How do Kaken locks work?

[Knowthebird]

I just got a Kaken lock from a japanese hardware store and I dont know how it works exactly. It has two pin tumblers at the top, but then it has two pins on the side which can rise or fall freely. They dont have any tension on them, and they are not used to retain the key. It was not hard to pick, but the two side pins do need to be raised to the right height. Once they are raised to the right height there are certain points where the plug is only partialy rotated where they can move freely again.

So I was wondering what those pins were for or how they worked.

This is a picture of it, not the exact kind i have, this one looks like it has more pins, but the same type/manufacturer...

[vov35]

my guess is that this SHOULD be in advanced, but then, looking at the mechanism, there's probably a couple sliders interfacing with the side of the key that operate a sidebar....

[Rickthepick]

similar to swimming locker locks in the uk by the looks of it, always wanted to get hold of one but i bet theyre pretty simple

[Squelchtone]

Here is another post about the lock mechanism. Please remember: no discussion of picking or bypass, only how the lock works.

Bell Lock / Eagle Lock
http://www.lockpicking101.com/viewtopic.php?p=158868

enjoy, and thanks to mh for posting the nice pics,
Squelchtone

[MacGnG1]

i have seen the inside of those locker locks and the key interacts with a bunch of wafers. the wafers move up or down inside the plug depending on the cuts of the key to the shear line and then the core spins. hope that helps.

[Knowthebird]

That does help explain it. In the end, I found a screwdriver the right size to take that back piece of metal off that holds it in, but before i could take my time taking it a apart, i let a friend borrow it to play with picking. Well, the plug came out when he picked it, and their are a few parts that I just dont know what they are for, like why there are two ball bearings different sizes, why there is what looks like an extra driver pin, or why they hollowed what must be the other two driver pins. So, it probably wont be put back together correctly till i get back to the states, but might as well post pics of the parts.

[Knowthebird]

I dont think they could show up, album link... http://img822.imageshack.us/g/dscn0414z.jpg/