CN215927048U

CN215927048U - Finger lock actuator

Info

Publication number: CN215927048U
Application number: CN202022782273.XU
Authority: CN
Inventors: 约翰·麦克劳林; 大卫·詹尼
Original assignee: UAP Ltd
Current assignee: UAP Ltd
Priority date: 2020-01-31
Filing date: 2020-11-26
Publication date: 2022-03-01
Anticipated expiration: 2030-11-26
Also published as: GB2591512A; GB202001363D0; WO2021152038A1; EP4097314A1; GB202013269D0

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a lock actuator 1 comprising a housing having an inner side 3 and an outer side 2, a cam 10 rotatably retained in the lock actuator, the inner side 3 comprising a thumb turn device adapted to selectively engage the cam 10, the thumb turn device 4 comprising: a core 40 rotatably retained at least in part within the central bore 11 of the cam 10, the core 40 including a central bore 42, a first end of the central bore 42 being adapted to retain the drive rod 20 in a rotationally fixed but translationally free manner relative to the core 40, the drive rod 22 being biased into engagement with the cam 10 and configured such that rotation of the core 40 rotates the cam 10 via the drive rod 20; and a locking device adapted to lock and unlock the rotation of the core 40 in the housing, the locking device being configured to be in a normal locking state, and the rotation of the core 40 can be unlocked by a user operating the finger-turning device 4.

Description

Finger lock actuator

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a lock actuator for interacting with a window or door lock. In particular, the lock actuator of the present disclosure includes a thumbturn switch; the thumbturn switch should be located on the inside of the door or window to be locked.

Technical Field

For safety reasons, locks are often provided on doors and windows, which ensure that the operation and opening of the doors and windows is limited to the required user. The well known locks comprise a key operated cylinder so that operation of the lock can only be achieved if the correct key is held. Inserting a key into a key operated cylinder to align pins in a tumbler lock mechanism and rotate the cylinder; this rotation will typically be transmitted to the lock interior and the locking mechanism then operated to selectively lock and unlock the door and/or window. The lock is typically provided in a door or window and the lock itself is actuated by a separate lock actuator comprising a key operated cylinder.

Keys are required to operate both the outside and the inside of the lock, which is often inconvenient for the lock user. In this case, the inside of the lock can be operated by a finger-turn device that allows the user to easily open and close the lock without having to hold the correct key. Obviously, in an emergency situation, it is extremely inconvenient or even dangerous for a person inside a door or window to have to find the correct key to unlock and escape. In this case, the finger-turn device interacting with the door lock is particularly advantageous, greatly improving the safety of the user of the lock.

In many cases, the lock is integrated into the door or window at the time of manufacture, and the lock actuator is a separate item that can be introduced into the lock to allow selective locking and unlocking of the lock. Many lock actuators are designed to resist vandalism. In order to circumvent the lock and gain access through the door or window, vandals attempt to remove various components of the lock actuator in an attempt to gain access to the interior of the lock and then to gain actuation of the lock itself.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

This and other related problems are addressed by the present invention, which comprises a lock actuator comprising a housing having an inner side and an outer side of a cam rotatably retained in the lock actuator, the inner side including a thumb turn adapted to selectively engage the cam. This finger rotary device includes: a core, at least a portion of the core being rotatably retained within the central bore of the cam, the core including a central bore having a first end adapted to retain the drive rod rotationally fixed but free to translate relative to the core, the drive rod being biased into engagement with the cam and configured such that rotation of the core rotates the cam via the drive rod. And a locking device adapted to lock and unlock rotation of the cylinder in the housing, the locking device being configured to be in a normally locked state, and a user can unlock rotation of the cylinder by operating the finger rotation switch.

The present invention generally describes a lock actuator that is on the outside intended to be operated by a higher security device, or a cylinder operated by means of a key, and on the inside, operated by finger-turning or other manual methods that do not use a key. The lock actuator is also specifically designed to break upon attack so that the outside will be selectively removed and then the internal components of the lock actuator will lock together preventing rotation of the lock device from the exterior of the door or window. The lock actuator is designed such that the locking device remains in a normal rotational locking state, the lock actuator being unlocked only by the outer cylinder or the inner thumbwheel: the lock actuator may not be operated in other ways. For this reason, removing the outer cylinder means that the lock actuator cannot be operated from the outside. The lock actuator of the present disclosure also allows the inner thumb portion of the lock actuator to continue to function properly even if the lock actuator is damaged. In this manner, a user of the lock can always open the lock and escape through the door or window, regardless of whether the lock is broken.

Drawings

FIG. 1: a perspective view of the lock actuator of the present invention. FIG. 2: the present invention is a partial cross-sectional view of a lock actuator.

FIG. 3: the invention relates to a lock actuator internal operation cross-sectional view.

FIG. 4: the lock actuator of the present invention is a cutaway perspective view.

FIG. 5: a close-up cross-sectional view of the interior of the cam of the present invention.

FIG. 6: a partial cross-sectional view of the finger portion of the lock actuator interacting with the cam.

FIG. 7: a guide schematic view which facilitates smooth operation of the lock actuator.

FIG. 8: a close-up view of the guide depicted in figure 7.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a lock actuator 1 according to the present invention. The actuator 1 is intended for passing through a lock and comprises an outer side 2 and an inner side 3, which outer side 2 and inner side 3 are accessible from the inner and outer sides, respectively, of the door or window in which the lock is located. On the left side of the figure, the outer side 2 of the lock actuator 1 is shown in a non-limiting embodiment as a key operated cylinder, other options may be used, such as a wafer lock device. The operating principle of the lock actuator 1 of the invention is mainly related to the operation of the inner side 3 of the lock actuator 1; this can be seen on the right side of fig. 1. The part of the lock actuator 1 that is intended for use inside a door or window comprises a thumbturn mechanism 4, best seen in figure 2. The lock actuator 1 of the present invention is primarily intended to be mounted in a door or window lock, not shown, which to some extent can securely lock the door or window to a surrounding frame. As shown in fig. 1, the lock actuator 1 further includes a cam 10, the cam 10 being selectively rotatable by the key operated cylinder or thumbwheel mechanism 4. As is known in the art, insertion of a key into a key operated cylinder causes the core of the cylinder to engage the cam 10 and the pins therein to align with the shear line of the cylinder to allow rotation of the core and cam 10. In this way, a user of the lock actuator 1 can open and close the locking device by the interaction of the cam 10 with the door lock. As is known in the art, rather than configuring the key operated cylinder inside and outside of the lock, the finger lock actuator 1 allows a user to open and close the associated lock without a key, as with the finger lock actuator 1. Typically, pushing and rotating the thumbturn 7 into the inner side 2 of the actuator causes the thumbturn 7 to engage the cam 10 and causes rotation of the cam 10 to lock and unlock the lock.

