Lockable Enclosure System with Cam Release Tool
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing enclosures for electronic devices and pagers lack tamper-proof security, are complex in construction, and do not adequately provide water-resistance and shock-resistance, making them unsuitable for secure storage in high-traffic environments.
Innovation Solution
A lockable sealable enclosure system with a removable cover that uses a lock release tool with a cam assembly and rotatable handle to securely engage and disengage the cover, ensuring a water-resistant and shock-resistant seal, and featuring a flexible transparent film for visibility and pressure input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional enclosure with removable lid is used, then access to contents is easy, but the enclosure is vulnerable to tampering and cannot prevent unauthorized access
Solution Approach 1:
A locking tool serves as an intermediary device that mediates access to the enclosure. The tool engages with locking mechanisms on the lid, requiring authentication or authorization to release the lock. This intermediary layer prevents direct access while maintaining controlled accessibility for authorized users.
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosure transitions from a static open/closed state to a dynamic locked/locked-out state. The locking mechanism introduces a third state between open and closed, creating a reversible locked condition that maintains security while allowing controlled access. The lid can be locked in the closed position and only opened with the proper locking tool.
2Reliability
If a complicated user-replaceable component assembly with environmental seal is provided, then water-resistance and shock-resistance are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
An flexible transparent film serves as a simple yet effective environmental barrier. This thin film provides water-resistance and shock-resistance without requiring complex multi-component assemblies. The film can be stretched over the enclosure opening and secured with the locking mechanism, creating a protective seal that is both simple and reliable.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism serves multiple functions simultaneously: it secures the lid to the base, provides tamper-proof security, and can hold the transparent environmental film in place. By combining these functions into a single mechanism, the design avoids the complexity of separate components for each function.
3Reliability
If multiple components must be maintained in position simultaneously during assembly, then environmental protection is achieved, but assembly difficulty increases in high-traffic environments
Solution Approach 1:
The transparent film is pre-stretched and prepared before installation. The locking mechanism is designed to simultaneously secure the lid and film in a single action, eliminating the need for multiple components to be positioned and secured separately. This preliminary preparation and simultaneous securing action greatly simplifies assembly in high-traffic environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosure is divided into modular components (base, lid, film) that can be independently prepared and then quickly assembled. The locking mechanism acts as a final integration step that combines these segments while maintaining environmental protection, allowing for easier assembly and disassembly compared to integrated designs.
4Loss of information
If a frangible portion that breaks when lid is removed is used, then tamper evidence is provided, but tamper-proof security is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The locking tool serves as an intermediary that prevents direct removal of the lid. Even if someone attempts to break or tamper with the enclosure, the locked state maintained by the mechanism provides active prevention rather than just passive evidence. The lock acts as a barrier that must be properly engaged to open, providing both tamper evidence and actual tamper-proof security.
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 enclosure system provides a simple, cost-effective, and secure solution for storing electronic devices, offering easy opening and re-closing while maintaining water-resistance and shock-resistance, suitable for various storage purposes including food and electronic items.
Implementation Method 1
a cam assembly and a plurality of cam followers each cam follower being operatively connected to a respective one of the latch members
Implementation Method 2
an O-ring between it and the enclosure opening
Data Source
AI summary
A lockable sealable enclosure system with a lockable lid openable, and re-lockable, through use of a locking tool. The enclosure system comprises a bottom container, which can optionally support a transparent film to provide water-resistance to the container, secured by a cover. The cover is provided with securing members which lockingly engage the bottom container. A lock release tool comprises latching members for engagement with the securing members, and a cam and cam followers which operate on the latching members are operably able to pull the securing members outwards to release the locked engagement. The enclosure system can include a shock and water resistant wireless pager enclosure.