Cylinder Lock Adapter With Spring Catch for Existing Door Locks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing door locks, such as those on storage facility doors, often require modification to accommodate padlocks or other locks, as their geometry does not allow for a shackle to fit securely.
Innovation Solution
A cylinder lock adapter with a biased catching mechanism and plunger system that fits into the existing lock structure, allowing a padlock or other lock to be used without modification, and a monolithic cylinder lock with a movable locking element for secure engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a padlock or other lock is used with existing door locks, then locking functionality is achieved, but the door lock structure cannot be modified to accommodate the lock securely
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an adapter as an intermediary component that fits within the existing door lock structure. This adapter includes a body with a cavity receiving the lock mechanism and a protrusion that engages with the door lock's latch or hasp. The adapter serves as a mediator between the padlock and the existing door lock structure, enabling secure engagement without modifying the original door lock.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking system is divided into separate functional components: the adapter (with body and protrusion), the latch/hasp (part of the door lock structure), and the padlock. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the adapter interfaces with the existing door lock while the padlock provides the locking mechanism, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and reliability.
2Reliability
If the catching mechanism is extended outwardly to engage with the lock structure, then secure locking is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The catching mechanism is extracted as a separate functional element from the main lock body. The protrusion is a simple, isolated component that extends from the adapter body to engage with the latch or hasp. By taking out the catching function into a separate simple element rather than integrating it into a complex mechanism, the patent achieves reliable locking with minimal added complexity.
3Ease of operation
If a plunger system is added to retract the catching mechanism, then ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The catching mechanism is designed to be self-retracting through a spring-biased system. The spring automatically pushes the protrusion back into the retracted position within the adapter body after engagement with the latch or hasp. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for manual retraction operations, improving ease of operation while keeping the added complexity minimal through the use of a simple spring element.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the use of padlocks or other locks on existing door locks without structural modification, providing secure locking and unlocking mechanisms.
Implementation Method 1
a spring maintained within the hollow body of the lock adapter for biasing the catching mechanism in the extended position
Implementation Method 2
The plunger can be moved manually and can be locked in position using a lock such as a padlock with a shackle
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of a cylinder lock include a cylinder lock case provided with a hollow interior. A knob key assembly is integrally formed with or secured to a spindle and maintained within the interior of the cylinder lock case. The knob key assembly includes a knob at one end and a locking element head at the other end. Embodiments of the knob key assembly further include a head nestable within a cradle of the spindle, wherein openings in the head and the cradle are aligned and are further alignable with a lateral opening in the cylinder lock case. Rotation of the knob permits the openings in the head and the cradle to come into or out of alignment with the opening in the cylinder lock case, while also rotating the locking element head between a first position where it can be removed from a lock structure and a second position where it cannot be removed.