FR3069565A1 - SAFETY LOCK AND FLAT KEY ASSEMBLY - Google Patents

Abstract

A key lock assembly includes: a stator (12) having a cylindrical housing and a blind hole (28), said stator (12) having a plurality of locking pins (62); a rotor (18) rotatably mounted within said cylindrical housing, said rotor (18) including a plurality of radial housings (66) opening outwardly to allow said locking pins (62) to extend in said radial housings (66), said rotor (18) further comprising a ball (58) and a movable locking member (42) rotatable to maintain said ball (58) projecting from said rotor (18); and, a flat key (80) for pushing said locking pins (62) out of said rotor (18), and simultaneously controlling said movable locking member (42) to allow said ball (58) to engage with said locking pin (62). retracting inside said rotor (18).

Description

Set of security lock and flat key

The present invention relates to a set of flat key security locks.

A field of application envisaged is notably, but not exclusively, that of the building and more precisely that of access doors to housing.

Known flat key security lock assemblies, for example of the “European cylinder” type, comprise a stator having a cylindrical housing, which stator comprises a plurality of locking pins pushed by springs and intended to come to partially extend the interior of said cylindrical housing. Such a lock assembly also includes a rotor rotatably mounted inside the cylindrical housing. The rotor comprises an axial passage path opening axially to the outside on a key entry, and a plurality of radial housings opening radially to the outside and each receiving a counter pin movable in translation.

The rotor is held in a fixed position in the stator when the pins, pushed back by their spring, penetrate inside the radial housings by pushing itself the counter-pins towards the passage way, and coming to extend across of the joint plane between rotor and stator.

The rotor is then released in rotation from the stator by means of a coded open key. The document BE1010212 for example, describes the implementation of a flat key whose edge of the bit is notched. The calibrated notches correspond to the rotor, and when the bit is introduced through the key entry of the rotor, in the passage way, the counter-pins are moved away from the passage way and they push the pins in the same way, that the contact zones between counter-pins and pins extend in the joint plane of the stator and of the rotor.

In order to make the lock assembly less easy to force, it is made in the stator at least two blind holes opening radially into the cylindrical housing. Also, the rotor comprises two balls and respectively a movable blocking member in translation having a support end to be able to keep the balls projecting from the rotor, and an opposite end hollow. The balls then extend inside, blind holes so as to be able to add additional members for blocking the rotation of the rotor inside the stator.

The bit of the flat key then comprises two lateral ribs interrupted to form a shoulder, and during the introduction of the bit inside the passageway, the two movable locking members then come to bear respectively on the shoulders, and they are driven in translation until their hollow ends respectively face the balls. The latter can then retract inside the rotor when the latter is rotated inside the stator.

Thus, thanks to these complementary means, the forcing of the lock assembly is more complex. However, it is easy to come to drive the locking members in translation, in the axial direction of the passageway, with suitable hooks.

Also, a problem which arises and which the present invention aims to solve is to provide a set of locks less vulnerable to burglary.

For this purpose, there is proposed, according to a first object, a set of flat key security lock comprising: a stator having a cylindrical housing and a blind hole opening radially into said cylindrical housing, said stator comprising a plurality of locking pins intended to extend inside said cylindrical housing; a rotor rotatably mounted inside said cylindrical housing, said rotor comprising an axial passageway and a plurality of radial housings opening outwards so as to be able to allow said pins to come to extend in said radial housings to maintain in position fixes said rotor relative to said stator, said rotor further comprising a ball and a locking member movable in rotation so as to be able to keep said ball projecting from said rotor, while said ball extends inside said blind hole; and, a flat key intended to be engaged inside said axial passageway in order to be able to push said pins out of said rotor, and simultaneously, control said locking member to be able to allow said ball to retract inside. of said rotor.

Thus, a characteristic of the invention lies in the implementation of a ball locking member, not movable in translation, but movable in rotation. In this way, it is much more difficult during a break-in to come to rotate the movable member from outside the rotor and through the key entry of the rotor, by means of a hook for example. .