As can also be seen in fig. 1, the sleeve of the lock actuator 1 of the present disclosure has a sacrificial cut 5, which is a pre-set weak point of the lock actuator 1. The sleeve can break off at this weak point. If the lock actuator 1 is broken, its outer side 2 falls, making it more difficult for the breaker to force the lock into operation. Sacrificial cuts 5 are known in the art, but the lock actuator 1 of the present disclosure additionally includes a special tamper protection function as described below. The lock actuator 1 is intended to break at the sacrificial cuts 5 when subjected to a vandalism and will then lock the rotation of the cam 10 within the lock actuator 1, which will prevent the vandal from unlocking the door after breaking the lock actuator 1. However, one aspect of the present disclosure is that the lock actuator 1 can still operate normally from the inside by means of the thumbturn 4. As shown in fig. 1, the lock actuator 1 may further be provided with a reinforcement bar 6, which is located in the area of the cam 10 as a known weak point in the lock actuator 1.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the cam 10 is provided with a lever 11 in the form of an extension from the outer surface thereof. The lever 11 pivots with the pivoting of the cam 10 and it is the lever 11 that interacts with the lock connected to the door or window. The operation of the cam 10 and lever 11 is standard operation in locks and therefore the lock actuator 1 of the present invention is able to interact with most standard locks provided in doors and windows. The lock actuator 1 is sized and shaped to fit within conventional fittings provided for door locks, and in particular comprises a euro-shaped cylinder lock actuator having a standard sized and footprint sleeve.

The particular elements of the thumbturn mechanism 4 that are highlighted can be seen in fig. 2 and 3. The thumb turn device 4 provides the basis for the present application and will be described more fully below. As the reader will appreciate, the lock actuator 1 of the present disclosure may be configured with any standard external security measure to limit rotation of the cam 10 from outside the door, and the present disclosure is not limited to the key operated cylinder depicted in the drawings.

The key to the present disclosure is the security of the lock after the lock actuator 1 is broken; it is important that the cam 10 is locked from being externally rotated by various elements in the thumbturn device 4. Said locking means that the lock actuator 1 does not allow the cam 10 to rotate from the outside after the break has occurred, but the cam 10 can be allowed to rotate from the inside by means of the finger rotation device 4. Referring to fig. 3, the operation of the cam 10 can be understood. The cam 10 comprises a central hole 11, in which central hole 11 other elements for the rotation of the cam 10 are arranged. In fig. 3 and 6, the interaction between the cam actuator of the lock actuator 1 and the cam 10 occurs. The inner drive rod 20 is provided with a drive lug 21 extending away from its outer surface. As best seen in fig. 6, the drive lug 21 is sized to fit within the appropriate internal slot 12 of the cam 10 so that rotation of the internal drive rod 20 will be transmitted through the drive lug 21 to the side of the internal slot 12, causing the cam 10 to rotate. As shown in fig. 6, the cam 10 has an internal shoulder 13 extending within the central bore 11. The inner shoulder 13 itself is provided with a hole therethrough so that the inner drive rod 20 can fit within the hole of the inner shoulder 13. The inner notch 12 is provided in the inner shoulder 13, wherein the drive lug 21 will fit within the inner notch 12 when the drive lug 21 is located within the bore of the inner shoulder 13.

As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the outer side 2 of the lock actuator 1 is also provided with an outer drive rod 22. As shown in fig. 1, the inner drive rod 20 is retained within the cam 10. As shown in fig. 3, the outer drive rod 22 is retained within the key operated cylinder. When the key is inserted into the key operated cylinder, the end of the key will push against the outer drive rod 22, thus pushing it towards the inner drive rod 20; the applied force will be sufficient to push the inner drive rod 20 out of the inner notch 12 provided in the bore of the inner shoulder 13 in the cam 10 and allow the outer drive rod 22 to fit in the bore of the inner shoulder 13. The outer drive rod 22 also includes a lug that fits within the internal notch 12 of the internal shoulder 13 of the cam 10, allowing the rotation of the key operated cylinder to be transmitted to the cam 10. As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the inner drive rod 20 is normally held in an engaged position with the cam 10 by a biasing device 30. As shown, the biasing means 30 is a compression spring 30 which acts on the inner drive rod 20 to bias it into the bore of the inner shoulder 13 in the cam 10. The inner drive rod 20 is also retained within the core 40 of the lock actuator 1. The core 40 provides an intermediate element of the thumbturn apparatus 4 and is part of the conventional attachment mechanism of the thumbturn apparatus 4. The core 40 is sized and shaped to fit within the central bore 11 of the cam 10 and provide interaction between the thumbshaft 60 and the cam 10 through the internal drive rod 20.

The inner drive rod 20 fits within one end of the core 40 and includes one or more radially extending wings 23. The radially extending wings 23 on the inner drive rod 20 are sized and shaped to fit within two corresponding slots 41 of the core 40, as shown in fig. 6. The slots 41 on the core 40 extend in the longitudinal direction of the core 40 and allow the internal drive rod 20 to translate longitudinally through the holes 42 provided along the length of the core 40. The bore 42 is sized and shaped to receive the body 24 of the inner drive rod 20, the body 24 preferably being cylindrical, with the slot 41 retaining the radially extending wings 23 of the inner drive rod 20, thereby preventing relative rotation of the inner drive rod 20 and the core 40. The longitudinal slot 41 allows the inner drive rod 20 to move in and out of engagement with the hole in the inner shoulder 13 of the cam 10. As mentioned above, in the normal state of the lock actuator 1, the inner drive rod 20 remains engaged with the cam 10, however, when a key is inserted into the lock cylinder, the outer drive rod 22 will push the inner drive rod 20 into the core 40 and out of engagement with the inner shoulder 13 and the inner slot 12 of the cam 10. It is also apparent from the figures, particularly fig. 5, that the bore 42 through the core 40 also retains a biasing form or compression spring 30 tending to force the inner drive rod 20 into engagement with the cam 10.

