Rotatable Locking Insert for Secure Bollard Removal
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bollard systems lack effective mechanisms for secure removal and installation, as they often require complex tools or unauthorized access, leading to potential misuse or accidental permanence.
Innovation Solution
A bollard assembly featuring a post with a rotatable locking insert and a sleeve with a latch pin, allowing for secure locking and unlocking by aligning and misaligning a gap in the wedge member with the passage, preventing upward movement and enabling easy removal only when properly rotated, along with an interchangeable sleeve cover providing additional security through a similar mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a bollard system uses a fixed permanent installation method, then it provides high security and stability, but it becomes difficult or impossible to remove without complex tools or unauthorized access
Solution Approach 1:
The bollard system is divided into separable components: a post, a sleeve, and a locking insert. The locking insert can be independently rotated to control the engagement between the latch pin and the wedge member, enabling secure installation when locked and easy removal when unlocked, thus resolving the contradiction between permanent security and removable ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking insert is designed to be rotatable within the sleeve, changing its angular position dynamically. When rotated to align the gap with the passage, the system transitions from a locked state (secure) to an unlocked state (removable). This dynamic adjustment allows the same structure to provide both high security during installation and easy removal when needed.
2Ease of operation
If a bollard system uses a removable design for ease of installation and removal, then it improves ease of operation, but it may appear less secure or permanent
Solution Approach 1:
The locking insert is pre-configured with a gap that aligns with the passage in a specific rotational position. During installation, the user simply needs to rotate the insert to the correct position (aligning gap with passage) to allow the latch pin to engage, providing secure locking without complex tools. This preliminary configuration maintains the appearance of permanence while enabling easy installation and removal.
3Reliability
If existing bollard systems require complex tools for removal, then they provide high security, but they increase device complexity and difficulty of operation
Solution Approach 1:
The locking insert features an externally accessible portion with a gap that can be directly manipulated by hand or simple tools. The user can rotate the locking insert to align the gap with the passage, causing the latch pin to disengage from the wedge member, enabling removal without complex specialized tools. This self-service design maintains security through the wedge member-latch pin mechanism while eliminating the need for complex removal tools.
Data Source
AI summary
A bollard assembly having a post and a sleeve. The post has a cylindrical post wall forming a cavity, an insert included with in the cavity and a longitudinal passage in the post wall. The insert has a helical wedge at its lower end with a gap in the wedge. The sleeve has a cylindrical sleeve wall forming a cavity and a latch pin that is attached to the sleeve wall and extends into the cavity. The sleeve is adapted to receive the post such that the latch pin travels through the passage in the post wall and the gap in the wedge of the insert wherein the insert can then be rotated such that the latch pin and gap are no longer aligned and the latch pin prevents upward movement of the insert and post.