WO2004051033A1

WO2004051033A1 - Arrangement in electromechanical cylinder lock

Info

Publication number: WO2004051033A1
Application number: PCT/FI2003/000837
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kaarlo Martikainen; Jouni Tirkkonen
Original assignee: Abloy Oy
Priority date: 2002-12-05
Filing date: 2003-11-06
Publication date: 2004-06-17
Also published as: EE200500021A; LV13352B; AU2003276304A1; RU2323314C2; EE05040B1; RU2005121144A; LT2005064A; FI20022152A0; LT5321B; FI112691B

Abstract

The present invention relates to an arrangement in an electromechanical cylinder lock that comprises a cylinder housing (1) enclosing a turnable inner cylinder (2) and locking means (3, 4) which normally prevent the turning of the inner cylinder (2) relative to the cylinder housing (1) and which may be moved by the key of the lock to a releasing position allowing the turning of the inner cylinder (2), a lock pin (5) or the like which is operatively connected to the inner cylinder (2) so that it in its locking position prevents the turning of the inner cylinder (2), and a bolt member (8) which is electrically turnable from a first position allowing the locking position of the lock pin (5) to a second position where it prevents the lock pin (5) from moving to its locking position. The arrangement comprises a securing element (11, 11', 11'') which, in response to a shock, vibration or other mechanical impulse exerted on the lock, is arranged to bounce from the counter surface (13, 13', 13'') included in the lock structure against the bolt member (8) so that it prevents the bolt member (8) from moving from said first position to said second position.

Description

ARRANGEMENT IN ELECTROMECHANICAL CYLINDER LOCK

The invention relates to an arrangement in an electromechanical cylinder lock in accordance with the preamble of claim 1 .

Electromechanical cylinder locks and similar locking means are generally provided with a key operated locking mechanism and an additional electric securing in the form of an electronic code or other signal. With the electric se- curing it is possible to affect such means that are independent of the key operated locking mechanism and separately control the power transmission from the key to the actual lock bolt or the like.

It is an aim to provide electric control by using small and light components, whereby the amount of energy required for moving the components is small as well. In spite of this, the aim is to make the actual locking reliable. For this reason it is preferable to provide the lock with a bolt member or the like which is moved, and especially turned, by an electric motor or solenoid, which bolt member does not necessarily directly bring about the mechanical securing required by the electric locking, but has a preventing or allowing effect on a separate locking member which in fact prevents or allows the movement required for opening the locking, i.e. specifically the turning movement of the cylinder, when a cylinder lock is concerned. As in this kind of structures it is advantageous from the viewpoint of energy consumption that electricity is switched on only when the lock is being opened electrome- chanically, the moving or turning of such a bolt member does not require too much force, but the movement may possibly be produced e.g. by exerting shocks or vibration on the lock and/or on its integral structures which are rigidly mounted thereto.

An object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement for simple but efficient elimination of the above-described moving of the bolt member or the like related to electric securing to a position allowing the opening of the lock by using external forces, i.e. specifically shocks, vibration or similar impacts or impulses, without engaging relevant electric code equipment.

The objects of the present invention are achieved in a way described in claim 1 and in the other claims. The arrangement according to the invention comprises a securing element, which, in response to a shock, vibration or other mechanical impulse exerted on the lock is arranged to bounce from a counter surface included in the lock structure against a bolt member. Thus, an im- pulse from an opposite direction exerted on the bolt member prevents the bolt member from moving to a position where it prevents the moving of the lock pin to a position preventing the turning of the inner cylinder.

The securing element is preferably shaped and arranged so that it is normally pressed against said counter surface. In an alternative solution the securing element may be urged by a spring against said counter surface, whereby the solution may be applied also in case the counter surface is not vertically oriented in the embodiment in question.

The securing element is preferably turnably journalled to the bolt member so that its turning axis is parallel with the turning axis of the bolt member, and most preferably coincides with it. It is, however, advantageous in view of the reliability of operation that each of the components has a physical axis of its own.