As shown in fig. 5, the core 40 includes one or more radially extending apertures 43. The radially extending bore 43 is sized to receive one or more offset, or spring pins 25 of the inner drive rod 20. As can be seen in the cross-sectional view of fig. 5, the spring pin 25, is normally retained within the body of the inner drive rod 20. The relative position of the aperture 43 on the core 40 with respect to the inner drive rod 20 ensures that the inner drive rod 20 does not extend to such an extent that the spring pin 25 can engage the aperture 43 when the lock actuator 1 is in the normal configuration. The inner drive rod 20 is further retained within the bore 42 of the core 40 by the presence of a key operated cylinder, particularly the outer drive rod 22. This means that the inner drive rod 20 can slide back and forth in the longitudinal slot 41 of the core 40. The position of the outer drive rod 22 is such that the inner drive rod 20 cannot be pushed far enough out of the bore 42 of the core 40 by the compression spring 30, and therefore the spring pin 25 will not be in the following position: they may fit within the bore 43 of the core 40 to prevent longitudinal movement of the inner drive rod 20.

However, if the lock and lock actuator 1 were to be broken such that the key operated cylinder was removed at the sacrificial cut 5, the compression spring 30 would act to push the inner drive rod 20 forward since no outer drive rod 22 is acting. In this case, the inner drive rod 20 will be forced into full alignment with the hole in the inner shoulder 13 of the cam 10 to align the spring pin 25 with the hole 43 on the core 40. The alignment of spring pin 25 and aperture 43 ensures that spring pin 25 is pushed into full engagement with aperture 43, thereby locking inner drive rod 20 in core 40. The extension of the spring pin 25 and its locking in the hole 43 ensures that the inner drive rod 20 cannot translate within the hole 42 of the core 40, thus meaning that the inner drive rod 20 and the core 40 are locked into permanent connection and alignment. Obviously, therefore, a vandal outside the lock cannot push the inner drive rod 20 into the lock actuator 1 at all, and cannot attempt to rotate the cam 10 after the lock actuator 1 is engaged. The elements that ensure that a vandal cannot enter the lock and rotate it will be described in detail below.

As further seen in fig. 5 and 6, the outer surface of the core 40 is provided with a circumferential groove, referred to herein as a first circumferential groove 44. The first circumferential groove 44 is aligned with the inwardly projecting cam pin 14. The cam 10 includes one or more cam pins 14, wherein the cam pins 14 extend within the bore 11 of the cam 10 and into the first circumferential slot 44 of the core 40. After the core 40 is within the bore 11 of the cam 10, the cam pin 14 passes through the bore in the cam 11 and extends into the first circumferential slot 44. Thus, the cam pin 14 properly retains the core 40 within the bore 11 of the cam 10, thereby ensuring that the cam 10 and core 40 form an integral unit. Cam pin 14 serves to prevent longitudinal translational movement of core 40 within bore 11 of cam 10, but does not prevent core 40 from rotating within bore 11 of cam 10.

As is apparent from the above, rotation of the core 40 will cause the inner drive rod 20 to rotate. If the inner drive rod 20 remains engaged with the inner notch 12 in the inner shoulder 13 of the cam 10, rotation of the core 40 will be via the inner drive rod 20, which will also result in rotation of the cam 10 and operation of the lock.

In the above described lock actuator 1, in particular without further locking means to stop the rotation of the core 40 within the lock actuator 1, the destruction of the lock actuator 1 and the removal of the key operated cylinder will allow the destroyer to be able to rotate the inner drive rod 20 and even the cam 10 to lock and unlock the locking means. By selectively preventing rotation of the core 40, the lock actuator 1 may prevent operation of the lock; in particular, in the lock actuator 1 of the present invention, preventing rotation of the core 40 will prevent rotation of the cam 10 from the outside 2 while allowing rotation of the core 40 from the inside by rotation of the thumbpiece 7. Selective blocking of the rotation of the core 40 is achieved by means of a cotter pin 50, which is clearly visible in fig. 3. The cotter pin 50 has a first upper pin 51, a second lower pin 52 and a biasing means in the form of a spring 53. As shown in each of the figures, a spring loaded or biased cotter pin 50 is located in the thumbturn 4 of the lock actuator 1, but the cotter pin 50 may only be internal to the lock actuator 1 to protect against vandals. The core 40 is provided with radially extending pin holes 45, the pin holes 45 passing through the wall of the core 40 to the bore 42. The core 40 is configured such that the pin holes 45 are aligned with the positions of the split pins 50 so that both the upper pins 51 and the lower pins 52 can be biased into the pin holes 45. As is evident particularly from fig. 3, in some cases the cotter pin 50 will be retained within the pin hole 45 such that the lower pin 52 crosses the shear line between the core 40 and the housing of the lock actuator 1. When the lower pin 52 crosses the shear line, the core 40 may not rotate within the lock actuator 1, thereby disabling rotation of the core 40 and the inner drive rod 20. Considering the situation shown in figures 5 and 6, in which the key operated cylinder has been removed from the lock actuator 1, the inner drive rod 20 is pushed forward to engage the cam 10 and the spring pin 25 is in the hole 43, rotation of the core 40 will result in rotation of the cam 10, by blocking this rotation, the cam 10 being also locked by means of the cotter pin 50.

When the cotter 50 is operated to actuate the cam 10, the cotter 50 is moved by the thumbshaft 60. The thumbshaft 60 remains free to translate and rotate within the lock actuator 1 and serves to selectively position the cotter pin 50 to allow rotation of the core 40.

The thumbshaft 60 is provided with a first end sized to fit within the bore 42 of the core 40, wherein the thumbshaft 60 is capable of sliding longitudinally within the bore 42 of the core 40 against the bias of the compression spring 30. At the distal end of the thumbshaft 60 held within the bore 42 of the core 40, the thumbshaft 60 has a diameter that is less than the diameter of the bore 42 of the core 40. In this case, the smaller diameter portion 61 of the thumbshaft 60 does not interact with the upper pin 51 of the cotter pin 50 and therefore does not act on the biasing spring 53. In this case, the core 40 is still rotationally fixed within the lock actuator 1. As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the smaller diameter portion 61 of the thumbshaft 60 provides a second surface against which the compression spring 30 will act on the inner drive rod 20. The compression spring 30 will push the thumbshaft 60 and the inner drive rod 20 away from each other, thereby ensuring that the internal elements of the lock actuator 1 are held under a certain force and properly engage each other. At a more proximal location of the first end of the thumbshaft 60, the thumbshaft 60 has a larger diameter portion 62. The larger diameter portion 62 has the same or approximately the same diameter as the bore 42 of the core 40. As is apparent from fig. 3, if the thumbshaft 60 is pushed further into the bore 42 of the core 40, the smaller diameter portion 61 will pass over the top of the upper pin 51 of the split pin 50, thereby eventually aligning the larger diameter portion 62 with the upper pin 51. At this point, the larger diameter portion 62 will act to push the upper pin 51 towards the spring 53 so that the upper pin 51 is fully seated within the pin hole 45 through the wall of the core 40, thereby allowing the core 40 to rotate in the lock actuator 1. It will also be appreciated that the length of the upper pin 51 is the same as the thickness of the wall of the core 40 in order to ensure that the split pin 50 allows or prevents rotation of the core 40 as described above. That is, the upper pin 51, when pushed into the pin hole 45, will completely fill the pin hole 45 and ensure that the opening of the cotter pin 50 is aligned with the shear line between the core 40 and the lock actuator 1.

