lock
Enable an AI agent to recognise a physical lock, assess whether it is securing its intended target, and determine which authorised operations are possible.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
Researched by: Codex + Grok
Purpose and description
Enable an AI agent to recognise a physical lock, assess whether it is securing its intended target, and determine which authorised operations are possible.
A lock is a mechanical or electromechanical fastening device that, when engaged, obstructs the motion of a door, lid, shackle or other movable part until a matching key, combination, credential or authorised electrical signal withdraws that obstruction.
It can be Inspect the assembly and verify its identity, mounting and mating feature.; Assess restraint engagement using available observations and record unresolved state.; Operate an authorised locking or release control and verify the physical result.; Determine whether a proposed replacement fits the existing installation and required operating arrangement.; Perform documented servicing or credential reconfiguration when authorised.; Select a documented recovery or replacement path when normal operation fails..
Distinguishing features
It restrains a physical opening, attachment or movement and makes release conditional on an accepted credential or deliberately controlled release arrangement.
Unlike an ordinary latch or catch, it has a securing function beyond simply holding two parts together until the ordinary opening control is used.
Unlike a key or reader, it includes or directly constitutes the mechanism that maintains the physical restraint.
Unlike a seal, its primary function is controlled restraint and release, rather than merely indicating that access occurred.
Unlike the door or enclosure it protects, its identity can be bounded around the securing assembly and its operating interfaces.
Scope
+ The lock assembly and the components that establish or release its restraint
+ The interfaces between the lock, its mounting and its mating feature
+ The relationship between accepted credentials, operating controls and permitted operations
+ Observed engagement, operability, faults and uncertainty about state
+ Lock-specific servicing, credential changes and recovery arrangements
- The complete door, gate, cabinet, vehicle or other secured object
- The identity and lifecycle of a key, credential or credential holder
- Organisation-wide access policy and decisions granting access
- The complete alarm, surveillance or access-control system
- Site-wide security assessment and evacuation planning
- Software mutexes, navigation locks and other non-physical meanings of lock
Characteristics
- Lock form
- padlock, mortise lock, rim lock, cam lock, integrated lock, other, unresolved Establishes the assembly boundary and the installation details needed to identify it.
- Restraining mechanism
- bolt, shackle, cam, magnetic restraint, other, unknown Determines what physical evidence is needed to establish engagement.
- Secured target and mating feature
- References to the restrained object and its strike, keeper, hasp or other mating feature Connects the lock to the particular restraint it is expected to provide.
- Release control arrangement
- key, combination, electronic credential, local manual control, remote command, mixed, other, unknown Identifies which authorised operating paths need to be represented.
- Credential acceptance relationship
- References to accepted credential classes or credential records, with applicable operations and sides Separates technical acceptance from the holder's permission to operate the lock without recording secret credential material.
- Restraint engagement
- engaged, disengaged, partially engaged, unknown; with observation time and evidence Expresses whether the mechanism actually restrains its target.
- Securing mode
- secured mode, release enabled, transition pending, unknown; using device-specific meanings Distinguishes an operating setting from verified physical engagement.
- Interface dimensions
- mm, labelled by applicable dimension such as bolt throw, backset, shackle clearance or mounting spacing Supports fit assessment without assuming that every lock uses the same geometry.
- Operating condition
- operable, intermittent, jammed, damaged, untested, unknown Determines whether normal operation or servicing can reasonably be attempted.
- Energy dependence
- manual, electrically dependent, hybrid, other, unknown; with documented loss-of-power behaviour where applicable Makes power availability and recovery behaviour explicit when they affect restraint or release.
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Also registered as vr.tr.lock
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 6 bundles · 11 layers · 18 findings · 28 questions.
Lock identity and boundary Identifies the physical securing assembly and distinguishes it from adjacent hardware.
An agent must know whether it is assessing a complete lock, a component or the object being secured.
Assembly identification
Records the evidence identifying this lock and its included components.
Identifiable lock assembly
Record the form, identifying markings and component boundary supported by inspection or documentation.
- Which visible components constitute this lock, and which are separate readers, handles, cylinders or enclosure parts? boundary
- Which markings, records or installation documents establish the manufacturer, model and particular instance? provenance
Securing function
Establishes what the lock restrains and how its release is controlled.
Controlled physical restraint
Describe the intended restraint and the control that distinguishes this device from an ordinary catch or latch.
- What opening, separation or movement is this lock intended to prevent? definition
- What condition controls release, and does that condition belong to this assembly or an external controller? boundary
Restraint and installation Relates the securing mechanism to its mounting and physical engagement with the target.