The lock pin is preferably provided with a guiding surface, which is arranged to affect the securing element so as to return it against the counter surface, while the inner cylinder is being turned for opening the lock. Thus, it is possible to secure the operation of the securing element even in case it has stayed in a wrong position, e.g. due to dirt, freezing, oil or similar. In addition, the lock pin is preferably also provided with a guiding surface, which is arranged to return the bolt member to its first position. Hence, it may be secured that also the lock pin moves to its initial position thus allowing the moving of the lock pin to its locking position.

In an embodiment of the invention said counter surface is arranged in the cylinder housing. In this case, the cylinder housing is preferably provided with a guiding surface at a distance from said counter surface so that said surfaces together determine the turning freedom of the securing element.

In a second embodiment of the invention said counter surface is arranged on the lock pin. Thus, the securing element may be provided with a protrusion which is fairly thin in the direction of its turning movement, which protrusion is arranged to cooperate both with said counter surface and the bolt member so that they together determine the turning freedom of the securing element. Further, said counter surface could be provided in a separate element which has a rigid contact with the surface subjected to a shock.

In a third embodiment of the invention said counter surface is arranged on a separate guiding member supported by the lock casing. Said guiding member preferably comprises a stub shaft supported by the bolt member, onto which stub shaft the securing element is turnably journalled. In this case said counter surface is located on a protrusion arranged to the guiding member parallel with said stub shaft. The arrangement is preferably also provided with a damping surface for damping a possible bouncing movement of the bolt member. Thus the bouncing of the bolt member to its preventing position may be avoided. Said damping surface is preferably located on said protrusion. In addition, said damping surface may preferably be arranged so that it also dampens the movement of the securing element after a bouncing movement has been exerted on the securing element.

In the following the invention is described by way of example with reference to the attached drawings, in which Figures 1 - 4 show as views of principle of an embodiment of the lock according to the invention as partial sections in various operating states;

Figures 5 and 6 show a deviating operating state of the lock ac- cording to Figs. 1 - 4;

Figures 7 and 8 show exploded views and partial views of certain arrangements related to the invention;

- Figure 9 shows a partial view of an alternative embodiment of the invention; and

Figures 10 and 1 1 show another alternative embodiment of the invention.

In the figures the reference number 1 indicates a cylinder housing in an electromechanical cylinder lock enclosing a turnable inner cylinder 2 which in the disclosed embodiments comprises a plurality of locking discs 3 to be turned by the key (not shown) of the lock. The locking discs are in a manner known as such in cooperation with a locking bar 4 so that in the locking position according to Figs. 1 and 4 the locking bar 4 prevents the turning of the inner cylinder 2 relative to the cylinder housing 1 . After the locking discs 3 have been arranged by the key of the lock to their correct turning position, they allow the locking bar 4 to move to the opened position of the locking mecha- nism shown in Figs. 2 and 3, whereby the inner cylinder 2 may be turned relative to the cylinder housing 1 . The mechanism is generally known especially from ABLOY locks, and therefore it is neither shown nor explained in this context.

In addition, the lock comprises a lock pin 5 or a similar member, which is operatively connected to the inner cylinder 2 so that it in its locking position prevents the turning of the inner cylinder 2 in the way shown in Fig. 3. Thus a stop surface 10 in the lock pin is settled against a surface 9 of the inner cylinder 2 (cf. Fig. 5), whereby the turning of the inner cylinder 2 is prevented in spite of the fact that the locking mechanism itself may be opened by the key of the lock. The lock is also provided with a bolt member 8 which is electrically (electric motor 7 in the figures) turnable from the first position (Figs. 1 and 3) allowing the locking position of the lock pin 5 to the second position (Fig. 2) where it prevents the lock pin 5 from moving to the position which locks the inner cylinder 2.