In addition, the use of such a locking member makes it possible to reserve a more compact space inside the rotor, as will be explained in more detail below and therefore to make it more compact itself. . Advantageously, said blocking member is housed between said passageway and said ball.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, said blocking member extends transversely with respect to said passageway. In this way, the flat key can then easily cooperate with the blocking member, when it is driven in translation inside the passageway, so as to be able to drive the blocking member in rotation. Indeed, the key bit comes into contact with the locking member in a direction perpendicular to its pivot axis.

Preferably, said blocking member is connected to said rotor by a spring. In this way, the spring, operating in torsion, keeps the locking member by force in an active position where it keeps the ball protruding from the rotor. When the bit is inserted in the passageway, and it causes the rotation of the locking member, the spring compresses and stores potential energy, while the ball can retract when the rotor is driven in rotation via the key. When the key returns to its initial angular position and the bit is removed from the passageway, the blocking member returns to its initial position under the effect of the spring which restores the potential energy stored and gives it a reverse rotation movement.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, said blocking member is a cylinder of revolution. In other words, the blocking device is a solid of revolution. Also, the rotor has a cylindrical housing of revolution adapted in size to receive the locking member, and to allow its guiding in rotation. Thus, said blocking member is movable in rotation about its axis of revolution.

Preferably, said cylinder of revolution has a flat area for receiving said ball. Thus, at one of its ends, the cylinder of revolution has a flat. In this way, in its active position, the blocking member is located in an angular position in which, a part of the cylindrical surface of the cylinder of revolution, contiguous to the flat, receives the ball in support and keeps it outside the rotor. As soon as the cylinder of revolution is driven in rotation, the flat comes to adjust opposite the ball, which is then allowed to move radially towards the center and to enter inside the rotor.

According to a particularly advantageous variant embodiment, said cylinder of revolution has a tooth intended to cooperate with said key. In this way, when the key bit is inserted inside the passageway, it engages the tooth and thus causes the rotation of the cylinder of revolution as it is inserted.

According to another preferred variant, but in no way limiting, said cylinder of revolution has another flat intended to cooperate with said key. Thus, when the cylinder of revolution is in an active position, said other flat extends in an inclined manner in the passageway, opposite the key entry of the rotor. Therefore, when the bit is inserted inside the passage path through the key entry, it comes to bear slidingly against said other flat so as to rotate the cylinder of revolution. The advantage of being a flat on a cylinder of revolution is that it is inexpensive.

In addition, and according to another object, a flat key is proposed for a lock assembly as described above, and it comprises a bit having two opposite faces, said two opposite faces having respectively coded notches, and it comprises further a contact piece mounted through said bit and projecting from said two opposite faces. Thus, it is easy to make a bore in a direction normal to the bit and to forcely insert a transverse contact piece.

Advantageously, the contact piece is held there in a fixed position by means of a lug inserted in the thickness of the bit.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, said contact part is an H-shaped part having two pairs of opposite branches extending respectively from said two opposite faces. The H-shaped part is of substantially cylindrical symmetry and its generatrices are parallel to the mean plane defined by the bit and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the bit. In this way, and in combination with the alternative embodiment of the cylinder of revolution having a tooth, the latter is intended to come into engagement inside one or the other of the two pairs of opposite branches of the part. in H. Thanks to this characteristic, the cylinder of revolution is driven in rotation precisely by a predefined angle. In addition, the amplitude of rotation of the cylinder of revolution can be relatively large.

Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge on reading the description given below of particular embodiments of the invention, given by way of non-limiting indication, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

- Figure 1 is a schematic exploded perspective view of part of a security lock assembly according to the invention;

- Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of another part of the lock assembly according to the invention, according to a first embodiment;

- Figure 3A is a schematic view in cross section of the lock assembly part shown in Figure 1;

- Figure 3B is a schematic detail view of Figure 3A;

- Figure 4A is a schematic view in cross section identical to the view shown in Figure 3 including the other part of the lock assembly shown in Figure 2;

- Figure 4B is a schematic detail view of Figure 4A;

- Figure 5A is a schematic cutaway side view of a lock assembly according to the invention according to another embodiment; and,

- Figure 5B is a detail view of the object of Figure 5A.

