Barbed-Spring Locks of the Museum: The Integrated Applications of Research, Exhibition and Science Education

• Published in: International journal of engineering and technology Vol. 16; no. 1; pp. 20 - 26
• Main Authors: Lin, Jian-Liang, Pu, Ching-Ching, Wang, Hsin-Te, Huang, Chin-Fei, Hsiao, Kuo-Hung
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2024
• ISSN: 1793-8236; 1793-8236
• DOI: 10.7763/IJET.2024.V16.1249

No matter in ancient China or other ancient civilizations, locks and keys have been used for thousands of years. With the progressive development of the society and the advance of technology, the function and the safety of locks are getting more and more complete. Since the development of mechanical locks has a long history all over the world, the interiors of locks cover different kinds of mechanical members. The barbed-spring lock was the most typical type of ancient lock and was widely used in ancient China. Certain changes in the topological structures are involved in padlock operation. Therefore, they are reconfigurable mechanisms and can be illustrated with variable chains. Based on the concept of variable chains with the representation of joints developed by the authors, the topological variability of padlock operation is analyzed and presented. Several feasible designs of the barbed-spring locks are made as physical models. Furthermore, the corresponding animation of the padlocks is also successfully designed, produced, and used for exhibition purpose at the National Science and Technology Museum since 2012. Through the process of science popularization, the maker activities related to the mechanical locks are developed to promote the education of science and technology. The teaching DIY kits and the cultural and creative products of locks are developed further. This work provides an example of how ancient machinery researches can be a dependable result for transforming basic research into novel applications in science and technology museums.