The Dynamic Alignment Technology (DAT) developed by Extreme Components, LP is a revolutionary method for self-aligning locks that exhibit minimal friction and wear. The technology uses rollers instead of metal-to-metal frictional surfaces to align the tongue. The rollers are constrained in a cage so that they move in a prescribed manner, due to the kinematic relationships between the rollers.
As the tongue is inserted into the housing, the first set of rollers is extended outwards so that the tongue clears the first set of rollers.
Initial contact is made when the tongue interfaces with the second set of rollers. As a result of kinematics, the second set of rollers move with ? of the velocity of the tongue. Since all the rollers are geometrically constrained by the surrounding cage, the movement of the second set of rollers causes all the rollers to move simultaneously, including the first set of rollers.
The first set of rollers is initially positioned on a fillet near the outside edge. Since they are geometrically constrained to move with the second set of rollers, the roller effectively climbs the fillet and dynamically clamps the tongue, forcing dynamic alignment between the tongue and the housing
At this point there is mechanical contact of the tongue with both the first and second set of rollers. The first set of rollers dynamically clamps the tongue.
Since there is a significant spacing between the first set and second set of rollers, which provides a large moment arm so that the rollers can apply a torque on the tongue that forces alignment, without exhibiting an excessively large force on the rollers, which would otherwise cause mechanical wear.
When tongue is fully inserted into the housing, all three sets of rollers are in direct contact with the tongue. This creates an even large moment arm between the first and third sets of rollers, which ensures a highly precise alignment, with minimal wear. In addition, the load can be distributed over all three sets of rollers, so that the load on any one roller is not excessive.