To improve the motion of the thumbshaft 60 so that the larger diameter portion 62 can be aligned with the pin hole 45 and the upper pin 51 of the cotter pin 50, the thumbshaft 60 has a sloped shoulder 63 that transitions between the smaller diameter portion 61 and the larger diameter portion 62 of the thumbshaft 60. Preferably, the upper edge of the upper pin 51 has a chamfered shoulder that tends to mate with the angled shoulder 63 of the thumbshaft 60, such that further entry of the thumbshaft 60 into the bore 42 of the core 40 causes the two angled surfaces to slide past each other, typically pushing the upper pin 51 and lower pin 52 toward the spring 53 such that the opening in the cotter pin 50 is aligned with the shear line between the core 40 and the lock actuator 1. By further pushing the thumbshaft 60 within the bore 42 of the core 40, the core 40 is unlocked and can be rotated relative to the lock actuator 1 to lock and unlock the lock by rotation of the cam 10. In this manner, after being broken and securing the relative rotation of the inner drive rod 20 into the core 40 and into interlocking engagement with the cam 10, the core 40 can rotate with the rotation of the thumbscrew 60 within the lock and the lock can be safely opened by the thumbscrew 4 of the lock actuator 1.

This ensures that even after the lock actuator 1 has been damaged, in particular after removal of the key-operated cylinder, it is possible to ensure that a person inside the door or window in the locked state can still easily and properly operate the lock actuator 1 and open the door or window. In this way, the lock actuator 1 provides tamper resistance and security to the user through a convenient single entity.

Referring to fig. 2, 3 and 4, the structure that retains the thumbshaft 60 within the lock actuator 1 can be seen. The thumbshaft 60 includes a circumferential groove, referred to herein as a second circumferential groove 64, near a second end 66 thereof. The second circumferential groove 64 is generally aligned with the retaining pin 54 in the lock actuator 1. The retaining pin 54 extends into a second circumferential groove 64 of the thumbshaft 60 allowing the thumbshaft 60 to rotate but preventing the thumbshaft 60 from disengaging from the lock actuator 1. The top of the securing pin 54 is held within the second circumferential groove 64, which means that the thumbshaft 60 cannot be disengaged. The second circumferential groove 64 passes completely around the outer surface of the second end 66 of the thumbshaft 60, allowing the thumbshaft 60 to rotate a full 360 ° in the lock actuator 1.

As is clear from the above description of the cotter pin 50, the thumbwheel shaft 60 must be able to transition longitudinally from a first locked position in which the larger diameter portion 62 of the thumbwheel shaft 60 is not aligned with the cotter pin 50, to an unlocked position in which the larger diameter portion 62 overlaps the cotter pin 50, allowing the core 40 to rotate. In the unlocking direction in which the larger diameter portion 62 overlaps the cotter 50, the core 40 is allowed to rotate. In order to translate the thumbshaft 60 within the lock actuator 1, the second circumferential groove 64 is provided with a notch 65. The recess 65 is clearly visible in fig. 2, the retaining pin 54 being located in the recess 65. The compression spring 30 pushes the thumbscrew 60 away from the core 40 and the rest position of the thumbscrew 4 is where the smaller diameter portion 61 of the thumbscrew 60 is aligned with the cotter pin 50. In this case, the fixing pin 54 is located in the recess 65, thus meaning that the thumbshaft 60 is in a position of less insertion in the hole 42 of the core 40. When the user operates the push-finger rotary member 7, it is pushed toward the finger rotary shaft 60 to which it is connected, thereby moving the fixing pin 54 into the second circumferential groove 64, thereby allowing the rotation of the finger rotary shaft 60 to pass through the fixing pin 54. The longitudinal movement of the thumbshaft 60 further means that the angled shoulder 63 will then pass the cotter pin 50 through the pin hole 45 of the core 40, thereby ensuring that the cotter pin opening spans the shear line between the core 40 and the lock actuator 1. This further means that the first core 40 can be rotated, that is to say the thumbturn 4 of the lock actuator 1 is in the unlocked state. To ensure this action, as best shown in FIG. 3, the angled shoulder 63 abuts the top of the upper pin 51 when the retaining pin 54 is retained in the notch 65. This means that any movement of the thumbwheel shaft 60 will immediately begin to move the cotter pin 52 and unlock the rotation of the core 40 in the lock actuator 1. For a smoother operation of the translational and rotational movement of the thumbshaft 60, the notches 65 of the thumbshaft 60 can be provided with chamfers 67 so that the thumbpiece 7 can simply be rotated and this rotational action will then move the thumbshaft 60 into the hole 42 of the core 40, thereby unlocking the rotation of the core 40 by movement of the cotter pin 50.

Fig. 2 and 6 illustrate how the translational and rotational movement of the thumbscrew 7 and thumbshaft 60 engages the core 40, allowing rotation of the core 40 and operation of the cam 10. The second interior end of the core 40 is provided with one or more longitudinal slots 46 extending from the second end to the first end. Aligned with these longitudinal slots 46 are one or more drive pins 68 of the thumbshaft 60, the drive pins 68 extending in the longitudinal direction of the thumbshaft 60. The drive pins 68 fit within the longitudinal slots 46 on the core 40 so that rotation of the thumbshaft 60 will cause rotation of the drive pins 68, and these drive pins will in turn push against the sides of the longitudinal slots 46 and rotate the core 40. As shown in fig. 2, the opening of one or more of the longitudinal slots 46 is provided with a chamfer 47 or wider portion leading into the longitudinal slot 46, and preferably the end of the drive pin 68 may have a chamfer 69, which chamfer 69 ensures smooth engagement into the longitudinal slot 46.

