EP4196654A1

EP4196654A1 - Driving device, in particular for opening and closing, e.g. a lock

Info

Publication number: EP4196654A1
Application number: EP21783578.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Artur Litwinski
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Tedee Ip Spolka Z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnoscia
Priority date: 2020-08-14
Filing date: 2021-08-12
Publication date: 2023-06-21
Also published as: AU2021324488A1; CA3189313A1; WO2022034531A1; PL434971A1; CN116324104A; JP2023539455A; PL242787B1; MX2023001790A; BR112023002736A2

Abstract

A driving device (1) for closing and opening of a lock cylinder (2) comprising a body (6) and a controlling element (7), where the driving device (1) comprises a driving assembly accommodated within a rotatable housing (3) and comprising a driving motor and a gear transmission with a terminal toothed wheel (4) cooperating with a toothed ring (5) secured rotatably and coaxially to the housing (3), wherein, when the driving device (1) has been mounted, the toothed ring (5) surrounds at least partially the body (6) of the cylinder (2) and comprises means for securing the toothed ring (5) fixedly to the body (6) of the cylinder (2), and the housing (3) is bearing-seated rotatably and axially immovable on the toothed ring (5) and comprises means for transferring drive to the controlling element (7) of the cylinder (2).

Description

Driving device, in particular for opening and closing, e.g. a lock

The invention provides a driving device, in particular for opening and closing, e.g. a lock enabling access to protected areas. In particular it relates to so called “smart locks” where opening or closing may be effected without direct contact of the authorized person with the lock.

Known driving devices for opening and closing a lock enabling access to protected areas has a driving assembly for driving the lock, positioned within a housing that has a shape of a sleeve and is secured from the outside with a cover and from the other side with a base fixed relative to the lock, into which base the driving assembly elements are fixed or embedded. The driving assembly comprises a current source, electric motor and a transmission gear assembly.

The source of current is constituted by four cylindrical primary cells (batteries) positioned adjacent the motor and parallel to the axis thereof, to energize the electric motor.

Drive from the electric motor is transferred, via the transmission gear assembly comprising toothed wheels, to an element operable to control the lock.

The base has a an opening and the lock controlling element passes therethrough, while the other end of the element is coupled with the lock mechanism.

The sleeve that constitutes the housing of the driving device has at its inner side a toothing that cooperates with one of the toothed wheels of the transmission gear assembly of the driving assembly. The driving device is provided with an electronic controlling unit that manages the driving assembly. The electronic controlling unit is powered from batteries accommodated within the housing. The electronic controlling unit may be controlled wirelessly by means of a computer program, preferably an application for mobile devices, via a wireless link. The device does not require external power supply and it may be managed by means of a smartphone application. The driving device is mounted from the interior of the dwelling site, in all kinds of doors with an adjusted profile cylinder (non-standard one). Thus constructed driving device for opening and closing a lock is of considerable size due to the size of the power supply batteries and the size of the remaining elements of the driving mechanism that have to be accommodated within the housing of the device, and it requires an adjusted profile cylinder to enable the base of the device to be mounted thereto suitably.

From Polish application P.336314 a driving device for a lock is known. The driving device, mounted on a door comprising a furniture plate, intended to motorized and manual activation of a closing cylinder, has a driving shaft for transferring the rotational movement onto the closing cylinder, a knob for manual rotating of the driving shaft and, positioned in the knob, a gear motor for motorized rotating of the driving shaft. On the driving shaft a toothed wheel is seated non-rotationally, which remains coupled with the knob and transfers the rotational movement. The gear motor is connected in a non-rotating maimer to the furniture plate and is connected in a power-supplied condition to the toothed wheel by means of a clutch.

From German patent application DE 102014009826 Al a device is known for opening and closing access to protected access areas. The device has a cylindrical housing. The housing accommodates a base plate, a miniature motor, preferably a direct current motor, an electric battery, a locking assembly and a controlling unit. The locking element of the locking assembly is a bar with a ring movable by means of the electric motor and via a torsion spring capable of transferring movement from the motor to the rod. The electric battery is to provide power for the controlling unit regardless of the power supply from the external power supply line. The controlling unit is manager via a wireless connection.

