Anti-tamper securing mechanism and operation method thereof

Abstract

An anti-tamper securing mechanism and an operation method thereof are provided. The anti-tamper securing mechanism includes a screw bolt, a rotation cover, a connection element, and a main elastic element. The screw bolt includes a fastening body; a partition element affixed within the fastening body; and a temporary element, affixed to the partition element. The rotation cover is rotatably disposed in the fastening body. The connection element is movably and rotatably disposed in the fastening body, and connected to the rotation cover. The main elastic element is between the connection element and the partition element. When the temporary element is attached to the partition element, the connection element contacts the temporary element, and the connection element, the temporary element, and the fastening body are rotatable with the rotation cover. When the fastening body is fastened on an object, the temporary element is broken off from the partition element by further rotating the rotation cover relative to the fastening body.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a locking mechanism and its operating method, and more particularly to an anti-tamper locking mechanism and its operating method. [Previous Technology]

[0002] The assembly of electronic devices generally involves installing various electronic components inside a casing, which is then secured with screws or other means. However, others can easily use a regular screwdriver to remove the screws and open the casing, thereby removing the electronic components inside and damaging the electronic device.

[0003] Furthermore, if the casing is only secured with screws, it is possible for others to easily steal the storage device inside the casing, resulting in significant losses due to the theft of important data. [Summary of the Invention]

[0004] In view of this, the anti-tamper locking mechanism in this invention allows the user to lock the machine using common locking tools such as screwdrivers. However, when opening the machine, additional specific disassembly tools are required to open the casing, increasing the difficulty of opening the casing.

[0005] One embodiment of the present invention discloses an anti-tamper locking mechanism, including a bolt, a rotating cover, a connector, and a main elastic element. The bolt includes a locking body; a spacer fixed within the locking body; and a bridging member fixed within the spacer. The rotating cover is rotatably disposed within the locking body. The connector is movable and rotatably disposed within the locking body and connected to the rotating cover. The main elastic element is disposed between the connector and the spacer. When the bridging member is fixed to the spacer, the connector contacts the bridging member, and rotating the rotating cover causes the connector, the bridging member, and the locking body to rotate with the rotating cover. When the locking body is locked to an object, rotating the rotating cover causes the connector to rotate relative to the locking body, thereby disengaging the bridging member from the spacer.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the bolt further includes a locking block fixed in the locking body, wherein when the locking body is removed from the object, a disassembly tool is used to connect to the rotating cover and engage the connector with the locking block, and the disassembly tool is used to rotate the rotating cover so that the locking body rotates with the rotating cover.

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the rotating cover includes a vent opening, and the disassembly tool delivers air to the locking body through the vent opening, thereby pushing the connector to engage with the locking block.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present invention, when the bridging member is fixed to the spacer, the connecting member is separated from the locking block.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the rotating cover includes a limiting groove, and the bolt further includes a limiting member located in the limiting groove. The limiting groove is an annular structure used to restrict the rotating cover from rotating relative to the locking body with respect to a virtual central axis.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the connector includes a limiting groove, and the rotating cover includes a limiting rib located in the limiting groove. The limiting groove and the limiting rib are used to limit the longitudinal movement of the connector relative to the locking body and the rotating cover.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the spacer includes a shaft hole, and the connector includes a shaft portion located within the shaft hole; and a drive structure surrounding the shaft portion for rotating the bolt. The main elastic element is located between the shaft portion and the drive structure.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the connecting member further includes a stop structure disposed on the shaft portion, wherein the stop structure passes through the bridging member to prevent the bridging member from detaching from the connecting member.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the shaft portion further includes a fitting groove, and the bridging member further includes a fitting block. When the bridging member is fixed to the spacer, the fitting block is located in the fitting groove.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the anti-tamper locking mechanism further includes an inner elastic element disposed in the fitting groove of the shaft portion, wherein when the bridging member is disconnected from the spacer, the inner elastic element pushes the bridging member.

[0015] One embodiment of the present invention discloses an operation method of an anti-tamper locking mechanism, comprising the following steps: Rotating the rotating cover of the anti-tamper locking mechanism to lock the locking body of the bolt of the anti-tamper locking mechanism into an object, wherein the bolt further includes a spacer disposed within the locking body and a bridging member fixed to the spacer, and the anti-tamper locking mechanism further includes a connecting member movably and rotatably disposed within the locking body and connected to the rotating cover. Further rotating the rotating cover to rotate the connecting member relative to the locking body until the bridging member disengages from the spacer.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the above-described operation method further includes the following steps. When the rotating cover is rotated, the connecting member, the bridging member, and the locking body rotate relative to the object following the rotation of the rotating cover.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the above-described operation method further includes the following steps: Connecting a disassembly tool to the rotating cover and engaging the connector with the bolt's engaging block.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned operation method further includes the following steps. The above-mentioned disassembly tool delivers air to the above-mentioned locking body through the vent opening of the above-mentioned rotating cover, thereby pushing the above-mentioned connector to engage with the above-mentioned engaging block.

