Sliding Door Locking Mechanism with Speed-Based Restriction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional opening/closing apparatus with locks for sliding doors, when used in railway vehicles, can inadvertently lock luggage inside, preventing passengers from retrieving it unless the apparatus is manually operated again, which is unsafe and inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
An opening/closing apparatus with a lock that uses a single actuator for operation and incorporates a lock restricting mechanism, allowing external signal control to delay locking until the vehicle reaches a certain speed, ensuring safety and enabling luggage retrieval without compromising security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the locking mechanism locks the sliding doors in fully closed position automatically, then the security of the railway vehicle is improved, but the convenience of luggage retrieval is worsened when luggage is caught by the doors
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism transitions from a static automatic lock to a dynamic system that can switch between locked and unlocked states based on operational conditions. The lock restricting mechanism allows the system to adapt its locking behavior dynamically, restricting the locking function when luggage retrieval is needed while maintaining automatic locking during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The lock restricting mechanism acts as an intermediary between the actuator and the locking mechanism. It controls and modulates the locking action, allowing the system to selectively enable or disable the locking function based on whether luggage is caught by the doors, thus mediating between security requirements and retrieval convenience.
2Device complexity
If a single actuator is used for opening/closing and locking operations, then the device complexity is reduced, but the control precision for timing the lock operation is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The single actuator's output is segmented into two separate functions through the one-input two-output mechanism: one output drives the opening/closing operation while the other output drives the locking operation. This segmentation allows independent control of timing for each function while using a single actuator, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The one-input two-output mechanism serves as an intermediary that receives the actuator's output and distributes it to different functional components at different times. It precisely controls when the locking mechanism receives the drive force, enabling accurate timing control without requiring a separate actuator.
3Productivity
If the locking mechanism operates automatically when doors are fully closed, then the productivity of door operation is improved, but the ease of operation for manual intervention is worsened when luggage is caught
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism's automatic operation is made dynamic through the lock restricting mechanism, which can restrict the locking function when needed. This allows the system to maintain high productivity during normal operation while enabling manual intervention when luggage is caught, resolving the contradiction between efficiency and ease of manual intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is an opening/closing apparatus with a lock capable of performing the opening/closing and closed lock of a sliding door by a single actuator and arbitrarily setting the timing of a lock operation. In the opening/closing apparatus with a lock, an electric motor is driven and the drive force of the electric motor is input to the sun gear of a planetary gear mechanism and output from the internal gear or the carrier. A pair of sliding doors are opened and closed by the drive force output from the internal gear. While the pair of sliding doors are at a fully closed position, the lock and lock-released states of a lock mechanism are switched by a lock restricting mechanism.