Cylinder Lock Drill Protection Bridge

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cylinder locks with drill protection are difficult to assemble and costly due to the need for specialized, hardened parts with complex shapes.

Innovation Solution

A cylinder lock design utilizing a bridge with coaxial cylindrical end parts and recesses for hardened steel balls and cross pins, simplifying assembly and reducing costs by using commercially available steel balls for enhanced security.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a specialized hardened part with complex shape is used for drill protection, then the protection against drilling is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases and assembly becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedrill protectionVSAvoidassembly and manufacturing
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The drill protection function is segmented into multiple simple components: hardened steel balls and cross pins, rather than using a single complex specialized part. These components are placed in recesses within the bridge structure, distributing the protective function across several simple elements that are easier to manufacture and assemble

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses commercially available hardened steel balls as the drill protection element instead of custom-machined specialized parts. These standard balls are cheaper to obtain and simpler to install, while still providing effective drill protection when positioned in the bridge recesses

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Reliability

If three loose parts need to be put together simultaneously for drill protection, then the protection function is achieved, but the assembly process becomes complex and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedrill protectionVSAvoidassembly process
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The bridge structure is designed to integrate the drill protection components into its anatomy. The recesses are formed directly in the bridge, and the cross pins connect the bridge to the lock housing, merging the protective function with the structural function of the bridge itself

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The recesses for receiving the hardened steel balls are pre-formed in the bridge structure during bridge manufacturing. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex assembly operations, as the balls simply need to be placed into the pre-formed recesses rather than fitting multiple complex parts together

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3159465B1Cylinder lock
Publication Date: 2020.06.24 M & C PROTECT BV
  • EP3159465B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3159465B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3159465B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A cylinder lock 10 with a first and a second lock housing 12, 16, at least one lock cylinder, a carrier 20 which is provided with a carrier cam 22 and which is received between the first and the second lock housing 12, 16 and which through rotation of the lock cylinder can be brought from a first position into a second position. The cylinder lock 10 is further provided with a bridge 26, which connects the first lock housing 12 with the second lock housing 16. To prevent sabotage whereby the connection between the bridge 26 and the lock housing 12 is broken by drilling, the cylinder lock 10 is provided with a drill protection which is implemented as a ball 28 from hardened steel, while the bridge 26 near an axial end thereof is provided with a chamber 32 in which the ball 28 is received. Further, there is described a new lock pin 200 for making lock picking more difficult.