JPH046837B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a lock, and more particularly, a bendable tumbler is returned to its original shape using a change key, and then an activation key is inserted while the tumbler remains stationary. This invention relates to a lock that can change the already set key combination by turning the key.

A lock of the general type according to the invention has at least one tumbler in the form of a lever mounted for rotation about a pivot when the tumbler is engaged in the lift of the cut-shaped key. To open the lock by retracting the bolt, use the key to move the tumbler on its axis so that the notch or gate formed in the tumbler is aligned with the "toothed part" of the bolt, or the "comb" that moves with the bolt. You need to turn it around the correct angle. If a tumbler gate is out of alignment with the toothed part or comb, the tumbler will prevent retraction of the tumbler, and if all gates are in the aligned position they will In such locks that accept a comb and allow retraction of a bar, the "shape" of the key, or more precisely the height of each lift portion of the key, controls the rotational position of the tumbler by the key. In other words, the shape of the key is controlled by the position of the tumblers. To set the lock to open with a particular key, or to set it with a different key, it is necessary to vary the degree of rotation of one or more tumblers into the gate alignment position.

Locks are known which are provided with a lever tumbler which has a bendable part which allows the tumbler to be reshaped within the lock to bring it into alignment with a particular key. Such a lock is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,727,439, issued April 7, 1973, and entitled "Module Keylock with Lever Tumbler Having Bendable Portion," issued to Applicant's invention. In the case of the lock shown in this patent, the bendable tumbler is adapted to a particular cut-shaped key by inserting the key into the lock and turning the key while holding the tumbler from turning. Ru. Rotation of the key causes bending of the bendable portion of the tumbler and transfers this bendable portion to a new position corresponding to the respective lift height of the actuation key used. These locks are particularly useful as safe deposit box locks, where the lock can be easily set to a specific key during installation.

More specifically, a prior patent of the present applicant shows a lock with a lever tumbler having a bendable key engagement portion. Prior to bending, the tumbler rests on a first stop within the lock in such a position that its gate is in an aligned position to receive the bolt. The bendable part can be bent initially by means of an activation key. By engaging the tumbler and rotating the key while the tumbler is held stationary, the bendable portion is moved from an initial shape to a new shape or to a particular shape depending on the shape of the lift of the particular key. . The second stop is actuated after the bendable part has been bent by the key. The bending causes the first stop-engaging surface of the tumbler to move into the inactive state, and then the second stop-engaging surface of the tumbler to enter the activated state, thereby restraining the tumbler in a misaligned position with respect to the bar by the second stop.

Although the lock described in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,727,439 can be set to cooperate with a particular key at one time, it cannot thereafter be reset to another key having a lower lift. Once the tumbler of this lock is bent into the aligned position by a certain key lift, it cannot be easily bent to a different lift, whether high or low. However, depending on the field of use, it may be desirable to change the lock combination from one key to another. Such an example is useful, for example, in setting a guard or activation key for a safe deposit box lock. The guard or activation key cannot be changed frequently, but may need to be changed if the safe changes hands or if a group of safe deposit boxes is moved to a different location. Therefore, the provision of a bendable tumbler type lock which not only responds to an initial setting, but also allows the lock to be subsequently reset to another key having a lift higher or lower than that of the key to which it was originally set. is desired.

Unlike Applicant's prior patents, the lock of the present invention can not only be set on the first actuation key, but also on other actuations that have a lift higher or lower than the lift of the first key on which the lock is set. It can be reset later in conjunction with the key.
The present invention provides a device for re-bending the tumbler and setting it on a different key.

To make this change from one set, the tumbler must first be returned to its initial configuration (manufactured or neutral configuration) and then reset from the initial configuration to the new configuration using a different activation key. Implemented by Once set, the tumbler is bent back to its original shape by a change key which acts on the tumbler in the opposite direction to the bending effected by the actuation key. The actuation key engages the actuation key engagement surface of the tumbler and allows the bendable portion of the tumbler to bend in one direction from its initial position to set the tumbler, and the change key acts on the opposite edge of the tumbler. to bend the tumbler back to its original shape. As described later,
Importantly, this change key allows the tumbler to be bent past its original shape.

