Self-Latching Gate Device with Horizontal Latch Bolt
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing self-latching devices for gates, particularly those used in swimming pool safety fences, face issues such as requiring rigid gate construction, potential harm from protruding striker plates, and the need for accurate positioning and regular adjustment to maintain functionality, especially when the gate sags.
Innovation Solution
A self-latching device with a latch bolt movable in a horizontal direction, allowing it to be positioned at any height on the gate without a striker plate, featuring a compact operating mechanism that allows easy operation with minimal force and adjustment, and a striker element with an elongated cavity to accommodate gate sagging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the latch bolt is positioned at the bottom of the gate to cooperate with a striker plate, then the latching function is achieved, but the gate requires rigid construction to withstand torsion stresses and the striker plate creates injury hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The latch bolt is repositioned from the bottom of the gate to the top, and its movement direction is changed from vertical to horizontal. This dimensional change allows the latch bolt to engage with the striker plate at a different location and orientation, eliminating the need for rigid gate construction and removing the injury hazard associated with protruding striker plates at leg height.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of having the striker plate protrude outward to engage the latch bolt, the design inverts this arrangement by having the latch bolt move horizontally to engage a recessed striker plate. This inversion eliminates the protruding hazard while maintaining the latching function.
2Reliability
If the striker plate is positioned at a fixed height to ensure accurate engagement with the latch bolt, then reliable latching is achieved, but the device requires frequent adjustment when the gate sags
Solution Approach 1:
The striker plate is designed with vertical adjustability, allowing it to move up and down to compensate for gate sagging. This dynamic adjustment capability maintains reliable latching engagement without requiring frequent manual intervention, as the striker plate can be repositioned to match the changed height of the latch bolt.
Solution Approach 2:
The vertical position of the striker plate is made variable rather than fixed. This parameter change allows the system to adapt to gate sagging by adjusting the striker plate's height, thereby maintaining proper engagement with the horizontally-moving latch bolt without requiring complete device replacement or complex realignment.
3Reliability
If the operator means is mounted at a high position to comply with safety regulations, then child safety is improved, but the gate height is limited and operation becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
A linkage mechanism serves as an intermediary between the operator means and the latch bolt. This mechanism transmits the operator's input force over a longer distance, allowing the operator means to be positioned at a height that provides child safety while still being accessible and operable by adults. The linkage amplifies the operator's effort to move the latch bolt horizontally.
Solution Approach 2:
The operator means utilizes vertical space by extending the operating mechanism upward, allowing the hand-operated component to be positioned at a height that satisfies safety regulations while maintaining ergonomic operability. This vertical arrangement in another dimension solves the conflict between safety height and operational accessibility.
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 device ensures reliable latching without torsion stresses on the gate and maintains functionality even with sagging, eliminating the need for frequent adjustments and reducing the risk of injury from protruding components.
Implementation Method 1
a latch bolt spring arranged to bias the latch bolt into the latching position
Implementation Method 2
This retaining element comprises a permanent magnet to draw the bolt into the retaining element against the bias of a compression spring
Data Source
AI summary
The self-latching device comprises a frame (11, 17, 21, 24, 31) arranged to be mounted on the hinged closure member, in particular on a gate, a latch bolt (7) movably mounted on the frame in a horizontal direction between a latching position and a retracted position, a latch bolt spring (70) arranged to bias the latch bolt (7) into the latching position, and operator means (10) mounted on top of the frame so as to be operable from both sides of the closure member (2) and connected by means of a latch bolt operating mechanism to the latch bolt (7) for moving it from the latching to the retracted position. The self-latching device is especially suited for being mounted in a vertical tubular member of or fixed to a safety gate around an area which is dangerous for children, in particular around a swimming pool area.