Padlock Body With Replaceable Cylinder And Concealed Fasteners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing padlocks are costly to manufacture and complex to replace the locking mechanism, with security vulnerabilities such as exposed screws or pins that can be easily accessed or removed, leading to potential breaches.
Innovation Solution
A padlock body design featuring a rotatable actuator with a groove, a shackle, and fasteners that allows for easy attachment and detachment of a replaceable locking cylinder, with the shackle's second end engaging with the actuator groove to secure the lock, and blocking elements that prevent unauthorized access to fasteners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional padlock design with fixed locking mechanism is used, then security is maintained, but manufacturing cost increases and replacement complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The padlock is divided into separate functional modules: a padlock body containing the actuator and shackle, and a replaceable locking cylinder. This segmentation allows the locking cylinder to be manufactured separately and replaced independently, reducing overall manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining security through the integrated actuator mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The actuator is designed with a universal groove that can engage with different locking cylinder types. This multi-functionality allows the same padlock body to work with various locking cylinders from different manufacturers, reducing the need for custom manufacturing for each cylinder type and lowering overall production costs.
2Reliability
If a traditional padlock with fixed locking mechanism is used, then security is maintained, but replacement complexity increases requiring skilled locksmiths
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the locking cylinder from the padlock body, the design enables simple user-level replacement. The cylinder can be detached by removing a single fastener without requiring disassembly of the entire lock mechanism, eliminating the need for skilled locksmiths for routine replacements.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking cylinder is extracted as a standalone replaceable component. The actuator remains in the padlock body while the cylinder can be independently removed and replaced by the end user through simple fastener removal, dramatically reducing replacement complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If exposed screws or pins are used to fix the locking cylinder, then ease of assembly is improved, but security vulnerabilities increase allowing easy access or removal
Solution Approach 1:
A blocking element is introduced as an intermediary component between the fastener and the external environment. This blocking element physically obstructs access to the fastener while still allowing the fastener to perform its assembly function, thereby maintaining ease of assembly while eliminating security vulnerabilities from exposed fasteners.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener is extracted from the external visible surface and relocated to an internal position where it is concealed by the blocking element. This extraction removes the harmful exposure of the fastener while preserving its functional role in securing the locking cylinder, effectively neutralizing the security vulnerability.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a padlock body (10) for engaging with a replaceable locking cylinder (20) comprising: an actuator (30) comprising a groove (32), the actuator (30) being rotatable about a vertical axis (X) between a locked position and an unlocked position; the actuator (30) further comprising a first end and a second end opposed to the first end, the first end comprising the groove (32) and the second end being operatively connectable to the replaceable locking cylinder (20); a shackle (12) comprising a first end (13) and a second end (14), the first end (13) being attached to said padlock body (10), the second end (14) being movable for engaging with the groove (32) of the actuator (30); and at least one fastener (40) for securing the padlock body (10) to the replaceable locking cylinder (20).