EP3812537B1 - Locking cylinder - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a lock cylinder with a cylinder housing and a cylinder core which is rotatably mounted in the cylinder housing about a cylinder axis and which is secured against axial movement relative to the cylinder housing by means of a snap ring, the cylinder core having a key channel for inserting an associated key, the Cylinder core can be rotated between a locking position and an open position by means of the inserted key, and wherein the locking cylinder has a plurality of tumblers that can be actuated by means of the assigned key.

Such locking cylinders are well known and are used in many different types of locks, for example in door locks, padlocks or bicycle locks, to name just a few application examples. There are different designs such as profile cylinders, round cylinders, oval cylinders, half cylinders, double cylinders or knob cylinders.

Depending on the type of lock, the locking position of the cylinder core can also be referred to as the zero position and the open position as the actuation position. For example, in the case of a door lock that has a latch preloaded by a spring, in the locking or zero position of the cylinder core, the latch can be in its rest position defined by the preload and in the open or actuating position of the cylinder core it can be retracted into the lock housing against the preload so that the door can be opened. Padlocks and two-wheeler locks often work in a fundamentally similar way. This is where you open the lock A bolt is moved into a release or opening position by the lock cylinder, so that a striker or block previously locked by the bolt is released for removal from a lock body of the lock. After opening, the cylinder core must be turned back to the locking or zero position in order to be able to remove the key from the key channel. In some such locks, the bolt can be biased towards the locking position by spring force. In particular, a so-called automatic function can be provided, in which the lock is closed again without key operation by inserting the striker or lock into the lock body, whereby the striker or lock locks with the bolt. Even with such locks, and generally in connection with the present invention, it can be provided that removal of the key from the cylinder core is only possible in the locking position or zero position of the cylinder core, or only in the locking position or zero position of the cylinder core and in a position of the cylinder core rotated by 180°.

Conventional locking cylinders have the property that the cylinder core can be rotated freely when the key is inserted, ie by any number of (full) revolutions. The rotation angle of the cylinder core is limited only by a downstream locking mechanism of a lock, in which the locking cylinder is arranged. The angle of rotation is limited in particular by a rotationally effective coupling of the cylinder core with the downstream locking mechanism, for example by coupling a locking bit with a bolt and the latch in a door lock of the type explained above, or by coupling a drive extension of the cylinder core with a ring bracket of a padlock. Depending on the manufacturing tolerances of the components involved, there is a movement play of the downstream locking mechanism or a play between the cylinder core and the downstream one As a result of the locking mechanism, it may happen that the intended rotation angle range of the cylinder core is not exactly maintained.

Particularly when turning the cylinder core back into the locking position or zero position, in which the key can be removed from the locking cylinder, it can happen that the cylinder core is slightly over-twisted. In the case of a locking cylinder with pin tumblers, for example, this can lead to the core bores in the cylinder core no longer being exactly aligned with the housing bores in the cylinder housing, so that the pin tumblers that are movably accommodated therein are blocked and cannot be moved. In particular, the core pins, i.e. the tumbler pins accommodated in the cylinder core, cannot penetrate into the housing bores, and therefore the key cannot be removed from the cylinder core or the key channel.

This limits ease of use, as the key must first be turned slightly towards the zero position before it can be removed.

A similar problem can occur with cylinder locks with differently designed tumblers, such as plate tumblers or disc tumblers.

US 2,877,638 A relates to a locking cylinder with pin tumblers, in which the cylinder core is fixed in the axial direction by means of a snap ring. The snap ring has two stop wings which protrude from the outer circumference in the axial direction and thus rest on the lateral surface or outside of the cylinder housing and form a rotary stop with a flange section of the cylinder housing.

In US 1,487,900 A A locking cylinder is described in which, for the purpose of limiting the angle of rotation to exactly one rotation of 360 °, several interacting limiting disks and a recess extending in the axial and tangential directions are provided on the end face of the cylinder housing.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a locking cylinder which enables comfortable operation.

The problem is solved by a locking cylinder with the features of claim 1.

In the locking cylinder according to the invention it is provided that the snap ring together with the cylinder housing forms a rotation stop for limiting a rotation angle of the cylinder core to a predetermined rotation angle range. The rotation angle stop can limit the rotation angle of the cylinder core relative to the cylinder housing, in particular in two stop positions.