It will be apparent that when the user rotates the thumbpiece 7, the rotating action will cause the securing pin 54 to act on the chamfer 67, moving the thumbstick 60 further into the bore 42 of the core 40. The entry of the thumbshaft 60 into the bore 42 of the core 40 means that the angled shoulder 63 will push against the spring 53 of the split pin 50 and the upper pin 51 will be properly aligned through the wall of the core 40. This position of the cotter pin 50 will unlock the core 40 and allow the core 40 to rotate in the lock actuator 1, which also coincides with the fixed pin 54 moving into the second circumferential groove 64 of the thumbshaft 60. The drive pins 68 will then engage with the longitudinal slots 46 on the core 40 such that continued rotation of the thumbpiece 7 causes rotation of the core 40. The drive pins 68 will then engage the longitudinal slots 46 on the core 40, such that continued rotation of the thumbpiece 7 causes rotation of the core 40. The core 40 in the rotated state will then rotate the cam 10 by means of the inner drive rod 20 to open and close the latch. It is clear that this operation of the finger-turn device 4 of the lock actuator 1 is completely unaffected by the removal of the key-operated cylinder, thus ensuring that the user of the inner side 3 of the lock actuator 1 can always open and close the lock.

As shown in fig. 7, a modification of the longitudinal slot 46 in the core 40 is shown in the form of a guide 70. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the guide 70. The guide 70 is generally U-shaped and includes two guide arms 71 connected at a U-shaped end 72. Ideally, the overall shape of the guide 70 fits snugly within the longitudinal slot 46 with the two guide arms 71 extending out of the longitudinal slot 46 and into the chamfered 47 area of the longitudinal slot 46. The longitudinal slot 46 is approximately linear in form, not shown, extending along the longitudinal axis of the lock actuator 1 from the slot opening to the end of the slot. Alternatively, as shown in fig. 7, the longitudinal slot 46 has a narrower neck at its end and the beginning of the chamfer 47, which leads to a wider closed section area of the longitudinal slot 46. This form of the longitudinal slot 46 is advantageous because the guide 70 may have a matching external shape and then be held in place by a narrower neck on the longitudinal slot 46.

Fig. 8 shows a guide 70, which guide 70 comprises a shaped end 72 with a larger diameter than the gap between two adjacent guide arms 71. The U-shaped end 72 is shaped to fit within the end of the longitudinal slot 46, and the two guide arms 71 advantageously have a gap between them that matches the narrower neck of the longitudinal slot 46. As shown in FIG. 7, the two guide arms 71 are longer than the narrower neck of the longitudinal slot 46 and extend outwardly from the longitudinal slot 46 into the chamfered 47 area. The guide arms 71 do not open with the chamfer 47 but extend towards the drive pin 68 to such an extent that they can engage with the tip of the drive pin 68 and the chamfer 69 at the end thereof. In particular, a guide lip 73 is provided at the end of each guide arm 71, the guide lips 73 extending away from the U-shaped end 72 and being generally spaced apart from each other. The guiding lips 73 thus form a guiding space 74 therebetween, which guiding space 74 is intended to accommodate an end of the driving pin 68, in particular the chamfer 69. Preferably, the resting state of the guide arms 71 means that the guide spaces 74 are slightly smaller than the chamfers 69 at the ends of the drive pins 68, so that the guide arms 71 flex slightly outwards from each other when the drive pins 68 are present.

The guide 70 is preferably formed from a single piece of bent spring steel that may form a very smooth surface that creates low friction for the drive pin 68 held within the guide space 74. In particular, the drive pin 68 may be formed of steel, preferably hardened steel, so that the interaction between the drive pin 68 and the guide 70 is low friction and very smooth. It can also be concluded that when the drive pin 68 is engaged with the guide 70 and the thumbpiece 7 is rotated, torque is transmitted via the drive pin 68 and the guide 70 to rotate the core 40. In addition, it is also clearly seen that when the thumbpiece 7 is in the rest position, as shown in fig. 7, and is not pushed forward into engagement with the rotatable cam 10, the guide space 74 and the guide lip 73 will assist in maintaining the alignment of the drive pin 68 with the longitudinal slot 46. When the user wishes to operate the thumbpiece 7 into engagement with the cam 10 via the core 40, the guide arms 71 have begun to align the neck of the longitudinal slot 46 with the end of the drive pin 68, thereby improving the engagement of the drive pin 68 with the guide 70 for operating the lock actuator 1.

The normal operation of the lock actuator 1 will now be described with reference to fig. 3, which fig. 3 shows the lock actuator 1 in an unbroken state, i.e.: the outer side 2 is still connected to the lock actuator 1. In the state shown in fig. 3, the inner drive rod 20 is engaged with the inner groove 12 of the cam 10 by the bias of the compression spring 30. Since the outer drive rod 22 is also located in the outer side 2, the inner drive rod 20 will be retained within the slot 41 of the core 40 with the spring loaded pin 25 not aligned with the hole 43 in the core 40. This means that the inner drive rod 20 is still able to slide in the hole 42 and the slot 41 of the core 40 against the bias of the compression spring 30. If a key is inserted into the key cylinder on the outside 2, the key will push the outer drive rod 22 towards the inner drive rod 20 and slide the inner drive rod 20 out of engagement with the inner slot 12 of the cam 10 against the bias from the compression spring 30. The outer drive bar 22 will then engage the inner slot 12 of the cam 10 and, assuming the key is correct, rotation of the key operated cylinder will cause the outer drive bar 22 and cam 10 to rotate to open and close the lock. In this case, the cam 10 will rotate about the fixed core 40 and the inner drive rod 20 with the aid of the cam pin 14 passing through the first circumferential slot 44 of the core 40. It is also noted that the cam pin 14 interacts with the first circumferential groove 44, again preventing the cam 10 from being pushed back into the lock actuator 1 by a vandal: the cotter pin 50 and the securing pin 54 prevent the core 40 from being pushed out of the housing of the lock actuator 1. This feature further improves the security of the lock actuator 1.

From fig. 3 it is also easy to understand how the lock actuator 1 is operated with the thumbturn device 4. As mentioned above, when the outside 2 is keyless, the inner drive rod 20 engages the inner slot 12 of the cam 10. In the situation shown in figure 3, however, the inner drive rod 20 is prevented from rotating, and the inner drive rod 20 cannot rotate relative to the core 40, since the wings 23 of the inner drive rod 20 are located in the slots 41 of the core 40. The core 40 is also rotationally fixed in position as the lower pin 52 of the cotter pin 50 is biased by the spring 53 into the pin hole 45 of the core 40 and across the shear line between the core 40 and the lock housing. In this state, since the core 40 is prevented from being rotated by the open pin 50, the cam 10 and the inner driving lever 20 are engaged and in the rotation locking position. That is, the lock actuator 1 is in the normal lock state.

