GB2322404A - Cylinder lock mechanism - Google Patents

Cylinder lock mechanism Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2322404A
GB2322404A GB9703836A GB9703836A GB2322404A GB 2322404 A GB2322404 A GB 2322404A GB 9703836 A GB9703836 A GB 9703836A GB 9703836 A GB9703836 A GB 9703836A GB 2322404 A GB2322404 A GB 2322404A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
key
lock mechanism
cylinder lock
bar
locking
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB9703836A
Other versions
GB9703836D0 (en
GB2322404B (en
Inventor
Nicholas Scott Platt
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Valeo Engine Cooling UK Ltd
Original Assignee
Valeo Security Systems Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Valeo Security Systems Ltd filed Critical Valeo Security Systems Ltd
Priority to GB9703836A priority Critical patent/GB2322404B/en
Publication of GB9703836D0 publication Critical patent/GB9703836D0/en
Publication of GB2322404A publication Critical patent/GB2322404A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2322404B publication Critical patent/GB2322404B/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • EFIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E05LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
    • E05BLOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS
    • E05B21/00Locks with lamelliform tumblers which are not set by the insertion of the key and in which the tumblers do not follow the movement of the bolt e.g. Chubb-locks
    • E05B21/06Cylinder locks, e.g. protector locks
    • E05B21/066Cylinder locks, e.g. protector locks of the rotary-disc tumbler type

Landscapes

  • Lock And Its Accessories (AREA)

Abstract

As well as rotary discs 7 for cooperating with a locking bar 11 and thus controlling clockwise rotation of barrel 5 from the key insertion position shown in figure 1, the lock also includes a disc 9 for ensuring that, after anti-clockwise barrel rotation from the figure 1 position, clockwise rotation of the key (not shown) will reset all the discs 7 in their key insertion positions. The disc 9 has an aperture 25 shaped so that the disc rotates as one with the key. Once the barrel 5 has been rotated anti-clockwise (figure 3) from the figure 1 position, subsequent clockwise rotation of the key will cause disc 9 to reset the discs 7 via return bar 13 engaging recess 27 in disc 9 and aligned recesses 33 in discs 7.

