Soft Self-Close Door Damper with Toggle Claw for Aircraft Lavatories
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft lavatory doors often remain slightly open, protruding into narrow aisles, necessitating a self-closing feature to maintain aisle integrity.
Innovation Solution
A door damper assembly with a housing, damper, carriage assembly, claw assembly, and spring mechanism that biases the carriage to the closed position, utilizing a toggle mechanism to ensure the door closes and dampens its motion, while a reset feature ensures proper pin alignment and recapture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a self-closing mechanism is added to the door, then the door closes automatically maintaining aisle space, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the self-closing function and damping function into a single integrated mechanism. The spring provides the closing force while the damper simultaneously controls the closing speed, merging two functions that could have been separate systems into one compact assembly mounted at the top of the door frame.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanism serves multiple functions: the spring biasing system provides the self-closing force, the damper controls the closing speed to prevent slamming, and the integrated design occupies minimal space in the aircraft lavatory. This multi-functional approach resolves the contradiction by achieving automatic closing without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a damper mechanism is used to prevent slamming, then the door closes smoothly without damage, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The damper is integrated with the spring biasing mechanism rather than being a separate system. The damper controls the closing speed while the spring provides the closing force, and both are mounted together in a compact assembly that does not significantly increase the overall device complexity.
3Reliability
If a spring biasing mechanism is used to close the door, then the door returns to closed position reliably, but the door may close too quickly causing slamming
Solution Approach 1:
The damper acts as an intermediary between the spring biasing mechanism and the door. It mediates the force from the spring by controlling the rate at which the door closes, allowing the reliable spring mechanism to provide closing force while the damper prevents the harmful slamming effect.
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
Effectively closes aircraft lavatory doors to maintain aisle space and prevents slamming, with a reset mechanism ensuring reliable operation and proper pin alignment.
Implementation Method 1
a spring positioned to bias the carriage assembly to the closed position
Implementation Method 2
A door damper assembly that includes a housing, a damper, a carriage assembly
Data Source
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AI summary
A door damper assembly that includes a housing, a damper that includes a fixed end and a movable end disposed within the housing, a carriage assembly that is movable within the housing between a closed position and an open position, a claw assembly pivotably attached to the carriage assembly, and a spring positioned to bias the carriage assembly to the closed position. The movable end of the damper is secured to the carriage assembly. The claw assembly is movable with the carriage assembly between the closed position and the open position. The claw assembly is movable relative to the carriage assembly between a non-toggle position and a toggle position. The claw assembly includes a pin receiving space defined therein that defines a claw axis that is generally vertical when the claw is in the non-toggle position and not vertical when the claw assembly is in the toggle position.