GB2217771A - A manually rearrangable permutation lock set - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a manually rearrangable permutation lock set (2, 3) which consists of a lockbody (2) provided with a removable pushing pin case having numbered rearrangable push pins (24) and a key (3) having numbered separable key teeth (32) corresponding to the push pins. When the key with key teeth permuted in a particular number sequence identical to the numerical sequence of the push pins is inserted into a key channel (232) of the lockbody, the push pins are accordingly urged upward to push corresponding lock pins (213) away from their restricting position, thus permitting the rotation of a lock core (22) of the lockbody for unlocking the lock. <IMAGE>

Description

A MANUALLY REARRANGEABLE PERMUTATION LOCK SET The present invention relates to a manually rearrangeable permutation lock set.

In the prior art, a key-operated lock set commonly includes a lock body having slidable push pins arranged in a fixed pattern and a key constructed with stationary key teeth corresponding to the already set push pins.

With the conventional lock set, once the key thereof is lost or obtained by an unauthorized person, the security assured by the lock mechanism may be invalidated.

According to the present invention there is disclosed a lock set comprising a lock and a key for actuating the lock, the key comprising a set of separately formed teeth, means for holding the teeth in axial array such that the teeth extend radially therefrom and means permitting the order of teeth to be rearranged, the lock comprising a complementary set of push pins biased into a position normally preventing actuation of the lock and moveable to an actuating position upon insertion of the key, the lock being actuable only when each tooth is in registration with an associated push pin of complementary size and there being further provided means for rearranging the sequence of push pins to reset the lock for use with a key having a corresponding new sequence of teeth.

In the present invention, a push pin case containing a set of push pins with various length is removably provided in a lock core rotatably fitted inside a lock housing. The set of push pins are numbered with reference to their length and slidably contained by the push pin case manually permutably with their upper ends extending forward through a set of corresponding openings formed in upper wall of the push pin case and abutting against a set of corresponding lock pins connected with a set of compression springs provided thereabove for restricting the rotation of the lock core.

A set of manually permutably separable key teeth with various length are removably arranged in a selected order along a keytooth groove of a key. The key teeth are numbered in such a manner that each associated pair of push pin and key tooth having identical reference number always produce equal total length for retracting each corresponding lock pin from original restricting position to a new unlocking position.

When a key with key teeth arranged in the same number sequence as the numerical sequence of push pins is inserted into a key channel formed inside the lock core, the push pins are urged upward to pushcorresponding lock pins away from their restricting position, thus permitting the rotation of the lock core for unlocking the lock.

Since the push pins and key teeth of the present invention are both easily manually rearrangeable, the lock set can be reset to assure security even when the key is lost or possessed by an unauthorized person by resetting the push pins into a new numerical sequence. In this way the reset lock mechanism remains effective by rearranging the key teeth of a spare key into a numerical sequence identical to that in which the push pins are newly set.

Fig. 1 is an axially sectional view of the lock body of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the lock body of the present invention taken on line 22 in Fig.

1; Fig. 3 is an axially sectional view of the key of the present invention; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the key of the present invention taken on line 44 in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 shows a set of numbered push pins of the present invention correspondingly engaged with a set of numbered separable key teeth arranged in identical numerical sequence to produce equal total combined length with each pair of associated key tooth and push pin; Fig. 6 is an axially sectional view of the assembled lock body and key set in identical numerical sequence of the present invention; Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled lock body key set in identical numerical sequence of the present invention taken on line 77 in Fig. 6;; Fig. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the assembled lock body and key set in identical numerical sequence of the present invention with the lock core rotated according to Fig. 7.

Referring first to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, a lock body 2 of the present invention consists of a lockhousing 21 formed substantially in a hollow cylindrical shape and a lock core 22 rotatably received therein.

The upper chamber 214 of the lockhousing 21 communicates with the lower chamber 215 thereof through a set of like openings arranged along a septum portion 216 between the upper and lower chamber 214, 215. The lock core 22 accurately rotatably fitted in lower chamber 215 has a set of like openings coaxial with those predescribed. A set of alike lock pins 213 are connected with compression springs 212 fixed on top wall of upper chamber 214 and retractably extended through said coaxial openings for restricting lock core 22 from rotation.

A push pin case 23, having a keyslot 232 formed longitudinally along the bottom thereof and a set of openings 231 formed in the topwall thereof corresponding to above-mentioned coaxial openings of lockhousing 21 and lock core 22 is accurately removably received by a lock core cavity of like shape 222 located beneath said set opening 221 of lock core 22. A plurality of rod-like numbered push pins 24 with various lengths are rearrangeably-slidably received in said push pin case 23 through said topwall openings 231 with their top ends abutting against said set of lock pins 213 correspondingly for pushing the lock pins 213 out of their restriction position when a proper key is inserted into the keyhole 25 of the lock core 22 as well as keyslot 232 of the push pin case 23.

Further referring to Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, a key 3 of the present invention consists of a key plate 33 having a projecting portion 332 and a key tooth container 31 screwedly engaged with projecting portion 332 at a screwed base 331 thereof by a nut 34. A plurality of numbered separable key teeth 32 having likely tapered smooth upper portions adapted to entering said keyslot 232 but different from each other in length are permutably axially arranged in a key tooth groove 331 located along the key tooth container 31 for meeting said set of push pins 24 arranged in identical numerical sequence and urging them to push said lock pins 213 out of the original restriction position.