Figure 1 illustrates an exploded view of a lock cylinder 10 comprising a stator 12 in two opposite parts 14, 16 symmetrical to one another with respect to a median plane Pm, and a rotor 18 forming a solid of revolution.

The most advanced part 14 of the stator in FIG. 1 has a cylindrical housing of circular symmetry 20, inside a circular cylindrical sub-part 21 of the part 14 of the stator. The cylindrical housing 20 has a concave cylindrical wall 22. And the part 14 of the stator comprises an oblong cylindrical sub-part 24 extending radially with respect to the circular cylindrical sub-part 21. The oblong cylindrical sub-part 24 has a row first radial housings 26 opening radially into the wall 22. The row here comprises six radial housings 26. In a diametrically opposite position, the stator has a longitudinal groove in trough 28 intended to form a blind hole as will be explained below. .

The rotor 18 extends longitudinally between two opposite ends, one 29, for driving, intended to engage with a cylinder bit 27, the other 31, free. And the rotor 18 has, in its free end 31, a key entry 30 extended by an eccentric axial passageway 32 and defining an axial plane Pa of the rotor 18. The rotor 18 has a convex circular cylindrical surface 34. Also, the axial passageway 32 opens out from the convex circular cylindrical surface 34, according to a generatrix thereof.

The rotor 18 is divided into two semi-cylindrical parts by the axial plane Pa, a first semi-cylindrical part 36 and a second semi-cylindrical part 38.

The first semi-cylindrical part 36 has, towards its drive end 29, a transverse housing 40 intended to receive a cylindrical blocking member of revolution 42. The blocking member 42 has one end 45 connected to a helical torsion spring 44. Also, the transverse housing 40 has, at its entry, two opposite entry notches 46, 48, so as to be able to receive crosswise, an indexing bar 49. In addition, the locking member 42 present at the opposite its end 45, another end in which is formed an indexing groove 50, intended to cooperate with the indexing bar 49 so as to be able to substantially increase the mechanical energy necessary for the rotation of the locking member 42, in its first phase of rotation, as will be explained below.

Furthermore, the locking member 42 has towards its end 45 connected to the helical torsion spring 44, a first flat 52, and diametrically opposite, towards the other end, a second flat 54 masked in FIG. 1.

In addition, the rotor 18 has, in its first semi-cylindrical part 36, a radial orifice 56 opening radially into the transverse housing 40 and, in contrast, in the convex circular cylindrical surface 34. This radial orifice 56 receives a ball 58, which will come to bear on the cylinder of revolution 42 as will be explained below.

In addition, FIG. 1 illustrates, helical compression springs 60 for return intended to be engaged in the bottom of the first radial housings 26, which helical compression springs 60 are each surmounted by a pin 62, intended to slide in the first radial housings 26 as will be explained below. And furthermore, the pins 62 are surmounted by counter-pins 64, installed in the second semi-cylindrical part 38 of the rotor 18, as illustrated in FIG. 3A.

Thus, FIG. 3A, to which we will now refer, corresponds to a cross section of the lock cylinder 10 shown in FIG. 1, after it has been mounted, and at the level of a first radial housing 26. And appears on In this figure, the counter pin 64 installed in a second radial housing 66. This second radial housing 66 opens into the convex circular cylindrical surface 34 and, in contrast, in the axial passageway 32.

In addition, this second radial housing 66 has, towards the axial path 32 a reduced section creating a first stop shoulder 68. The counter pin 64 then has a rod 70 surmounted by a head 72 forming a second shoulder d 'stop 74, which comes to bear on the first stop shoulder 68 in order to retain the counter-pin 64 in translation towards the axial passageway 32.

