Bicycle Locking System Using Magnetic Biasing and Asymmetric Teeth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional bicycle locking systems are vulnerable to tampering and require external key access, making them easy to unlock forcefully, and they often necessitate carrying a separate lock or bending down to operate, which is inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
A bicycle locking system integrated into the bicycle's frame, utilizing a rotatable axle with magnetic biasing and actuation elements, allowing for secure engagement and disengagement without external key access, providing self-locking functionality and convenient operation through a keypad, remote, or smartphone app.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional locking systems use external key access, then the locking system is easy to operate, but the locking system is vulnerable to tampering and forceful unlocking
Solution Approach 1:
The key mechanism is extracted from the external environment and integrated into the bicycle's internal structure. The locking system uses internal components (toothed rims, springs, pedals) that are not accessible from outside the bicycle frame, eliminating the vulnerability of external key access while maintaining operational convenience through the pedal actuation mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism is nested within the bicycle's bottom bracket shell and crankset structure. The toothed rims are positioned between the chainstays, and the entire locking system is integrated into the existing bicycle components, making it inaccessible from outside while using the bicycle's own structure for security.
2Reliability
If separate locks are used, then the bicycle can be locked securely, but the cyclist must carry the lock around or mount it on a separate bracket
Solution Approach 1:
The locking function is merged with the bicycle's existing crankset and bottom bracket structure. The toothed rims are integrated between the chainstays, and the pedals serve dual purposes as both cycling components and locking actuators. This eliminates the need for separate locks or mounting brackets, as the bicycle's own structure provides the locking mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The pedals serve multiple functions: they are used for cycling propulsion and also as the actuation mechanism for the locking system. The toothed rims on the pedals engage with corresponding toothed rims on the crankset to provide both motion transmission and security locking, making the system multi-functional and eliminating the need for separate locking devices.
3Reliability
If the locking system requires correct pedal positioning, then the lock engages properly, but the cyclist must bend down to lock/unlock the system
Solution Approach 1:
The locking system automatically detects and responds to the correct pedal position through the engagement of toothed rims. When the pedals are positioned correctly (with the locking surfaces aligned), the springs automatically push the toothed rims into engagement, locking the system without requiring the cyclist to manually adjust or position anything. The system serves itself by using the natural positioning of the pedals during normal cycling.
4Ease of operation
If the locking elements are displaceable along the longitudinal axis, then the locking system can engage and disengage, but the system may be vulnerable to forceful disengagement
Solution Approach 1:
The toothed rims are designed with asymmetric tooth geometry where the engagement direction (locking) is mechanically advantageous while the disengagement direction (unlocking) requires specific rotational positioning. The teeth are shaped to easily engage when the pedals are in the correct position but resist forceful disengagement, as the asymmetric geometry creates mechanical interference when force is applied in the wrong direction.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking system uses dynamic spring-loaded toothed rims that automatically engage when the pedals are in the correct position and can be disengaged only through the proper rotational motion of the pedals. The springs provide continuous pressure to maintain engagement, and the dynamic nature of the system requires the pedals to be rotated to a specific position for disengagement, preventing static forceful attacks.
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 system enhances security by preventing external tampering and eliminates the need for external key access, ensuring the bicycle remains locked correctly regardless of pedal position, while allowing convenient and reliable locking and unlocking processes.
Implementation Method 1
said biasing device being a magnetic biasing device
Implementation Method 2
said actuation element acting to switch the locking system between a state where the biasing device magnetically repels the second locking element and a state where the biasing device magnetically attracts the second locking element
Data Source
AI summary
A bicycle locking system for mounting in a bicycle including an axle which is rotatable around its longitudinal axis, a first locking element and a second locking element, which are configured for locking engagement with each other, where the first locking element is fixed to the axle and each of the first and second locking elements comprise an engagement surface. The locking system also includes a biasing device and an actuation element, the biasing device configured to exert a force on the second locking element in the longitudinal direction, so as to displace the first and second locking elements in relation to each other, where the biasing device is a magnetic biasing device, and the actuation element acts to switch the locking system between a state where the biasing device magnetically repels the second locking element and a state where the biasing device magnetically attracts the second locking element.