Directional information mentioned in connection with the invention, such as “radial”, “axial”, “tangential” or “circumferential direction”, generally refers to the cylinder axis of the locking cylinder. The terms “in the tangential direction” and “in the circumferential direction” are used interchangeably.

The invention uses the snap ring, which is already provided for axially fixing the cylinder core on the cylinder housing, in a surprisingly simple manner, in addition to forming a rotation stop in cooperation with the cylinder housing to limit a predetermined rotation angle range of the cylinder. In terms of production technology, this can be achieved in a simple manner and in particular without additional components.

According to the invention it is provided that the snap ring is held in a rotationally fixed manner on the cylinder core. The snap ring therefore rotates together with the cylinder core.

According to the invention, the snap ring has a stop section which projects in the radial and/or axial direction and which engages in a free space provided on the cylinder housing and limited in the tangential direction. The stop section of the snap ring can (with respect to the cylinder axis of the locking cylinder) protrude into the associated free space of the cylinder housing, in particular in the radial direction, or in the axial direction, or in a combination of radial and axial directions.

According to one embodiment, the stop section can, starting from a base section of the snap ring, which can be essentially circular or circular sector-shaped (e.g. essentially C-shaped), either directly or via a part extending radially outwards axially in the direction of the front of the cylinder core or of the cylinder housing protrude.

In this and in particular also in the embodiments mentioned below, the snap ring and the stop section of the snap ring are preferably formed as an originally one-piece part, i.e. the stop section of the snap ring is integrally formed in a materially bonded manner on the remaining snap ring.

The stop section can be angled with respect to the remaining snap ring, in particular by an angle of approximately 90 °, this bend being preferably formed by a curvature - and not an edge. The connection area of the (in particular axially aligned) stop section with the (in particular radially aligned) remaining snap ring can in particular have a part-circular or part-elliptical contour, although other curvatures are also possible. Due to such a Curvature results in increased stability against torsional forces, especially compared to a 90° bend.

The stop section can extend in the axial direction over part of the thickness of the snap ring. The length of the stop section in the axial direction is preferably greater than the thickness of the snap ring and, in some embodiments, is 1.5 to 4 times the thickness of the snap ring. Alternatively or additionally, the length of the stop section in the axial direction can be greater than the clear width of a circumferential groove section of the cylinder core in which the snap ring is accommodated, and in some embodiments is 1.5 to 2 times the axial clear width of the circumferential Groove section of the cylinder core.

According to one embodiment, the snap ring with stop section can be manufactured by a stamping-bending process in which the snap ring with stop section is first punched and then the stop section is bent (so that the stop section is aligned in the axial direction with respect to the cylinder axis in the later installed position). However, the snap ring with stop section can also be made in a casting process (metal casting or plastic injection molding) or be bent from wire.

The free space of the cylinder housing can in particular form a circumferential path limited in the tangential direction, the free space or the circumferential path of the cylinder housing extending over a predetermined circumferential angle and, together with the tangential extension angle of the stop section, defining the possible rotation angle range of the cylinder core. In some embodiments, the free space or the circumferential path can correspond in particular to a sector section of a hollow cylinder.

The free space or the circumferential path of the cylinder housing can have a respective counter-stop section or counter-stop at each tangential end, which interacts with the stop section of the snap ring in a respective end position, in particular on the one hand in a locking position or zero position and on the other hand in an open position or actuating position of the cylinder core. Along the tangential free space, the stop section of the snap ring abuts against one or the other counter-stop of the cylinder housing, depending on the direction of rotation.

In some embodiments, the free space of the cylinder housing thus extends between two counter-stops of the cylinder housing that are spaced apart from one another in a tangential direction. These counter-stops can be formed integrally with an end face of the cylinder housing. In some embodiments, the counter strikes can form elevations with respect to a general plane of extension of the end face of the cylinder housing.

According to the invention, the free space of the cylinder housing is designed as a depression provided on an end face of the cylinder housing and extending in the axial and tangential directions relative to a general plane of extension of the end face. For example, the free space can be formed by a recess made in the cylinder housing. The section of the cylinder housing which has the recess or recess can, for example, be a wall of the cylinder housing, the recess being able to extend in particular over the entire radial extent of this wall.

