EP0012075A1 - Axial tumbler type cylinder lock - Google Patents

Abstract

1. Cylindrical lock comprising a stator (2, 34, 60) with a generally cylindrical cavity, a rotor (4, 43, 61) rotatable in the stator, said rotor providing an axial hole for a key, means (16, 17, 18, 45) responsive to the key for taking on a particular arrangement under the effect of a suitable key and other arrangements in the absence of a suitable key, a rotative bolt control cam (10, 71) drivable in rotation by the rotor, said rotation of the cam being allowed only under the particular arrangement of said means (16, 17, 18, 45, 62), characterized by the fact that it comprises means for disconnecting said control cam (10, 71) from the rotor (4, 43, 61) by an axial separation, comprising two disconnecting blocks (6, 9-33, 39-64, 68) aligned successively with the rotor, one of which (9, 33, 68) drives said bolt control cam and the other (6, 39, 64) of which coacts with said key responsive means (16, 17, 18, 45) in order to be driven with the rotor when said means have taken on said particular arrangement and not to be driven by the rotor when they have taken on another arrangement, means (25) being provided for converting the relative rotational motion of one block relative to the other into an axial separation motion which brings the control cam out of reach of the rotor.

Description

The invention which is the subject of the present application relates to a cylindrical security lock, in particular of the type called "pump", that is to say of the type in which the introduction of the key causes the mobilization of a certain number of pendulums in the radial direction, the subsequent rotation being authorized only when all the pendulums have reached a determined position.

In known locks of this type, a cylindrical rotor, engaged in a stator with a cylindrical cavity but having certain recesses, carries on its periphery or on its bottom pendulums or pivoting linings, actuated directly by the key or through pushers, comprising at one end variously placed notches which, so that these pendulums or linings do not impede the rotation of the rotor, must be aligned on the same axis or on the same circle depending on the manufacture, to allow movement of the rotor . Such locks are for example described in French patent 2,384,921.

The security of such locks is limited, because these pendulums or fittings, directly blocking the rotor, allow the lock to be hooked by forcing the rotor very slightly in order to attenuate by friction the effect of return of the springs on the pendulums or fittings , allowing then act back and forth on these pendulums or fittings, until the opening of the lock.

The invention proposes to remedy these drawbacks and to provide a lock which is more secure while being of a simple design. Another object of the invention is also to provide a lock allowing a much higher number of combinations than known locks of this type.

The invention relates to a cylindrical lock having a stator with a generally cylindrical cavity, a rotor capable of turning in the stator, said rotor having an axial passage for a key, means sensitive to the key to prevent rotation of a cam control bolt when actuated by a wrong key and allow the rotation of said cam when actuated by the right key, characterized in that it comprises means for detaching said control cam from the rotor, by axial distance, when the latter is biased in rotation with a wrong key and, on the contrary, to secure said control cam and said rotor biased by the correct key.

The means sensitive to the key can be pendulums which comprise at one end means normally offset, such as notches, capable of being brought into alignment with the authorization by the correct key.

According to the invention, said means for securing and detaching the control cam from the rotor comprise two declutching bearings successively aligned with the rotor and pushed back towards said rotor by a spring, one of said bearings carrying the cam and the other being provided with means, such as notches, cooperating with the ends of the pendulums to be driven with the rotor when the pendulums are not aligned and so as not to be driven by the rotor when the pendulums are in alignment, means being provided for transforming the relative rotational movement of the first bearing relative to the second into a movement of separation axial of the second bearing putting the control cam carried by the latter out of reach of a complementary cam of the rotor.

The movement transformation means may advantageously comprise a plurality of radial dihedral ribs carried by one of the bearings, for example the first, cooperating with notches of complementary shape of the other bearing, the ribs being arranged in the grooves at the 'state of rest and causing on the contrary, during a relative rotational movement, the axial spacing of the two bearings and therefore of the two cams.

The spring which pushes the second bearing towards the first may include a finger or a lug penetrating a recess in the second bearing to bring said bearing into a determined angular position of rest.

In a particularly advantageous manner, the second bearing can be free in translation but locked in rotation, the control cam being mounted in said bearing so as to be able to rotate freely but without translation relative to said bearing. In this way, a means for returning the second bearing to rotation is unnecessary and any risk of obtaining a separation by friction effect when the correct key is used is avoided.

According to a particularly preferred development of the invention, there is provided, for each useful face of the key, a set of two pendulums, means being provided for actuating, according to a movement different, each of the pendulums from the common notch.