[0019] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the above-described operation method further includes the following steps: Rotating the rotating cover using the disassembly tool causes the connecting member to rotate the locking body relative to the object, thereby removing the bolt from the object.

Implementation Method

[0020] To facilitate understanding and implementation of the present invention by those skilled in the art, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts, which can be implemented in various specific forms. Those skilled in the art can utilize the details described in these or other embodiments, as well as other available structural, logical, and electrical variations, to implement the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0021] This specification provides different embodiments to illustrate the technical features of different implementations of the present invention. The configuration of the elements in the embodiments is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, the repetition of some reference numerals in the embodiments is for simplification and does not imply any correlation between different embodiments. The same element numbers used in the illustrations and specification indicate the same or similar elements. The illustrations in this specification are simplified and not drawn to precise scale. For clarity and convenience, directional terms (e.g., top, bottom, upper, lower, and diagonal) are used in relation to the accompanying illustrations. The directional terms used in the following description, unless explicitly used within the scope of the appended claims, are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0022] FIG1 is a cross-sectional view of an anti-tamper locking mechanism 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG2 is a perspective view of the anti-tamper locking mechanism 1 of FIG1. ​​FIG3 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the anti-tamper locking mechanism 1 of FIG2. FIG4 is an exploded view of the anti-tamper locking mechanism 1 of FIG2 from another perspective. The anti-tamper locking mechanism 1 can be locked onto two objects W1 to combine the two objects W1. For example, one object W1 can be a housing and the other object W1 can be a cover. The anti-tamper locking mechanism 1 includes a bolt 10, a rotating cover 20, a connector 30, an inner elastic element 40, and a main elastic element 50.

[0023] Bolt 10 can be locked onto object W1 and includes a locking body 11, a spacer 12, a bridging member 13, and a plurality of engaging blocks 14. The locking body 11, spacer 12, bridging member 13, and engaging blocks 14 can be integrally formed and made of the same material, such as metal. The locking body 11 can be a long strip structure and extend along the longitudinal direction D1. The locking body 11 can be a hollow structure and can be a cylindrical structure. In addition, a virtual central axis AX1 can extend parallel to the longitudinal direction D1 and pass through the center of the locking body 11.

[0024] The locking body 11 includes a head 111 and a screw 112. The head 111 and the screw 112 may be hollow or cylindrical. The head 111 is connected to the screw 112, and the outer surface of the screw 112 has threads. In this embodiment, the diameter of the head 111 may be larger than the diameter of the screw 112. The diameters of the head 111 and the screw 112 can be measured in the same direction perpendicular to a virtual central axis AX1. The head 111 and the screw 112 may be integrally formed and may be made of the same material, such as metal.

[0025] The spacer 12 is fixed within the screw 112 of the locking body 11 and can extend perpendicularly to the virtual central axis AX1. The bridging member 13 and the engaging blocks 14 are fixed within the screw 112. In this embodiment, the bridging member 13 and the plurality of engaging blocks 14 can be fixed on opposite sides of the spacer 12. In other words, the spacer 12 can be located between the bridging member 13 and the engaging blocks 14. The engaging blocks 14 are closer to the head 111 than the bridging member 13. The virtual central axis AX1 can pass through the center of the spacer 12 and the bridging member 13, and the plurality of engaging blocks 14 can be arranged around the virtual central axis AX1.