A lock can operate internally without establishing the intended restraint if its mating feature or mounting is unsuitable.
Engagement path
Describes the components and positions that establish physical restraint.
Mechanism-to-target engagement
Record how the restraining element engages its mating feature and what counts as sufficient engagement for this installation.
- Which bolt, shackle, cam, magnetic interface or other element establishes restraint against which mating feature? definition
- What observable position, contact or measured engagement supports a conclusion that restraint is established? measurement
Mounting and fit
Captures installation compatibility and conditions affecting engagement.
Installation compatibility
Record the applicable dimensions, alignment and attachment requirements with their evidence.
- Which mounting dimensions, clearances and alignment measurements determine whether this lock fits and engages correctly? measurement
- Which installation instructions establish acceptable mounting, mating hardware and adjustment for this model? provenance
Credentials and release paths Represents the controls capable of operating the lock and the authority required to use them.
Technical ability to release a lock and permission to release it are distinct facts an agent must resolve.
Accepted operating inputs
Identifies credential and control relationships without exposing credential secrets.
Input-to-operation mapping
Record which credential classes or controls can perform each supported operation.
- Which keys, credential references, combination mechanisms or control inputs are accepted for locking, release and configuration? definition
- What evidence confirms acceptance, and which external permission record authorises the proposed operator and action? provenance
Side-specific and exceptional release
Distinguishes normal operating paths from local, emergency or override arrangements.
Release path conditions
Record the release options available from each relevant side and their documented preconditions.
- From each accessible side, which controls can release the restraint, and which require a credential, power or external command? boundary
- Which documented emergency or override operation is applicable, and what authority and conditions are required to use it? action
State and operation Separates reported mode, actual engagement and successful operation.
An agent must not treat a command acknowledgement, key position or indicator as sufficient proof that the target is secured.
State evidence
Records what is known about the lock's current physical and control states.
Observed versus reported state
Keep control indications and direct engagement observations distinguishable, with their times and limitations.
- What do indicators or controller reports claim, and what separate observation establishes actual restraint engagement? measurement
- Could the target be open, misaligned or otherwise unsecured despite the reported lock state? boundary
Operating transitions
Defines supported actions, prerequisites and evidence of completion.
Verified lock and release
Record how an authorised operation moves the lock between states and how its outcome is verified.
- What target position, credential, power availability and operating sequence are required for the intended action? action
- After the action, what observation confirms engagement or release, and what result means the transition remains unresolved? measurement
Faults and service Captures lock-specific degradation, dependency failures and authorised restoration options.
A useful model must support decisions when a lock cannot reliably engage, release or accept its intended credentials.
Failure conditions
Distinguishes observed symptoms from unverified diagnoses and anticipated dependency behaviour.
Fault and dependency assessment
Record symptoms, affected operations and evidence about behaviour when supporting services are unavailable.
- What symptoms indicate binding, incomplete engagement, credential rejection, component damage or intermittent operation? measurement
- What documentation or controlled observation establishes the lock's behaviour when power, communications or its controller becomes unavailable? provenance
Restoration and reconfiguration
Supports servicing, replacement and changes to accepted credentials.
Authorised service path
Record applicable service options and the checks required before returning the lock to use.
- Which documented service, rekeying, credential reset or replacement procedure addresses the observed condition, and who may perform it? action
- Which engagement, release and credential-acceptance checks must pass after the work before the lock is returned to use? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Kinds and varieties
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- pin-tumbler cylinder lock (Euro-profile, mortise cylinder, and key-in-knob/lever)
- lever-tumbler mortise lock (including UK five-lever sashlocks)
- padlock (open-shackle, closed-shackle, and discus)
- deadbolt and auxiliary lock (including rim nightlatches)
- combination lock (mechanical dial and electronic keypad)
- cam, cabinet and furniture lock
- electromechanical lock (electric strike, solenoid or motor bolt, and smart/credential lock)
- electromagnetic lock (maglock)
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of lock this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Wikidata - Q228039 - Class for the security-device lock; not Q105731 (navigation lock) and not the WordNet gun-lock sense.
- Harmonized System (WCO) - 8301; 8301.10 padlocks; 8301.20 locks of a kind used on motor vehicles; 8301.40 other locks - Base-metal locks and keys as traded goods; electronic locks with substantial electronics may leave this heading.
- WordNet 3.1 - lock.n.01 - Artifact sense: a fastener fitted to a door or drawer to keep it firmly closed.
- UNSPSC - 46171500 (Locks and security hardware) and child commodities for padlocks, door locks, cabinet locks - Procurement classification; confirm the leaf code against the current UNSPSC release.