A first stop in the lock is positioned to stop the tumbler in a rest position, in which it is aligned with the bolt when the tumbler is in its initial configuration, and when the tumbler is set, the bolt is retracted to allow the tumbler to move. can be retained.
When the tumbler is set, this first stop becomes inactive and the second stop becomes active. When the tumbler is bent back to its original shape, the first stop is again in use. However, in order to re-align the tumbler gate for reset, the tumbler must be bent far enough beyond its initial configuration that the first stop is engaged.
When the change key is removed, the bendable part "springs back" so that the tumbler resumes its initial configuration and the gate aligns with the bolt again when in the rest position. The first stop is movable to allow such overbending. In a preferred embodiment, the actuating key post constitutes the first stop. This stop is ``removable'' by turning the activation key to position the post relief near the tumbler. This relief provides space to allow for excessive bending of the tumbler,
From this position, the tumbler springs back to its original shape.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Although the invention is applicable to many types of variable key locks, its most widespread utility is in locks for safe deposit boxes. Accordingly, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described below primarily with respect to locks for such purpose.

A safe deposit box generally uses two types of keys for its operation. The key, called the guard key or activation key, is kept by the bank or other facility where the safe deposit box is located. That key must be used in conjunction with another customer key held by the customer. The bank cannot open the safe with the activation key without using the customer key, and the customer cannot open other safes. The actuation and customer keys act on the guard inside the lock and the customer tumbler respectively. Either the guard tumbler or the customer tumbler, or both, may be rekeyable. The mechanism for changing the guard or activation key is different from the mechanism for setting or changing the customer key, and the customer key may be non-replaceable.

The illustrated safe deposit box lock has a set of guard tumblers and a set of customer tumblers, and although the guard tumblers can be changed in accordance with the present invention, for the sake of simplicity, the customer tumbler is not variable, and the customer tumblers are not variable; It is the same as the tumbler described in No. 3727439,
Reference may be made to that patent for a more complete description of construction and operation. Instead,
The customer tumbler may be made variable according to the present invention, or may be made variable by other mechanisms, such as the mechanism shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-109675.

Figure 1 shows a plurality of doors 10 that can each be locked.
It shows a safe deposit box facility with. 10 doors each
are hinged on one side as indicated by the numeral 11, and on the locking side of each door (the left side of each door in FIG. 1) there are two key-receiving muzzles 14, 15. These are adapted to receive a customer key and a guard key, respectively, for operating a lock 18 mounted on the inside surface of door 10 (see FIG. 2). A guard key (sometimes commonly referred to as an "activation key") activates the guard tumblers of all locks in the facility, but each lock requires an individual customer key to activate the customer tumblers. do. Both the customer tumbler and the guard tumbler must be aligned before retracting the bolt.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4-6, the lock 18 is fastened to the inner surface of the safe door 10 by screws 19 and is housed in a two-part housing having a case 20 and a lid 21. It is stored. The lid 21 has two nostrils 14 and 15 and is provided inside the door 10.
4 and 15 are arranged so as to protrude almost to the surface of the door 10 through an opening formed in the door 10. Muzzles 14 and 15 are adapted to receive a customer key 34 and a guard or activation key 35, respectively, as seen in FIGS. 5 and 6.

A key post 24 for receiving a customer key and a key post 25 for receiving an activation key are rotatably supported at their ends between the nostrils 14, 15 and holes 26, 26 in the back of the case 20. Each key post 24, 25 has an elongated shank portion 28.
and a head 30 held by the flanges or rims of the muzzles 14,15. Therefore, each key post 24, 25 can freely rotate within its respective bearing portion, but cannot move in the axial direction. As shown in FIGS. 4-6, the key posts 24, 25 have slots 32 formed along their lengths for receiving a customer key 34 and an activation key 35, respectively.

A tumbler pivot in the form of a post 38 is mounted between the lid 21 and the inside or back surface of the case 20 (see FIG. 2). The post 38 may be a roll pin, and the holes 39a and 3 provided in the case and lid.
9b to hold the case and cover in the closed position before securing the lock 18 to the door 10 with screws 19. In the illustrated embodiment, this post 38 serves as a pivot for both sets of tumblers.