Referring to Fig. 5 to Fig. 7, each numbered push pin 24 and key tooth 32 having identical reference number always produce equal total length precisely equivalent to the distance from the bottom of said key tooth container 31 to the intersurface of said coaxial openings 211 and 221 when engaging with each other by inserting the key 3 with key teeth 32 in the same numerical sequence as that in which said push pins 24 are arranged into said keyhole 25 and keyslot 232.Accordingly, especially referring to Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, when the preset key 2 is inserted into the keyhole 24 with its key teeth 32 abutting against corresponding push pins 24 arranged in same numerical sequence as that of key teeth 32, each lock pin 213 is thus equally pushed upward and retracted from its restricting position up to a level closely spaced from the periphery of the lock core 22 so as to permit the rotation of said lock core 22 for unlocking a door or the like as shown in Fig. 8.

With the above described lock mechanism of the present invention, when the push pin case 23 is drawn out of the lock core cavity 222, the push pins 24 therein can be manually rearranged into a new numerical sequence. Similarly, the key teeth 32 also can be manually rearranged into a numerical sequence corresponding to the newly set numerical sequence in which said push pins 24 are rearranged. As a result, when the key 3 with said rearranged key teeth 32 is inserted into the keyhole 25 as well as keyslot 232, each push pin 24 is still equally pushed upward by an associated key tooth 32 therefor to retract corresponding lockpin 213 to above-mentioned unlocking level to allow actuation of the lock by rotation of the lock core 22.

The upper portions 321 of the key teeth 32 are polishedly tapered in width with a trapezoid-plate configuration to facilitate entry into the keyslot 232 as well as normally lifting the push pins 24 upward to retract the lockpins 213 from their locking position into unlocking position.

Since the pushpins 24 and key teeth 32 of the present invention are both manually freely permutable, resetting of the lock set is available. Thus security can be assured even if the key is lost or obtained by an unauthorized person only by resetting the push pins into a new numerical sequence, and, on the other hand, the lock mechanism can remain effective by rearranging the key teeth of a spare key into a numerical sequence identical to that in which the push pins are newly set.

Claims (10)

CLAIMS:

1. A lock set comprising a lock and a key for actuating the lock, the key comprising a set of separately formed teeth, means for holding the teeth in axial array such that the teeth extend radially therefrom and means permitting the order of teeth to be rearranged, the lock comprising a complementary set of push pins biased into a position normally preventing actuation of the lock and moveable to an actuating position upon insertion of the key, the lock being actuable only when each tooth is in registration with an associated push pin of complementary size and there being further provided means for rearranging the sequence of push pins to reset the lock for use with a key having a corresponding new sequence of teeth.

2. A lock set as claimed in claim 1 wherein the teeth are each of different radial extent, and the combined radial extent of each tooth and its associated push pin is uniform.

3. A lock set as claimed in claim 2 wherein the teeth are of linearly graded radial extent.

4. A lock set as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the teeth and push pins carry markings identifying each associated tooth and push pin.

5. A manually rearrangeable permutation lock set as claimed in any preceding claim having permutably separable key teeth and rearrangeable push pins, which comprises: A lockbody consisting of a lockhousing having an upper chamber and lower chamber communicating with each other through a set of openings separtely formed in a septum therebetween and a lock core precisely rotatably received by said lower chamber of said lockhousing, having a set of openings coaxially opposed to said set of septum openings, wherein a set of alike lock pins connected with a set of compression springs fixed on the top wall of said upper chamber retractably extend through said coaxial openings for restricting said lock core from rotation, and a push pin case having a keyslot formed axially along the bottom thereof and a set of openings formed in the top wall thereof corresponding to said coaxial openings is removably received by a likely shaped lock core cavity located beneath said set of openings of said lock core, a plurality of push pins having the same diameter larger than the width of said keys lot being rearrangedably slidably placed along said axial keyslot with their upper ends extending through said topwall openings of said push pin case, abutting against said set of lock pins correspondingly, a key hole being formed under said lock core cavity for providing a key channel together with said keyslot of said push pin case for receiving a key to unlock said lock body; and a key consisting of a key plate portion and a key tooth container engaged with said key plate portion wherein a plurality of separable key teeth are manually permutably arranged in an axially provided key tooth groove thereof for meeting said set of push pins to push said lock pins out of original restricting position and thus permit rotation of said lock core for unlocking other related lock mechanism.

6. A manually rearrangeable permutation lockset as defined in claim 5 wherein: Said separable key teeth arranged in said key tooth groove of said key tooth container have alike lower portions and tapered upper portions different from each other in length forming smooth inclined planes; and Said set of push pins placed along said axial keyslot are likely formed as polished rods only different from each other in length, their lower ends being tapered to form smooth inclinded planes adapted to receiving urging force from said inclined planes of said key teeth when the key is inserted into said key channel.

7. A manually rearrangeable permuation lockset as defined in claim 6 wherein: Said set of push pins are numbered with reference to their various length, while said set of key teeth are provided and also numbered in a manner that each pair of said push pin and key tooth having identical reference number always produce equal total length when engaged with each other to retract each corresponding lock pin from original restricting position to a new unlocking lever, thus permitting rotation of said lock core for unlocking other related lock mechanism.

8. A manually rearrangeable permutation lock set as defined in claim 6 wherein: Said set of separable key teeth are precisely removably fitted in said key tooth groove at their lower portions in sequence and said set of push pins are placed along said axial keyslot at their lower ends with their upper ends extending through said topwall openings of said push pin case for receiving urging force from said upper portions of said key teeth correspondingly when said upper portions thereof are inserted through said keyslot.

9. A manually rearrangeable permutation lock set as defined in claim 6 wherein: Said upper portions of said key teeth are polishedly tapered in width with a trapezoid-plate configuration.

10. A lock set substantially as hereinbefore described and as shown in the accompanying drawings.