In the situation according to Fig. 1 both the mechanical and electrical locking are in a locked state. As shown in Fig. 1 , the lock pin 5 is by means of a spring 6 urged toward its locking position (for the sake of simplicity the counter surface of the spring is not shown in the figures), but normally in the locked state of the locking mechanism the locking bar 4 prevents the moving of the lock pin 5. In the situation shown in Fig. 2 a correct electronic code has been entered in the lock and consequently, the electric motor 7 is arranged to turn the bolt member 8 into the position shown in Fig. 2. Thus it prevents the lock pin 5 from moving to the position which prevents the turning of the inner cylinder 2, whereby the inner cylinder 2 may be turned by the key of the lock relative to the cylinder housing 1 and the entire lock may be opened.

In the situation shown in Fig. 3 the mechanical locking has been opened by the key (not shown) of the lock, whereby the locking bar 4 has moved to a releasing position thus allowing the turning of the inner cylinder 2. In this position the locking bar 4 allows also the movement of the lock pin 5. In this case the entered electronic code has been erroneous, whereby the bolt member 8 has not turned into its upper position shown in Fig. 2. Thus, the bolt member 8 does not prevent the lock pin 5, which moves urged by the spring 6 to the position shown in Fig. 3 where the turning of the inner cylinder 2 is prevented independently of the mechanical locking means 3 and 4 of the actual locking mechanism. In the disclosed locking arrangement the opening of the locking mechanism using only a mechanical key is thus not enough for opening the lock unless the entered electronic code has been correct as well or other electronic per- mission has been received so as to move also the bolt member 8 to the position shown in Fig. 2. For this reason one may try to affect the bolt member 8 by exerting shocks or vibration on the lock and/or the fixed structures around it. When the power supply to the electric motor 7 is disconnected, no essential forces affect the bolt member 8, but it is possible by using above- mentioned external impulses to make the bolt member 8 to move to the position shown in Fig. 2. where it prevents the lock pin 5 from moving to the position which locks the inner cylinder 2, whereby the lock may be opened by the key of the lock without any electronic code or other securing. In order to prevent this, the lock is according to the invention provided with a securing element which, in response to a shock, vibration or similar mechanical impulse exerted on the lock, is arranged to bounce from the counter surface included in the lock structure against the bolt member 8 and thus prevent the moving of the bolt member to the position shown in Fig. 2.

In the embodiment according to Figs.1 - 4 the counter surface 1 3 is arranged in the cylinder housing 1 . The securing element 1 1 , in response to a shock or vibration exerted on the lock, bounces from the counter surface 1 3, whereby the surface 1 1 a thereof in consequence of said shock or vibration hits the bolt member 8 which is moving toward the upper position, as shown in Fig. 4, and thus prevents the bolt member 8 from moving from the position according to Figs. 1 and 3 to the position shown in Fig. 2. The cylinder housing 1 is also provided with a guiding surface 14 at a distance from said counter surface 1 3 so that said surfaces 1 3 and 14 together determine the turning freedom of the securing element 1 1 .

Fig. 5 depicts a possible situation where the securing element 1 1 , in consequence of dirt, oil, freezing or similar reason, has stayed in the position, which returns the bolt member 8. Fig. 6 shows how this error condition is normalized. The procedure is as follows. While the inner cylinder 2 is turning, the spring 6 moves the lock pin 5 into a recess in the inner cylinder (cf. Fig. 6), whereby a guiding surface 1 7 in the lock pin presses the securing element 1 1 to its initial position by means of a counter surface 1 1 b arranged therein. During the next opening attempt the bolt member 8 is allowed to turn to the position according to Fig. 1 allowing the opening of the lock without the securing element 1 1 preventing it due to said error condition. The cylinder housing has been omitted from Figs. 5 and 6 for the sake of clarity.

