EP1671002A1

EP1671002A1 - Cylinder for a lock, particularly in vehicles

Info

Publication number: EP1671002A1
Application number: EP04790114A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ralf Lennhoff; Ulrich Müller; Rudi Kölle; Martin Lindmayer
Original assignee: Huf Huelsbeck and Fuerst GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Huf Huelsbeck and Fuerst GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2003-10-09
Filing date: 2004-10-05
Publication date: 2006-06-21
Anticipated expiration: 2024-10-05
Also published as: WO2005035914A1; EP1671002B1; DE10346956B3; DE502004004153D1

Abstract

Disclosed is a lock cylinder comprising a cylinder core (10), a guiding sleeve (21), a cylinder housing (15), an output member (30), and control means that maintain the cylinder core (10) in a defined neutral position within the cylinder housing (15). The lock cylinder further comprises an idling device (20) which becomes effective in case of an overload, during forcible rotations of the cylinder core (10). Said idling device encompasses a torsion-proof, axially movable idling ring (22) inside the cylinder housing (15). Lifting profiles and opposite profiles are disposed in the contact area between the idling ring (22) and the guiding sleeve (21). The inventive lock cylinder also comprises a coupling member (23) that is connected in a torsion-proof, axially displaceable manner to the cylinder core (10) and is displaced between a normal coupling position and a decoupling position in case of an overload. In order to embody the control means in a compact fashion, the axial force (25) of the idling device (20) is utilized in the first place, axial protrusions and depressions being provided between the idling ring (21) and the coupling member (23), while the torsion-proof connection between the coupling member (23) and the cylinder core (10) is used as an additional component for adjusting the neutral position of the cylinder core (10) inside the cylinder guide (21).

Description

Lock cylinder for a lock, especially in vehicles

The invention relates to a locking cylinder of the type specified in the preamble of claim 1. Control means are provided which ensure a defined zero position of the cylinder core in the cylinder guide. In this zero position it is in fact possible to insert and remove the correct key in the key channel of the cylinder core. In the zero position, the lock rests in the currently locked or unlocked position. Only by turning the cylinder core with the correct key can the cylinder core be transferred to a defined rotational position, where certain functions are carried out in the lock, e.g. a locked position of the lock when turned in one direction and an unlocked position when a key is turned in the other direction.

The lock cylinder of this type also includes a freewheel device which ensures that the lock is not actuated by unauthorized persons if the cylinder core is rotated violently. This is achieved by uncoupling the components of the locking cylinder and thus creating a free wheel. There is then an overload. After that, the locking cylinder remains functional and can be operated by the proper key. In the known lock cylinder of this type (DE 38 27 418 C2), the control means for the zero position of the cylinder core consisted of an impulse spring. Surface and counter surfaces on the cylinder core and on the cylinder housing must be provided for contact with the legs of the pulse spring. After the cylinder core was turned, the pulse spring automatically reset the cylinder core to the zero position. To secure the zero position, an additional component, namely the pulse spring, is required in the known locking cylinder, which requires a corresponding manufacturing, assembly and space requirements.

The invention has for its object to develop a lock cylinder of the type mentioned in the preamble of claim 1, which avoids these disadvantages. This is achieved according to the invention by the measures mentioned in claim 1, which have the following special significance.

A pulse spring is no longer required to keep the locking cylinder in the zero position and thus secure its trigger function for inserting and removing the key. In the locking cylinder according to the invention, only those components are used which are already required for the construction of the locking cylinder and its freewheel device. It is sufficient to provide at least one axial projection and an axial depression between the freewheel ring and the coupling member in order to obtain a locking point which, by means of the axial force of the freewheel device via the rotationally fixed connection of the coupling member to the cylinder core, ensures its zero position in the cylinder guide. The detent force acting on the detent point consequently comes from the axial force provided for the freewheel device, which thus has a new, second function in the invention, namely to be a first component for the control means for setting the zero position of the cylinder core.

Such locking points can not only ensure the zero position of the cylinder core, but also for a defined rotational position of the cylinder core, where certain functions are triggered in the lock, for example the locking position already mentioned or the unlocking position of the lock. You only need for more To provide rest stops that are in a corresponding rotational offset to the rest stop of the

Zero position are arranged. Of course, each of these latching positions can be brought about by means of multiple axial latching depressions and raster elevations which then always act in parallel, that is to say simultaneously.

