Ball Lock Cylinder with Eccentric Rolling and Multi-Track Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mechanical lock cylinders are vulnerable to key copying via 3D printing, unlocking with vibration guns, and drilling, leading to poor anti-theft performance.
Innovation Solution
A ball lock cylinder design featuring multiple combined movable tracks, anti-drilling pins, and a reverse Z-shaped movement track to prevent key copying and unlocking with vibration guns, combined with a double-opening and shifting support assembly for enhanced security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single row or double rows of marbles are used to realize locking function, then the structure is simple, but the anti-theft ability is poor and technical unlocking cannot be effectively avoided
Solution Approach 1:
The lock cylinder is divided into multiple independent locking components: outer lock liner with first groove, inner lock liner with second groove, and multiple marbles (first marble, second marble, third marble) that operate in separate but coordinated grooves. Each groove-marble combination functions as an independent locking segment that must be simultaneously satisfied to unlock the cylinder, thereby increasing anti-theft ability while maintaining reasonable structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The inner lock liner is nested within the outer lock liner, creating a concentric structure where the inner lock liner rotates within the outer lock liner. The marbles are nested within grooves that are formed in the lock liners themselves. This nested arrangement allows multiple locking mechanisms to be integrated in a compact design, improving security without proportionally increasing overall device complexity
2Device complexity
If traditional marble lock cylinders are used, then the structure is simple, but they can be unlocked with tinfoil and vibration gun due to single locking
Solution Approach 1:
The lock cylinder incorporates preliminary anti-actions against known unlocking attacks: the multiple marble-groove combinations create preliminary obstacles that prevent tinfoil from reaching all locking points simultaneously; the specific groove geometries (first groove in outer lock liner, second groove in inner lock liner) are designed to prevent vibration gun effectiveness by distributing mechanical energy across multiple independent locking interfaces rather than a single target
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism transitions from a single-plane marble arrangement to a multi-dimensional configuration where marbles operate in separate grooves at different radial positions and angular orientations. The first marble operates in the outer lock liner while the second and third marbles operate in the inner lock liner, creating a three-dimensional locking space that prevents two-dimensional attack methods like tinfoil insertion and vibration gun application from being effective
3Ease of manufacture
If existing marble lock cylinder structure is used, then manufacturing is easy, but key copying by 3D printing cannot be prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The key features asymmetric geometric elements including a head portion with specific dimensional relationships (first dimension greater than second dimension), and bitting features that correspond to the asymmetric groove configurations in the lock liners. This asymmetry ensures that even if a 3D scan is made, the copied key would not precisely replicate the complex multi-groove interaction geometry, preventing unauthorized duplication while maintaining manufacturability through conventional key cutting processes
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 effectively prevents key copying via 3D printing and unlocking with vibration guns, enhances anti-drilling capabilities, and improves overall anti-theft ability.
Implementation Method 1
the oblong hole is pin-connected with an annular ball which has an outer diameter higher than a thickness of the key and eccentrically rolls in the keyhole, through a provided transverse pin
Implementation Method 2
a sealing bead, a bead spring and a male-female flat bead which push each flat-end female bead and each cone-end flat-tail male bead along the longitudinal direction are sequentially mounted in each bolt hole from top to bottom
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
The disclosure discloses a ball lock cylinder and a lock thereof. The ball lock cylinder comprises a key, a lock case, an outer lock liner, a double-opening and shifting support assembly and an inner lock liner, wherein an oblong hole which penetrates through is formed at a part, corresponding to a keyhole port of the outer lock liner and the inner lock liner, of the key, and the oblong hole is pin-connected with an annular ball which eccentrically rolls in a keyhole; a first groove and a second groove which are in yielding fitting with the annular ball in the key are respectively formed in a lower side and an upper side of the keyhole, in each of the outer lock liner and the inner lock liner; flat-end female beads which can slide up and down and are matched with the annular ball are vertically arranged in longitudinal directions of the outer lock liner and the inner lock liner, and centers of the flat-end female beads are further sleeved with cone-end flat-tail male beads which can slide up and down; and an annular plane of an outer edge of each flat-end female bead is in contact with the annular ball in the key, and a lower cone end face of each cone-end flat-tail female bead is matched with a tooth socket formed in the key beside the annular ball. During unlocking, a mutual reverse movement mode in which the flat-end female beads rise and the cone-end flat-tail male beads fall is formed, so that coping the key by 3D printing is avoided, technical unlocking is effectively avoided and the anti-theft ability is improved.