Description

CYLINDER LOCK MECHANISM The present invention relates to a cylinder lock mechanism of the kind which incorporates rotary locking discs.
Such a cylinder lock mechanism is disclosed in EP-A0215237. In that cylinder lock mechanism the locking discs are rotatable within a barrel by means of a key and cooperate with a locking bar which can be moved radially into and out of locking engagement with a housing.
Unlocking is performed by rotating the key in one of either a clockwise or a counter-clockwise sense and locking is performed by rotating the key in the opposite sense.
While the above-described cylinder lock mechanism satisfies the requirements of many applications it requires a centralizing spring as without a centralizing spring the only way the key can be removed following locking is to rotate the key beyond the initial key insertion position by a certain angle to realign the rotary discs and then rotate the key back to the initial key insertion position.
It will be appreciated that this over-rotation of the key is unacceptable as it is a consuming and frustrating process for the operator.
This is an important consideration as there are lock mechanisms which cannot use a centralizing spring. One such lock mechanism is an ignition lock mechanism; the use of a centralizing spring being prohibited by regulation.
Conventionally, ignition lock mechanisms have been designed to operate only in a single (clockwise) sense.
However, recent developments have created a need in particular for ignition lock mechanisms which can be operated in both senses.
It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a cylinder lock mechanism which can be operated in both senses and yet ensure that the locking discs are returned to the initial key insertion position after locking and/or unlocking without requiring a centralizing spring.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a key operated cylinder lock mechanism, comprising: a housing; a barrel rotatably mounted within the housing; a set of discs rotatably mounted within the barrel about an initial key insertion position, the set of discs comprising a plurality of locking discs which are rotatable by means of combination surfaces on the shank of the key and at least one return disc which is rotatable by means of a surface on the shank of the key and which is adapted to rotate commensurately with the key; a first, locking bar for locking rotation of the barrel in a first sense from the initial key insertion position in relation to the housing; and a second, return bar for returning the plurality of locking discs to the initial key insertion position after rotation of the key in a second, opposite sense from the initial key insertion position.
By virtue of this construction the plurality of locking discs are all automatically returned to the initial key insertion position on rotation of the key in both senses.
Hence, over-rotation of the key to realign the locking discs is not required.
The present invention also extends to an ignition lock assembly incorporating the above-described key operated cylinder lock mechanism.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described hereinbelow by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a radial section through a key operated cylinder lock mechanism in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 shows a radial section through the cylinder lock mechanism of Figure 1, shown with a key inserted and rotated in a clockwise sense; Figure 3 shows a radial section through the cylinder lock mechanism of Figure 1, shown with a key inserted and rotated in a counter-clockwise sense; and Figure 4 shows an exploded perspective view of the internal components of the cylinder lock mechanism of Figure 1.
The key operated cylinder lock mechanism comprises a hollow stationary cylinder housing 3, a lock barrel 5 mounted rotatably within the housing 3, a set of discs A mounted rotatably in the barrel 5, a first, locking bar 11, and a second, return bar 13.
The discs in the set of discs A are mounted in the barrel 5 with the major surfaces parallel to one another and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing 3.
The set of discs A comprises a plurality of locking discs 7 for locking the barrel 5 in relation to the housing 3 and at least one return disc 9 for returning the locking discs 7 to the initial key insertion position shown in Figures 1 and 4 after rotation in a counter-clockwise sense from the initial key insertion position.
The housing 3 comprises a cylindrical body provided with first and second internal axial grooves 15, 17 for respectively receiving a part of the first and second bars 11, 13. The first and second axial grooves 15, 17 each have first 15a, 17a and second 15b, 17b axial side flanks which act respectively as camming surfaces for the first and second bars 11, 13 and stop surfaces for limiting the rotation of the barrel 5, as will become apparent from the following description.
The barrel 5 comprises a cylindrical body and is formed integrally with, or connected to, a transmission element (not shown) for operating a further, separate mechanism.
The barrel 5 is provided with first and second axial through slots 19, 21, which respectively receive the first and second bars 11, 13. Rotation of the barrel 5 in a clockwise sense is prevented when the cylinder lock mechanism is in the initial key insertion position by the first bar 11 being located partly in the first axial groove 15 of the housing 3 and partly in the first axial slot 19 in the barrel 5.
The barrel 5 is also provided with an internal axial projection 23 for limiting the rotational movement of the locking discs 7 in the barrel 5. The axial projection 23 of the barrel 5 has a sector-shaped cross section of uniform width.
The at least one return disc 9 has a central opening 25 and a peripheral notch 27 for receiving the second bar 13.
The central opening 25 in the at least one return disc 9 has edge surfaces 25a, 25b which cooperate with the shank of a key 29 such that the at least one return disc 9 always rotates with rotation of the key 29. In this embodiment the set of discs A includes only one return disc 9 and this disc is the rearmost disc in the direction of insertion of the key 29.