In a particularly advantageous manner, provision can be made to pivot the two pendulums about the same axis, a movable lining which is free in rotation and in translation being mounted against the two pendulums of the same clearance so as to be driven by the notch of the key d 'a movement communicating to one of the pendulums a rotational movement and to the other a translational movement.

Thus the lining can advantageously comprise on one side a round lug and on the other side a flat lug, said lugs cooperating one with a corresponding face of one of the pendulums and the other with a differently inclined face of the other pendulum.

The elastic return means of the pendulums can advantageously be formed of spring blades preferably arranged transversely, each blade being fixed to the rotor in its middle and the two ends of the blade acting on two pendulums.

Said pendulums can preferably be bent at an obtuse angle to allow the stroke of the pendulums to be increased in equal dimensions.

It can be seen that at the start of the movement, the rotor cam, which enters the control cam, drives the latter by a few degrees, which can subsequently result in a poor angular position of rest.

According to an improvement, there is consequently provided an indexing means preferably arranged in the second bearing immobilized in rotation, said indexing means cooperating with means complementary to the control cam to return the latter to its exact angular position. at the end of the iron meture.

This indexing means can advantageously consist of a ball or a plunger biased by a spring in the radial direction towards the axis of the lock to cooperate with a corresponding recess in the periphery of the control cam to ensure exact angular positioning of this one.

According to another improvement intended to prevent break-ins, it is possible to provide inside the stator a tubular piece of very hard material, such as cemented steel, said piece having towards the end of the lock a bottom provided with a passage opening for the key and at its other end, axially distant from this opening, an axial retaining shoulder preventing its extraction and cooperating with a corresponding recess of the stator. Therefore, it becomes impossible, by exerting an action on the accessible part of the stator using a tube cutter, to disassemble the rotor disposed in said intermediate piece.

Advantageously, the lock according to the invention can be provided so as to present two opposite key entries, one inside, the other outside a door, by providing a second declutching bearing. central provided on both sides with means cooperating with the first bearings to be moved apart in an axial direction or the other in the event of the use of a wrong key.

• - La figure 1 représente une vue en perspective éclatée avec semi-coupe de la serrure selon l'invention.
• - La figure 2 représente les deux balanciers d'un jeu , avec leur garniture.
• - La figure 3 représente une vue en coupe transversale de la garniture.
• - La figure 4 représente trois vues en coupe A-A, B-B, C-C du rotor de la figure 1.
• - La figure 5 représente une vue partielle d'une clef.
• - La figure 6 représente une vue de la face antérieure du premier palier.
• - La figure 7 représente une vue d'un rotor modifié avec balanciers coudés.
• - Les figures 8 et 9 représentent une vue en élévation et une vue de dessus d'un balancier coudé agrandi.
• - La figure 10 représente une vue en coupe transversale du rotor de la figure 7.
• - La figure 11 représente une vue schématique d'un ressort utilisé sur le rotor de la figure 10.
• - Les figures 12 et 13 représentent une vue en coupe et une vue de l'arrière du deuxième palier correspondant au rotor de la figure 7.
• - La figure 14 représente une vue en perspective éclatée d'une serrure incorporant le rotor de la figure 7 et des paliers correspondants.
• - La figure 15 représente une vue en coupe axiale de la partie centrale d'une serrure double à deux entrées opposées.
• - La figure 16 représente une section XVI-XVI de la figure 15.

Other advantages and characteristics of the present invention will appear on reading the following description, given by way of nonlimiting example and referring to the appended drawing in which:

• - Figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view with semi-section of the lock according to the invention.
• - Figure 2 shows the two pendulums of a game , with their garnish.
• - Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the lining.
• - Figure 4 shows three sectional views AA, BB, CC of the rotor of Figure 1.
• - Figure 5 shows a partial view of a key.
• - Figure 6 shows a view of the front face of the first bearing.
• - Figure 7 shows a view of a modified rotor with bent pendulums.
• - Figures 8 and 9 show an elevational view and a top view of an enlarged bent pendulum.
• FIG. 10 represents a cross-sectional view of the rotor of FIG. 7.
• FIG. 11 represents a schematic view of a spring used on the rotor of FIG. 10.
• FIGS. 12 and 13 represent a sectional view and a rear view of the second bearing corresponding to the rotor of FIG. 7.
• - Figure 14 shows an exploded perspective view of a lock incorporating the rotor of Figure 7 and the corresponding bearings.
• - Figure 15 shows an axial sectional view of the central part of a double lock with two opposite entrances.
• - Figure 16 shows a section XVI-XVI of Figure 15.