From the Polish application P.421767 a device is known for opening and closing a door lock. This driving device is provided with a driving assembly comprising a current source, an electric motor and a transmission gear assembly terminating in a toothed wheel, positioned within a rotatable housing. The lock comprises a body in which a lock controlling element is rotatably seated. The housing is bearing-sited in the lock body by means of a controlling element to which it is fixedly connected. The driving device is provided with a ring with a toothing that cooperates with a toothed wheel, of the driving assembly, rotatably bearing-seated relative to the housing. The ring is positioned coaxially with the rotatable housing and fixedly relative to the lock body. From the side of the lock the ring has a protrusion that enters an opening made accordingly in the lock housing.

From Polish application P.421765 a driving device is known for opening and closing a lock enabling access to protected areas, said device comprising within a housing: a transmission gear assembly, at least one electric energy source in a protective housing and a driving motor that transfers drive to a rotatable lock mechanism controlling element by means of a transmission gear assembly. The lock comprises a body in which the controlling element is rotatably seated. The driving device is provided with a base, fixed relative to the lock, in which base the following elements are fixedly seated: a transmission gear assembly, at least one electric energy source and a driving motor. The lock mechanism controlling element is seated on a toothed wheel being one of the wheels of the transmission gear assembly, and the housing has a form of a sleeve bearing-seated in the base and has at its inner side a toothing that meshes with the toothed wheel of the transmission gear assembly, where the lock mechanism element is seated.

It is the aim of the invention to develop a new driving device for closing and opening of a lock of a simple construction, said device being capable to be applied in existing door locks, in particular without a necessity to modify the construction thereof, and to provide a solution of a new kind.

According to the invention, a driving device is intended in particular to close and open a lock that has a cylinder and enables access to protected areas. The driving device comprises a driving assembly accommodated within a rotatable housing and comprising a driving motor and a gear transmission with a clutch, with a terminal toothed wheel cooperating with a toothed ring. The driving device is intended to cooperate with a rotatable controlling element positioned within the body of the lock cylinder. After the driving device is secured to the lock cylinder, the toothed ring at the side opposite to the housing surrounds at least partially the body of the cylinder and comprises means for securing the toothed ring fixedly to the body of the cylinder, while the housing is bearing-seated rotatably and axially non-movably on the toothed ring and comprises means for transferring drive onto the controlling element of the cylinder.

Preferably, the toothed ring is coupled solely to the body of the cylinder.

Also preferably, the toothed ring has, at the side opposite to the housing, a mounting part comprising at least one threaded mounting hole, extending radially in the mounting part of the toothed ring, in which hole a fixing screw is positioned, and the mounting part of the toothed ring at least partially surrounds the terminal part of the body of the cylinder.

Also preferably, the toothed ring has, at the side opposite to the housing, a mounting part that has a cross-sectional shape that substantially at least partially surrounds the terminal part of the body of the cylinder, wherein the mounting part is partially dissected radially and comprises at least one transverse opening that extends perpendicularly to the plane comprising the longitudinal axis of the toothed ring, and the transverse opening in its dissected portion is a through hole, and in the solid portion of the mounting part of the toothed ring it is threaded and receives a clamping screw therein.

Also preferably, a part of the toothed ring with a toothing and the mounting part of the ring are releasable.

More preferably, a part of the toothed ring with a toothing and the mounting part of the ring are coupled by means of at least one connecting screw.

Preferably, the releasable mounting part of the toothed ring, at the side opposite to the housing, has in its cross-section a shape that at least partially surrounds the terminal part of the body of the cylinder, and the releasable mounting part is partially dissected radially and comprises at least one transverse opening extending perpendicularly to the plane comprising the longitudinal axis of the toothed ring, through dissected portions of the released mounting part of the toothed ring, the transverse opening in one of the dissected portions is threaded and a clamping screw is inserted therein.

Further preferably, means for transferring drive from the driving device into the controlling element of the cylinder are constituted by a slot extending radially made in the housing of the driving device and a driver being the terminal end of the controlling element of the cylinder from the side of the driving device, entering the slot of the rotatable housing after the driving device is mounted on the cylinder.

