogonally registered relative to the first linear path such that the linear channel automatically becomes axially aligned with the locking bolt as the locking bolt ingresses and egresses the catch.