Further measures and advantages of the invention result from the subclaims, the following description and the drawings. In the drawings, the invention is shown in one embodiment. Show it:

1 is a perspective view of a lock cylinder according to the invention, which is installed in a so-called "cover cap" of a door handle,

2 shows a longitudinal section through the locking cylinder shown in FIG. 1,

3, in an exploded view, some essential internal components of the lock cylinder shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,

4 shows the perspective, enlarged illustration of the lowermost component shown in FIG. 3,

5 is an enlarged perspective view of the interacting two central components of FIG. 3,

Fig. 6 is an end view of the foremost part of Fig. 5 and

FIG. 7 in a perspective view, in addition to the components of FIG. 3 that have already been merged into regions, further internal components of the locking cylinder according to FIGS. 1 and 2.

The locking cylinder comprises a central cylinder core 10, which has a family of spring-loaded tumblers 12 in chambers. The tumblers are penetrated by a key channel 13, which extends in the direction of the cylinder axis 11 indicated by dash-dotted lines. One cannot enter the key channel 13 key shown with a defined profile can be inserted. Due to the inserted key, the tumblers of the key profile are arranged so that they do not protrude beyond the diameter of the cylinder core. Otherwise they protrude

Ends of the tumblers 12 into a locking groove 14, which is in a guide sleeve

21 is located. The guide sleeve 21 serves to pivot the cylinder core 10.

The guide sleeve 21 is in turn received in a cylinder housing 15 and rests in the normal case by means of latching means (not shown in more detail) in the cylinder housing 15. The normal case is when the cylinder core 10 is actuated with the inserted proper key. Then the cylinder core 15 is not rotated. Only when a forceful rotation of the cylinder core, which characterizes a so-called “overload case”, is carried out by burglary tools, does the aforementioned latching position release the guide sleeve 21. Then the guide sleeve 21 can rotate freely in the cylinder housing 15 and brings about a decoupling of the, to be described in more detail Cylinder core 10 with respect to a lock (not shown in more detail).

By means of control means to be described in more detail, the cylinder core 10 is held in a zero position shown in FIG. 2, where the key can be inserted into the key channel 13 and the key can be removed from the key channel 13. In this case, the mentioned ends of the tumblers 12 are radially aligned with the locking groove 14 in the cylinder housing 15. In the prior art, the zero position of the cylinder core 10 is brought about by a so-called “pulse spring”, which has two spring legs. One spring leg is supported on one surface of the cylinder core 10, while the other spring leg rests on a counter surface of the guide sleeve 21. The inventive one Locking cylinders do not need such a pulse spring.

By turning the key, the cylinder core 10 can be transferred into at least one defined rotational position, where certain functions are triggered in the lock. In the present embodiment, the lock cylinder is installed in a cover cap 16, which is on the outer paneling of a door or flap of the vehicle sits next to a door handle. The lock is built into the door and keeps it in the closed position as long as the door handle is not operated.

If the cylinder core 10 is brought into a defined rotational position by turning the key, certain functions are triggered in the door lock. In the present case, the lock in the door is brought into a locking position when the door handle is ineffective when it is rotated in one direction by approximately 90 °. Then the door lock remains in its closed position. With a counter-rotation, also through 90 °, by means of the key, the cylinder core 10 is brought into a counter-rotating position, where the door lock reaches its unlocked position. Then the lock releases the door when the door handle is operated. The door can then be opened.

In the normal case, such a rotation of the cylinder core 10 passes to an output member 30 which is rotatably received in a rear cylinder cover 17. The output member 30 has an output pin 31 which, as can best be seen in FIG. 1, is arranged eccentrically to the cylinder axis 11, which is also shown in dash-dotted lines there. In the present case, the front end of the cylinder core 10 is covered with a steel cap 18 which has an opening for the key to be inserted into the key channel 13. This opening is, as shown in FIG. 2, in the absence of a key, covered by a resilient flap 19 which closes the access to the key channel 13. The rotations of the cylinder core 10 are transmitted from components of the freewheel device 20 to the output member 30, which results in corresponding rotations 37, 37 'of the pin 31. The lock installed in the door is actuated by the rotations of this output pin 31.

The freewheel device 20 also includes a special freewheel ring 22 which is arranged behind the guide sleeve 21. The freewheel ring 22 is axially movable in the cylinder housing 15 in the sense of the movement arrow 33 of FIG. 7, but is non-rotatably mounted. This axial guidance in the cylinder housing 15 is ensured, for example, by radial lugs 32 which are seated in the peripheral region of the freewheel ring 22 and which are guided in corresponding axial grooves in the interior of the cylinder housing 15. As can best be seen from FIG. 7, the guide sleeve 21 has a contact area Lifting profile 26 in the form of trapezoidal teeth, which a corresponding

Counter profile 27 is assigned to the freewheel ring 22. One acts on the freewheel ring 22

Compression spring 25, which is supported on the cylinder cover 17 and one by the arrow

25 illustrated axial force exerts. This axial force 25 endeavors to lift the

To keep profiles and counter profiles 26, 27 in engagement.

