Sliding Door Latch Mechanism for Automatic Stall Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic stall latch devices fail to prevent injury to animals when entering or exiting stalls, and decorative sliding barn doors do not remain closed, causing privacy and aesthetic concerns.
Innovation Solution
The solution is a locking plate and wedge that the locking plate slides over to lock the door, with a narrow rod installed on the side to operate the latch, allowing automatic locking and unlocking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a standard stall door is used, then animals can freely enter and exit, but animals may open the door to escape and cause serious injury to themselves and others
Solution Approach 1:
The latch mechanism automatically engages when the door closes, performing the locking action in advance before the animal can interact with the door. This preliminary action prevents the door from being accidentally opened and eliminates the need for manual intervention that could expose animals to injury.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch system is self-actuating through the door's closing motion itself. The door's movement directly triggers the latch engagement without requiring external control, making the system autonomous and eliminating manual operation that could harm animals.
2Adaptability or versatility
If decorative sliding barn doors are used, then aesthetic concerns are addressed, but the doors slide open easily and do not remain closed, causing privacy issues
Solution Approach 1:
The latch mechanism automatically engages when the decorative sliding door closes, using the door's own closing motion to trigger the locking action. This self-service approach ensures that aesthetic doors maintain their closure stability without requiring manual intervention or compromising their decorative design.
3Reliability
If a manual latch system is used, then door security can be achieved, but farmers and ranchers must manually apply the latch, increasing operation time and potential for animal injury
Solution Approach 1:
The latch mechanism is completely self-actuating, using the door's closing motion to automatically engage the locking mechanism. This eliminates all manual operation requirements, making the system both secure and extremely easy to operate, as no human intervention is needed beyond simply closing the door.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch engagement occurs automatically as the door closes, performing the security function in advance before any human would need to intervene. This preliminary action eliminates manual latch application entirely, reducing operation time to zero and eliminating exposure to animal injury risks.
4Reliability
If an automatic latch device is added to sliding doors, then door security and automatic locking are achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The latch mechanism is integrated with the door structure itself, using the door's closing motion to trigger the locking action. This merging of the door and latch functions reduces overall system complexity while maintaining automatic locking capability, as the door serves dual purposes of both closure and actuation.
Data Source
AI summary
A novel automatic stall latch device is disclosed. The device is a secure, automatic latch for stall doors that house livestock, but can be retrofitted to any sliding door. The device comprises a locking plate and a wedge that the locking plate slides over to lock the door. A narrow rod is then installed on the side of the sliding door to operate the automatic latch. The locking plate is bolted to the top of the stall or sliding door and operated via the narrow rod that runs down the side of the door. The rod can be actuated to open the stall door. When the door is closed, the locking plate automatically connects to the wedge component that bolts to the top of the stall wall next to the closed door.