Case 20 has an end opening through which bolt 41 extends. This bolt 41 has a so-called bolt pin or toothed portion 42 which moves between an extended or locked position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 and a retracted or open position shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. be able to. The bolt 41 has an extension plate 47 located near the inner wall of the case 20 and having an opening 43 . Post 38 for tumbler axis
extends through an elongated longitudinal extension 48 of opening 43 to support and guide bar 41 so that it can slide between a retracted position and an extended position. The aperture 43 is also formed with a portion 44 for engaging and cooperating with a foot or key tip shaped bar pusher 45 mounted on the inner end of the rotatable key post 24. The shape of the bolt opening 43 in contact with the bolt pusher 45 limits the extension and retraction of the bolt.

The lock 18 has a customer key 3 as shown in FIG.
4, and a set of lever-type guard tumblers 50, which are operated by the actuating key 35. One of the guard tumblers 50 is shown in FIG. has been done. In the illustrated embodiment, seven tumblers of each type are arranged alternately within the case (see FIG. 2), but the number of tumblers and their mutual arrangement are not critical. all tumblr 49,
50 is adapted to swing about post 38.

As shown in FIG. 2, it is preferable that the customer tumbler 49 and the guard tumbler 50 are inserted alternately onto the post 38, with one customer tumbler 49 placed near the lid 21, followed by the guard tumbler 50.
It is preferable to place the first customer tumbler, then place the second customer tumbler, and then alternately place the guard tumbler and the customer tumbler. For a more detailed description of the preferred shape of customer tumbler 49, reference may be made to the applicant's aforementioned US Pat. No. 3,727,439.

Only one customer tumbler 49 and one guard tumbler 50 are shown in FIGS. 4-6 to simplify the drawings. It will be readily appreciated that the other tumblers in each set have the same external shape except that the gate position and therefore the alignment position differs from tumbler to tumbler.

Guard tumbler 50 is preferably a thin, flat member, one example of which is shown in FIG. The general shape of guard tumbler 50 can be the same as that shown in the applicant's aforementioned US patents. Guard tumbler 50 is post 3
8 and is urged clockwise about this pivot by a spring 51. At one end of each tumbler is a bolt 41.
A gate 52 is formed which receives the toothed portion 42 when it is retracted as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. When a combination is set in the lock by bending the tumbler in the manner described below, the stop edge 53 of the tumbler is pressed against the shank 28 of the key post 24 to hold the tumbler in its rest position. In this rest position, the tumbler gate 52 is out of alignment with the bolt 41, and the bolt 41 cannot be retracted unless a key is operated.

As shown in FIG. 3, the guard tumbler 50 includes:
An actuation key engagement lip 54 is provided. This edge 54 is preferably located on the elongated arm 55 of the tumbler. The arm 55 is bendable relative to the gate about a neck-like bendable portion 56. In the illustrated embodiment, the bendable portion 56 is formed from a tapered neck. FIG. 3 shows several states in which the arm 55 is bent with respect to the gate 52, and the chain line indicates the initial state at the time of manufacture, that is, the neutral state;
Solid lines indicate set conditions corresponding to one key lift, and dotted lines indicate other set conditions corresponding to other key lifts.

When originally manufactured or supplied from the factory, the tumbler is unbent and occupies a neutral or initial position. In this state, the actuating key engaging edge 54 acts as a first stop surface and is supported by the post 25 under the bias of the spring 51, but in this state the stop edge 53 is separated from the post 24 and the gate is closed. It does not act to cause misalignment. Therefore, in this position, the gate of the tumbler is connected to the toothed part 4 of the bolt 41.
2, and the bolts can be retracted without having to align the gates again.

The tumbler can be changed from its initial configuration to the set configuration (i.e., the first
The key lift height can be bent to shape). The tumbler can be kept unbending in various ways, such as by pressing or gripping, but it is preferred that the toothed portion 42 of the bolt 41 engages the gate 52 for this purpose. With the tumbler stationary, the guard key is actuated to engage the activation key engagement edge 54 and bend the arm 55 around the bendable portion 56 (counterclockwise in FIG. 3). Set the key lift height. Although the instructions for setting the tumbler 50 are the same as those described in Applicant's earlier patent, there is nothing in this patent regarding how the tumbler can be set on other key lifts, especially at lower lift heights. There's no suggestion. originally,
There was no known technique for bending a tumbler once it had been bent. The earlier patents did not disclose a device for converting the tumbler to different keys. Furthermore, even if the tumbler is bent again to its initial or neutral condition in which the actuation key engagement lip 54 rests on the post 25 and again functions as a stop, the arm will not retain its position; It was believed that its elasticity would cause it to move to a slightly different position as soon as the bending force was removed.