A coupling member 23 is non-rotatably connected to an axial extension of the cylinder core 10, which, however, is longitudinally displaceable relative to the cylinder core 10 and an axial shaft 34 of the driven member 30 shown in FIG. 2 and thereby comes into two different positions. For the rotationally fixed connection to the cylinder core 10, e.g. an inner cam 35 recognizable from FIG. 4 on the coupling member 23. FIG. 2 shows a first coupling position of the coupling member 23, where a key rotation of the cylinder core 10 is transmitted to the driven member 30 via a radial cam 36 via a radial cam 36. Depending on the direction of rotation, there is a rotation or counter-rotation of the output pin 31 illustrated by the movement arrow 37 or 37 'in FIG. 1, as a result of which the functions already mentioned are triggered in the lock. This clutch position is brought about by the aforementioned axial force 25, which, as already described, initially acts on the freewheel ring 22. As can best be seen from FIGS. 5 and 6, the freewheel ring 22 has an inner collar 28 which is axially supported on a flange 29 shown in FIG. 4. Through the inner collar 28 and the flange 29, the coupling member 23 is also loaded by the axial force 25 and, as said, held in its coupling position.

However, if, in the event of an overload, violent rotations are exerted on the cylinder core 10 by unauthorized persons, then the lifting profile and counter profile 26, 27 disengage, as a result of which the freewheel ring 22 is moved axially in the direction of the arrow 33 mentioned. Because the coupling member 23 is supported, for example, by an axial shoulder 38 on the freewheel ring 22, the coupling member 23 is also axially displaced and reaches a decoupling position, not shown in detail, where the coupling member 23 is uncoupled from the output member 30 with respect to driving shoulders. In the decoupling position the coupling member 23, which is connected to the cylinder core 10 in a manner fixed against relative rotation, is also rotated, but its rotation is not transmitted to the output member 30.

The freewheel ring has at least one axial projection 41. In the present case, as shown in FIG. 6, two projections 41 lying diametrically opposite one another are provided. At least one axial recess 42 is assigned to this projection 41 in the coupling member. In the present case, the projection 41 sits on the inner collar 28 of the freewheel ring 22, while the recess 42 sits on the flange 29 of the coupling member 23. The assignment could also be a mirror image.

The projection 41 and the recess 42 form a first locking point 40.1. This results because the axial force 25 of the freewheel device 20 tends to press the projection 41 into the deepest point of the axial recess 42. The flange 29 is namely profiled and has 44 raised and 45 recessed contact surfaces for the projections

41 on the inner collar 28 of the freewheel ring 22. The coupling member 23 is, as has already been emphasized several times, non-rotatably connected to the cylinder core 10, which is why the coupling member 23 is carried along with each rotation. The axial depressions

42 on the coupling member 23 thus rotate when the key is turned and snap into the axial projections of the non-rotatable freewheel ring 22. As a result, the zero position of the cylinder core 10 can be maintained with the means of the freewheel device 20. The axial projection 41 and the axial recess 42 thus form in pairs the first locking point 40.1 of the cylinder core 10 with respect to the cylinder housing 15, in which, as has already been mentioned, the freewheel ring 22 is guided non-rotatably.

By turning the key, the cylinder core 10, as already described, can be transferred from the zero position by alternative rotation 37, 37 'from FIG. 1 to two further rotary positions. These are also generated in the invention by two further locking points 40.2 and 40.3 illustrated in FIG. 4. For this purpose, the flange 29 of the coupling member 23 is provided with two further axial depressions or pairs of depressions, of which only a second depression 43 is shown in FIG. 4. These two further axial depressions are arranged in the corresponding angle of rotation with respect to the first depression 42 defining the zero position. Depending on its through the cylinder core 10 initiated rotational position snaps one of the different recesses

42 or 43 into the projection 41 and thus determines the respective locking point 40.1 in the zero position or 40.2 or 40.3 in the two alternative rotational positions. During this snap-in and extension of the axial projection from the recesses 42 and

43, the freewheel ring 22 performs a small axial movement against the axial force 25 of its compression spring 24. This axial movement is, however, considerably less than that in the event of an overload, which is why the lifting profile and counter profile 26, 27 normally remain in engagement also in the case of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