The lock pin 5 is also provided with a guiding surface 1 5, which affects the bolt member 8 and turns it back to its initial position according to Fig. 1 . This comes about so that in the situation according to Fig. 2 the inner cylinder 2 is further turned by the key, whereby a surface 1 6 of the inner cylinder hits a protrusion 1 8 of the lock pin 5 (cf. Fig. 5) and causes a minor turning movement for the lock pin 5, whereby the guiding surface 1 5, while turning, at the same time presses the bolt member 8 away from the position according to Fig. 2 toward the position according to Fig. 1 . Consequently, after the bolt member 8 has been returned to the position according to Fig. 1 where it does not prevent the moving of the lock pin 5, and the inner cylinder 2 is turned back, the spring 6 presses the lock pin 5 into the recess in the inner cylinder, a guiding surface 1 9 of which recess lifts it up to the position according to Fig. 1 where it lies upon the locking bar 4. So in practice, the locking bar 4 does not bring about said lifting in this version. Instead, at the same time as the inner cylinder 2 is being turned back, the protrusion 4a on the locking bar 4 turns also the lock pin 5 to its initial position.

Figs. 7 and 8 show the bearing arrangement for the bolt member 8 and the securing element 1 1 related to the invention. The securing element 1 1 is preferably provided with bearings so that its turning axis 1 2 is parallel with the turning axis of the bolt member 8 and preferably coincides with it, but it has, however, a separate shaft of its own. For this purpose, the arrangement comprises a guiding member 20 supported by the cylinder housing 1 , which guiding member is provided with a stub shaft 20a for the securing element 1 1 . The stub shaft 20a may be an extension of the turning axis of the bolt member 8, but it is, however, completely independent of the turning of the bolt member.

The securing element 1 1 is shaped so that it is normally pressed against the counter surface 13 in a manner shown in Figs. 1 - 3. Fig. 8 shows a variation comprising a spring 21 , by means of which it can be secured, if so desired, that the securing element 1 1 stays normally in its initial position against the counter surface 1 3. Thus, the solution may be applied even in case the counter surface 1 3 is not vertical in the embodiment in question.

Fig. 9 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention where the counter surface 1 3' of the securing element 1 1 ' is arranged on the lock pin 5. Also in this version the securing element 1 1 ' is shaped so that it is normally pressed against the counter surface 1 3' in a manner shown in Fig. 9. In this embodiment the securing element 1 1 ' comprises a protrusion 1 1 a' which is arranged to cooperate both with said counter surface 1 3' and the bolt member 8 so that they together determine the turning freedom of the securing element 1 1 ' . In this case the securing element 1 1 ' bounces from the counter surface 1 3', whereby the protrusion 1 1 a' hits the bolt member 8 and prevents it from moving to its upper position where it would prevent the moving of the lock pin 5 to its locking position.

The counter surface may also be arranged in a separate element which has a rigid contact with the surface subjected to a shock. One of such applications of the invention is disclosed in Figs. 1 0 and 1 1 . Also in this solution, there is a guiding member 20 supported by the cylinder housing 1 , which guiding member is provided with a stub shaft 20a for the securing element 1 1 ". The securing element 1 1 " comprises a protrusion 1 1 a". In this case the counter surface 13" is arranged on a protrusion 22 in the guiding member 20, which protrusion is parallel with the stub shaft 20a. In practise, the guiding member is e.g. by riveting attached to the cylinder housing 1 , whereby external vibration is transmitted from the guiding surface 1 3" to the securing element 1 1 " (not shown in the figures). In addition, the protrusion 22 is provided with a damping surface 23, which dampens the movement of the bolt member 8. Thus it is possible to prevent the bouncing of the bolt member 8 to its preventing position. The damping surface 23 may also at the same time dampen the movement of the securing element 1 1 " after a bouncing movement has at first been exerted on it. In this case, the returning of the securing element 1 1 " against the guiding surface 1 3" may occur either by means of gravity or urged by a spring. In practice, the damping surface may be a separate element made of suitable damping material to be attached to the protrusion 22, but there are naturally also several other conceivable ways to arrange the damping.

The solution according to the invention is independent of the type of mechanical locking used, i.e. the invention is not limited to a cylinder lock provided with turnable locking discs, but the invention may also be applied to other mechanisms, such as pin tumbler mechanisms. Naturally, in such cases the support given by the locking bar to the lock pin needs to be replaced by another arrangement.

