Cylinder Lock Key with Movable Element Cipher Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cylinder locks with movable elements face challenges in resisting picking methods and unauthorized duplication, particularly with the complexity and cost of manufacturing mechanisms like piston-counterpiston types, which are difficult to miniaturize and reproduce industrially.
Innovation Solution
A lock system with a key featuring a movable element having two interdependent shape-type ciphers and a verification mechanism that uses lamella-type elements to align ciphers, eliminating the need for a piston-counterpiston mechanism, thus enhancing resistance to picking and simplifying industrial production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If piston-counterpiston type cipher verification mechanisms are used, then resistance to picking is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The lock mechanism is divided into separate functional components: the key with its movable element, the lamella elements for verification, and the shutter element. This segmentation allows each component to be simpler while maintaining overall security through their coordinated interaction during the verification process.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a complex piston-counterpiston mechanism where pistons move to verify ciphers, the invention inverts the approach by using flat lamella elements that move perpendicular to the shutter element's motion. The verification happens through the interaction of these simpler elements rather than through complex reciprocating pistons.
2Reliability
If piston-counterpiston type mechanisms are used, then cipher verification capability is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates due to difficult miniaturization and costly reproduction
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces expensive, difficult-to-manufacture piston-counterpiston mechanisms with simpler, cheaper lamella elements that can be easily produced and replaced if needed. The flat plate geometry allows for simpler manufacturing processes and easier miniaturization.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex three-dimensional piston-counterpiston mechanical system is replaced with a simpler two-dimensional lamella-based mechanical system. The verification function is maintained through the interaction of flat elements moving in perpendicular directions rather than through complex reciprocating piston mechanisms.
3Ease of operation
If key ciphers are located on fixed key points, then ease of operation is maintained, but resistance to picking deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The key incorporates a movable element that can change position during insertion. This dynamic feature allows the cipher verification to occur at multiple positions rather than a single fixed point, increasing security while maintaining ease of operation through the natural sliding motion of the element.
Solution Approach 2:
The movable element adds a dimensional aspect to the key cipher verification. Instead of verifying ciphers at fixed points on a static key, the system verifies ciphers through the movement and positioning of the movable element, creating an additional layer of complexity for pickers while keeping the operation intuitive.
4Ease of manufacture
If shape-type ciphers are used, then manufacturing precision requirements are reduced, but resistance to duplication deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges shape-type ciphers with position-type ciphers in a unified system. The key contains both the shape characteristics of the movable element and its position relative to other key features. This combination maintains ease of manufacture through simple geometric forms while significantly increasing protection against duplication through the interdependent verification of shape and position.
Data Source
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AI summary
Apparatus comprising a lock and the key for the said lock in which the key offers an improved security against the unauthorized duplication because it comprises a moveable element that on its own surface carries bi-dimensional shape-type ciphers that are strongly interdependent with a further mono-dimensional cipher that is represented by the relative position between the moveable element and the part of the key that is coupled to the same element; and in which the lock comprises a mechanism for verifying the ciphers on the moveable element by checking the proper matching between the bi-dimensional shape-type ciphers and their own conjugate shapes through a powertrain configuration that is intrinsically resistant to the possibility of being manipulated using "bumping" (impulse) style techniques, and in which the said mechanism is implemented according to a technical solution can be industrially manufactured easily and with reduced production costs.