Iron Vehicle, Mobility and Transportation Design · 2022
Union Bicycle Lock
- A' Design Award 2022 Iron Winner in Vehicle, Mobility and Transportation Design
- Awarded April 15, 2022
- CLIENT: Beijing Institute of Technology
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 15,163
- Verification code 983CA27B78 · Verify this award
About Union Bicycle Lock
Union is a bicycle lock that is integrated into the seat post of a bicycle. The lock offers three functions: fingerprint unlocking, magnetic fixing and reflective warning. Fingerprint recognition removes the need for keys and makes daily use faster. A magnet inside the lock body holds the lock against the seat tube during riding. A chain is stored inside the tube and is pulled out to secure the wheels to a fixed object. The size is 28 by 74 by 352 millimeters, which matches a standard seat post, so the frame stays clean and storage problems are avoided.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- This is a new design of convenient bicycle lock. It has three functions, fingerprint unlocking, magnetic fixing and reflective warning.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Since the product is universal, there is no difference with the traditional seat tube size, the physical size is 28mmx74mmx352mm, it can be adapted to any bike.
- Tags
- bicycle，lock，fingerprint
- Production Technology
- The factors that determine whether a bike lock is good or bad are ease of use and versatility, in addition to security.
To ensure the security of the lock, we use a very mature fingerprint recognition technology. While ensuring security, it improves the user's operating experience. In consideration of the product's implementability, we retain the shape characteristics and material of the original bike seat tube, install the chain inside the car do tube, and place a magnet inside the lock body so that it can be easily sucked on the back of the bike do tube. All these designs ensure the manufacturability of the product. - Design Challenge
- We wanted to create the perfect solution to design a convergent product for cyclists, rather than going the extra mile to buy a lock.
This design breaks through the limitations of traditional bicycle lock, it combines the lock with a bicycle part. The product not only brings convenience to users, but also reduces the waste of social resources, while also accelerating the progress of integrated innovation. - Project Duration
- The project started in Beijing in February 2020 and was completed in Beijing in April 2020. The project won the 2020 Red Dot Award：Best of the best and the Korea K-Design Award Grand Prize.
- Operation Flow
- How To Use
Step 1： Remove the lock
Step 2： Fingerprint to unlock
Step 3： Pull out the chain
Step 4： Pass the chain through the wheels and ground fence, then lock it. - Research
- To better understand the needs of lock users, we conducted research in shopping malls that sell bicycles, talking to dealers and exploring developments and changes in bicycles, such as how to alert small cars to attention and how to prevent theft.
We also talked to cyclists on the road to analyze the needs of users.
In the course of our research, we learned about the needs of users and the opinions of manufacturers and dealers associated with bicycles. With this insight, we began to refocus the project on the main issue: more efficient and natural unlocking and unlocking. - Inspiration
- There are various types of traditional bicycle locks. Users often put the lock in different places, such as head tube, top tube and under the saddle, unsightly and inconvenient to store.
The lock breaks the form limitation of traditional bicycle by the way of creatively combining the lock and the seat post.
This product combines the lock with a bicycle part and it can not only ensure the safety of the bicycle, but also make the body cleaner. - Image Credits
- #1:Hong Yu,Lyuting Ma,2020
#2:Hong Yu,Lyuting Ma,2020
#3:Hong Yu,Lyuting Ma,2020
#4:Hong Yu,Lyuting Ma,2020
#5:Hong Yu,Lyuting Ma,2020 - Patents
- none