Card and Coin Operated Lock with Shared Carcass
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing locks require separate carcasses to operate with either cards or coins, limiting versatility and increasing manufacturing and assembly complexity.
Innovation Solution
A single lock carcass design featuring interchangeable slots for cards and coins, with a matrix of perforations, lateral ramp projections, and a retaining device, allowing operation with either a card or a coin using shared components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate carcasses are used for card locks and coin locks, then each lock can operate with its specific access medium, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a single carcass that can accommodate both card and coin access methods. The carcass includes a slot for card insertion and another slot for coin insertion, allowing one device to perform multiple functions that previously required separate devices. This eliminates the need for maintaining separate card lock carcasses and coin lock carcasses.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functionality of separate card lock and coin lock carcasses into a single integrated carcass. The internal components, including the tab mechanism, tongue stopper, and actuation system, are combined and designed to respond to both card insertion and coin insertion events, reducing the total number of components and simplifying the overall structure.
2Reliability
If separate components are designed for card and coin locks, then each component can be optimized for its specific function, but the manufacturing and assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces asymmetry in the form of a tab stopper with an asymmetric profile that interacts differently with cards and coins. The tab stopper has a head that can be struck by the tongue in both card and coin operations, but the interaction mechanism varies based on the access medium used, allowing optimized functionality within a unified component structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by providing specific structural features at different locations within the single carcass. The slot for card insertion has specific dimensional characteristics optimized for card acceptance, while the slot for coin insertion has different characteristics optimized for coin acceptance. The tab mechanism and tongue stopper are designed with local features that respond appropriately to each access medium type.
3Ease of manufacture
If a single carcass is used for both card and coin operation, then manufacturing and assembly are simplified, but the internal component design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the internal mechanism into distinct functional modules: a tab mechanism that responds to both card and coin insertion, a tongue stopper with head and body portions, and separate slots for each access medium. This segmentation allows each module to be designed and manufactured independently with optimized features, then assembled into the unified carcass, balancing manufacturing simplicity with functional complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A lock that operates interchangeably with a card or a coin, in which the frame has slots for inserting the respective card and coin. The card has a perforated die; the locking tab has a window with a slot and one or more ramp-like projections. Between the card and the tab is a device for retaining the card with a protrusion that fits into the slot and with a pin-shaped die that is compatible with the card's perforated die. A tab stop is positioned to correspond with the coin, and a driver is fitted to this tab stop by means of a pin; the stop and the driver have the same axis of rotation on the frame. A slide is provided with a ramp into which the card enters and passes, and with a protrusion against which the aforementioned driver rests.