To use the lock actuator 1 from the inner side 3, the user interacts with the thumbturn device 4. By pushing the thumbscrew 7 into the lock actuator 1, the thumbscrew 60 is pushed into the bore 42 of the core 40. It will be apparent that the smaller diameter portion 61 of the thumbshaft 60 will move past the upper pin 51 of the cotter pin 50 until the angled shoulder 63 of the thumbshaft 60 begins to push against the top or chamfered edge of the upper pin 51. Continued pushing on the thumbpiece 7 pushes the thumbshaft 60 fully into engagement with the bore 42 of the core 40 until the larger diameter portion 62 aligns with the pin bore 45 and pushes the upper pin 51 fully into the pin bore 45. In this case, the opening in the cotter pin 50 is aligned with the shear line between the core 40 and the housing of the lock actuator 1; in this case, the core 40 is unlocked and can be rotated within the housing of the lock actuator 1. From fig. 2, it is apparent that pushing the thumbpiece 7 into the lock actuator 1 also brings the guide drive pin 68 into engagement with the longitudinal slot 46 of the core 40. Depressing the thumb to rotate as shown in fig. 7, into the lock actuator 1 also engages the guide drive pin 68 with the longitudinal slot 46 of the core 40. As shown in fig. 7, if a guide 70 is present, the guide arm 71 will help to smoothly guide the drive pin 68 into the longitudinal slot 46 and further allow torque to be transferred from the drive pin 68 to the core 40. After the thumbscrew 7 is pushed far enough into the lock actuator 1, the retaining pin 54 will move out of the notch 65 and into the second circumferential groove 64 of the thumbscrew 60. Then, when the tumbler pin 54 passes through the second circumferential slot 64, the thumbscrew 7 and thumbscrew shaft 60 are rotated, the drive pin 68 is located within the longitudinal slot 46 of the core 40, and rotation of the thumbscrew 7 will cause the inner drive rod 20 to rotate, and then the cam 10 to rotate. In the case of a notch 65 provided with a chamfer 67, a simple rotation of the thumbpiece 7 will cause the securing pin 54 to slide along the side of the chamfer 67 and cause the thumbpiece 7 and thumbshaft 60 to automatically slide into the lock actuator 1, thus causing the core 40 to unlock, and then the cam 10 to rotate further.

The situation after the lock actuator 1 has been deliberately broken will now be described with reference to fig. 5 and 6. When a vandal tries to enter the interior of the lock actuator 1 from the outside 2, the lock actuator 1 will break at the sacrificial incision 5. Fig. 5 and 6 both show the state of the lock actuator 1 when the outer side 2 has been broken off. If the outer side 2 breaks, the outer drive rod 22 will no longer abut the inner drive rod 20, as described above, as shown in fig. 3. Without the outer drive rod 22, the inner drive rod 20 would be pushed further into the cam 10 by the compression spring 30 and further along the slot 41 of the core 40. The inner drive rod 20 continues to slide due to the biasing action of the compression spring 30 and as it slides, the spring pin 25 will align with and be biased into engagement with the hole 43 in the core 40. As shown in fig. 5 and 6, the spring pin 25 is located in the bore 43 of the core 40. In this case, the internal drive rod 20 is translationally locked in the core 40 and cannot slide further back into the bore 42 of the core 40. The inner drive rod is thus held stationary in permanent engagement with the inner slot 12 of the cam 10 and a vandal cannot push the inner drive rod 20 out of engagement to access the cam 10. It is essential that, in the case of the internal drive rod 20 permanently engaged with the cam 10 and translationally locked in the core 40, the cam 10 cannot rotate from the outer side 2, since the core 40 is still rotationally locked within the housing of the lock actuator 1. That is, the core 40 is rotationally locked in the housing of the lock actuator 1 by the split pin 50, in particular by the lower pin 52 which spans the shear line between the core 40 and the housing of the lock actuator 1. With the core 40 rotationally locked, both the inner drive lever 20 and the cam 10 are rotationally locked. Because the inner drive rod 20 cannot be disengaged from the inner slot 12 of the cam 10, a vandal cannot rotate the cam 10 from the outer side 2 of the lock actuator 1. As described above, cam pin 14 in first circumferential groove 44 prevents core 40 from disengaging cam 10, and securing pin 54 in second circumferential groove 64 further prevents the thumbshaft 64 from disengaging from lock actuator 1, so that the locking device is locked in lock actuator 1 and the destroyer cannot push any components back into lock actuator 1 in an attempt to release cam 10.

Obviously, the fingering device 4 on the inner side 3 will continue to operate normally as described above. The absence of the external drive rod 22 and the translational locking of the internal drive rod 22 in the core 40 do not have any effect on the operation of the thumbing device 4. In this way, the lock actuator 1 provides additional tamper protection while ensuring that the thumbturn device 4 of the lock actuator 1 operates properly.

Claims

1. A lock actuator comprising a housing having an inner side and an outer side, a cam rotatably retained in said lock actuator, said inner side comprising a finger rotation device adapted to selectively engage said cam,

the finger-rotating device comprises:

a core, at least a portion of the core being rotatably retained within the central bore of the cam, the core including a central bore, a first end of the central bore of the core being adapted to retain a drive rod rotationally fixed but free to translate relative to the core, the drive rod being biased into engagement with the cam and configured such that rotation of the core by the drive rod causes the cam to rotate; and

a locking device adapted to lock and unlock rotation of the cylinder in the housing, the locking device being configured to be in a normally locked state, and a user being able to unlock rotation of the cylinder by operating the finger rotation device.

2. The lock actuator of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the core includes a circumferential groove and the cam includes one or more pins extending within the central bore of the cam and into the circumferential groove to rotationally retain the core within the central bore of the cam.

3. The lock actuator of claim 1, wherein the first end of the central bore of the cam includes one or more slots extending radially outward from the central bore, the drive rod includes one or more radially extending wings, and the one or more slots in the central bore are each sized to receive one of the one or more wings of the drive rod.

4. The lock actuator of claim 2, wherein the first end of the central bore of the cam includes one or more slots extending radially outward from the central bore, the drive rod includes one or more radially extending wings, and the one or more slots in the central bore are each sized to receive one of the one or more wings of the drive rod.

5. The lock actuator of claim 1, wherein the drive bar includes one or more biased locking pins biased to extend radially outward from the drive bar, the core including one or more holes into which the biased locking pins extend after an outside break of the lock actuator.

6. The lock actuator of claim 2, wherein the drive bar includes one or more biased locking pins biased to extend radially outward from the drive bar, the core including one or more holes into which the biased locking pins extend after the outside of the lock actuator is broken.

7. The lock actuator of claim 3, wherein the drive bar includes one or more biased locking pins biased to extend radially outward from the drive bar, the core including one or more holes into which the biased locking pins extend after the outside of the lock actuator is broken.

8. The lock actuator of claim 4, wherein the drive bar includes one or more biased locking pins biased to extend radially outward from the drive bar, the core including one or more holes into which the biased locking pins extend after the outside of the lock actuator is broken.

