Lock Assembly Cam Segmentation for Shackle Removal
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing padlocks require different sizes for various applications, leading to the need for multiple padlocks and associated keys, and designs with deep recesses in cams compromise structural integrity for shackle removal.
Innovation Solution
A lock assembly with a cam having multiple recesses that allow for partial shackle removal without compromising structural integrity, enabling a single lock body to accommodate different shackle sizes and functions through a rotatable cam mechanism and shackle removal recess.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a deep recess is provided in the cam to allow shackle removal, then the shackle can be removed from the lock body, but the structural integrity of the lock is weakened
Solution Approach 1:
The cam is segmented with multiple recesses at different radial positions, allowing the locking element to be displaced to different locations. This segmentation enables shackle removal functionality without requiring a single deep recess that would compromise structural integrity. The cam surface is divided into multiple functional zones.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of creating a deep recess in the radial direction (which weakens the lock), the invention uses angular positioning of multiple recesses around the cam's perimeter. The locking element moves in a different dimensional path by transitioning between recesses at different angular positions, achieving shackle removal without compromising the cam's radial strength.
2Reliability
If different padlocks are provided for different shackle sizes, then each padlock is optimized for its specific application, but the user must maintain an inventory of multiple padlocks and keys
Solution Approach 1:
The lock body is designed with a cam mechanism that can accommodate multiple shackle sizes through a single universal design. The cam includes multiple recesses that can receive locking elements of different configurations, allowing one lock body to serve multiple functions with different shackles without requiring separate padlocks for each application.
Solution Approach 2:
The cam mechanism is designed to be dynamic and adjustable, allowing the locking element to be positioned in different recesses corresponding to different shackle sizes. This dynamic reconfigurability enables the same lock body to adapt to various shackle configurations, eliminating the need for static, application-specific padlocks.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a single lock body is designed to accommodate multiple shackle sizes, then the user only needs one padlock, but the cam mechanism becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The cam is segmented with multiple recesses at different radial positions, allowing the locking element to be displaced to different locations. This segmentation enables shackle removal functionality without requiring a single deep recess that would compromise structural integrity. The cam surface is divided into multiple functional zones.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of creating a deep recess in the radial direction (which weakens the lock), the invention uses angular positioning of multiple recesses around the cam's perimeter. The locking element moves in a different dimensional path by transitioning between recesses at different angular positions, achieving shackle removal without compromising the cam's radial strength.
Data Source
AI summary
A lock assembly includes a lock body with a shackle. The shackle has a leg. A locking element is disposed in the lock body and is selectively engageable to the shackle. A cam is disposed in the lock body and includes a locked position, an unlocked position and a shackle removal position. The leg includes a shackle removal recess that only partially extends circumferentially about an outer peripheral surface disposed about a longitudinal axis of the leg and is sized to receive the first locking element sufficiently to permit movement of the cam to the shackle removal position. The shackle is rotatable in the unlocked position to expose the shackle removal recess to the locking element.