GB2232439A

GB2232439A - Flexible key; lock

Info

Publication number: GB2232439A
Application number: GB9009033A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Henry Emmett
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-04-28
Filing date: 1990-04-23
Publication date: 1990-12-12
Also published as: GB9009033D0

Abstract

Key 10 comprises a handle 22, a lock engaging portion 20 and flexible means specifically in the form of at least one coil spring connecting the handle 22 and portion 20. Such key is used with the closure mechanism of Figure 3 which has a sheath 28 - the key flexes in the sheath 28 to enable it to advance towards lock 38, which is not visible. As seen in Figures 1, 3 the key 10 has an inner coil spring 12, an outer coil spring 14 and a spring 24. Annular members 16 have guide formations (18, Figure 2) complementary to guide formations (36, Figure 5) on escutcheon plate 34. The sheath 28 comprises elongate members 30 and the formations (18) engage with the elongate members 30 as the key 10 inserted in the sheath 28. <IMAGE>

Description

FLEXIBLE KEY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a key, to a closure member for use with the key, and to a combination of the key and closure member.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides in the first instance a key which includes a lock engaging portion, a handle, and flexible means which connects the handle to the lock engaging portion.

The flexible means thus acts as a flexible shaft.

The flexible means may include at least one spring. The spring may comprise a coil spring and the handle and the lock engaging portion may be fixed to opposing respective ends of the coil spring.

The coil spring may be located within a flexible sheath. The flexible sheath may comprise any suitable device and may be made from a resilient material . In a preferred form of the invention however the flexible sheath is a second coil spring.

The first coil spring may be rotatable about its longitudinal axis at least to a limited extent relatively to the sheath.

The key may include biasing means with the first coil spring being rotatable in a first sense of rotation from a first position to a second position against the action of the biasing means which thereafter acts to restore the first coil spring to its first position.

The key may include a plurality of registering guide formations at least on the flexible means. The guide formations may be located at spaced positions on an external surface of the flexible means.

The invention further extends to a key which includes a flexible shaft in combination with a lock which is positioned at one end of a non-linear sheath into which the shaft is insertable.

The invention further provides a closure mechanism which includes a key-actuable lock and sheath means which at a first end includes escutcheon means and which at a second end is engaged with the lock.

The sheath means may be non-linear. Thus the sheath means may follow any suitable path between the escutcheon means and the lock. The sheath means may include one bend or a plurality of bends. In one form of the invention the sheath means is bent through 900. In a different form of the invention the sheath means is bent through 1800.

The sheath means may be made from a tube. Alternatively the sheath means is made from a plurality of parallel spaced apart elongate 'members. With either form of construction the sheath means preferably includes a plurality of spaced apart and parallel elongate formations. These formations may, in the respective form of construction referred to, be constituted by the parallel elongate 'members.

The invention also provides in combination a key and a closure mechanism of the types described wherein the flexible means of the key is slidingly movable inside and along the sheath means of the closure mechanism whereby the lock engaging portion is brought into engagement with the lock and, by being moved, actuates the lock.

The guide formations on the flexible means may be adapted to engage with the elongate formations of the sheath means and permit sliding movement of the flexible means relatively to the sheath means while maintaining a predetermined relative axial orientation of the flexible means and the sheath means.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view, partly sectioned, of a key according to one form of the invention, Figure 2 is an end view of the key of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a side view of a closure mechanism for use with the key of Figure 1, Figure 4 is a cross sectional view through the closure mechanism of Figure 3 indicating the face of a lock of the closure mechanism, and Figure 5 shows an escutcheon end of the closure mechanism of Figure 3.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings illustrate a key 10 according to the invention which includes an inner coil spring 12, an outer coil spring 14, a plurality of spaced and registering annular members 16 which are fixed to an outer surface of the spring 14 and which carry registering guide formations 18, a key engaging portion 20 which is fixed to one end of the inner spring 12 and which normally is surrounded by an adjacent portion of the spring 14, a handle 22 which is secured to an opposing end of the inner spring 12, and a coil spring 24 which surrounds a portion of the handle 22 and which has its ends fixed respectively to the handle 22 and to the outer spring 14.

