Rod and Strap Tool for Non-Destructive Door Opening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for opening locked doors, such as drilling or using pick sets, often cause damage to the lock or door and are time-consuming or ineffective, especially for high-security locks and emergency situations.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus comprising an elongated rod with a strap and actuator end, designed to slide under a locked door and engage the door's opening mechanism, allowing for one-handed operation without damaging the lock or door, suitable for both knob and lever type locks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If drilling a hole in the lock case to release the locking mechanism, then the lock can be opened, but damage is caused to the lock and replacement is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary tool consisting of a rod and strap that passes through the gap between the door and floor to engage the knob from below. This intermediary mechanism transfers force to rotate the knob without直接接触 the lock case, thereby opening the door without damaging the lock.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical approach of drilling or picking the lock with an alternative mechanical system that uses leverage and force multiplication through the rod and strap configuration to rotate the knob, substituting a destructive or complex mechanical process with a simpler, non-destructive one.
2Reliability
If using a pick set to pick the lock, then the lock can be opened, but the process is time-consuming and high security locks can be designed to prevent picking
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the time-consuming lock picking process with a different mechanical system that applies force directly to rotate the knob through the rod and strap mechanism, bypassing the need to manipulate lock internal components and significantly reducing the time required to open the door.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool is designed to be quickly inserted through the pre-existing gap between the door and floor, and the strap is pre-configured to engage the knob, allowing for rapid deployment and operation without the need for preliminary manipulation or adjustment that characterizes lock picking.
3Reliability
If drilling out the cylinder, then the lock can be opened, but the cylinder requires inserting and re-pinning which is complex
Solution Approach 1:
The rod and strap serve as an intermediary mechanism that opens the door without requiring removal or replacement of the cylinder, thereby avoiding the complex process of inserting and re-pinning a new cylinder while still achieving reliable door opening.
4Reliability
If using traditional lock opening methods, then the lock can be opened, but space requirements behind the door are not considered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the operation from the traditional dimension of working on the lock from the inside or outside of the door to a new dimension by inserting the tool through the vertical gap between the door bottom and floor, utilizing the third dimension (depth/space behind door) to achieve door opening without requiring horizontal or vertical space behind the door.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus comprising an elongated rod and a strap. The elongated rod is generally adapted for sliding under a bottom of a locked door. The elongated rod generally includes a main section, a curved section, a handle end and an actuator end. The handle end, the curved section and the actuator end generally extend away from the main section in the same direction such that the handle end, the curve section, the main section, and the actuator end define a plane. The strap is generally adapted for engagement with an opening mechanism of the locked door. A first end of the strap is attached to the actuator end and a second end of the strap is attached to the main section by a first connection device. The first connection device is generally adapted to slide along the main section of the elongated rod.