- GTIN / manufacturer SKU - per finished product (14-digit GTIN); keyway codes such as Schlage C, Kwikset KW1, Euro profile PZ - Individual lock products, not the class; keyway and cylinder profile are the practical interchange identifiers.
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of lock this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Standards and regulation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- EN 12209 mechanically operated locks and latches - CEN (European Committee for Standardization).
- EN 1303 cylinders for locks - CEN.
- EN 12320 padlocks and padlock fittings - CEN.
- EN 14846 electromechanically operated locks and striking plates - CEN.
- EN 179 / EN 1125 emergency-exit and panic-exit devices - CEN (locks on escape routes must release without a key).
- DIN 18252 profile cylinders - DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung); the Euro-profile (PZ) geometry used across much of Europe.
- ANSI/BHMA A156.2 bored locks; A156.13 mortise locks; A156.12 interconnected locks; A156.36 auxiliary locks - BHMA with ANSI.
- UL 437 Key Locks and UL 1034 Burglary-Resistant Electric Locking Mechanisms - UL.
- ASTM F883 Standard Performance Specification for Padlocks - ASTM International.
- BS 3621 thief-resistant lock assembly (key egress) - BSI; UK insurance and police often specify this on timber entrance doors.
- AS 4145.2 locksets - Standards Australia.
- NFPA 101 Life Safety Code and IBC/IFC rules on delayed egress, maglocks and fail-safe release - NFPA and International Code Council.
- FMVSS 206 Door locks and door retention components - NHTSA (vehicle door locks, not building hardware).
- Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of lock this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Residential entrance: a bored cylindrical lockset or mortise sashlock holds the door, often paired with a separate deadbolt; the occupant carries a mechanical key or a smart-lock credential.
- Commercial and institutional doors: mortise lock cases with interchangeable or Euro cylinders, often master-keyed, and electric strikes or maglocks tied to an access-control system.
- Padlocked plant, site and storage: a padlock through a hasp, container lock-box or shipping-container hardware; closed-shackle and discus forms where bolt-cutters are expected.
- Cabinets, furniture, meters and coin equipment: small cam locks and wafer cylinders, often keyed alike within a building.
- Vehicles: door, steering-column, ignition and immobiliser locks; classified separately in trade (HS 8301.20) and crash-retention law (FMVSS 206).
- Safes, lockers and detention: high-security key or combination locks tested to UL 437 or equivalent, sometimes delayed-action.
- Escape routes: panic bars and emergency-exit hardware that unlock from the inside without a key; maglocks on those doors must drop out on fire-alarm and power-loss.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of lock this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- backset (door-edge to centre of cylinder or knob) - 60 or 70 (2-3/8 in or 2-3/4 in) on bored locksets; mortise cases also 60-80 - mm
- Euro-profile cylinder length (outside/inside about the cam) - common split sizes 30/30 to 45/45 (overall 60-90); door thickness plus furniture decides the pair - mm
- deadbolt throw - about 12-14 on light latches; 20-25 (1 in) on Grade 1 / insurance-grade deadbolts - mm
- mechanical cycle life (BHMA bored-lock grades) - 200000 (Grade 3), 400000 (Grade 2), 1000000 (Grade 1) - cycles
- pin-tumbler count (common cylinders) - 5-6 residential; 6-7 high-security; master-keyed systems add extra shear lines rather than extra length - pins
- electromagnetic holding force - about 2700 (600 lbf) interior doors to 5300-6700 (1200-1500 lbf) high-holding maglocks - N
- electric lock supply voltage - 12 or 24 (DC strikes, solenoids and maglocks); smart locks usually battery, often 4.5-6 - V
- padlock shackle diameter - 5-8 laminated consumer; 8-12 hardened closed-shackle industrial - mm
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of lock this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Covert opening: picking, bumping, impressioning, decoding and unauthorized key duplication, made worse by wide keyways and master-keying (extra shear lines).
- Destructive attack: drilling, milling, pulling, Euro-cylinder snapping, spreading the door from the frame, and bolt-cutter or grind-off of padlock shackles.
- Kick-in and strike failure: a sound cylinder in a short-screwed strike or weak frame yields before the lock does.
- Lockout: lost keys, seized pins, frozen or corroded mechanisms, dead smart-lock batteries, or failed electronics with no mechanical override.
- Life-safety trapping: a lock that needs a key or remaining power to exit (fail-secure maglock or double-cylinder deadbolt) can trap occupants in fire; egress codes require free egress and fire-alarm release on many doors.
- Wear and environment: spring fatigue, pin and plug wear, grit, salt corrosion, and ice in outdoor padlocks and vehicle locks.