The nature of the lock engaging portion 20 may vary in any appropriate manner according to the lock with which the key is to be used.

Figures 3 to 5 illustrate a closure mechanism which is suitable for use with the key 10 of Figure 1. The closure mechanism includes a sheath 28 which is made from a plurality of parallel elongate and spaced apart members 30, supports 32 to which the members 30 are mounted, an escutcheon plate 34 which is mounted to one end of the sheath and which carries inwardly extending guide formations 36, shown in Figure 5, and a lock 38 which is fixed to the opposing end of the sheath and which includes a key aperture 40, shown in Figure 4.

The escutcheon plate 34 of the mechanism 36 is intended to be mounted to any suitable mounting surface 42 in such a way that the sheath 28 and the lock 38 are obscured from view. It is therefore not possible by inspection to determine the nature of the lock. The sheath 28 is bent, in this example, through 900 and consequently it is not possible by peering down the sheath to examine the lock 38.

The guide formations 36, on the escutcheon plate 34, are in register with the elongate members 30 which thus act as extensions of the guide formations and, at the same time, define the shape of the sheath. The guide formations are complementary in shape to the guide formations 18 formed in the members 16 which are fixed to the outer surface of the spring 14, as shown in Figure 1.

The coil spring 24 which acts between the handle 22 and the outer spring 14 biases the handle to a reference position relatively to the outer spring and hence relatively to the guide formations 18. The key engaging portion 20 is therefore biased in the same way to a reference position.

To actuate the lock 38 the key 10 is inserted into the sheath 28 with the key engaging portion 20 being foremost. The guide formations 18 are correctly engaged with the guide formations 36 of the escutcheon plate and, as the key is inserted into the sheath 28, the guide formations 18 are respectively engaged with the elongate members 30 which ensure that the key is correctly oriented inside the sheath 28.

As the key 10 is pushed deeper into the sheath 28 it is guided by the elongate members 30 and, due to the flexibility which arises through the use of the co-axial coil springs 12 and 14 the key 10 is able to flex as its traverses the bend in the sheath and therefore can advance towards the lock 38 while at all times maintaining its correct axial orientation relatively to the sheath.

When the key is fully pushed home the lock engaging portion 20 enters the aperture 40 of the lock and when the handle 22 is rotated torque is transmitted via the inner spring 12 to the lock engaging portion 20 thereby to open or close the lock, as the case may be. The inner spring 12 is loosely located inside the outer spring 14 and can rotate freely relatively thereto.

The outer spring 14 thus acts as a guide for the inner spring in a manner which permits relative axial movement between these components.

When the handle 22 is rotated to actuate the lock this movement takes place against the biasing action of the coil spring 24.

When the handle 22 is released the spring 24 restores the handle 22 to its reference position.

Figure 1 shows the lock engaging portion 20 surrounded by a section of the outer spring 14. It has been found when the two springs are advanced along a sheath 28 of the kind shown in Figure 3 that the flexing of the springs which takes place at the bend in the sheath causes the inner spring 12 to advance axially relatively to the outer spring and, in this way, the lock engaging portion 20 at the leading end of the inner spring is caused to emerge from the outer spring and so can readily be inserted into the lock 38.If the movement which is obtained in this way is not adequate to cause the lock engaging portion to emerge fully from the outer spring then further axial movement can be produced by pushing the handle 22 axially into the outer spring with the coil spring 24 thereby being compressed, so that the lock engaging portion 20 emerges from the outer spring to a sufficient extent to engage adequately with the lock 38.