The solution according to the invention may, in addition to cylinder locks, also be applied to other objects where shocks and vibration may cause simi- lar kind of problems, e.g. to lock casings which are inserted in doors or in other similar objects.

Thus, the invention is not limited to the above-described applications, but several other modifications are conceivable within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1 . An arrangement in an electromechanical cylinder lock that comprises a cylinder housing (1 ) enclosing a turnable inner cylinder (2) and locking means (3, 4) which normally prevent the turning of the inner cylinder (2) relative to the cylinder housing (1 ) and which can be moved by the key of the lock to a releasing position allowing the turning of the inner cylinder (2), a lock pin (5) or the like which is operatively connected to the inner cylinder (2) so that it in its locking position prevents the turning of the inner cylinder (2), and a bolt member (8) which is electrically turnable from a first position allowing the locking position of the lock pin (5) to a second position where it prevents the lock pin (5) from moving to its locking position, characterised in that the arrangement comprises a securing element (1 1 , 1 1 ', 1 1 ") which, in response to a shock, vibration or other mechanical impulse exerted on the lock, is ar- ranged to bounce from a counter surface (1 3, 1 3', 1 3") included in the lock structure against the bolt member (8) so that it prevents the bolt member (8) from moving from said first position to said second position.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1 , characterised in that the securing element (1 1 , 1 1 ', 1 1 ") is shaped and arranged so that it is normally pressed against said counter surface (13, 13', 1 3").

3. An arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the securing element (1 1 , 1 1 ', 1 1 ") is urged by a spring against said counter sur- face (1 3, 1 3', 1 3").

4. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the securing element (1 1 , 1 1 ') is turnably journalled to the bolt member (8) so that its turning axis (1 2) is parallel with the turning axis of the bolt member (8) and preferably coincides with it.

5. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the lock pin (5) is provided with a guiding surface (1 7), which is arranged to affect the securing element (1 1 ) so as to return it against the counter surface (1 3), when the inner cylinder (2) is being turned for opening the lock.

6. An arrangement according to claim 5, characterised in that the lock pin (5) is also provided with a guiding surface (1 5), which is arranged to return the bolt member (8) to said first position thereof.

7. An arrangement according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the said counter surface (1 3) is arranged in the cylinder housing ( 1 ).

8. An arrangement according to claim 7, characterised in that the cylinder housing (1 ) is provided with a guiding surface (1 4) at a distance from said counter surface (1 3) so that said surfaces (1 3, 1 4) together determine the turning freedom of the securing element (1 1 ).

9. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims 1 - 6, char- acterised in that said counter surface (1 3') is arranged on the lock pin (5).

10. An arrangement according to claim 9, characterised in that the securing element (1 1 ') is provided with a protrusion (1 1 a') fairly thin in the direction of its turning movement, which is arranged to cooperate both with said coun- ter surface ( 1 3') and the bolt member (8) so that they together determine the turning freedom of the securing element (1 1 ').

1 1 . An arrangement according to any of the preceding claims 1 - 4, characterised in that said counter surface (1 3") is arranged on a separate guiding member (20) supported by the lock casing (1 ).

1 2. An arrangement according to claim 1 1 , characterised in that said guiding member (20) preferably comprises a stub shaft (20a) supported by the bolt member (8), onto which stub shaft the securing element (1 1 ") is turnably journalled.

1 3. An arrangement according to claim 1 1 or 1 2, characterised in that said counter surface (1 3") is located on a protrusion (22) arranged in the guiding member (20) parallel with said stub shaft (20a).

14. An arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims 1 1 - 1 3, characterised in that it also comprises a damping surface (23) for damping a possible bouncing movement of the bolt member (8) and that said damping surface (23) is preferably arranged on said protrusion (22).

1 5. An arrangement according to claim 1 4, characterised in that said damping surface (23) is arranged to dampen also the movement of the securing element (1 1 ") after a bouncing movement exerted on the securing element (1 1 ").