Sliding Door Latch Drive Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing drive devices for sliding sash bolts are complex, expensive, and aesthetically unattractive, with a cumbersome assembly process and large dimensions, making them difficult to mount and integrate into sliding leaf profiles.

Innovation Solution

A compact drive device with a casing and gear mechanism that includes an input and output pinion system, where the casing is placed within the sliding leaf profile, allowing for a hidden and aesthetically improved design, with a transmission ratio that enhances the distance between locking and unlocking positions of the bolt-carrying rod, and a simple mounting mechanism using screws and tappings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If an outer casing is attached to the front face of a sash profile, then the drive device can be assembled with an operating stand and define extreme positions of rotation, but the assembly becomes complex and expensive with large dimensions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefunctional capabilityVSAvoidassembly complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the outer casing from the front face of the sash profile and relocates the drive mechanism inside the hollow profile. This extraction eliminates the need for a visible external casing, reducing assembly complexity and improving aesthetics while maintaining the functional capability of defining extreme rotation positions through internal stops.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The drive device is nested within the hollow profile of the sash, with the mechanism contained inside the existing structural cavity. This nesting approach eliminates the need for an additional outer casing, reducing overall device complexity and integration cost while preserving functional requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Reliability

If an outer casing is attached to the front face of a sash profile, then the drive device can be assembled with an operating stand, but the device becomes expensive

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefunctional capabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

By extracting the drive mechanism from the external casing and placing it inside the hollow profile, the patent eliminates the need for manufacturing and assembling a separate outer casing, directly reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining functional capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The drive device is merged with the existing hollow profile structure, utilizing the profile's internal cavity as the housing. This consolidation eliminates the need for a separate external casing, reducing the number of parts and assembly steps, thereby lowering manufacturing costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of manufacture

If an outer casing is attached to the front face of a sash profile, then the drive device can be assembled, but the device has large dimensions and is aesthetically unattractive

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly capabilityVSAvoidaesthetics
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The drive mechanism is extracted from the visible front face and relocated to the internal hollow space of the profile. This extraction hides the mechanism from view, improving aesthetics, while the mechanism retains its functional dimensions and assembly capability within the internal space.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The drive device is relocated from the external three-dimensional space to the internal hollow space of the profile. This dimensional relocation hides the mechanism within the profile's cavity, improving aesthetics without compromising the mechanism's functional dimensions or assembly requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

4Shape

If the casing is placed within the sliding leaf profile, then the design becomes hidden and aesthetically improved, but the mounting must be simplified

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveaestheticsVSAvoidmounting simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The drive device is merged with the hollow profile structure, using the profile's internal cavity as the housing. This integration simplifies mounting by eliminating the need for external casing attachment, while the hidden internal placement maintains aesthetic improvement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

By taking out the drive mechanism from the external casing and placing it inside the hollow profile, the patent simplifies the mounting process to involve only internal installation within the profile, eliminating external attachment steps, while maintaining the hidden aesthetic design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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 solution provides a cost-effective, aesthetically pleasing, and easy-to-mount drive device that simplifies the assembly process while maintaining functionality, allowing for efficient operation between closed and open positions of the sliding sash.

Implementation Method 1

a gear mechanism arranged in said interior enclosure and comprising an input pinion forming said input member and an output pinion forming said output member

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGear mechanism: Gear

Data Source

PatentEP3489443B1Device for driving a door latch rod of a sliding door
Publication Date: 2020.07.29 SOTRALU
  • EP3489443B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3489443B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3489443B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a device for translating a bolt-carrying rod (28), this device comprising: - a housing (41) having a wall delimiting an inner enclosure (47), - a mechanism (57) disposed in said inner enclosure (47) and comprising: ∘ an input member (58) disposed opposite an input opening (48) formed in the wall (46) of the housing (41), ∘ an output member (77), ∘ a transmission adapted to drive said output member (77) in motion from a movement of said input member (58), the inner enclosure (47) of the housing (41) forming stops adapted to define extreme positions of displacement of the input member (58) and the output member (77), characterized in that said wall has at least one output opening (49) and in that the output member (77) has teeth passing through said exit opening (49).