Different, "lock"

[msknight]

OK ... my thoughts are going to be difficult to explain, but hang on in there.

Firstly, I believe that barrel locks are too cumbersom in order to keep things thin and agile. So I'm hunting for another lock system.

I've exploded the following diagram in order to get across my thoughts.

The intention is that there is a simple mechanism, in which a "pin" can be inserted to operate the mechanism.

Now, here's the trick. How to stop just any old, "pin," from going in. This is, I believe, going to require high tensile materials in order to shrink this down.

Inside the lock, as the mechanism is pushed backwards against the spring, (which needs to be reasonably strong in order to stop the lock being tricked with low tensile, "keys,") two arms come out and "clamp" the pin that is being inserted.

As the arms come together, they overlap each other and even rub against each other. Therefore, the pin needs two cutaway sections in it, so that the arms can flow over and under it, and the pin can still move forward, in order to continue operating the mechanism.

Obviously, a straight piece of metal would prevent the arms closing and thus prevent the continued movement of the mechanism.

Any thoughts on this moment of insanity?

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[msknight]

I've mangled a phone SIM release key to show what I mean, but obviously we're talking a much smaller, "gap," between the offset pieces...

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[msknight]

OK - here's another one. A variant on the barel lock, but doesn't require a key turn, so saves space.

One of the problems with the barel lock is the ability to use pressure to maintain a barel in position while working on the next.

With this version, a bar has to drop in to position, and it can't drop until all tumblers are in the correct alignment.

Of course, using something like this, the key is stuck in the lock until the bar is raised to prime the lock again.

I'm still thinking on this, but it is another starter for ten.

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[msknight]

I need to sleep, but I can't. My head is going nuts.

Photocell.

A variant of the above, but at the end of the lock is a photocell. When all the groves (or holes) in the pins line up, they allow light to be shined from the outside, on to a photocell, which generates a small current which can then be used to release an internal mechanism.

That way, there are fewer moving parts and there is no physical aspect against which to assist picking the lock; and it can be made as a self contained circuit which can be hardened against water.

Arghh.... my head hurts. I need sleep.

[msknight]

Precise voltage...

An internal circuit which responds to a limited voltage range ... or combination of two voltage ranges. If any line is over or under the target voltage, (combination of resistors and capacitors) it doesn't respond.

With two different lines, it would thus be harder to "pick" and as the voltage is supplied from outside the lock, there is no requirement to maintain power inside the mechanism.

[msknight]

Lock at the back.

Tobbe's lock at the back mechanism continues to run through my mind.

The wire length has proven to be such a problem with belts that my thinking is that with the lock at the rear, then the tip of the wire can be a metalic piece that can then "ratchet" in to position, which means that it is adjustable, while also forming a part of the lock ... the belt can't be "broken" in half, while the rear wire, "ratchet pin" is in position.

I might actually manage to fall asleep before the mechanism forms in my head ... but that's where I'm starting to go ... find the most awkward points that "need" adjustability, and make them part of the lock mechanism so that they can be adjusted as a matter of course.

[molly]

I like the ratcheting back lock idea very much. If that ever came to fruition I would seriously consider a back-wire belt again, if the wire was coated in silicone instead of PVC.

Thinking about flat locks I came up with an idea which would be integrated in the buckle that joins the two ends of the waist part and the bottom part. It could be on the front or the back I guess.

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The white squares on each side represent the waist belt ends sliding into the housing, and a six-digit combination lock is at the bottom. The inside would maybe look something like this:

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With the cover removed, each wheel has a notch on the back that allows the tabs on the red part to slide in. If all of them are dialed to the correct combination, the red part can be slide down by maybe a lever on each side. Sliding it down disengages the tabs that insert into the belt ends. There would need to be a frame around this to keep the belt ends straight and the wheels stable and the cover I removed in the second drawing could be part of that.

I drew the dial wheels poorly and for maximum flatness, every other wheel would be closer to the back of this assembly, and the wheels in between would be closer to the top of the assembly, so the wheels can overlap each other and take up as little thickness as possible. As drawn this would be 8x6 lock giving 262,144 combinations. How thin could it be? The wheels overlap so it would be whatever the thickness of two wheels plus the thickness of the front and back covers, plus a little room to allow things to rotate and slide. Could that be made out of stainless to be about 3/8" or 7/16" thick? Is that thin enough? I bet the back and front plates could be thinner than the wheels.

[msknight]

That's a good idea.

There would, obviously, need to be a break to stop the wheel turning more than 180 degrees, or the wearer could simply turn the wheel until the slot was visible where the number would be, I guess ... or else on a secondary wheel driven by a cog link between the two.

It's a great starter for ten.

It's made me want to take apart the lock on a briefcase ... you know, the programmable ones where if you flip the lever in the opposite direction when open, then you can change the code.

[molly]

I'm not an engineer... I'm only married to one

[msknight]

I don't class myself as an engineer either ... I'm just an ideas person, producing the sparks that might light a flame somewhere.

Right now I'm just hacking flint