In this case, the pin 62, which has a free end 76, is partially engaged inside the second radial housing 66 and it also remains partially engaged also inside the first radial housing 26 of the oblong cylindrical sub-part. 24. It is in fact pushed through the second radial housing 66 by the helical compression spring 60, the free end 76 pressing against the head 72 of the counter pin 64, including the stop shoulder 74 and support on the first stop shoulder 68.

This configuration is similar for the other six pins 62. It is essentially the length of the counter-pins 64 which will allow the coding of the lock assembly according to the invention.

Also, in this configuration, all the pins 62 extend across the joint plane, which itself extends between the wall 22 of the cylindrical housing 20 of the part 14 of the stator and the circular cylindrical surface 34 of the rotor 18 , and thereby maintain the rotor 18 in a fixed position relative to the stator 14.

To this conventional locking configuration, a specific configuration is added including, in the first semi-cylindrical part 36 of the rotor 18, the ball 58 housed inside the radial orifice 56, and which comes to partially extend to the inside of the longitudinal groove in trough 28 forming blind hole. It is held there thanks to the locking member 42 engaged in its transverse housing 40.

The locking member 42 is maintained, by means of the helical spring 44, in an angular position such that the first flat 52 is spaced from the ball 58, while the latter is supported on a part of cylindrical surface 78, corresponding to the radius of the locking member 42 as shown in Figure 3B.

The ball 58 and thus wedged in this position, where it comes to extend substantially projecting from the circular cylindrical surface 34 and inside the longitudinal groove in trough 28, and thereby adds an additional blocking rotation of the rotor 18 inside the stator 14.

It will be observed that the indexing bar 49 which closes the entrance to the transverse housing 40, partially extends in the indexing groove 50 of the locking member 42. The locking member 42 is held axially in this position because it is pushed back towards the indexing bar 49 by means of the helical torsion spring 44.

We will also see in Figure 3B, the second flat 54, diametrically opposite the first flat 52. The latter then extends towards the axial passageway 32 and towards the key entry 30.

Before referring to Figure 4A, illustrating the unlocking of the lock cylinder 10, reference will be made to Figure 2, illustrating a flat key 80 according to the invention.

This flat key 80 has a bit 82 itself having two opposite faces 84, 86, and an operating ring 88. Each of the two opposite faces 84, 86 comprises a notched rib 90 to form a code. The two notched ribs 90 are asymmetrical to one another with respect to a median axial plane Pp of the bit 82.

Also, the bit 82 has a free end 92 behind which is a bore 94 normal to the bit 82 and along its median plane Pp. This bore 94 then receives a lug 96 having two opposite ends 98, 100 which will then come s 'symmetrically projecting from each of the two opposite faces 84, 86 of the bit 82. The lug 96 then forms a contact piece.

The cross section of the bit 82 has a shape and dimensions equivalent to those of the cross section of the axial path 32 of the rotor 18, with the functional clearance ready, so that the bit 82 can be inserted axially inside the path axial passage 32, and that it can be guided there.

Thus, when the bit 82 is engaged through the key entry 30, as shown in Figure 1, and is inserted inside the axial passageway 32, in the vicinity of the end of travel, one or the other of the opposite ends 98, 100 of the lug 96 comes into contact with the second flat 54 as shown in Figure 3B. The bit 82 continuing its travel, the lug 96 then causes the rotation of the locking member 42, in FIG. 3B, in a clockwise direction, the end of the lug 96 being driven in friction against the second flat 54. The force applied by the end of the lug 96, relating to the translational movement of the bit 82, is sufficient to, in a first movement, escape the indexing groove 50 from the bar indexing 49 and then, in a second movement, constrain in rotation the helical torsion spring 44.

Therefore, and as illustrated in Figures 4A, 4B, the first flat 52 then comes opposite the radial orifice 56 and the ball 58. Consequently, the ball 58 can come to bear on the first flat 52, returning inside the radial orifice 56 and by releasing the longitudinal groove in trough 28.