More preferably, the driver being the terminal end of the controlling element of the cylinder at the side of the driving device constitutes at least a part of the key for the cylinder.

Also preferably, the driver being the terminal end of the controlling element of the cylinder from the side of the driving device has a non-circular cross-sectional shape.

Preferably, the device is intended for an cylinder, the body of which, in a crosssection, at the side of the toothed ring, has an elongated non-ruled shape where in the upper part is has a shape of a circle combined with an elongated rectangle-like part with a rounded bottom side.

Also preferably, the toothed ring at its front external side relative to the housing of the driving device to which it is secured has a recess that has a cross- sectional shape of the outline of the body of the cylinder.

Also preferably, the housing is bearing-seated on the toothed ring, in a slide bearing.

Also preferably, the toothing of the ring is an inner toothing.

Further preferably, the device is provided with an electronic controlling unit, accommodated within the housing and managing the driving assembly. More preferably, the electronic controlling unit is provided with a sensor that determines the angular position of the rotatable housing relative to the cylinder.

Still more preferably, the sensor is an accelerometer - a gravitational sensor.

Also preferably, the electronic controlling unit is controlled wirelessly by means of a computer program, preferably an application for mobile devices, via a wireless link.

More preferably, the electronic controlling unit is controlled wirelessly by means of a Bluetooth connection wireless link.

Also preferably, the electronic controlling unit is controlled wirelessly directly via a Bluetooth connection wireless link.

Also preferably, the electronic controlling unit is provided with a socket intended for providing power voltage and for data transfer.

Also preferably, the device is provided with an electric energy source being a primary or secondary cell.

Preferably, the device is positioned at the inner side of the entrance to the protected access areas and at the opposite side to the key-operated part of the cylinder.

The object of the invention is shown in embodiments in the drawing where fig. 1 shows a driving device for closing and opening a lock, in the first embodiment of the invention, in an exploded perspective view from the side of the lock cylinder with a broken out section showing a controlling element of the cylinder; fig. 2 shows a driving device for closing and opening a lock, in the first embodiment of the invention, in an exploded perspective view from the side of the housing, with a broken out section showing a controlling element of the cylinder; fig. 3 shows a toothed ring in the first embodiment of the invention, in a side perspective view; fig. 3a shows a toothed ring in the first embodiment of the invention, in a cross-section along the longitudinal axis; fig. 4 shows a toothed ring in a second embodiment of the invention, in a side perspective view; fig. 4a shows a toothed ring in a second embodiment of the invention, in a cross-section along the longitudinal axis; fig. 5 shows a toothed ring in a third embodiment of the invention in a side perspective view; fig. 5a shows a toothed ring in a third embodiment of the invention with a broken out cross-section along the line A- A in fig. 5; and fig. 6 shows a driving assembly mounted on a lock cylinder with a cut-off key that constitutes a controlling element, in a cross-section along the longitudinal axis of the driving device.

In the embodiments of the invention shown in fig. 1, fig. 2, and fig. 6 the lock comprises a conventional profiled cylinder 2, mounted for example in a door leaf, where the cylinder of the lock enabling access to protected areas comprises a body 6 in which the controlling element 7 of the lock cylinder 2 is accommodated. The controlling element 7 of the lock cylinder 2 may rotate within the body 6 of the lock cylinder 2, but it cannot move relative to it along the longitudinal axis of the body 6 of the lock cylinder 2.

Of course, the lock cylinder 2 may be an element of any lock enabling access to protected areas and comprises the elements as mentioned above.

As shown in fig. 1, fig. 2, and fig. 6, in the embodiments of the invention, a driving device 1, in particular for closing and opening a lock cylinder 2, comprises a housing 3 in which a driving assembly (not shown) is accommodated. The driving assembly comprises, in the first embodiment shown in fig. 1 fig. 2, and fig. 6, in the first embodiment of the invention, at least a driving motor and a gear transmission with a terminal toothed wheel 4, the toothed wheel 4 being the terminal element of the gear transmission of the driving assembly cooperating with a toothed ring 5 comprising an inner toothing 9 (as shown in fig. 2 and fig. 6) so that when rotating during the operation of the motor of the driving device 1 it rolls over the inner toothing 9 of the toothed ring 5.