However, it has now been found that the tumbler unexpectedly bends to its initial or neutral state, and devices have also been discovered that take into account the rebound. The tumbler can be bent back to its original shape by bending it in a direction opposite to the direction in which it was originally bent (clockwise in FIGS. 4-6). A guard tumbler change key 60 is used to perform this reverse bend (see Figure 5). However, when the change key is removed from the arm 55, the arm 55 rebounds from the post 25 due to its elasticity and moves away from the post 25.
It is not sufficient just to bend it so that it is in contact with the post 25. Such rebound effects can be offset by bending the arm beyond its initial position. A post 25 acting as a stop normally prevents such excessive bending, but in this embodiment the stop or post 25 is rotatable and has a relief 65 (described below) which partially reduces its diameter. is provided to allow a sufficient amount of overbending so that the rebound moves the actuating key engagement lip 54 to its initial neutral position.

Insert the change key 60 into the opening 61 at the bottom of the case.
Insert into case 20 through. This opening 61
constitutes a device for receiving and pivoting the change key 60 into a position that allows the change key 60 to be rotated into engagement with the change key engaging lip 63 of the tumbler 50. The tip of the key is pivotally supported in a recess (not shown) in the lid 21. It should be noted that when the bottom of the case 20 has sufficient thickness, this recess is unnecessary since sufficient bearing area is provided to support the shaft of the change key.

As shown in FIG. 5, the change key 60 engages a change key engagement edge 63 on the arm opposite the activation key engagement edge 54. In order to return the arm 55 to its original position, first bend the arm beyond that position using the change key. In order to make this "excessive bending" possible, the tip of the change key should be oversized. In the illustrated embodiment, the above-mentioned flat relief 65 is provided on the side of the post near the activation key engaging edge 54 when the change key is activated (see FIG. 5). As shown in FIG.
When the key post 25 assumes a rotational position away from the tumbler, the circumference of the post near the actuation key engagement edge 54 engages the edge of the tumbler to maintain it in its initial configuration and prevent excessive bending. However, when the post 25 is rotated so that the flat relief 65 faces the activation key engagement edge 54 (see FIG. 5), the post circumference does not capture the activation key engagement edge 54. In other words, the stop defined by post 25 is rotated to a position that does not prevent excessive bending, and the stop is effectively removed. It is therefore possible to bend the arm 55 past the position of the activation key engagement edge 54 that would be blocked by the post 25 assuming there is no relief 65. In the illustrated embodiment, a relief 65 is formed in the post 25 since it forms a stop device for the tumbler. Therefore, the relief 65 can be omitted by using a different configuration of the stop device.

The actuation key engagement edge 54 is restrained by the post 25 before bending the tumbler from its initial condition to fit the key.
is the first one that controls the tumbler gate position.
Acts as a stop edge. When the tumbler has been bent to fit a particular key, arm 55 has been moved sufficiently from its original position as described above to allow stop edge 53 to function as a second stop edge. In the rest position, the stop edge 53
abuts against the key post 24 and acts as a second stop edge that controls the rest position of the tumbler. In this state, the tumbler is out of alignment.

Surprisingly, contrary to initial expectations, the tumbler has at least been made to work accurately with different keys.
It has been found by the inventor that it is possible to bend and rebend this as many as 25 times. This is more than enough to allow replacement of all the guard keys or actuation keys that are actually required. In order to facilitate such repeated bending, the material from which the tumbler is made must not be elastic but must be deformable by bending. The preferred material is a copper alloy, although other materials may be used as appropriate.

Traditionally, safe deposit box guard tumblers have been assembled to fit a specific operating key of the equipment in use, or once set to a specific operating key, cannot be changed from that operating key. The present invention solves this problem. The lock can be fitted to the first actuation key and then rebended to fit a different actuation key if the actuation key should be changed.

The operation of the lock according to the preferred embodiment of changing the guard tumbler of the lock from one key to another can be summarized as follows.

b Insert the first operating key 35 and turn to set (align) the guard tumbler.

(b) Insert the customer key 34 and turn it. This puts the lock in the state shown in Figure 6 and the bolt is retracted.

