Synchronized Sliding Door Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing closing mechanisms for sliding doors are complex and prone to damaging fragile materials, and they do not allow for easy simultaneous closure of multiple doors.
Innovation Solution
A closing mechanism featuring rotatable closing elements with a synchronisation bar that ensures simultaneous locking or unlocking of multiple sliding doors, using a locking body and synchronisation bar to coordinate the rotation of multiple closing elements, allowing for easy actuation and preventing damage to the doors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a closing mechanism is designed to lock sliding doors, then the doors are securely closed, but the closing operation becomes complex and may damage fragile materials like glass
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of having the closing element actively strike or force the door into the locked position, the mechanism is designed so that the door itself guides the closing element into the locking position through its own movement. The closing element rotates passively as the door slides, and the locking portion engages with the rack element naturally positioned on the door, reversing the traditional active closing action to a passive guided engagement that prevents damage to fragile materials.
2Reliability
If a closing mechanism uses a rack element fixed to the door to prevent translation, then the door is locked, but the mechanism cannot easily close multiple sliding doors simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanism merges multiple independent closing functions into a single integrated system. The synchronisation bar connects multiple closing elements, and the single rack element on each door engages with all closing elements simultaneously through their respective locking portions. This allows one closing operation to lock multiple doors at once, combining what would otherwise require separate locking mechanisms for each door.
Solution Approach 2:
The rack element serves multiple functions: it is positioned on the door to prevent translation, engages with multiple closing elements simultaneously, and works with the synchronisation bar to coordinate the closing of multiple doors. The locking portion on each closing element is designed to interact with the same rack element type, creating a universal system that can lock any number of doors using the same basic components.
3Adaptability or versatility
If closing elements are independently positioned to lock doors, then each door can be locked individually, but the mechanism lacks coordination for simultaneous locking of multiple doors
Solution Approach 1:
The synchronisation bar acts as an intermediary that connects all closing elements and the rack element. When one closing element engages with the rack element, the mechanical connection through the synchronisation bar automatically transmits the locking action to all other closing elements. This intermediary component ensures that individual door locking capabilities are maintained while adding automatic synchronization, so all doors lock simultaneously without requiring independent adjustment of each closing element.
Data Source
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AI summary
Mechanism 1 for closing sliding doors of furniture, said furniture 6 comprising sliding doors 5 suitable for sliding along a translation direction T-T, said doors 5 being two or more doors to gain access to at least one space in the furniture 6, the mechanism 1 for closing comprising: - at least two closing elements, each associated to a respective door 5, suitable for being fixedly connected to the furniture 6 and with respect to the latter rotatable about a rotation axis; - a locking body 3 suitable for being fixedly connected to the furniture 6 in which said locking body 3 is associated to the closing element so as to make it rotate by a predetermined amount about its rotation axis from a first to a second angular position and vice-versa and so as to be able to lock it in any one of said positions; - said at least one closing element also comprising a locking portion that through the rotation of the closing element can pass from a first position in which such locking portion is suitable for preventing the translation of the sliding doors 5 of the furniture 6 to a second position suitable for allowing the translation of the sliding doors 5; characterised in that the closing mechanism 1 comprises a synchronisation bar that makes said at least two closing elements rotate as a unit so that the rotation through the locking body 3 of any one of said closing elements determines the simultaneous rotation of all the other closing elements connected through the synchronisation bar ensuring the simultaneous locking in said first closing position or in said second open position of the sliding doors 5 of the furniture 6.