TSA Lock Holder with Logo Window and Card Slot
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Solution Overview
Problem
Customs officials face challenges in identifying and accessing TSA-approved locks without damaging them, due to human error and lack of passenger identification in luggage.
Innovation Solution
A multi-purpose protective lock holder that encloses a TSA-approved lock, featuring a clear logo window, code zone, and keyhole zone to facilitate easy identification and access by customs officials, while also providing a tag area for passenger identification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If customs officials manually inspect luggage without clear identification markers, then security inspection can be conducted, but the likelihood of human error increases leading to forced lock removal and property damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies visual identification markers including colored bands, logos, and distinctive color schemes on the holder to make TSA-approved locks easily distinguishable from non-approved locks. This allows customs officials to quickly identify approved locks without manual inspection errors, preventing forced removal and damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The holder acts as an intermediary component between the lock and the customs official's identification process. It provides a standardized interface with clear visual markers that mediate the recognition process, ensuring officials can reliably identify TSA-approved locks without direct handling or close inspection of the lock itself.
2Ease of operation
If TSA-approved locks use standard locking mechanisms, then dual-access functionality is provided, but clear visual identification for customs officials is insufficient leading to misidentification
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds a visual identification dimension to the lock system by incorporating holders with colored bands, logos, and distinctive markings. This transforms the identification process from relying solely on lock mechanism inspection to a multi-dimensional approach including visual cues, making TSA approval easily detectable from a distance without compromising dual-access functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The holder is segmented into distinct visual identification elements (colored bands, logos, patterns) that can be independently designed and positioned. This segmentation allows customs officials to quickly scan for specific identification markers without needing to examine the entire lock assembly, reducing detection difficulty.
3Productivity
If luggage lacks passenger identification information, then security inspection process is simplified, but passenger property cannot be identified and returned if lost or damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The holder serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support for the lock, displays visual identification markers for TSA approval, and includes integrated card slots for passenger information. This multi-functionality allows security inspection to proceed efficiently while passenger identification information is readily available, preventing loss of information without reducing productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the lock holder structure with passenger information storage capabilities by integrating card slots directly into the holder. This combination ensures that security inspection functionality and passenger identification functionality coexist in a single component, eliminating the trade-off between productivity and information retention.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a holder for TSA-approved locks, the multi-purpose protective holder comprising a holder body, a TSA-approved and recognised logo window provided on at least one of either a front face and a back face of the holder body for exposing a TSA-approved and recognised logo; a code zone provided on one side of the holder body to expose code dials; and a keyhole zone provided at the underside of the holder body to expose a keyhole and a TSA key number, wherein the holder body is further attached with a card case body including a card case bottom wall and a card case top wall. The holder as disclosed may facilitate customs officials in identifying the TSA-approved and recognised logo so as to avoid the circumstances of removing the lock by force, causing damage due to misidentification; besides, it is convenient for a passenger to place an information card in the card case to record names/usages of the items inside the luggage as well as personal information. Besides, the holder as disclosed may be further used in collaboration with an electronic tracking device so as to provide preliminary evidence for the passenger to claim against the service providers upon occurrence of losses or damage to items in the luggage.