C Next, turn the activation key back to the inserted position and remove it. Therefore, the guard tumbler post 25 is rotated using the tip of the key or the like to align the relief 65 with the operating key engagement edge 54.

Insert the change key 60, turn it to the position shown in Figure 5, then turn it back and remove it.
This returns the guard tumbler to its initial or neutral state.

E Next, turn the tumbler post 25 back to the key insertion position. Insert the new guard key and bend the tumbler from the neutral state to the new state. The lock is now set with the desired new key and is ready for normal operation.

In the above explanation, we have mainly explained improvements that take into account the rebound when bending the tumbler to the neutral state, but the rebound due to elasticity is also taken into consideration when inserting a new key and bending the tumbler from the neutral state to the new state. ing. That is, when bending the tumbler from a neutral condition to a new condition, the activation key first contacts the edge of the tumbler at an angle, and when the key is rotated until it is perpendicular to the edge of the tumbler, the tumbler is subjected to excessive bending. When the key is further rotated beyond this perpendicular position, an elastic bounce occurs, and the tumbler is aligned with the gate in the final state.

The present invention has been described above as being applied mainly to the guard key of a double-key safe-deposit box lock, but based on the purpose of the text, the tumbler of the present invention is applicable to either one or both of the double-key safe-deposit locks. It is generally applicable to a set of tumblers, or even to a single key lock. The invention can also be used to reset a portion of the tumbler inside a lock.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing essential parts of a preferred embodiment using the lock of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a side view of one guard tumbler showing several different forms in which the tumbler can be bent, and Figure 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along line 4--4 in Figure 2, showing the tumbler removed after the lock has been set in the key. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 4, but with the lock open when the change key is engaged with the tumbler and the tumbler is bent back to its original state. and FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view similar to FIGS. 4 and 5, but showing the tumbler in the unlocked state in which it has been bent from its original configuration to its new configuration by means of another key. It is. 18... lock; 34... customer key; 35... operating key; 24, 25... key post; 38... post; 41... bolt; 49... customer tumbler;
50... Guard tumbler; 52... Gate; 54
...Operation key engagement edge; 55...Elongated arm; 5
6...Bendable part; 60...Change key;
63...Change key engagement edge; 65...Escape.

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. At least one lever-type tumbler that can be set by means of a key, the tumbler having an actuation key engagement edge with which the actuation key engages;
setting the position of the actuation key engagement edge with respect to the tumbler gate by bending the bendable portion of the tumbler from its initial configuration to the set configuration in a first direction by turning the actuation key; a lock adapted to be able to do so, comprising: a change key; and a device for receiving and pivoting the change key in a position enabling the change key to be rotated into engagement with a change key engagement lip of the tumbler; and the change key moves the bendable portion of the tumbler to the first position.
is bendable again in a second direction opposite to the direction of the tumbler, the bendable portion being configured such that the actuation key engaging edge substantially returns to the initial shape when the change key is removed from the tumbler. having a shape capable of undergoing excessive bending sufficiently beyond the initial shape to resiliently rebound in the first direction until the activation key engagement edge is in the initial shape. A movable stop device is provided for restraining the tumbler in a position in which the tumbler is aligned with the bolt, the stop device being in a position that does not restrain the tumbler when the bendable portion is subjected to the excessive bending. A lock that can move. 2. In the lock according to claim 1,
The change key engagement edge is on the opposite side of the tumbler from the activation key engagement edge of the lock. 3. In the lock according to claim 2,
The activation key engagement edge and the change key engagement edge are locks provided on both sides of the elongated arm of the tumbler. 4. In the lock according to claim 1,
The lock is rotatable with respect to the actuation key engagement edge and has a relief such that rotation of the stop does not bind the tumbler during overbending. 5. In the lock described in claim 4,
A lock in which the stop device is a rotatable key post for receiving the activation key. 6. In the lock according to claim 5,
The key post has the relief on a part of its circumferential surface, and the relief is such that by rotating the key post, the excessive bending can be avoided without the tumbler engaging the key post. A lock that can occupy a position that allows. 7. In the lock described in claim 6,
the key post relief is spaced from the actuation key engagement edge when the bolt is extended;
When the tumbler is bent again, the lock is adapted to be moved back toward the actuating key engagement edge by rotating the key post.