Concealed Pin Verification Mechanism for Pick-Resistant Lock Assembly
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pin tumbler locks are susceptible to being picked using techniques like single picking, raking, bumping, and combing, and existing enhancements with locking sidebar mechanisms still allow access to pins, making them vulnerable despite increased security.
Innovation Solution
A pick-resistant pin tumbler lock assembly with a concealed pin verification mechanism that ensures each driver pin is in the correct position before allowing the plug to rotate and unlock, using a slide bar and cam pin system inaccessible through the keyway, compatible with standard keys.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a locking sidebar mechanism is added to enhance security, then the lock becomes more difficult to pick, but the pins remain accessible through the keyway allowing continued vulnerability to picking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the pin verification function from the traditional keyway-accessible location and relocates it to a concealed internal mechanism. The slide bar with pin verification ports is positioned such that pins can be verified through the slide bar rather than direct keyway access, effectively removing the harmful accessibility of pins while maintaining the verification function.
Solution Approach 2:
The slide bar acts as an intermediary component between the keyway and the pins. Instead of allowing direct access to pins through the keyway, the slide bar mediates this interaction by providing a controlled path for key interaction while blocking direct tool access to the pins, thus preventing pick attacks.
2Reliability
If a pin verification mechanism is made inaccessible through the keyway to prevent picking, then security is enhanced, but the complexity of the internal mechanism increases
Solution Approach 1:
The slide bar serves multiple functions: it acts as a structural component of the lock, provides a concealed path for key interaction, enables pin verification through its ports, and blocks direct access to pins from external tools. By making the slide bar multi-functional, the patent reduces the need for separate components and minimizes overall mechanism complexity while achieving enhanced security.
3Reliability
If driver pins are made inaccessible through the keyway to prevent manipulation, then picking vulnerability is reduced, but the ease of operation for legitimate key insertion may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the pin structure into distinct portions: a first portion that remains accessible to the key for engagement and a second portion that is concealed and inaccessible to external tools. This segmentation allows the key to interact with the pin through the accessible portion while the concealed portion remains protected from picking attempts, maintaining ease of operation for legitimate use.
Data Source
AI summary
A pick-resistant lock assembly may include a housing having a cylindrical opening. The cylindrical opening may have a centerline. The housing may include a plurality of pin cavities intersecting the cylindrical opening. A plug may be rotatably mounted in the cylindrical opening. The plug may include a keyway and a plug axis. A slide bar pocket may be formed within the housing. The lock assembly may include a pin verification mechanism having a slide bar in the slide bar pocket. The pin verification mechanism may be concealed within the housing and may be inaccessible to an attacker inserting a hand tool through the keyway. Other examples may be described and claimed.