The toothed ring 5 is mounted coaxially and rotatably relative to the housing 3 of the driving device 1 for closing and opening a lock. The toothed ring 5, after the toothed ring 2 is mounted to the lock, surrounds at least partially the body 6 of the cylinder 2 and comprises means to enable fixed mounting of the toothed ring 5 to the In fig. 3 and fig. 3a means for mounting the toothed ring 5 to the body 6 of the lock cylinder 2 in the first embodiment are shown. For this purpose, the toothed ring

5 has, at the side opposite to the housing 3, a mounting part 51 comprising three threaded mounting holes 52 that radially extend in the mounting part 51 of the toothed ring 5. The mounting holes 52 are through holes and into each mounting hole 52 a fixing screw 53 is inserted. The mounting part 51 of the toothed ring 5, when the driving device 1 has been mounted to the lock cylinder 2, partially surrounds a terminal part of the body 6 of the cylinder 2, while leaving non-surrounded solely a bottom portion of the body 6 of the lock cylinder 2. For this purpose, the toothed ring 5, at its front outer side relative to the housing 3 of the driving device 1 to which it is mounted, has a recess 10 that has a cross-sectional shape of the outline of the body 6 of the cylinder 2, as shown in fig. 3.

During mounting the driving device 1 on the lock cylinder 2 the recess 10 in the mounting part 51 of the toothed ring 5 is slid onto the terminal section of the body

6 of the cylinder 2. Then the outlets of the mounting holes 52 are positioned over the body 6 of the cylinder 2 in the direction of the axis thereof. Next the fixing screws 53 are tightened so that their pointed ends “bite” to some extent into the material of the body 6 of the cylinder 2 and this causes effective securing of the driving device 1 on the body 6 of the cylinder 2. In the embodiment shown in fig. 3 and fig. 3a, the fixing screws 53 are headless bolts so that when the driving device 1 has been mounted on the body 6 of the cylinder 2 they are invisible.

Fig. 4 and fig. 4a show means for securing the toothed ring 5 to the body 6 of the lock cylinder 2 in a second embodiment. For this purpose, the toothed ring 5 has, at its side opposite to the housing 3, a mounting part 51 that has a cross-sectional shape that at least partially surrounds the terminal part of the body 6 of the cylinder 2. The mounting part 51 is partially dissected radially and comprises at least one transverse opening 54 extending perpendicularly to the plane comprising the longitudinal axis of the toothed ring 5, where the transverse opening 54 in the dissected portion is a through hole and in the solid portion of the mounting part 51 of the toothed ring 5 is threaded and receives a clamping screw 55.

The toothed ring 5, at its front outer side relative to the housing 3 of the driving device 1 to which it is secured, has a recess 10 having a cross-sectional shape of the outline of the body 6 of the cylinder 2 as shown in fig. 4.

During mounting of the driving device 1 on the lock cylinder 2, the recess 10 in the mounting part 51 of the toothed ring 5 is slid onto the terminal section of the body 6 of the cylinder 2. Then a clamping screw 55 is inserted into the transverse opening 54 from its side without threads and it is tightened. This causes clamping of the radially dissected mounting part 51 of the toothing ring 5 and thus effective securing of the toothed ring 5 on the body 6 of the cylinder 2.

Fig. 5 and fig. 5a show means for securing the toothed ring 5 to the body 6 of the lock cylinder 2 in a third embodiment. For this purpose, the toothed ring 5 has from the side opposite to the housing 3 a mounting part 51 that has a cross-sectional shape substantially at least partially surrounding the terminal part of the body 6 of the cylinder 2. The mounting part 51 is releasable relative to a part of the toothed ring 5 with a toothing 9 and it may be also constructed as described in the first embodiment of the invention and shown in fig. 3 and fig. 3a, or as described on the second embodiment of the invention and shown in fig. 4 and 4a. In this embodiment of the invention a part of the toothed ring 5 with a toothing 9 and the mounting part 51 of the ring 5 are coupled by means of two connecting screws 56, and the releasable mounting part 51 is partially dissected radially and comprises at least one transverse opening 54 extending perpendicularly to the plane comprising the longitudinal axis of the toothed ring 5 through the dissected portions of the releasable mounting part 51 of the toothed ring 5, where the transverse opening 54 in one of the dissected portions is threaded and receives a clamping screw 55.