Cylinder core axis of the locking cylinder tumbler in 10 key channel in 10 locking groove in 21 cylinder housing cover cap for locking cylinder cylinder cover of 15 steel cap on 10 flap on 18 (Fig. 2) freewheel device (Fig. 2) guide sleeve of 20 freewheel ring of 20 coupling element of 20 compression spring of 20 arrow the axial force from 24 to 22 or 23 Lifting profile on 21 (Fig.7) Lifting counter profile on 22 (Fig.7) Inner collar on 22 (Fig.5, 6) Flange on 23 (Fig.4) Output link Output pin 30 (Fig.1) radial nose on 22 (Fig.3) longitudinal movement arrow of 22 (Fig.7) shaft of 30 (Fig.2) inner cams on 23 for 10 (Fig.4) radial cams on 23 for 30 (Fig.4 ) Arrow of rotation of 31 (Fig.1) Arrow of counter rotation of 31 (Fig.1) 38 axial shoulder on 23 (FIG. 4)

39 axial continuation of 10 (FIG. 2)

40.1 first rest stop (zero position)

40.2 second rest stop (first rotational position)

40.3 third rest stop (second rotational position)

41 axial projection on 22 (Fig. 6)

42 first axial depression at 23 for 40.1 (Fig. 4)

43 alternative axial recess at 23 for 40.2 (Fig. 4)

44 raised contact surface on 29 (Fig. 4)

45 recessed contact surface on 29 (Fig. 4)

Claims

Patent claims:

1.) Lock cylinder for a lock, especially in vehicles

(a. l) from a cylinder core (10) with several tumblers (12) and with a key channel (13) for a key with a defined profile,

(a.2) from a guide sleeve (21) which serves to pivot the cylinder core (10) and which has at least one locking groove (14) for the ends of the tumblers (12) emerging from the cylinder core (10) when the key is missing,

(a.3) from a cylinder housing (15), in which the guide sleeve (21) is rotatably received, but normally rests in the lock cylinder when the cylinder core (10) is turned,

(a.4) from an output member (30) which is arranged in the cylinder housing (15) behind the cylinder core (10) and acts on the lock when the key is turned,

(a.5) from a control means which endeavors to keep the cylinder core (10) in a zero position, where insertion and removal of the key is possible, but the cylinder core (10) can be converted into at least one defined rotational position by turning the key where certain functions are triggered in the lock, and

(a.6) from a freewheel device (20), which in turn only becomes effective in the event of an overload, when the cylinder core (10) rotates, which in turn consists (bl) from a freewheel ring (22) arranged behind the guide sleeve (21), which is non-rotatably but axially movable (33) in the cylinder housing (15) and an axial force (25) of a compression spring (24) against the guide sleeve ( 21) is pressed

(b.2) from a lifting profile (26) and counter profile (27) in the contact area between the freewheel ring (22) and the guide sleeve (21) and

(b.3) from a coupling member (23) which is non-rotatably connected to the cylinder core (10) but is axially displaceable, which is normally held in a coupling position by the axial force (25) of the freewheel ring (22), where a key rotation of the cylinder core ( 10) is transmitted to the output member (30), but in the event of an overload the coupling member (23) is axially displaced from the diverging lifting profiles (26) and counter profiles (27) into a decoupling position, where a violent rotation of the cylinder core (10) is not transmitted and the driven part (30) is at rest,

characterized ,

that the control means for the zero position of the cylinder core (10) consists of three interacting, partially modified components of the freewheel device (20), namely

(c.l) first of all from the axial force (25) of the compression spring (24) acting on the freewheel ring (22), which is also the first component that generates a restoring force of the control means,

(c.2) further formed from an axial projection (41) and an axial recess (42) locking point (40.1) between the freewheel ring (22) and the coupling member (23), which is the second component of the control means, and

(c.3) finally, the third component of the control means consists of the known non-rotatable but axially displaceable connection between the coupling member (23) and the cylinder core (10).

2.) Lock cylinder according to claim 1, characterized in that the freewheel ring (22) has an inner collar (28) and the coupling member (23) has a flange (29) that the axial force (25) loading the freewheel ring (22) from the inner collar ( 28) transferred to the flange (29) and that the locking point (40.1) of the control means is arranged between the mutually facing contact surfaces (44, 45) of the inner collar (28) and of the flange (29).

3.) Lock cylinder according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the flange (29) or the inner collar (28) on the one hand axially raised (44) and on the other hand axially recessed contact surfaces (45) and that the recessed contact surfaces (45) have the axial Create recesses (42) in the rest area (40.1).

4.) Lock cylinder according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the axial projection (41) of the locking point (40.1) on the freewheel ring (22) and the axial recess (42) are arranged on the coupling member (23). Lock cylinder according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, in addition to the locking point (40.1) for the zero position, between the freewheel ring

(22) and the coupling member (23) at least one further stop

(40.2; 40.3) for a defined rotational position of the cylinder core (10) relative to the

Guide sleeve (21) is arranged.