Folding Wagon Lock Mechanism for Secure Retention
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing folding wagons lack an effective mechanism to securely retain the wagon in a folded position, leading to potential instability and misuse.
Innovation Solution
A lock mechanism for folding wagons, comprising an arm with a receiver and a latch, where the latch has a ramp and a shoulder that engages the second frame member when the wagon is folded, and disengages when the latch is moved downwardly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If no lock mechanism is provided, then the folding wagon can be easily unfolded and reconfigured, but the wagon cannot be securely retained in the folded position leading to instability
Solution Approach 1:
The lock mechanism is designed to automatically engage and disengage without requiring additional actuators or complex control systems. The arm and latch structure self-locks when the wagon is folded and self-releases when the latch is pressed, providing reliable stabilization through passive mechanical design
Solution Approach 2:
The locking function is extracted as a separate, dedicated mechanism (arm with latch) rather than being integrated into the folding structure itself. This allows the lock to provide reliable stabilization while remaining a simple, discrete component that can be easily manufactured and assembled
2Reliability
If a complex lock mechanism is added to secure the folded position, then stability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is segmented into distinct functional components: the arm for engagement, the latch for control, and the receiver for mounting. This segmentation allows each component to be simple in design while collectively providing secure locking, avoiding the need for a complex monolithic mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a complex mechanism to actively lock the wagon, the design uses a passive arm that naturally engages with the frame, with the latch serving only to release the lock when needed. This inversion of the locking logic simplifies the overall mechanism while maintaining high reliability
Data Source
AI summary
A lock is provided for a folding wagon to secure the wagon frame in the folded position when desired. The lock has an arm that has a receiver at a first end and a latch at a second end. The receiver is secured to a first frame member of the folding wagon. The latch has a ramp and a shoulder. The arm is able to be flexed to allow the shoulder to engage a second frame member of the folding wagon when the folding wagon is moved to a folded position, and to allow the shoulder to disengage from the second frame member when the latch is flexed downwardly.