The body 6 of the lock cylinder 2 in which the controlling element 7 is seated and operable to close and open a lock, in its cross-section from the side of the driving device 1 has a non-circular, non-ruled shape as shown in fig. 1 and fig. 2. In the embodiments of the invention shown in fig. 1 and fig. 2, this is a shape of a commercially available conventional profiled cylinder that in its cross-section in the upper portion (in a mounted state in a door leaf) has a shape of a circle combined with a shape substantially rectangular with one side rounded in a bottom part of a width smaller than the diameter of the circle in the upper part. Of course, this embodiment does not exclude a possibility to use the driving device 1, in particular for closing and opening a lock that enables access to protected areas, in other kinds of locks comprising cylinders of different body shapes.

As shown in fig. 6 the housing 3 is bearing-seated on the toothed ring 5 in a slide bearing. Of course, in other embodiments of the invention the housing 3, it may be bearing-seated on the toothed ring 5 in any maimer known in the art, for example on a ball bearing, needle bearing or roller bearing.

In all the embodiments of the invention shown in fig. 2, fig. 3 a, fig. 4a, fig. 5a, and fig. 6, the toothed ring 5 is provided with a tooting 9, being inner toothing, but it is of course possible to use a toothed ring 5 with an outer toothing 9 in the construction of the driving device 1 according to the invention.

The driving device 1, in particular for closing and opening a lock enabling access to protected areas, is provided with an electronic controlling unit (not shown), accommodated within a housing 3 and managing a driving assembly in the housing 3 that comprises a sensor (not shown) being an accelerometer to determine the angular position of the rotatable housing 3 relative to the lock cylinder 2.

In the presented embodiments of the invention, the driving device 1, in particular for closing and opening a lock enabling access to protected areas, is controlled by the controlling unit wirelessly by means of a computer program, preferably an application for mobile devices, in particular for a smartphone, by means of a wireless link such as for example Bluetooth.

The electronic controlling unit is provided with an electric socket intended for providing supply voltage and for data transfer 3, positioned on the rotatable part of the housing (not shown). The driving device 1 is provided with a source of energy being a primary or secondary cell (not shown).

The driving device 1 is positioned on the inner side of the entrance to protected access areas and opposite to the key-controlled part of the lock cylinder 2.

Claims

1. Driving device 1, in particular for opening and closing a lock having a cylinder 2 and enabling access to protected areas, said device comprising a driving assembly accommodated within a rotatable housing 3, encompassing a driving motor and a gear transmission with a clutch, with a terminal toothed wheel 4, cooperating with a toothed ring 5, wherein the driving device 1 is capable to cooperate with a rotatable controlling element 7 positioned within a body 6 of the lock cylinder 2, characterized in that, after the driving device (1) is secured to the body (6) of the cylinder (2), the toothed ring (5) from the side opposite to the housing (3) surrounds at least partially the body (6) of the cylinder (2) and comprises means for securing the toothed ring (5) fixedly to the body (6) of the cylinder (2), and the housing (3) is bearing-seated rotatably and axially non-movably on the toothed ring (5) and comprises means for transferring drive to the controlling element (7) of the cylinder (2).

2. Driving device 1 according to claim 1, characterized in that the toothed ring (5) is mounted solely to the body (6) of the cylinder (2).

3. Driving device 1 according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (3) is bearing-seated solely on the toothed ring (5).

4. Driving device 1 according to claim 1, characterized in that the toothed ring (5), at the side opposite to the housing (3), has a mounting part (51) comprising at least one threaded mounting hole (52) extending radially in the mounting part (51) of the toothed ring (5), receiving a fixing screw (53), wherein the mounting part (51) of the toothed ring (5) at least partially surrounds the terminal part of the body (6) of the cylinder (2).

