Disc tumbler lock

A lock in which a correctly cut key rotates slotted discs until their gates align, allowing a sidebar or bolt to move.

Sidebar lock: A lock whose bolt is restrained by a bar that can move only when internal components align. Aligned disc gates let the sidebar retract and release the bolt.
Cam lock: A lock that turns a projecting metal arm to secure or release a door, panel, or enclosure. Many disc tumbler mechanisms are built into cam locks.
Abloy Protec: A high-security lock system using rotating discs and a specially designed key. It is a prominent commercial example of disc-based locking.
Pin tumbler lock: A lock whose key raises pin pairs until their splits align at the plug’s shear line. It uses vertically moving pins rather than rotating slotted discs.
Wafer tumbler: A lock mechanism that uses spring-loaded flat wafers, lifted by a key, to release a plug. Its wafers move linearly, unlike the rotating discs in this lock.
Disc tumbler: A rotating, slotted plate in a lock whose angular position is controlled by a key. Each disc contributes a gate that must reach the sidebar’s path.
Padlock: A portable lock with a shackle that can secure objects without permanent installation. Disc tumbler mechanisms are used in some padlocks.
Wafer lock: A lock that uses flat wafers moved by a key to free a rotating plug. Its key operates translating wafers instead of a stack of rotating discs.
Key bitting: The pattern of cuts or features on a key that positions a lock’s internal components. The key’s bitting determines the angular position of each disc.
Sidebar (lock mechanism): A locking bar that blocks rotation or bolt movement until a set of internal gates align. The sidebar follows the aligned gates in a disc tumbler lock.

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Lever tumbler lockCompared with: Rotating discs provide a different way to align openings and release a mechanism.