We refer to Figures 1 to 6.

The device, object of the invention, comprises a rotor 4 of generally cylindrical shape engaged in a stator 2 of complementary shape; associated with the rotor is the means for disengaging the control cam 10, the rotation of which provides the desired opening or closing effect. This means comprises a first declutching bearing or male bearing 6 comprising in di rection of the rotor three series of two notches arranged radially in regular hexagon in a ring 24. These notches are intended to receive the ends of the pendulums and allow the disengaging of the pendulums when the notches of the latter have arrived in alignment on the same circle represented by the crown. Consequently, as long as all the pendulums have not been brought into alignment, the rotor and the bearing 6 are integral in rotation whereas, when all the pendulums have been aligned, the bearing 6 is free to rotate relative to the rotor.

On its other face, in the direction of the bottom of the cylinder, the bearing 6 has six salient dihedrons 25 of wide angle B at the top and arranged radially in regular hexagon. Opposite the bearing 6 is disposed a second bearing 9 or female declutching bearing comprising hollow dihedrons opposite those of the bearing 6, and at the same angle at the top f as the latter, the control cam 10 being screwed into said bearing 9 which also has, on its other face, a dihedral notch 26 deeper than the previous ones, with an apex angle “slightly lower, and arranged diametrically.

At the center and at the bottom of the rotor is screwed a drive cam 7 having a hexagonal shape complementary to the internal shape of the drive cam 10.

The rotor is also associated with means for selecting the combination of the key. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, this means consists of five sets of two pendulums 17, 18 each controlled by a movable lining 16. The two pendulums of a set are housed in the same elongated groove in the axial direction and practiced in the rotor. The two pendulums have a hole 19 for their axis of rotation 5, as well as a return spring 22. The balangier 18 comprises an inclined face 20 on the side of introduction of the key and the balance 17 a face 21 parallel to the axis of the cylinder; each face corresponds to a degree of freedom of the lining 16 which comprises, around an axis 15 by which it is mounted in rotation in the rotor, a round lug 14 cooperating with the surface 20 of the balance 18 and a flat and long lug 13 cooperating with the axial surface 21 of the balance 17. The lining 16 is free to rotate about its axis and in translation in a slide 23. Its rotational movement, controlled by the depth of the notches (n) of the key shown on the Figure 5, is transmitted to the bearing 6 by the right face 21 of the balance 17, and its translational movement, controlled by the position in length of the notches of the key (m), is transmitted to the bearing 6 by the inclined face 20 of the balance 18. Thus, the determination of each key notch is done in two dimensions at the same time; hence the greatest number of possible combinations: with 15 different sizes of the left ends of the pendulums, we obtain N = 576 billion possibilities.

The left ends of the pendulums, which cooperate with the bearing 6, are produced in a usual manner well known for pendulums, for example by presenting a notch placed differently according to the pendulums, the alignment of the pendulums being in fact obtained when all the notches 27 of all the pendulums are aligned on the same circle centered on the axis of the lock.

In front of the rotor is placed a protective washer 3 made of very hard steel to prevent tampering by drilling the cylinder.

When mounting, the washer 3 is applied con be the end flange 28 of the stator 2, followed by the rotor provided with its different sets of pendulums with the corresponding linings. In the notches of the bearing 6 penetrate the emerging ends of the rockers and against the bearing 6 is applied the bearing 9 with the cam 10 held by a nut 8 while at the end of the rotor is screwed the male cam 7. The spring 11 which presses on the bearing 9 itself takes support on an end nut 12 screwed into the internal thread 29 of the stator 2.

The spring 11 comprises a lug 30 engaging in a corresponding slot 31 in the clamping nut 12. It also has two projections 32 arranged facing the groove 26 of the bearing 9 and with the same angle at the apex α. The role of the spring 11 is twofold. On the one hand, it assembles the elements of the lock by taking up any play, and on the other hand its two protrusions 32 are intended to return the bearing 9 to its initial angular position, shown in the drawing, at the end of the declutching operation (this is why α is less than p and the slot 26 is deeper than the angle slots? facing the bearing 6).

As for the key, it has five useful bits and a guide bit according to FIG. 4.

We refer to Figures 7 to 14.

In this embodiment, the second bearing 33, corresponding to the bearing 9, always remains free in translation in the stator 34, but has at its periphery a slot 35, which, cooperating with a needle screw 36, prevents rotation of the second bearing. The hollow cam 37, similar to the cam 10, is then mounted in the bearing 33, by means of a nut 38 so as to be able to rotate in the bearing without the possibility of translation with respect to this one. In such an embodiment, the bearing 33 does not rotate and the first bearing 39, similar to the bearing 6, can only be called upon to rotate relative to the bearing 33 and therefore to disengage the rotor, only if it is driven by the pendulums of the rotor, that is to say when the key is bad, and this without hazard due to friction.

