Shape Lock Chain I (early prototype)

thingiverse

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:591203 What It Is: This innovative chain remains assembled purely due to its intricate shape. The axles, left unsecured by friction, spring force, magnetism or other restraints, hold together solely because of the geometrical structure of the individual links. One critical modification exists; the last link requires a single snap-into-place feature that momentarily disrupts this seamless assembly rule. The chain can only be opened at this location and may only be sequentially unfastened in one direction. Additionally, this creation is known as "hierarchical locking demo II", an enhanced version of "hierarchical locking demo I" located here: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:200203 The Issue with This Design: 1) The model lacks sufficient clearance to accommodate the central spacers; their absence may cause the entire chain to collapse. 2) The caps are susceptible to excessive outward bending, thereby offering the chain an alternative route for disassembly. How It Works & Background: The development of this intricate locking mechanism involved creating a chain link assembly that would demonstrate hierarchical locking capabilities.