Cylinder Lock Internal Slider Key Actuation Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cylinder locks with sidebars and sliders face challenges in efficiently transitioning from a locked to an unlocked position due to the mechanical interaction between the sidebar and slider, which can be cumbersome and require precise alignment.
Innovation Solution
A lock and key combination featuring a slider-actuating element within the key blade that moves between two positions, engaging with a cam element in the keyway to disengage the sidebar from its locked position, allowing radial inward movement and enabling cylinder rotation, utilizing a pin and recess configuration for precise alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a sidebar is used to prevent cylinder rotation by engaging the shell, then security is improved, but the unlocking mechanism becomes more complex requiring a slider to block sidebar movement
Solution Approach 1:
The slider-actuating element is nested within the key blade structure, with the element moving between positions within the confines of the key blade. This nesting approach allows the unlocking mechanism to be integrated within the existing key and lock structures, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining the security function of the sidebar.
Solution Approach 2:
The slider-actuating element is extracted as a separate movable component within the key blade, distinct from the traditional key cutting pattern. This extraction allows the unlocking action to be separated from the authentication function, simplifying the overall mechanism by making the unlocking trigger independent and easier to implement.
2Reliability
If a slider blocks sidebar movement from locked to unlocked position, then security is improved, but the transition mechanism becomes cumbersome requiring precise alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The slider-actuating element is positioned within the key blade in advance, prepared to engage with the slider at the appropriate moment during key insertion. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the key is inserted to the correct depth, the actuating element is already aligned to trigger the slider movement, eliminating the need for complex real-time alignment mechanisms and ensuring smooth operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The slider-actuating element serves as an intermediary between the key insertion action and the slider movement. Instead of the key directly moving the slider, the actuating element within the key blade engages the slider, providing a mechanical mediation that simplifies the transition mechanism and reduces the precision requirements for direct key-slider alignment.
3Ease of operation
If the slider-actuating element moves between two positions within the key blade, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The key blade is segmented to include a distinct slider-actuating element that can move independently between two positions. This segmentation allows the actuating element to be manufactured and positioned separately, with tolerance accumulation minimized, as the element's movement path is constrained within the key blade structure rather than requiring high-precision alignment across the entire key-lock interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The slider-actuating element is designed with dynamic movement capability within the key blade, allowing it to transition between two positions during key insertion. This dynamic element absorbs alignment tolerances through its controlled movement, reducing the manufacturing precision requirements for the static components of the key and lock, while still ensuring reliable engagement with the slider.
Data Source
AI summary
A lock and key combination includes a cylinder rotatably disposed within a shell and a sidebar within the cylinder and movable between a locked position preventing rotation of the cylinder and an unlocked position allowing rotation of the cylinder. A slider is mounted within the cylinder for movement between a first position blocking movement of sidebar from the locked position and a second position not blocking movement of said sidebar. A key has a blade configured to be inserted into a keyway of the cylinder and includes a slider-actuating element mounted within the blade for movement with respect to the blade. As the blade is inserted into the keyway, a cam element within the keyway moves the slider-actuating element to a position engaging the slider so that further movement of the key moves the slider from the first position to the second position.