Surface-Mountable Electric Strike with Pivoting Keeper
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electric strikes are prone to malfunctions and are difficult to maintain, especially when used outdoors, due to complex mechanisms with small moving parts, and they require different mounting orientations for left and right-handed doors, leading to excessive friction and potential damage from large opening forces.
Innovation Solution
A surface mountable electric strike design featuring a solenoid with a fixed core that directly acts on a pivoting lock lever, eliminating intermediate moving elements and allowing for a simpler, more robust construction that can accommodate both left and right-handed doors without needing to be mounted upside down, with a biasing member to ensure reliable operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional electric strikes use anchor elements and electromagnets to retain the locking bar, then the locking function is achieved, but the mechanism becomes complex with small moving parts that are prone to malfunctions and difficult to maintain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the complex anchor element mechanism from the electric strike design. Instead of using small anchor elements that engage with the locking bar, the invention uses a simple keeper that pivots on a hinge to directly retain or release the locking bar. This extraction of the problematic mechanism resolves the contradiction by maintaining reliability while dramatically reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by making the locking bar stationary and the keeper movable. In traditional designs, the locking bar moves and anchor elements engage it. Here, the keeper pivots to engage or disengage from the stationary locking bar, simplifying the mechanism and eliminating small moving parts while maintaining the locking function.
2Ease of operation
If conventional electric strikes transmit opening force from the keeper to the locking bar via sliding flat surfaces, then the release function is achieved, but excessive friction occurs especially when surfaces are not lubricated or covered with dirt
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces sliding flat surfaces with a pivoting hinge mechanism. The keeper rotates on a hinge pin, converting linear sliding motion into rotational motion. This curvature-based mechanism eliminates the friction problems associated with flat surfaces sliding against each other, especially when contaminated, while maintaining smooth operation.
3Force
If conventional electric strikes use small anchor elements to retain the locking bar, then the locking function is achieved, but when large force is exerted on the door, the excessive pressure damages the small anchor elements resulting in a defective strike
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the keeper and hinge into a single robust pivoting assembly that can withstand large forces. Instead of using small, separate anchor elements, the entire keeper structure acts as the retaining mechanism, distributing forces across a larger, stronger component that is resistant to damage from excessive pressure.
4Adaptability or versatility
If conventional electric strikes are mounted upside down for right-handed doors, then the dead bolt cavity positioning is achieved, but the mounting orientation requirement increases complexity and reduces versatility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the electric strike with universal mounting capability by making the keeper and locking mechanism symmetric or reversible. The hinge-pivot design allows the device to function correctly in any mounting orientation, eliminating the need for different mounting configurations for left-handed or right-handed doors, thus increasing versatility without adding complexity.
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 design enhances reliability and robustness by minimizing intermediate moving parts, reducing friction, and allowing for easy mounting on both left and right-handed doors, while maintaining a compact depth suitable for surface mounting, and can be configured as fail-safe or fail-secure depending on the biasing member's action.
Implementation Method 1
The solenoid has a fixed core that is situated next to the lock lever, the solenoid being oriented to produce a magnetic field that is, inside the solenoid, directed substantially in the third direction to magnetically attract the lock lever
Implementation Method 2
the solenoid being oriented to produce a magnetic field that is, inside the solenoid, directed substantially in the third direction to magnetically attract the lock lever
Implementation Method 3
at least one biasing member to urge the lock lever to one of the locking and unlocking positions
Data Source
AI summary
A surface-mountable electric strike having a keeper arranged to pivot about a first shaft extending in a longitudinal direction; a lock lever for locking the keeper in a door-locking position, the lock lever being arranged to pivot about a second shaft extending in a direction that is transverse to the longitudinal direction and parallel to the backside of the strike; and an actuation mechanism for actuating the lock lever, the actuation mechanism comprising an electromagnet that is situated next to the lock lever in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to the backside of the strike thereby enabling the electromagnet to act directly upon the lock lever providing a simple construction. Moreover, the orientation of the second shaft enables arranging the lock lever, and the electromagnet, above and/or underneath the keeper, thereby reducing the total depth of the strike.