- Credential and network attacks on smart locks: relay, replay, weak pairing, and cloud-account takeover, which have no analogue on a purely mechanical cylinder.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of lock this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- North America: bored cylindrical key-in-knob/lever locksets plus a separate deadbolt; Schlage C and Kwikset KW1 are the common residential keyways; ANSI/BHMA Grades 1-3 are the usual spec language.
- Continental Europe: a mortise lock case with a separate Euro-profile cylinder (DIN 18252 / EN 1303); cylinders are ordered as split lengths (e.g. 30/30 mm) to match door thickness and furniture.
- United Kingdom: five-lever sashlocks to BS 3621 on timber entrance doors; Euro cylinders on PVCu and composite doors, with TS 007 three-star / Sold Secure ratings after widespread cylinder-snap burglary.
- Nordic countries: oval (Swedish/Finnish) and Danish round cylinder profiles remain in use alongside Euro profile.
- Netherlands: SKG one-to-three-star ratings on cylinders and fittings, often required by insurers.
- France: A2P one-to-three-star certification (CNPP) on serrures; everyday language distinguishes serrure (lockset) from verrou (bolt).
- Australia and New Zealand: AS 4145 locksets; 'deadlock' is the ordinary word for a key-operated deadbolt, and Lockwood oval cylinders are common.
- Vehicle and detention locks are specified under transport and corrections rules, not building-hardware grades, even when the mechanism is a pin-tumbler.
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of lock this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- latch - A latch is a spring-biased bolt that holds a door closed and can usually be withdrawn by a handle alone; a lock adds a blocked or dead condition that needs a key, combination or credential.
- hasp (and staple) - A hasp is the hinged fitting a padlock closes through; it is not itself a lock and has no credential.
- security seal - A seal is meant to show that something was opened, not to resist a determined attack the way a lock is.
- navigation lock (canal lock) - A navigation lock is a water-filled chamber with gates that raises or lowers vessels; it is identified by the chamber and water-level change, not by a key-operated fastener. Wikidata Q105731, not Q228039.
- airlock - An airlock is a staged pressure chamber between two atmospheres; passage is by sequenced doors, not by a lock credential.
- firearm lock (gunlock) - On a small arm, the lock is the firing mechanism (matchlock, flintlock, percussion); WordNet records this as a separate sense and it has no door-fastening function.
- machine interlock - A safety interlock prevents a machine running unless a guard is closed; it is a control function, not a fastener against unauthorized entry.
- key - The key is the token that operates a lock; the lock is the mechanism that accepts or rejects it.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of lock this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Sources
- lock (Q228039) - Wikidata class for the security-device sense of lock, as distinct from navigation lock, firearm lock and other homonyms.
- Lock (security device) - Working classification of pin-tumbler, lever, warded, wafer, disc-detainer, combination, padlock and electronic types; Yale pin-tumbler history; common attack methods (picking, bumping, drilling, snapping).
- EN 12209 Building hardware - Mechanically operated locks, latches and locking plates - Requirements and test methods - CEN product standard that grades mechanically operated locks for durability, fire resistance, security and door mass; the European reference for lockset performance.
- EN 1303 Building hardware - Cylinders for locks - Requirements and test methods - CEN cylinder standard covering key security, attack resistance and durability of lock cylinders, including Euro-profile cylinders.
- ANSI/BHMA A156.2 Bored and Preassembled Locks and Latches - North American grading (Grades 1-3) and cycle-life tests for bored cylindrical locksets used on hinged doors.
- UL 437 Standard for Key Locks - Underwriters Laboratories test standard for high-security key locks used on safes, cabinets and similar enclosures.
- ASTM F883 Standard Performance Specification for Padlocks - ASTM forcing, cutting and cycling tests that grade padlocks independently of brand claims.
- Harmonized System heading 8301 - Padlocks and locks (key, combination or electrically operated), of base metal - World Customs Organization commodity heading that names padlocks, vehicle locks and other base-metal locks in trade statistics.
What the second pass must settle
- Does the registry intend this entry to include magnetic locks, restraint locks and integral vehicle locks, or are any owned by neighbouring registered concepts?
- Where should the assembly boundary fall for installations with a separate cylinder, electric strike, reader and remote controller?
- What evidence is sufficient to classify an installation as secured when direct engagement inspection is unavailable?
- Which manufacturer documents and applicable requirements must govern emergency release and loss-of-power behaviour for the particular lock and installation?
- How should externally assessed resistance to attack be represented without treating an unverified rating or the lock alone as proof of overall security?