As an alternative to an integral design on the snap ring, the stop section can also be designed as a movable, in particular resilient or displaceable, element on the snap ring. In some embodiments, this also allows an intermediate detent during a rotational movement in the direction the counter-stop can be provided, whereby corresponding locking elements such as recesses can be provided.

In some embodiments, the snap ring has a secant section which rests on a flattening of a drive extension of the cylinder core in order to hold the snap ring on the cylinder core in a rotationally fixed manner. This ensures a positive connection between the cylinder core and the snap ring, so that even larger forces or torques arising in the respective stop positions due to rotary actuation of the cylinder core can be reliably transferred from the cylinder core to the cylinder housing and a play-free fit is also guaranteed.

According to one embodiment, the rotation stop is designed such that one of two stop positions of the cylinder core that limit the angle of rotation coincides with the locking position of the cylinder core. In this locking or zero position, and in particular only in this locking or zero position, the key can be removed from the key channel. This configuration ensures that the tumblers, in particular the tumbler pins, can penetrate into corresponding housing bores or recesses in order to enable the key to be removed. A defined end position is therefore created for the cylinder core, so that the over-tightening of the cylinder core mentioned above can be reliably prevented.

Advantageously, the predetermined rotation angle range of the cylinder core can be more than 180°, or 180°, or less than 180°, in particular 120°. For many applications, an angular range of less than 180° is sufficient. If a rotation angle range of 180° or more is provided, the locking cylinder can be designed as a so-called recodeable locking cylinder. With such locking cylinders, even after the initial fitting with tumblers, it is possible to adapt the locking cylinder to a key with a different locking profile by replacing the tumblers. In particular, it can be provided that the tumbler pins or core pins originally provided in the cylinder core are replaced by tumbler pins or core pins of a different length. This process is also known as rekeying. A recodeable lock is exemplified in the publication US 6,425,274 B1 described. In the case of such recodeable locking cylinders, the cylinder housing has a slot-shaped recess or several individual bores on the top side, ie on the side opposite the housing bores, which make it possible to remove the core pins from the cylinder core when the cylinder core is in a position opposite the locking or Zero position is rotated by 180°. If the predetermined rotation angle range of the cylinder core is exactly 180 ° and in particular this rotation angle position with a If the stop positions that limit the angle of rotation coincide, this recoding or rekeying process is significantly simplified, as the cylinder core can be precisely rotated into the removal position for the core pins.

In some embodiments, the tumblers are designed as pin tumblers, plate tumblers or disc tumblers.

Advantageously, the snap ring can be a stamped and bent part and/or made of spring steel. As already mentioned, however, the snap ring can also be at least partially designed as a casting, cast from plastic or bent from wire.

In some embodiments, it can be provided that the snap ring is arranged on an end of the cylinder core facing away from a key insertion opening of the key channel, in particular on a rear side of the cylinder core.

In some embodiments it can be provided that the snap ring is arranged on a drive extension of the cylinder core that projects axially from the cylinder housing.

In some embodiments it can be provided that the cylinder core has at least one circumferential groove section into which the snap ring engages in order to secure the cylinder core against axial movement relative to the cylinder housing.

In some embodiments it can be provided that the snap ring is arranged in the axial direction outside the cylinder housing.

In some embodiments it can also be provided that the snap ring has a radial slot along which the snap ring can be elastically expanded in order to place the snap ring onto the cylinder core in the radial direction.

In some embodiments it can be provided that the snap ring has a broad side with which the snap ring rests on an axial end face of the cylinder housing.

Further embodiments of the invention result from the subclaims, the description and the drawing. It is also possible to advantageously combine features for which a combination has not been expressly described.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht eines Schließzylinders gemäß einem Ausführungsbeispiel in einer Verriegelungsstellung;

Fig. 2

eine perspektivische Darstellung des Schließzylinders in einer Öffnungsstellung;

Fig. 3

eine perspektivische Explosionsdarstellung des Schließzylinders;

Fig. 4

eine Seitenansicht des Schließzylinders; und

Fig. 5

eine Draufsicht auf die Oberseite des Schließzylinders.

The invention is described below using an exemplary embodiment with reference to the drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of a lock cylinder according to an exemplary embodiment in a locking position;

Fig. 2

a perspective view of the lock cylinder in an open position;

Fig. 3

an exploded perspective view of the lock cylinder;

Fig. 4

a side view of the lock cylinder; and

Fig. 5

a top view of the top of the lock cylinder.