9. The lock actuator of claim 1, wherein the locking device comprises: a radial bore extending through a wall of the core to a central bore of the core; and an offset cotter pin retained in the housing and offset into the radial bore, a first pin of the offset cotter pin having a longitudinal length that is the same as the core wall width.

10. The lock actuator of claim 2, wherein the locking device comprises: a radial bore extending through a wall of the core to a central bore of the core; and an offset cotter pin retained in the housing and offset into the radial bore, a first pin of the offset cotter pin having a longitudinal length that is the same as the core wall width.

11. The lock actuator of claim 3, wherein the locking device comprises: a radial bore extending through a wall of the core to a central bore of the core; and an offset cotter pin retained in the housing and offset into the radial bore, a first pin of the offset cotter pin having a longitudinal length that is the same as the core wall width.

12. The lock actuator of claim 4, wherein the locking device comprises: a radial bore extending through a wall of the core to a central bore of the core; and an offset cotter pin retained in the housing and offset into the radial bore, a first pin of the offset cotter pin having a longitudinal length that is the same as the core wall width.

13. The lock actuator of claim 5, wherein the locking device comprises: a radial bore extending through a wall of the core to a central bore of the core; and an offset cotter pin retained in the housing and offset into the radial bore, a first pin of the offset cotter pin having a longitudinal length that is the same as the core wall width.

14. The lock actuator of claim 6, wherein the locking device comprises: a radial bore extending through a wall of the core to a central bore of the core; and an offset cotter pin retained in the housing and offset into the radial bore, a first pin of the offset cotter pin having a longitudinal length that is the same as the core wall width.

15. The lock actuator of claim 7, wherein the locking device comprises: a radial bore extending through a wall of the core to a central bore of the core; and an offset cotter pin retained in the housing and offset into the radial bore, a first pin of the offset cotter pin having a longitudinal length that is the same as the core wall width.

16. The lock actuator of claim 8, wherein the locking device comprises: a radial bore extending through a wall of the core to a central bore of the core; and an offset cotter pin retained in the housing and offset into the radial bore, a first pin of the offset cotter pin having a longitudinal length that is the same as the core wall width.

17. The lock actuator of claim 1, wherein the thumbturn mechanism further comprises a thumbturn shaft having a first end adapted to mate with a second end of the central bore of the core, the second end opposite the first end of the central bore of the core, the thumbturn shaft configured to operate a locking mechanism.

18. The lock actuator of claim 2, wherein the thumbturn means further comprises a thumbturn shaft having a first end adapted to mate with a second end of the central bore of the core, the second end opposite the first end of the central bore of the core, the thumbturn shaft configured to operate the locking means.

19. The lock actuator of claim 3, wherein the thumbturn means further comprises a thumbturn shaft having a first end adapted to mate with a second end of the central bore of the core, the second end opposite the first end of the central bore of the core, the thumbturn shaft configured to operate the locking means.

20. The lock actuator of claim 4, wherein the thumbturn means further comprises a thumbturn shaft having a first end adapted to mate with a second end of the central bore of the core, the second end opposite the first end of the central bore of the core, the thumbturn shaft configured to operate the locking means.

21. The lock actuator of claim 5, wherein the thumbturn means further comprises a thumbturn shaft having a first end adapted to mate with a second end of the central bore of the core, the second end opposite the first end of the central bore of the core, the thumbturn shaft configured to operate the locking means.

22. The lock actuator of claim 6, wherein the thumbturn means further comprises a thumbturn shaft having a first end adapted to mate with a second end of the central bore of the core, the second end opposite the first end of the central bore of the core, the thumbturn shaft configured to operate the locking means.

23. The lock actuator of claim 7, wherein the thumbturn mechanism further comprises a thumbturn shaft having a first end adapted to mate with a second end of the central bore of the core, the second end opposite the first end of the central bore of the core, the thumbturn shaft configured to operate the locking mechanism.

24. The lock actuator of claim 8, wherein the thumbturn means further comprises a thumbturn shaft having a first end adapted to mate with a second end of the central bore of the core, the second end opposite the first end of the central bore of the core, the thumbturn shaft configured to operate the locking means.

25. The lock actuator of claim 9, wherein the thumbturn mechanism further comprises a thumbturn shaft having a first end adapted to mate with a second end of the central bore of the core, the second end opposite the first end of the central bore of the core, the thumbturn shaft configured to operate the locking mechanism.

26. The lock actuator of claim 10, wherein the thumbwheel further comprises a thumbshaft having a first end adapted to mate with a second end of the central bore of the core, the second end opposite the first end of the central bore of the core, the thumbshaft configured to operate a locking device.

27. The lock actuator of claim 11, wherein the thumbwheel further comprises a thumbshaft having a first end adapted to mate with a second end of the central bore of the core, the second end opposite the first end of the central bore of the core, the thumbshaft configured to operate a locking device.

28. The lock actuator of claim 12, wherein the thumbwheel further comprises a thumbshaft having a first end adapted to mate with a second end of the central bore of the core, the second end opposite the first end of the central bore of the core, the thumbshaft configured to operate a locking device.

29. The lock actuator of claim 13, wherein the thumbwheel further comprises a thumbshaft having a first end adapted to mate with a second end of the central bore of the core, the second end opposite the first end of the central bore of the core, the thumbshaft configured to operate a locking device.

30. The lock actuator of claim 14, wherein the thumbwheel further comprises a thumbshaft having a first end adapted to mate with a second end of the central bore of the core, the second end opposite the first end of the central bore of the core, the thumbshaft configured to operate a locking device.

31. The lock actuator of claim 15, wherein the thumbwheel further comprises a thumbshaft having a first end adapted to mate with a second end of the central bore of the core, the second end opposite the first end of the central bore of the core, the thumbshaft configured to operate a locking device.

32. The lock actuator of claim 16, wherein the thumbwheel further comprises a thumbshaft having a first end adapted to mate with a second end of the central bore of the core, the second end opposite the first end of the central bore of the core, the thumbshaft configured to operate a locking device.

33. The lock actuator of any one of claims 17 to 32, wherein the thumbshaft is rotationally and translationally retained for selective engagement with the locking device, the thumbshaft and the core being configured such that the core is prevented from rotating until the thumbshaft moves further within the second end of the central bore of the core, whereupon the thumbshaft unlocks the locking device and the thumbshaft and core may rotate in a single piece.

34. The lock actuator of any one of claims 17 to 32, wherein the second end of the core includes one or more longitudinal slots extending from the second end to the first end of the core, and the thumbshaft includes one or more drive pins extending in a longitudinal direction of the thumbshaft and configured to fit within the one or more longitudinal slots.

