Padlock Cylinder Core Segmentation for Finish Preservation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing padlocks with integrated locking cylinders are costly due to the use of expensive materials like brass, and finishing processes compromise the corrosion resistance and aesthetics when attempting to secure pin channels without a cylinder housing.
Innovation Solution
A padlock design where the cylinder core is mounted directly in the lock body without a cylinder housing, using a separate tumbler housing to accommodate pin tumblers, allowing for cost-effective production and maintaining the lock body's finish by eliminating the need for external pin channels and sealing plugs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pin channels are drilled into the lock body from the outside to accommodate pin tumblers, then the locking function is achieved, but the lock body's finish and corrosion resistance are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is divided into two separate components: the lock body and the cylinder core. The pin channels are drilled only in the cylinder core, not in the lock body, so that the lock body remains intact with its finish and corrosion resistance preserved, while the cylinder core contains the pin channels necessary for the locking function.
Solution Approach 2:
The pin channels are extracted from the lock body and relocated to the cylinder core. This allows the lock body to maintain its finished surface without holes or openings, while the cylinder core independently contains the pin channels needed for the tumblers to function.
2Ease of manufacture
If brass is used for the lock body to allow easy drilling of pin channels, then manufacturing is simplified, but the cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The locking system is segmented into lock body and cylinder core, allowing different materials to be used for each component. The lock body can be made from cost-effective materials with appropriate corrosion protection, while the cylinder core contains the pin channels.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention allows using cheaper materials for the lock body by relocating the pin channels to the cylinder core. The lock body no longer requires expensive brass or complex post-assembly finishing processes, as the pin channels are contained within the cylinder core.
3Ease of manufacture
If the lock body is colored and finished before assembly, then appearance and corrosion protection are improved, but pin channels cannot be drilled afterward without damaging the finish
Solution Approach 1:
The lock body is colored and finished in advance before assembly with the cylinder core. The pin channels are drilled only in the cylinder core, not in the lock body, so the finish remains intact. The cylinder core is then assembled into the finished lock body, allowing the locking function to be implemented without compromising the pre-applied finish.
Data Source
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AI summary
A padlock comprises a lock body, a shackle that is movably mounted on the lock body, a cylinder core into which at least one core pin is inserted and which is rotatably mounted in a receiving opening of the lock body about a cylinder axis in order to selectively lock or release the shackle to the lock body, and a tumbler housing into which at least one housing pin is inserted and which is fixedly received in a further receiving opening of the lock body. The tumbler housing is essentially cylindrical, and/or the further receiving opening is designed as a cylindrical receiving bore.