The Fig. 1 to 5 show a lock cylinder 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention in different views. The lock cylinder 10 comprises a cylinder housing 12 with a hollow cylindrical section 20 and an integrally adjoining lateral extension section 18.

A plurality of housing bores 14 are provided in the extension section 18, which extend to the interior of the cylindrical section 20 ( Fig. 3 ).

The hollow cylindrical section 20 has a plurality of access bores 16, which are introduced into the wall of the hollow cylindrical section 20 opposite the housing bores 14 in the form of radial through bores.

A cylinder core 30 is accommodated in the hollow cylindrical section 20, which is thereby rotatably mounted in the cylinder housing 12 about a cylinder axis. The cylinder core 30 is fixed in its assembly position in the axial direction at the front by a circumferential collar section 37 and at the rear by a flat snap ring 40. The snap ring 40 is accommodated in a groove section 36 made on the circumference of the cylinder core 30. The cylinder core 30 also has a key channel 32 extending along the cylinder axis for receiving a key (not shown).

A rear end section of the cylinder core 30 is designed as a drive extension 34, which enables the locking cylinder 10 to be coupled to a downstream locking mechanism of a lock. In the assembly position, the drive extension 34 protrudes from the cylinder housing 12, i.e. the drive extension 34 projects beyond a rear axial end face of the cylinder housing 12.

The snap ring 40 has a wide radial slot 44, which enables the snap ring 40 to be placed radially onto the cylinder core 30. After this Inserting the cylinder core 30 into the hollow cylindrical section 20, the snap ring 40 can be inserted radially into the groove section 36 and locked there. As a result, the cylinder core 30 is secured against axial movement relative to the cylinder housing 12 in the direction of the front.

A secant section 48 is formed on the snap ring 40 in the area of the radial slot 44, which rests on a flattening 38 formed on the drive extension 34 and thus couples the snap ring 40 to the cylinder core 30 in a rotationally fixed manner.

The groove section 36 of the cylinder core 30 does not have to be exactly circular, but can have radially inwardly directed depressions into which radially inwardly directed elevations of the snap ring 40 engage in order to secure the snap ring 40 against unintentional radial removal from the cylinder core 30.

On the end face of the cylinder housing 12 facing the drive extension 34, a tangentially extending free space 24 is provided in the area of the hollow cylindrical section 20, which is formed by a radial recess made in the cylinder housing 12.

A stop section 42 is integrally formed on the snap ring 40, which extends slightly in the radial direction and then predominantly in the axial direction away from the remaining snap ring 40. The connection area or transition of the stop section from the radial to the axial extension direction preferably has a part-circular or quarter-elliptical contour. The outside of the curvature formed can thus be rounded without forming a sharp edge.

The stop section 42 thus protrudes in the axial direction from the remaining snap ring 40 and engages in the free space 24 of the cylinder housing 12. The When the cylinder core 30 is rotated, the stop section 42 moves within the free space 24 of the cylinder housing 12, with two counter-stops 26a, 26b, which limit the free space 24 in the circumferential direction, forming a rotation stop together with the stop section 42 of the snap ring 40 and thus the possible rotation angle range of the with the snap ring 40 rotationally coupled cylinder core 30 limit.

The two stop positions, which are defined by the stop section 42 of the snap ring 40 and the counter-stops 26a, 26b of the cylinder housing 12, are selected so that the cylinder core 30 is in a locking or zero position when the stop section 42 is at the one counter-stop 26a strikes. In this locking or zero position of the cylinder core 30, the key can be removed from the key channel 32. The two stop positions are further selected so that the cylinder core 30 is in an opening or actuation position when the stop section 42 of the snap ring 40 abuts the other counter-stop 26b of the cylinder housing 12. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the rotation angle range is limited to approximately 120°.

If the snap ring 40 is released from the cylinder core 30 or the stop section 42 of the snap ring 40 is pushed back out of the free space 24 of the cylinder housing 12 (if it is sufficiently elastic), it is possible to rotate the cylinder core 30 beyond the rotation angle range limited by the rotation stop and in particular to bring the cylinder core 30 into a position rotated by 180 ° relative to the locking or zero position, so that, according to one embodiment, tumbler or core pins (not shown) recorded in the cylinder core 30 for the purpose of recoding can be removed through the access bores 16 and can be replaced by tumbler pins or core pins of different lengths.