In this embodiment, the springs 22 are also replaced by springs 40 fixed transversely by screws 41 in a circular groove 42 of the rotor 43. The adjacent ends of two adjacent springs 40 penetrate into the same longitudinal slot 44 receiving a set of pendulums 45 so that one end of spring bears on a flat part 46 of the pendulum. Each balance is thus recalled independently; the stress on the spring is less and is carried out symmetrically.

In order to significantly reduce the size of the cylinder, the rotor 43 has, at its rear end, a frustoconical shape, the balance 45 also having a correspondingly bent shape as seen in FIG. 9. In addition, it is advantageously possible provide in the full hexagonal cam 47, integral with the rotor and similar to the cam 7, milling 48, which allows to significantly increase the travel of the rockers without increasing the size of the rotor. Thus, even when the pendulums are separated as far as possible by a key with shallow ribs, their overall volume does not exceed the cylinder generated by the rotor: hence the possibility of giving the cavity of the rotor 43 a completely cylindrical shape. and therefore reduce the size of the latter.

We still see in Figure 7 the position of the lining 49 cooperating with two rockers 45 as well as the axis 50 of cet.garniture in its groove 51 and the pivot axis 52 of the pendulums.

In order to obtain a good indexing of the angular position of the control cam 37, one can advantageously provide in the female bearing 33 a radial passage closed by a screw 53 at its outer end and containing a plunger 54 urged towards the axis by a spring 55. This plunger 54 cooperates with a milled notch, preferably triangular in shape, formed in the cam 37. Thus when this cam is returned by the user to the vicinity of its initial rest position, the plunger 54 can penetrate into the notch and, as it progresses, it definitively centers the cam in a precise angular position.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 14 on which we see the stator, the rotor without its pendulums, as well as the two bearings, we see that the plate 3 has been replaced by a sheath 56 of cemented steel having, at the level of the introduction of the key, a bottom 57 provided with the key passage 58, this part having at its end remote from the opening 58 a peripheral rim or shoulder 59 cooperating with a corresponding recess of the rotor 34, which prevents any attempt axial extraction of the part 56 to the right of the figure. For mounting reasons, the left end of the rotor may have an enlarged internal diameter for the passage of the shoulder.

Thanks to such an embodiment, the stator, as well as the rotor, can be made of a weak metal, for example brass, break-in with a pipe cutter or with other instruments being nevertheless made impossible because destruction of the advanced part of the stator produces no effect on the resistant part 56 and that disassembly of this part is made impossible because the shoulder 59 is too far from the bottom 57 to be accessible.

According to an improvement of the invention, it is possible, to prevent, under the effect of wear, an impossibility of operation of the lock in the intermediate position, provide in the rotor, instead of the usual stop for the end of the key, a movable stop, pushed back into its rest position, that is to say towards the key, by a fairly powerful spring. In this case the user, by forcing the key axially towards the lock, can push this stop, allowing an additional depression of the key which then becomes bad and brings the pendulums back into a position allowing the drive of the first bearing.

Reference is made to FIGS. 15 and 16 in which the central part of a lock according to the invention is shown, capable of being actuated from its two ends, that is to say from the inside. and from the outside. The lock consequently includes a stator 60, similar to stators 2 or 34, but double and extending symmetrically on either side of a median plane materialized by the line XVI-XVI. In each stator half is arranged a rotor 61, analogous to the rotor of the preceding figures, and having sets of pendulums 62. Male hexagonal cams 63, analogous to cams 7 and 47, are carried by the internal ends of the stators and pass through circular orifices made in first bearings 64 which cooperate with the pendulums 62 in the same way as the first stators 6 or 39. The stator 60 has in its central part a transverse slot 65, so that the two halves of said stator are connected to each other only by a radially offset bridge 66 extending between two radial extensions 67 of the stator. In the empty space between the ends, facing each other, of the first bearings 64, there is disposed a second double bearing 68 having a cylindrical external shape adapting to the cylindrical internal conformation of the stator but with a radial extension 69 penetrating into the space disposed between the two extensions 67, inside of which it is immobilized in rotation by means of two rods 70, while being capable of axial displacement between the first bearings 64. Inside the part 68 can pivot the bolt control cam 71 provided with a hexagonal central passage capable of cooperating with the male cams 63, this cam 71 having a radial arm 72 capable of rotating inside the ra-r dial slot 65.

