Joh
This is Foxies partner. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but sadly this forum does not seem to have a picture posting capability. So to answer your questions I am afraid it must be the thousand words – smiles. On the other hand, if you were to permit the moderator to send me your email address, I can send you pictures and files showing the proposed (and very preliminary) design along with some photos of the initial prototypes I made.
The prototype consisted of a box (made from two halves glued together) which sits at waist height. A nylon covered steel cable runs arounds Foxies waist and each end of the cable is inserted into a small plastic pieces which grips the cable tightly. These “ends” are then inserted into holes either side of the box and the bottom of the lock is then pushed flush into the box and a latching mechanism within the box, locks the cable ends in place.
Inside the box, the lock body is inserted into a sliding plate that grips the body. The shackle protrudes through this body and is fixed in place to the walls of the box. The shackle thus does not move. Instead, it is the lock itself, and the moving plate that move relative to the box. In the unlocked position the lock bottom protrudes 5mm from the top pf the box. To lock the device, the lock is merely pushed down to its bottom surface is flush with the top of the box and thus is not visible from the front of the box.
The sliding plate that moves with the lock body, has prongs that engage the cable end pieces. Locking them quite securely inside the box. To unlock, the key is place in the keyhole visible from the top of the box, turned and the lock is pulled upwards. It raises 5 mm and further movement is prevented by the shackle which you may remember is secured to the walls on the inside of the box.
The purpose of this design was to make a low-profile mechanism that was secure and didn’t expose the sharp corners of the lock which you catch and wear on clothing. The box itself was then to be physically mounted (basically securely glued) on top of the front shield which would have a faux secondary shield with urinal perforations. This secondary shield is thus permanently a part of the font shield. Foxies is past the menopause and has no need of a detachable secondary shield.
Sadly, a catastrophic house fire made us homeless in August of last year which also destroyed my 3D printer and since then the project has been on hold. I did design (in Fusion 360) a prototype front shield but never printed one, similarly I never printed the rear cable attachment, though I did experiment with various plates with anal holes so that they would fit comfortably to the rear.
Since I never actually printed the front shield, I do not really know how well it might have worked. Again, the preliminary prototype would have been made from PLA which is low cost, easy to print and has an advantage that it can be heated in hot water and adjusted to shape for complex curves if they weren’t quite right to begin with. It is not easy to cut though it is hard to sand because it melts at such a low temperature.
I appreciate that this might be very difficult to visualize from my description. Writing long descriptions is tedious both to read and create. So, feel free to ask the moderator to pass along your email address. If I receive such then I will gladly supply the design drawings and schematics.
Let me know if the above information is helpful or you need any more information.
(That was only 642 words! 🤣 )