Simultaneously, the notched rib 90 has inserted all the counter-pins 64, of an amplitude determined so as to come to bear all the contact zones between the heads 72 of the counter-pins 64 and the free ends 76 of the pins 62, in the joint plane situated between the wall 22 of the cylindrical housing 20 of the part 14 of the stator and the circular cylindrical surface 34 of the rotor 18.

In this way, the rotor 18 is then free to rotate relative to the stator 14 and it can then be driven by means of the ring 88 to unlock the cylinder 10.

Reference will now be made to FIGS. 5A, 5B, showing another embodiment of the invention. The elements identical in their function to those among the elements represented in the preceding Figures will have the same reference assigned with a prime sign: "’ >> ".

Thus, in Figure 5A, we find the bit 82 'of the key 80' and the locking member 42 'mounted in the first semi-cylindrical part 36' of the rotor 18 '. It will be observed in more detail in FIG. 5B, that the bit 82 'is no longer fitted with a lug but with an H-shaped part 96' having two pairs of opposite branches 102, 104 and extending respectively from said two opposite faces 84 ', 86' by defining a groove 106.

In addition, the locking member 42 'no longer has a second flat, but instead a tooth 54', defining on each side, two grooves and two opposite blanks 108, 110.

In this way, as shown in Figure 5B, when the bit 82 'is driven in translation inside the axial passageway 32', the branch 102 then engages in a groove in the locking member 42 'to come to bear against one of the opposite blanks 110. By continuing the travel of the bit 82', the branch 102 causes the rotation member to rotate clockwise of the locking member 42 ', while the tooth 54' engages inside the groove 106. Continuing, the second branch 104 comes to bear against the tooth 54 '. Thanks to this mode of implementation, it is possible to obtain a greater amplitude of rotation of the locking member 42 ’.

Claims (10)

1. Flat key security lock assembly comprising: - A stator (12) having a cylindrical housing (20) and a blind hole (28) opening radially into said cylindrical housing (20), said stator (12) comprising a plurality of locking pins (62) intended to come s' extend inside said cylindrical housing (20); - a rotor (18) rotatably mounted inside said cylindrical housing (20), said rotor (18) comprising an axial passageway (32) and a plurality of radial housings (66) opening out to be able to allowing said locking pins (62) to extend into said radial housings (66) to hold said rotor (18) in fixed position relative to said stator (12), said rotor (18) further comprising a ball (58 ) and a movable blocking member (42) in order to be able to hold said ball (58) projecting from said rotor (18), while said ball (58) comes to extend inside said blind hole (28); and, - a flat key (80) intended to be engaged inside said axial passageway (32) in order to be able to push said locking pins (62) outside of said rotor (18), and simultaneously control said member movable blocking (42) to be able to allow said ball (58) to retract inside said rotor (18); characterized in that said locking member (42) is movable in rotation. 2. A security lock assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that said movable locking member (42) is housed between said passageway (32) and said ball (58). 3. Security lock assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said movable blocking member (42) extends transversely to said passageway (32). 4. Security lock assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said movable locking member (42) is connected to said rotor (18) by a spring (44). 5. A security lock assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said movable locking member (42) is a cylinder of revolution. 6. security lock assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that said cylinder of revolution (42) has a flat (52) for receiving said ball (58). 7. A security lock assembly according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that said cylinder of revolution (42) has a tooth (54 ’) intended to cooperate with said key (80’). 8. Security lock assembly according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that said cylinder of revolution (42) has another flat (54) intended to cooperate with said key (80). 9. Flat key for lock assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises a bit (82) having two opposite faces (84, 86), said two opposite faces having respectively coded notches (90), and in that it further comprises a contact piece (96) mounted through said bit (82) and projecting from said two opposite faces. 10. A flat key according to claim 9, characterized in that said contact part (96 ′) is an H-shaped part having two pairs of opposite branches (102, 104) projecting respectively from said two opposite faces (84, 86).