If, according to a further embodiment, the extension angular range of the free space 24 is expanded accordingly (to 180° or more), the position described above for recoding the lock cylinder 10 can also be approached without removing the snap ring 40. With such a modification, however, a downstream locking mechanism of an assigned lock should ensure that this recoding position is not approached unintentionally, since otherwise (depending on the installation position of the lock cylinder 10) an unintentional falling out of the tumbler pins cannot be ruled out.

Reference symbol list

10

Lock cylinder

12

Cylinder housing

14

Housing bore

16

Access hole

18

approach section

22

cylindrical section

24

free space

26a, 26b

Counter stop

30

Cylinder core

32

Key channel

34

drive process

36

groove section

37

collar section

38

flattening

40

snap ring

42

stop section

44

radial slot

48

secant section

Claims (10)

1. A lock cylinder (10) comprising a cylinder housing (12) and a cylinder core (30) which is rotatably supported in the cylinder housing (12) about a cylinder axis and which is secured by means of a circlip (40) against an axial movement relative to the cylinder housing (12), wherein the cylinder core (30) has a keyway (32) for the introduction of an associated key,

   wherein the cylinder core (30) can be rotated between a locked position and an open position by means of the introduced key, and wherein the lock cylinder (10) has a plurality of tumblers which can be actuated by means of the associated key,

   wherein the circlip (40) and the cylinder housing (12) together form a rotary abutment for limiting an angle of rotation of the cylinder core (30) to a predetermined rotary angle range,

   wherein the circlip (40) is rotationally fixedly held at the cylinder core (30), wherein the circlip (40) has an abutment section (42) which projects in a radial and/or axial direction,

   characterized in that

   the abutment section (42) engages into a free space (24) which is provided at the cylinder housing (12) and which is bounded in a tangential direction, with the free space (24) of the cylinder housing (12) being formed as a recess relative to an end face of the cylinder housing (12), said recess being provided at the end face of the cylinder housing (12) and extending in the axial and tangential direction.
2. A lock cylinder (10) in accordance with claim 1,

   wherein the abutment section (42) extends over at least a portion of the thickness of the circlip (40) in the axial direction;

   wherein the length of the abutment section (42) in the axial direction is greater than the thickness of the circlip (40); and/or

   wherein the cylinder core (30) has at least one peripheral groove section (36) into which the circlip (40) engages to secure the cylinder core (30) against an axial movement relative to the cylinder housing (12), with the length of the abutment section (42) in the axial direction being greater than the clearance of the groove section (36).
3. A lock cylinder (10) in accordance with claim 1 or 2,
   wherein the free space (24) of the cylinder housing (12) extends between two counter-abutments of the cylinder housing (12) which are spaced apart from one another in the tangential direction.
4. A lock cylinder (10) in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the circlip (40) has a secant section (48) which contacts a flattened portion (38) of a drive prolongation (34) of the cylinder core (30) to hold the circlip (40) at the cylinder core (30) in a rotationally fixed manner.
5. A lock cylinder (10) in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rotary abutment is configured such that one of two abutment positions limiting the angle of rotation coincides with the locked position of the cylinder core (30).
6. A lock cylinder (10) in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the predetermined rotary angle range of the cylinder core (30) amounts to more than 180°, or 180°, or less than 180°, in particular 120°.
7. A lock cylinder (10) in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the tumblers are configured as pin tumblers, plate tumblers or disk tumblers.
8. A lock cylinder (10) in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the circlip (40) is formed as a stamped bent part and/or is made from spring steel.
9. A lock cylinder (10) in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the circlip (40) is arranged at an end of the cylinder core (30) remote from a key introduction opening of the keyway (32); and/or wherein the circlip (40) is arranged at a drive prolongation (34) of the cylinder core (30) projecting axially from the cylinder housing (12); and/or wherein the circlip (40) is arranged outside the cylinder housing (12).
10. A lock cylinder (10) in accordance with any one of the preceding claims,

    wherein the circlip (40) has a radial slot (44) along which the circlip (40) can be elastically expanded to place the circlip (40) onto the cylinder core (30) in the radial direction; and/or

    wherein the circlip (40) has a broad side with which the circlip (40) contacts an axial end face of the cylinder housing (12).

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