The locking discs 7 are rotatable by the key 29 and are each formed with first and second peripheral notches 31, 33 for respectively receiving the first and second bars 11, 13, a sector-shaped peripheral recess 35 for receiving the axial projection 23 of the barrel 5, and a central opening 37 for receiving the shank of the key 29. The central openings 37 in the locking discs 7 each have edge surfaces 37a, 37b which act as stop faces for the combination surfaces of the key 29 when rotating the locking discs 7.
The sector-shaped peripheral recesses 35 in the locking discs 7 are of different length. The lengths of the peripheral recesses 35 are longer than the width of the axial projection 23 by an amount corresponding to the angle through which the respective locking disc 7 has to be rotas in a clockwise sense from the initial key insertion position so that the respective first peripheral notch 31 is adjacent to the first bar 11 and the first bar 11 can enter the mutually aligned first peripheral notch 31.
The first peripheral notches 31 in the locking discs 7 for receiving the first bar 11, although not shown as such in Figure 4, are in practice arranged at different distances from the centre line I-I of each of the locking discs 7 and the at least one return disc 9, which centre line I-I extends parallel to the edge surfaces 25a, 25b, 37a, 37b of the central openings 25, 37 in the locking discs 7 and the at least one return disc 9. In the drawings, the locking discs 7 have been shown with the same combination only for ease of representation.
The second peripheral notches 33 in the locking discs 7 and the peripheral notch 27 in the at least one return disc 9 for receiving the second bar 13 are arranged at the same distance from the centre line I-I of the locking discs 7 and the at least one return disc 9.
The central openings 37 in all of the locking discs 7 are identical and are mutually aligned in the initial key insertion position. In the initial key insertion position the upper side edges 39 of the sector-shaped peripheral recesses 35 of the locking discs 7 abut the adjacent side edge 41 of the axial projection 23 of the barrel 5 and the central openings 37 define a free passage for receiving the shank of the key 29.
The first and second bars 11, 13 have a different length. The second bar 13, which is received by the second peripheral notches 33 in the locking discs 7 and the peripheral notch 27 in the at least one return disc 9, is longer than the first bar 11 by a length corresponding to the thickness of the at least one return disc 9.
In this preferred embodiment each of the bars 11, 13 comprises a round bar and the peripheral notches 27, 31, 33 are semi-circular. The bars 11, 13 can, however, have another shape in which case the peripheral notches 27, 31, 33 in the locking discs 7 and the at least one return disc 9 will be formed with a complimentary shape. The bars 11, 13 can also be of tubular construction.
The barrel 5 of the cylinder lock mechanism can in use be rotated both in a clockwise sense and a counter-clockwise sense from the initial key insertion position illustrated in Figures 1 and 4.
The barrel 5 can be rotated in a clockwise sense only when the locking discs 7 have been so displaced by rotation of the key 29 in a clockwise sense that the first peripheral notches 31 of the locking discs 7 are all aligned with one another and with the first axial slot 19 and hence the first bar 11 in the barrel 5. In this position the lower side edges 43 of the sector-shaped recesses 35 of the locking discs 7 abut the adjacent side edge 45 of the axial projection 23 of the barrel 5. On further rotating the key 29, the first bar 11 moves radially inwards as a consequence of the camming effect of the adjacent correspondingly inclined first side flank 15a of the first axial groove 15 in the housing 3, and the barrel 5 is rotated in the clockwise sense. The barrel 5 can be rotated until the second bar 13 abuts the second side flank 17b of the second axial groove 17 in the housing 3. On returning the key 29 to the initial key insertion position by rotating in a counter-clockwise sense all of the locking discs 7 are entrained by a rib 47 provided on the key 29 which engages a step 49 in each of the central openings 37 of the locking discs 7.
The barrel 5 can be rotated in the counter-clockwise sense without difficulty by corresponding rotation of the key 29. In the initial key insertion position the second peripheral notches 33 in all of the locking discs 7 and the peripheral notch 27 in the at least one return disc 9 are aligned and the upper side edges 39 of the sector-shaped recesses 35 of the locking discs 7 abut the adjacent side edge 41 of the axial projection 23 of the barrel 5. On rotating the key 29 in the counter-clockwise sense the second bar 13 is immediately urged radially inwards as a consequence of the camming effect of the adjacent correspondingly inclined first side flank 17a of the second axial groove 17 in the housing 3, and the barrel 5 is rotated in the counter-clockwise sense until the first bar 11 abuts the second side flank 15b of the first axial groove 15. The barrel 5 thus can be rotated in the counterclockwise sense despite the first bar 11 being in the locking position. On returning the key 29 to the initial key insertion position by rotating in the clockwise sense all of the locking discs 7 are entrained by the second bar 13 and rotated in unison back to the initial key insertion position. Thus, on returning the key 29 to the initial key insertion position all of the central openings 37 in the locking discs 7 are aligned and allow the shank of the key 29 to pass freely therethrough.
It will be understood by a person skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the described embodiment but can be modified in many different ways within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
Notably, it will be understood that the cylinder lock mechanism can be arranged to operate in an opposite sense such that the first, locking bar 11 prevents rotation in the counter-clockwise sense and the second, return bar 13 entrains the locking discs 7 on rotation in the clockwise sense.