[0026] The rotating cover 20 is rotatably disposed on the head 111 of the locking body 11. The rotating cover 20 includes a cover body 21, a connecting post 22, a plurality of limiting ribs 23, and a venting column 24. The cover body 21, the connecting post 22, the limiting ribs 23, and the venting column 24 may be integrally formed and may be made of the same material, such as metal or plastic. A virtual central axis AX1 may pass through the center of the cover body 21, the connecting post 22, and the venting column 24, and the limiting ribs 23 may be arranged around the virtual central axis AX1. The cover body 21 is located within the head 111 of the locking body 11 and is exposed above the bolt 10. The cover body 21 has a tool slot 211. A locking tool (not shown) and a disassembly tool T1 (as shown in FIG. 6) may be inserted into the tool slot 211 to rotate the rotating cover 20. In this embodiment, the locking tool may be a screwdriver. A connecting post 22 is connected to the cover 21 and may be located within the head 111 and / or screw 112. The connecting post 22 may be a hollow structure. A limiting rib 23 may be fixed to the connecting post 22 and is located within the connecting post 22. Furthermore, the limiting rib 23 may extend toward and parallel to the virtual central axis AX1. A venting post 24 is fixed to the cover 21 and is located within the connecting post 22 and the locking body 11. The venting post 24 includes one or more vent openings 241. The vent openings 241 communicate with the tool slot 211. In this embodiment, the vent openings 241 are formed on the outer wall of the venting post 24 and are separated from the virtual central axis AX1. The end of the venting post 24 has a blocking wall 242. The virtual central axis AX1 passes through the center of the tool slot 211 and the blocking wall 242. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of small objects such as dust falling between the rotating cover 20 and the connector 30 through the vent openings 241.

[0027] The rotating cover 20 further includes a limiting groove 25 formed on the outer wall of the cover body 21 and / or the connecting post 22. The bolt 10 further includes a limiting member 15 extending into the limiting groove 25. In this embodiment, the limiting member 15 may be a pin, passing through the head 111 of the locking body 11 into the limiting groove 25. The limiting groove 25 is an annular structure surrounding the virtual central axis AX1. The limiting member 15 and the limiting groove 25 are used to restrict the rotation of the rotating cover 20 relative to the locking body 11 with the virtual central axis AX1 as the axis. In other words, the limiting member 15 and the limiting groove 25 prevent the rotating cover 20 from moving relative to the locking body 11 along the virtual central axis AX1.

[0028] The connector 30 is movably and rotatably disposed within the locking body 11 and connected to the rotating cover 20. The connector 30 is movable relative to the rotating cover 20 relative to the longitudinal direction D1. The connector 30 includes a guide structure 31, a shaft portion 32, a drive structure 33, and a stop structure 34. The guide structure 31, the shaft portion 32, and the drive structure 33 may be integrally formed and may be made of the same material, such as metal or plastic. The guide structure 31 may extend along the longitudinal direction D1 and may be a hollow structure. The guide structure 31 may include a plurality of limiting grooves 311, which may extend along the longitudinal direction D1 and be spaced apart from each other. In other words, the limiting grooves 311 may be arranged around the virtual central axis AX1. The limiting ribs 23 of the rotating cover 20 may be located within the limiting grooves 311. The limiting groove 311 and the limiting rib 23 can limit the movement of the connector 30 along the longitudinal direction D1 relative to the locking body 11 and the rotating cover 20, and can prevent the connector 30 from rotating relative to the rotating cover 20.

[0029] The shaft portion 32 may be a columnar structure extending along the virtual central axis AX1. In other words, the virtual central axis AX1 can pass through the center of the shaft portion 32. The shaft portion 32 can rotate relative to the locking body 11 with the virtual central axis AX1 as the center. The spacer 12 may include a shaft hole 121, and the virtual central axis AX1 can pass through the center of the shaft hole 121. The shaft portion 32 is rotatably located within the shaft hole 121. The drive structure 33 surrounds the shaft portion 32 and is secured by the rotating bolt 10. In this embodiment, the drive structure 33 may include teeth 331. When the teeth 331 engage with the locking block 14, the connecting member 30 and the locking body 11 can rotate with the rotating cover 20 by rotating the rotating cover 20.

[0030] A stop structure 34 may be disposed at the end of the shaft portion 32 and may pass through the bridging member 13. The stop structure 34 may be used to prevent the bridging member 13 from disengaging from the connector 30. In this embodiment, the stop structure 34 may be a screw, and the stop structure 34 may include a rod portion 341 and a stop block 342. One end of the rod portion 341 may be fixed to the end of the shaft portion 32, and the other end of the rod portion 341 may be fixed to the stop block 342. The rod portion 341 of the stop structure 34 passes through the bridging member 13. The bridging member 13 is confined between the stop block 342 and the end of the shaft portion 32. Furthermore, the length of the rod portion 341 in the longitudinal direction D1 is greater than the length of the bridging member 13 in the longitudinal direction D1, so that when the bridging member 13 is disconnected from the spacer 12, the bridging member 13 may move along the longitudinal direction D1 on the rod portion 341.