Furthermore, two springs 73 push the first bearings 64 towards the second double bearing 68, which is normally kept in the central position by means of an axial centering spring 74 cooperating with a lug of the second bearing 68.

Consequently, if a wrong key is introduced through one or the other end of the lock, the corresponding pendulums 62 do not come into circular alignment and the rotation of the rotor causes the rotation of the first bearing 64 which, by a ramp effect, pushes the second bearing 68 axially, which puts the bolt control cam 71 out of the reach of the male cam 63 and therefore prevents the latter from rotating the bolt control cam. When the wrong key has been removed, that of the springs 73 which previously compressed pushes the part 68 towards its central position, the light spring 74 finishing giving it an axial position exactly equidistant from the two lock parts.

Claims (16)

1. Cylindrical lock having a stator with generally cylindrical cavity, a rotor capable of turning in the stator, said rotor having an axial passage for a key, means, for example pendulums, sensitive to the key to prevent the rotation of a bolt control cam by a wrong key and authorizing the rotation of said cam by a good key, characterized in that it comprises means for detaching said control cam from the rotor by axial distance, when the latter is rotated with the wrong key and to secure them, when the rotor is biased with a good key. 2. Lock according to claim 1, characterized in that said means for securing and detaching the control cam from the rotor comprise two declutching bearings successively aligned with the rotor and pushed back towards said rotor by a spring. , one of said bearings carrying the control cam and the other being provided with means cooperating with the ends of the pendulums to be driven with the rotor when the pendulums are not in alignment and so as not to be driven by the rotor when the pendulums are in alignment, means being arranged to transform the relative rotational movement of the first bearing relative to the second into a movement of axial separation from the second bearing putting the control cam carried by the latter out of reach of a complementary rotor cam. 3. Lock according to claim 2, characterized in that its movement transformation means include sets of grooves and dihedral stripes of large angle at the top. 4. Lock according to one of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that said spring comprises a finger or lug penetrating into a recess in the second bearing to bring the latter into a determined angular position of rest. 5. Lock according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said second bearing is locked in rotation, the bolt control cam being mounted in said bearing so as to be able to rotate freely but without translation relative to it . 6. Lock according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises an angular indexing means for bringing the bolt control cam to an exact angular position, relative to said second bearing, at the end of the closure. 7. Lock according to claim 6, characterized in that said indexing means comprises a ball, or plunger, biased by a spring in the radial direction towards the axis of the lock to cooperate with a corresponding recess. 8. Lock according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that it comprises, in a single stator symmetrical with respect to a median plane, two rotors provided with pendulums cooperating respectively with two first bearings, said first bearings being arranged on either side of a second single double bearing, springs pushing in opposite directions said two first bearings towards the second bearing inside which the bolt control cam is mounted. 9. Lock according to claim 8, characterized in that said second bearing is indexed, in the middle axial position, by a small spring cooperating with a lug of said second bearing. 10. Lock according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it comprises, for each useful face of the key, a set of two pendulums, means being provided for actuating, according to a different movement, each of pendulums from the common key notch. 11. Lock according to claim 10, characterized in that said two pendulums pivot about the same axis, a movable lining free in rotation and in translation being mounted against the two pendulums to be driven by the notch of the key d 'a movement communicating to one of the pendulums a rotational movement and to the other a translational movement. 12. Lock according to claim 11, characterized in that said lining comprises on one side a round lug and on the other side a flat lug, said lugs cooperating one with a corresponding face of one of the pendulums and the other with a differently inclined face of the other pendulum. 13. Lock according to one of claims 10 to 12, characterized in that the pendulums are resiliently recalled by spring blades arranged transversely, each blade being fixed to the rotor in its middle and having its two ends which act on two pendulums . 14. Lock according to one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that said pendulums are bent at an obtuse angle to allow the stroke of the pendulums to be increased in equal dimensions. 15. Lock according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the rotor is mounted in a part of generally cylindrical shape contained inside the stator, made of a hard material, having a substantially cylindrical shape with a bottom wall provided with a key passage orifice, said part having at the end opposite to said bottom a peripheral shoulder coming to cooperate with a recess of the stator to prevent its axial ex _- traction in the direction of its bottom. 16. Lock according to one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the rotor comprises, at the inner end of the key hole, a movable stop pushed back into the rest position by a strong spring but capable of s '' erase and allow additional pressing of the key under the effect of increased pressure.

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