Electromechanical Lock Cylinder With Automatic Return Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Keyless electromechanical locks face challenges in ensuring the internal parts of the lock cylinder return to a locked position after use, as they operate without a key.
Innovation Solution
The electromechanical lock cylinder incorporates an actuator mechanism and a return force mechanism, including enforced coupling and magnetic interactions, to ensure the core front end uncouples from the core back end in the locked state, allowing the lock to reset.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a keyless electromechanical lock operates without a key, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability of resetting internal parts to locked position deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The return force mechanism enables the lock cylinder to automatically reset itself to the locked position without external intervention. The internally stored mechanical energy in the spring automatically returns the core back end to its initial position after rotation, making the system self-servicing and eliminating the need for a key or external reset action.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring is pre-loaded with mechanical energy before operation. This preliminary storage of energy ensures that when the core back end rotates during lock operation, the spring can subsequently return it to the locked position automatically, preparing the system in advance for the reset function.
2Productivity
If the core front end is coupled with the core back end during rotation, then productivity is improved, but reliability of returning to locked position deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The lock cylinder is divided into two separate cores: a core front end that rotates during operation and a core back end that remains stationary in the locked position. This segmentation allows the front end to be coupled temporarily for rotation while ensuring the back end can be independently returned to its initial position by the return force mechanism, resolving the conflict between operational coupling and reliable resetting.
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
The solution effectively ensures the lock cylinder resets to a locked position after use, maintaining security and functionality without a key, while adhering to standard lock dimensions and allowing for various installations.
Implementation Method 1
a spring (118) in the hollow (106), wherein the spring (118) is compressible between the operation knob (104) and a bottom surface of the hollow (106)
Implementation Method 2
a magnet (116) in the hollow (106), wherein the magnet (116) is arranged to interact with a magnetic material (148)
Data Source
AI summary
An electromechanical lock cylinder. The cylinder includes a core front end, a core back end coupled with a tailpiece, an actuator mechanism, switchable between a locked state and an unlocked state, to keep the core front end uncoupled with the core back end in the locked state, to couple the core front end with the core back end in the unlocked state to enable the core front end to rotate the core back end from a locked rear position to an unlocked rear position, and to return to keep the core front end uncoupled with the core back end in the locked state; an enforced coupling to couple the core front end with the core back end as the core front end starts to rotate the core back end away from the locked rear position in the unlocked state, and decouple the core front end from the core back end as the core back end returns to the locked rear position; an operation knob, coupled with the core front end, to enable a user to rotate the operation knob from an initial knob position so that the core front end rotates the core back end from the locked rear position to the unlocked rear position in the unlocked state; and a return force mechanism to rotate the operation knob further after the user first has rotated the operation knob away from the initial knob position and then released the operation knob, whereby the core back end is rotated to the locked rear position by the core front end due to the coupled enforced coupling.