[0031] In this embodiment, the shaft portion 32 further includes a fitting groove 321 formed at the end of the shaft portion 32. The bridging member 13 further includes a fitting block 131. When the bridging member 13 is fixed to the spacer 12, the fitting block 131 is located within the fitting groove 321. Furthermore, the fitting block 131 may be polygonal, and the fitting groove 321 may be a polygon that mates with the fitting block 131. Therefore, when the bridging member 13 is fixed to the spacer 12, rotating the rotating cover 20 allows the shaft portion 32, the fitting block 131, and the spacer 12 to rotate with the rotating cover 20.

[0032] The inner elastic element 40 may be disposed within the fitting groove 321 of the shaft portion 32 and abut against the fitting block 131. The inner elastic element 40 may be a spring or an elastic material, such as rubber. When the bridging member 13 is disconnected from the spacer 12, the inner elastic element 40 pushes the bridging member 13 out of the fitting groove 321. In another embodiment, the anti-tamper locking mechanism 1 may not include the inner elastic element 40.

[0033] The main elastic element 50 is disposed between the connector 30 and the spacer 12. Alternatively, the main elastic element 50 may be located between the shaft portion 32 and the drive structure 33. In this embodiment, the main elastic element 50 may be a spring. The main elastic element 50 applies a spring force to the connector 30 to position the connector 30 in the initial position shown in FIG1.

[0034] Figures 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views of the operation method of the anti-tamper locking mechanism 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention during operation. In step 1, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, the locking body 11 of the bolt 10 is locked into the two objects W1 by rotating the rotating cover 20 with a locking tool. At this time, the bridging member 13 is fixed to the spacer 12, and the connecting member 30 is in the initial position. The teeth 331 of the drive structure 33 of the connecting member 30 are separated from the engagement block 14 of the bolt 10. The fitting block 131 of the bridging member 13 is located in the fitting groove 321 of the connecting member 30. Therefore, rotating the rotating cover 20 can cause the connecting member 30, the bridging member 13, and the locking body 11 to rotate with the rotating cover 20, thereby locking the two objects W1.

[0035] In step 2, when the locking body 11 is locked to the object W1, the rotating cover 20 is further rotated to rotate the connecting member 30 relative to the locking body 11, thereby causing the bridging member 13 to disconnect from the spacer 12 as shown in FIG. 5. At this time, the inner elastic element 40 pushes the bridging member 13 out of the fitting groove 321. As shown in FIG. 5, when the user continues to use the locking tool to rotate the rotating cover 20 in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, the locking body 11 cannot be rotated again, thereby achieving the anti-tampering function of the anti-tampering locking mechanism 1.

[0036] When the user wishes to remove the tamper-proof locking mechanism 1 from the two objects W1, steps 3 and 4 below can be performed. In step 3, as shown in FIG6, the disassembly tool T1 is inserted into the tool slot 211 to connect to the rotating cover 20. Then, the disassembly tool T1 is used to move the connector 30 toward the spacer 12 so that the teeth 331 of the connector 30 engage with the engaging block 14. In this embodiment, the disassembly tool T1 is connected to an air pump. By starting the air pump, pressurized air is delivered through the end of the disassembly tool T1. Therefore, the disassembly tool T1 can deliver air into the locking body 11 through the vent 241, thereby pushing the connector 30 from the initial position in FIG5 along the longitudinal direction D1 to the engagement position in FIG6, so that the teeth 331 of the drive structure 33 of the connector 30 engage with the engaging block 14 of the bolt 10.

[0037] In this embodiment, the vent column 24 has a blocking wall 242 at its end. Therefore, it is difficult to push the connector 30 by passing the rotating cover 20 along the longitudinal direction D1 with the needle-like rod, thereby increasing the difficulty of disassembling the tamper-proof locking mechanism 1. In another embodiment, the vent column 24 may not include the blocking wall 242, and the vent opening 241 of the vent column 24 may be located on the virtual central axis AX1. Therefore, the user can disassemble the tamper-proof locking mechanism 1 using a disassembly tool T1 with a needle-like rod at its end.

[0038] In step 4, the rotating cover 20 is rotated using the disassembly tool T1 to cause the connector 30 to drive the locking body 11 to rotate relative to the object W1, thereby removing the bolt 10 from the object W1. In other words, when the rotating cover 20 is rotated, the connector 30 and the locking body 11 rotate with the rotating cover 20.