A principal benefit of the invention is that when the closure mechanism is correctly installed the lock is not visible. Nor is the orientation of the lock or the orientation of the aperture 40 which guides the key into the lock visible. The security of the lock itself is therefore significantly enhanced. The essence of the invention resides in the provision of a flexible shaft between the lock engaging portion of the key and the handle. This can be constituted by any appropriate device. It has been found that the two concentric springs 12 and 14 function adequately in this respect but it is pointed out that any other equivalent mechanism can be used in place of the springs.

The guide formations 18 and the complementary formations constituted by the elongate members 30 are highly desirable, but are not essential. They serve to correctly orientate the lock engaging portion 20 with the lock. In the absence of these formations however the key can be rotated to a position at which the lock engaging portion 20 is engageable with the lock.

The sheath 28 could be formed for example from an extruded plastics material which carries inner ribs which correspond to the desired guide formations 36. It Is preferred however that use is made of elongate members 30 for gaps then exist between the members which can trap any object, other than a legitimate key, inserted into the sheath.

There are other modifications and alterations which can be made to the key and closure mechanism of the invention without departing from the inventive principles defined hereinbefore.

The invention is therefore not limited to the precise construction or details shown in the drawings or described in the specification.

Claims

1. A key which includes a lock engaging portion, a handle, and flexible means which connects the handle to the lock engaging portion.

2. A key according to claim 1 wherein the flexible means includes at least one spring.

3. A key according to claim 2 wherein the spring is a first coil spring and the handle and the lock engaging portion are fixed to opposing respective ends of the first coil spring.

4. A key according to claim 3 which includes a flexible sheath within which the first coil spring is located.

5. A key according to claim 4 wherein the flexible sheath is a second coil spring.

6. A key according to claim 4 or 5 wherein the first coil spring is rotatable about its longitudinal axis at least to a limited extent relatively to the sheath.

7. A key according to claim 6 which includes biasing means, the first coil spring being rotatable in a first sense of rotation from a first position to a second position against the action of the biasing means which thereafter acts to restore the first coil spring to the first position.

8. A key according to any one of claims 1 to 7 which includes a plurality of registering guide formations at least on the flexible means.

9. A key according to claim 8 wherein the guide formations are located on an external surface of the flexible means.

10. A closure mechanism which includes a key-actuable lock and sheath means which at a first end includes escutcheon means and which at a second end is engaged with the lock.

11. A closure mechanism according to claim 10 wherein the sheath means is non-linear.

12. A closure mechanism according to claim 11 wherein the sheath means includes at least one bend.

13. A closure mechanism according to claim 12 wherein the sheath means bends through 900.

14. A closure mechanism according to claim 12 wherein the sheath means bends through 1800.

15. A closure mechanism according to any one of claims 10 to 14 wherein the sheath means is made from a tube.

16. A closure mechanism according to any one of claims 10 to 14 wherein the sheath means is made from a plurality of parallel spaced apart elongate members.

17. A closure mechanism according to any one of claims 10 to 16 wherein the sheath means includes a plurality of parallel spaced apart elongate formations.

18. A combination of a key according to any one of claims 1 to 9 and a closure mechanism according to any one of claims 10 to 17 wherein the flexible means is slidingly movable inside and along the sheath means whereby the lock engaging portion is brought into engagement with the lock and, by being moved, actuates the lock.

19. A combination of a key according to claim 8 and a closure mechanism according to claim 17 wherein the guide formations on the flexible means are adapted to engage with the elongate formations of the sheath means and permit sliding movement of the flexible means relatively to the sheath means while maintaining a predetermined relative axial orientation of the flexible means and the sheath means.

20. A key which includes an elongate spring, a lock engaging portion at one end of the spring, a handle at a second, opposed end of the spring, and a flexible sheath within which the spring is located.

21. A key substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

22. A closure mechanism substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

23. A combination of a key and a closure mechanism substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

24. A key which includes a flexible shaft in combination with a lock which is positioned at one end of a non-linear sheath into which the shaft is insertable.