35. The lock actuator of claim 33, wherein the second end of the core includes one or more longitudinal slots extending from the second end to the first end of the core, and the thumbshaft includes one or more drive pins extending in a longitudinal direction of the thumbshaft and configured to fit within the one or more longitudinal slots.

36. The lock actuator of claim 34, wherein the one or more longitudinal slots each have a chamfered open end therein and the one or more drive pins each have a chamfer therein.

37. The lock actuator of claim 35, wherein the one or more longitudinal slots each have a chamfered open end therein and the one or more drive pins each have a chamfer therein.

38. The lock actuator of claim 34, further comprising a guide retained within each of the one or more longitudinal slots, the guide extending outwardly from the longitudinal slot to the associated driver pin and configured to guide the driver pin into the longitudinal slot and transmit torque from the driver pin to the core, the guide comprising a spring metal strip bent into a U-shape, the spring metal strip fitting within the longitudinal slot and providing a guide area between adjacent guide arms of the guide for guiding the driver pin into the longitudinal slot.

39. The lock actuator of claim 35, further comprising a guide retained within each of the one or more longitudinal slots, the guide extending outwardly from the longitudinal slot to the associated drive pin and configured to guide the drive pin into the longitudinal slot and transmit torque from the drive pin to the core, the guide comprising a spring metal strip bent into a U-shape, the spring metal strip fitting within the longitudinal slot and providing a guide area between adjacent guide arms of the guide for guiding the drive pin into the longitudinal slot.

40. The lock actuator of claim 36, further comprising a guide retained within each of the one or more longitudinal slots, the guide extending outwardly from the longitudinal slot to the associated drive pin and configured to guide the drive pin into the longitudinal slot and transmit torque from the drive pin to the core, the guide comprising a spring metal strip bent into a U-shape, the spring metal strip fitting within the longitudinal slot and providing a guide area between adjacent guide arms of the guide for guiding the drive pin into the longitudinal slot.

41. The lock actuator of claim 37, further comprising a guide retained within each of the one or more longitudinal slots, the guide extending outwardly from the longitudinal slot to the associated drive pin and configured to guide the drive pin into the longitudinal slot and transmit torque from the drive pin to the core, the guide comprising a spring metal strip bent into a U-shape, the spring metal strip fitting within the longitudinal slot and providing a guide area between adjacent guide arms of the guide for guiding the drive pin into the longitudinal slot.

42. A lock actuator according to any one of claims 17 to 32 wherein a biasing spring is located between the first end of the thumbshaft and the drive rod to bias the drive rod into engagement with the cam.

43. The lock actuator of any one of claims 17 to 32 wherein the second end of the thumbshaft includes a circumferential slot and the inside of the housing includes a securing pin that extends into the circumferential slot of the thumbshaft to allow rotation of the thumbshaft relative to the lock actuator and prevent disengagement of the thumbshaft from the lock actuator.

44. The lock actuator of claim 43 wherein a longitudinal notch is provided extending from the circumferential groove of the thumbshaft in a direction toward the first end of the thumbshaft, the notch being sized to receive the retaining pin such that the thumbshaft can move longitudinally within the central bore of the core.

45. The lock actuator of claim 21, wherein the first end of the thumbshaft extends beyond the radial bore of the core, the first end of the thumbshaft having a distal-most diameter that is less than the diameter of the central bore of the core, and the thumbshaft at the more proximal end having a diameter that is the same or substantially the same as the diameter of the central bore of the core.

46. The lock actuator of claim 43, wherein the first end of the thumbshaft extends beyond the radial bore of the core, the first end of the thumbshaft having a distal-most diameter that is less than the diameter of the central bore of the core, and the thumbshaft at the more proximal end having a diameter that is the same or substantially the same as the diameter of the central bore of the core.

47. The lock actuator of claim 46, wherein the ramped shoulder transitions between a smaller diameter portion and a larger diameter portion of the first end of the thumbshaft and is in a longitudinal position such that when the fixation pin of the lock actuator is positioned within the recess of the circumferential groove of the thumbshaft, the smaller diameter portion is aligned with the radial hole of the core and when the thumbshaft translates into the central hole, the fixation pin is positioned within the circumferential groove and the larger diameter portion of the thumbshaft is aligned with the radial hole of the core.

48. The lock actuator of claim 47 wherein a first pin of the offset cotter pins has a chamfered edge that aligns with a sloped shoulder of the thumbshaft when the securing pin is located within a notch of a circumferential groove of the thumbshaft.

49. The lock actuator of claim 47, wherein the offset cotter pin is configured such that when the retaining pin is positioned within the recess of the circumferential groove of the thumbshaft, the divergence between the first and second pins of the cotter pin is not aligned with the shear line between the core and the lock actuator, thereby preventing rotation of the core within the housing, and,

when the fixed pin is located within the circumferential groove of the thumbshaft, the split between the first and second pins of the offset cotter pin is aligned with the shear line between the core and the housing, allowing the core to rotate in the housing.

50. The lock actuator of claim 48, wherein the offset cotter pin is configured such that when the retaining pin is positioned within the recess of the circumferential groove of the thumbshaft, the divergence between the first and second pins of the cotter pin is not aligned with the shear line between the core and the lock actuator, thereby preventing rotation of the core within the housing, and,

51. The lock actuator of claim 42 wherein the notch in the circumferential groove of the thumbshaft has a chamfered edge configured such that when a fixation pin is in the notch in the circumferential groove of the thumbshaft, the thumbshaft will rotationally translate into the central bore of the core until the fixation pin is within the circumferential groove of the thumbshaft.

52. The lock actuator of claim 1,

the second cylinder is disposed outside and includes a second drive rod held in translation such that when the second cylinder is operated, the second drive rod pushes the drive rod out of engagement with the cam, the second drive rod and cam being in an engaged state such that rotation of the second cylinder can be transmitted to the cam through the second drive rod.

53. The lock actuator of claim 1, wherein the housing has a predetermined weak point that causes the second cylinder to disengage from the remainder of the lock actuator when the lock is broken.

54. A lock actuator according to any one of claims 5 to 8 wherein the housing has a predetermined weak point which, when the lock is broken, causes the second cylinder to disengage from the remainder of the lock actuator.

55. The lock actuator of claim 54, wherein upon the second cylinder breaking off of the housing, the drive rod will be biased away from the thumbshaft such that the one or more biased pins engage the one or more holes of the core, locking the drive rod into engagement with the cam, wherein

In this configuration, the cam is prevented from rotating by the biased cotter pin unless the user unlocks the core and allows it to rotate by operating the thumbshaft.