[0039] In summary, the anti-tamper locking mechanism 1 of the present invention can be fixed to the object W1 by a conventional screwdriver, and the anti-tamper locking mechanism 1 cannot be disassembled by a conventional screwdriver, thereby achieving the anti-tamper function of the anti-tamper locking mechanism 1.

[0040] This invention meets the requirements for an invention patent, and therefore a patent application is filed in accordance with the law. However, the above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. All equivalent modifications or variations made by those skilled in the art in accordance with the spirit of the present invention should be covered within the scope of the following patent application. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0041] FIG1 is a cross-sectional view of an anti-tamper locking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG2 is a perspective view of the anti-tamper locking mechanism of FIG1. ​​FIG3 is an exploded cross-sectional view of the anti-tamper locking mechanism of FIG2. FIG4 is an exploded view of the anti-tamper locking mechanism of FIG2 from another perspective. FIG5 and FIG6 are cross-sectional views of the operation method of the anti-tamper locking mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention during operation. [Biomaterial Storage]

[0043] None

Claims

1. A tamper-proof locking mechanism, comprising: A bolt includes: a locking body; a spacer fixed within the locking body; a bridging member fixed within the spacer; a rotating cap rotatably disposed within the locking body; a connecting member movable and rotatably disposed within the locking body and connected to the rotating cap; and a main elastic element disposed between the connecting member and the spacer, wherein when the bridging member is fixed to the spacer, the connecting member contacts the bridging member, and by rotating the rotating cap, the connecting member, the bridging member, and the locking body rotate with the rotating cap, and the main elastic element applies an elastic force to the connecting member to position the connecting member in an initial position; wherein when the locking body is locked to an object, by rotating the rotating cap, the connecting member rotates relative to the locking body, thereby causing the bridging member to disconnect from the spacer.

2. The tamper-proof locking mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bolt further includes a locking block fixed to the locking body, wherein when the locking body is removed from the object, a disassembly tool is connected to the rotating cover and pushes the connector from the initial position to an engaged position, thereby causing the connector to engage with the locking block, and the disassembly tool is used to rotate the rotating cover so that the locking body rotates with the rotating cover.

3. The tamper-proof locking mechanism as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rotating cover includes a vent, and the disassembly tool supplies air to the locking body through the vent, thereby pushing the connector to engage with the locking block.

4. The tamper-proof locking mechanism as claimed in claim 2, wherein when the bridging member is fixed to the spacer, the connecting member separates from the locking block.

5. The anti-tamper locking mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotating cover includes a limiting groove, and the bolt further includes a limiting member located within the limiting groove, wherein the limiting groove is an annular structure for restricting the rotating cover from rotating relative to the locking body about a virtual central axis.

6. The tamper-proof locking mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting member includes a limiting groove, the rotating cover includes a limiting rib located within the limiting groove, and the limiting groove and the limiting rib are used to limit the longitudinal movement of the connecting member relative to the locking body and the rotating cover.

7. The tamper-proof locking mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spacer includes a shaft hole, and the connector includes: A shaft portion located within the aforementioned shaft hole; and a drive structure surrounding the aforementioned shaft portion for rotating the aforementioned bolt, wherein the aforementioned main elastic element is located between the aforementioned shaft portion and the aforementioned drive structure.

8. The anti-tamper locking mechanism as claimed in claim 7 further includes an inner elastic element, wherein the shaft portion further includes a fitting groove, the bridging member further includes a fitting block, the inner elastic element is disposed in the fitting groove, wherein when the bridging member is fixed to the spacer, the fitting block is located in the fitting groove, and when the bridging member is disconnected from the spacer, the inner elastic element pushes the bridging member.

9. A method of operating an anti-tamper locking mechanism, comprising the following steps: (a) rotating the rotating cover of the anti-tamper locking mechanism to lock the locking body of the bolt of the anti-tamper locking mechanism into an object, wherein the bolt further includes a spacer disposed in the locking body and a bridging member fixed to the spacer, and the anti-tamper locking mechanism further includes a connecting member movably and rotatably disposed in the locking body and connected to the rotating cover; and (b) further rotating the rotating cover to rotate the connecting member relative to the locking body until the bridging member is disconnected from the spacer.

10. The method of operating the anti-tamper locking mechanism as described in claim 9 further includes the following steps: (c) connecting a disassembly tool to the rotating cover and engaging the connector with the bolt's engaging block; and (d) using the disassembly tool to rotate the rotating cover so that the connector drives the locking body to rotate relative to the object, thereby disassembling the bolt from the object.

Images