Combination-Locked Safety Cover for Unauthorized Access Prevention

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing safety devices fail to securely cover elements or holes in a way that prevents unauthorized access, as they lack a mechanism to ensure only authorized personnel can remove the cover by entering a predetermined combination.

Innovation Solution

A safety device comprising a coded body with contact surfaces, a locking element, and a release mechanism that requires a specific combination to remove the safety cover, utilizing abutting elements and grooves to lock and unlock the cover, ensuring only authorized individuals can access the element or hole.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a simple cover is used to protect an element, then the device complexity is reduced, but the security against unauthorized access is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity against unauthorized accessVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The safety device is divided into distinct functional segments: a coded body with contact surfaces, a locking element with abutting surfaces, and a safety cover. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while maintaining overall security, resolving the contradiction by organizing complexity into manageable, purposeful parts rather than a single monolithic structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The locking element acts as an intermediary between the coded body and the safety cover. It mediates the interaction between these components by requiring specific abutting contact between its surfaces and the contact surfaces of the coded body, thereby enabling secure locking while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If a locking mechanism is added to prevent unauthorized removal, then the security is improved, but the ease of operation is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity against unauthorized accessVSAvoidease of cover removal
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The locking mechanism employs local quality by creating specific abutting contact surfaces at precise locations on the locking element and coded body. This localized interaction ensures that security is maintained only where needed (at the contact points), while the rest of the safety cover remains easy to handle and remove by authorized users who know the correct combination.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The device utilizes parameter changes in the form of different coded body configurations (different arrangements of contact surfaces) to enable multiple locking combinations. This allows the same basic locking mechanism to provide both security through multiple possible combinations and ease of operation, as authorized users can easily identify and execute the correct combination without complex procedures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If a coded body with multiple contact surfaces is used, then the reliability of the locking mechanism is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelocking mechanism reliabilityVSAvoidcontact surface alignment precision
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The coded body employs asymmetric arrangements of contact surfaces, creating unique patterns that enhance locking reliability. The asymmetric design ensures that only the correct coded body configuration will properly align with the locking element's abutting surfaces, providing reliable security while the asymmetric features themselves serve as the coding mechanism, reducing the need for extremely tight manufacturing tolerances.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Data Source

PatentEP3791079B1Safety device
Publication Date: 2022.12.14 HEIGHT TECH DEV LTD
  • EP3791079B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP3791079B1 patent drawingFigure 1C~1D
  • EP3791079B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The present invention refers to a safety device (1000) designed to cover an element or a hole (S) which needs to be placed in a safe condition, the safety device comprising a coded body (1100), a safety cover (1400), a locking element (1200) positioned between the coded body (1100) and the safety cover (1400), wherein the coded body (1100) comprises a first contact surface (1130) and a second contact surface (1131), wherein the locking element (1200) comprises an abutting element (1220) configured in such a way that it abuts the first contact surface (1130) and the second contact surface (1131), wherein the coded body (1100) comprises a release locking element (1140) positioned between the first contact surface (1130) and the second contact surface (1131).