5. Driving device 1 according to claim 1, characterized in that the toothed ring (5), at the side opposite to the housing (3), has a mounting part (51) having a cross- sectional shape substantially at least partially surrounding the terminal part of the body (6) of the profile cylinder (2), wherein the mounting part (51) is partially dissected radially and comprises at least one transverse opening (54) extending perpendicularly to the plane comprising the longitudinal axis of the toothed ring (5) wherein the transverse opening (54) in the dissected portion of the mounting part (51) is a through hole, and in the solid portion of the mounting part (51) of the toothed ring (5) it is threaded and receives a clamping screw (55).

6. Driving device 1 according to claim 1, characterized in that a part of the toothed ring (5) with a toothing (9) and the mounting part (51) of the ring (5) are releasable.

7. Driving device 1 according to claim 6, characterized in that a part of the toothed ring (5) with a toothing (9) and the mounting part (51) of the ring (5) are coupled by means of at least one connecting screw (56).

8. Driving device 1 according to claim 6, characterized in that the releasable mounting part (51) of the toothed ring (5), at the side opposite to the housing (3), has a cross-sectional shape at least partially surrounding the terminal part of the body (6) of the cylinder (2), wherein the releasable mounting part (51) is partially dissected radially and comprises at least one transverse opening (54) extending perpendicularly to the plane comprising the longitudinal axis of the toothed ring (5) through the dissected portions of the releasable mounting part (51) of the toothed ring (5), where the transverse opening (54) in one of the dissected portions is threaded and a clamping screw (55) is inserted therein.

9. Driving device 1 according to claim 1, characterized in that means for transferring drive from the housing (3) to the controlling element (7) of the cylinder (2) are constituted by a slot (81) extending radially made in the housing (3) of the driving device (1) and a driver (71) being the terminal end of the controlling element (7) of the cylinder (2) from the side of the driving device (1), entering the slot (81) of the rotatable housing (3), when the driving device (1) has been mounted on the cylinder (2). 14

10. Driving device 1 according to claim 9, characterized in that the driver (71) being the terminal end of the controlling element (7) of the cylinder (2) from the side of the driving device (1) constitutes at least a part of a key for the cylinder (2).

11. Driving device 1 according to claim 9, characterized in that the driver (71) being the terminal end of the controlling element (7) of the cylinder (2), from the side of the driving device (1), has a non-circular cross-sectional shape.

12. Driving device 1 according to claim 1, characterized in that it is intended for an cylinder (2) the body (6) of which, in a cross-section, from the side of the toothed ring (5), has an elongated non-ruled shape where in the upper part it has a shape of a circle combined with an elongated rectangle -like part (61) with a rounded bottom side.

13. Driving device 1 according to claim 1, characterized in that the toothed ring (5), at its front external side relative to the housing (3) of the driving device (1) to which it is secured, has a recess (10) that has a cross-sectional shape of at least a part of the outline of the body (6) of the cylinder (2).

14. Driving device according to claim 1 characterized in that the housing (3) is bearing-seated on the toothed ring (5), in a slide bearing.

15. Driving device according to claim 1 characterized in that the toothing (9) of the ring (5) is an inner toothing.

16. Driving device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is provided with an electronic controlling unit accommodated within the housing (3) and managing the driving assembly.

17. Driving device according to claim 16, characterized in that the electronic controlling unit is provided with a sensor that determines the angular position of the rotatable housing (3) relative to the cylinder (2).

18. Driving device according to claim 17, characterized in that the sensor is an accelerometer - a gravitational sensor. 15

19. Driving device according to claim 16, characterized in that the electronic controlling unit is controlled wirelessly by means of a computer program, preferably an application for mobile devices, via a wireless link.

20. Driving device according to claim 19, characterized in that the electronic controlling unit is controlled wirelessly via a Bluetooth connection wireless link.

21. Driving device according to claim 16, characterized in that the electronic controlling unit is provided with a socket intended for providing power voltage and for data transfer.

22. Driving device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is provided with a source of electric energy being a primary or secondary cell.

23. Driving device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is positioned on the inner side of the entrance to protected access areas and at the opposite side to the key-operated part of the cylinder (2).