Claims (17)

CLAIMS:
1. A key operated cylinder lock mechanism, comprising: a housing; a barrel rotatably mounted within the housing; a set of discs rotatably mounted within the barrel about an initial key insertion position, the set of discs comprising a plurality of locking discs which are rotatable by means of combination surfaces on the shank of the key and at least one return disc which is rotatable by means of a surface on the shank of the key and which is adapted to rotate commensurately with the key; a first, locking bar for locking rotation of the barrel in a first sense from the initial key insertion position in relation to the housing; and a second, return bar for returning the plurality of locking discs to the initial key insertion position after rotation of the key in a second, opposite sense from the initial key insertion position.
2. A key operated cylinder lock mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the locking bar is movably disposed between the peripheral edges of the plurality of locking discs and the inner surface of the housing and the return bar is movably disposed between the peripheral edges of both the plurality of locking discs and the at least one return disc and the inner surface of the housing.
3. A key operated cylinder lock mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the return bar is arranged to guide the plurality of locking discs in the radial direction.
4. A key operated cylinder lock mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the return bar and the locking bar, when in the initial key insertion position, divide the periphery of the lock mechanism into two sectors of substantially equal size.
5. A key operated cylinder lock mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the housing has first and second axial grooves formed in the inner surface thereof, each of the axial grooves having first and second axial side flanks which act respectively as camming surfaces for the locking bar and the return bar and as stop surfaces for defining a limit of rotation of the barrel in each sense.
6. A key operated cylinder lock mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the barrel includes first and second axial slots which receive respectively the locking bar and the return bar.
7. A key operated cylinder lock mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the plurality locking discs each include first and second peripheral notches for respectively receiving the locking bar and the return bar and the at least one return disc includes a peripheral notch for receiving the return bar.
8. A key operated cylinder lock mechanism according to claim 7, wherein the second peripheral notches in the plurality of locking discs and the peripheral notch in the at least one return disc are aligned when in the initial key insertion position.
9. A key operated cylinder lock mechanism according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the peripheral notches comprise substantially semi-circular notches and the locking bar and the return bar each comprise a round bar.
10. A key operated cylinder lock mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the locking bar is of at least a length corresponding to the combined axial length of the plurality of locking discs.
11. A key operated cylinder lock mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 10, wherein the return bar is of at least a length corresponding to the combined axial length of the plurality of locking discs and the at least one return disc.
12. A key operated cylinder lock mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 11, wherein the at least one return disc is composed of a plastics material.
13. A key operated cylinder lock mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 12, comprising one return disc which is the rearmost disc in the direction of insertion of the key into the cylinder lock mechanism.
14. A key operated cylinder lock mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 13, wherein the barrel comprises an internal axial projection and the plurality of locking discs each comprise a peripheral recess for receiving the axial projection.
15. A key operated cylinder lock mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 14, wherein the plurality of locking discs and the at least one return disc each comprise a central opening for receiving the shank of the key.
16. An ignition lock assembly incorporating a key operated cylinder lock mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 15.
17. A key operated cylinder lock mechanism substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
GB9703836A 1997-02-25 1997-02-25 Cylinder lock mechanism Expired - Fee Related GB2322404B (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9703836A GB2322404B (en) 1997-02-25 1997-02-25 Cylinder lock mechanism

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9703836A GB2322404B (en) 1997-02-25 1997-02-25 Cylinder lock mechanism

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9703836D0 GB9703836D0 (en) 1997-04-16
GB2322404A true GB2322404A (en) 1998-08-26
GB2322404B GB2322404B (en) 2001-04-18

Family

ID=10808230

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB9703836A Expired - Fee Related GB2322404B (en) 1997-02-25 1997-02-25 Cylinder lock mechanism

Country Status (1)

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GB (1) GB2322404B (en)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2339448A (en) * 1998-07-07 2000-01-26 Valeo Security Systems Ltd Cylinder lock mechanism
WO2007147934A1 (en) * 2006-06-19 2007-12-27 Abloy Oy Key and disc tumbler cylinder lock
US8689595B2 (en) 2006-06-19 2014-04-08 Abloy Oy Key and disc tumbler cylinder lock

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1441026A (en) * 1972-11-13 1976-06-30 Waertsilae Oy Ab Cylinder lock mechanism
GB2061368A (en) * 1979-09-07 1981-05-13 Waertsilae Oy Ab Cylinder lock mechanism

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1441026A (en) * 1972-11-13 1976-06-30 Waertsilae Oy Ab Cylinder lock mechanism
GB2061368A (en) * 1979-09-07 1981-05-13 Waertsilae Oy Ab Cylinder lock mechanism

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2339448A (en) * 1998-07-07 2000-01-26 Valeo Security Systems Ltd Cylinder lock mechanism
GB2339448B (en) * 1998-07-07 2002-05-08 Valeo Security Systems Ltd Cylinder lock mechanism
WO2007147934A1 (en) * 2006-06-19 2007-12-27 Abloy Oy Key and disc tumbler cylinder lock
US8689595B2 (en) 2006-06-19 2014-04-08 Abloy Oy Key and disc tumbler cylinder lock

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9703836D0 (en) 1997-04-16
GB2322404B (en) 2001-04-18

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20050225