KR19980702786A - Key with mechanically changeable cylinder lock, and rolling pin - Google Patents

Abstract

In the cylinder lock 10 which can change a key combination, the cylinder housing 14 which forms the bore 17, the plug 16 which is arrange | positioned in the bore 17, and forms the key passage 22, And at least one plug pin 25 disposed in the plug along the axis of the at least one plug pin and in communication with the key passage, wherein the at least one plug pin 25 has a keyed end face communicating with the key passage. 37, wherein the keyed end face 37 is configured to change the key combination of the cylinder lock by rotating the plug pin 25 about its axis, the cylinder housing 14 having one or more An access hole 20 is formed, which access hole is adapted to change the key combination of the cylinder lock through the rotation of the one or more plug pins 25 about the axis of the plug pin. ) And selectively adjust the rotational position of the at least one plug pin. Several keys suitable for use in the lock are also described and claimed.

Description

Key with mechanically changeable cylinder lock, and rolling pin

Changing the key combination of the lock is often desirable. This is usually motivated in terms of security. For example, there may be cases where it would be desirable to disallow further access to someone who was previously granted access. Likewise, the key combinations of the locks can be changed to exclude access by thieves or learners of lost keys. When using the prior art, changing the lock requires dismantling the existing cylinder lock and replacing the pin of the lock.

A configuration of a cylinder lock has been proposed that can mechanically change the key combination of the lock. Important examples of machine-modified locks include US Pat. No. 4,912,953; 4,376,382; 3,910,083; 3,589,153; 3,210,973; 3,149,486; 3,143,875; 3,059,462; 2,895,323; 2,453,066; 2,266,163; 2,113,007; 1,917,302; 1,859,451; 1,778,680; 1,259,353; 666,697.

The following additional US patents are patents believed to be related to the subject matter of the present invention, listed as follows; U.S. Patent 5,349,830; 5,289,709; 5,176,015; 5,161,397; 5,103,661; 5,067,335; 4,932,229; 4,866,964; 4,836,002; 4,829,798; 4,741,188; 4,723,427; 4,635,455; 4,461,161; 4,393,673; 4,359,885; 4,328,690; 4,098,103; 3,987,654; 3,985,010; 3,955,388; 3,777,520; 3,722,240; 3,514,982; 3,499,303; 3,413,831; 2,221,664; 2,194,469; 2,023,847; 1,549,581; 570,391; Reissued patent no. 30,198; Reissued patent number 31,910; Canadian Patent No. 1,142,768.

The combination of the locks of the above patents can be easily changed without replacing the cylinder lock, but all of these locks have the disadvantage of having to replace the key (s) each time the combination of the cylinder lock is changed.

The present invention relates to a cylinder lock, in particular a cylinder lock capable of changing the key combination.

1 is an end view of a cylinder lock according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the cylinder lock taken in a plane parallel to the cylinder lock of FIG. 1. FIG.

3 is a side cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a cylinder lock according to the invention taken along line III-III of FIG. 1;

4 is a top cross-sectional view of the cylinder lock of FIG. 1 taken along line IV-IV of FIG.

5 is a perspective view of a pin that can be used in the present invention.

6 is a plan view of one embodiment of the cylinder lock of FIGS.

7 is an end sectional view showing another embodiment of the cylinder lock according to the present invention;

8 is a side cross-sectional view of the cylinder lock of FIG.

9 is an enlarged view of a portion of the cylinder lock of FIG. 8.

10 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a pin according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a plan sectional view of another embodiment of a cylinder lock according to the present invention using a pin of the type shown in FIG. 10; FIG.

12 illustrates a method of simultaneously changing a lock and a key combination.

13 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 12.

Figure 14 illustrates one embodiment of a key according to the present invention.

15 is a perspective view of a rotatable key fastening end face engagement element characterized by a protrusion for use in a key according to the present invention.

16 is a perspective view of a rotatable key fastening end face engaging element characterized by a groove for use in a key according to the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of a key having a rotatable key fastening end face engaging element of the type shown in FIG. 16 that cannot be rotated by pressing; FIG.

FIG. 18 illustrates a process of changing a key combination of a key shown in FIG. 14 independently of a lock; FIG.

Figure 19 is a side cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of a cylinder lock according to the present invention.

20 is an end cross-sectional view of the cylinder lock of FIG. 19 taken along line XX-XX of FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 19; FIG.

Figure 22 is a partial view showing another embodiment of a key according to the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a partial view showing the opposing face of the key shown in FIG. 22; FIG.

FIG. 24 illustrates a plug pin for use in a lock of an unalterable key combination according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

25 illustrates a key of an unmodified key combination according to the present invention.

Figure 26 illustrates a plug pin having an axially asymmetric keyed end face in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 27 illustrates a rotatable engagement element useful for a key designed for use with a lock having a pin of the type shown in FIG.

FIG. 28 illustrates a saddle engagement between the pin of FIG. 26 and the engagement element of FIG. 27;

FIG. 29 shows the engagement in the saddle state between the pin of FIG. 26 and the engagement element of FIG. 27, wherein the pin position of FIG. 29 is separated by 180 ° at an azimuth angle from the pin position of FIG. 28. .

30 illustrates a cylinder lock in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention using changeable combination pins and conventional pins.

FIG. 31 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XXXI-XXXI in FIG. 30;

FIG. 32 illustrates a reversible key useful for the locks of FIGS. 30 and 31. FIG.

33A and 33B are plan views showing the key combination change device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention in a first operating state and a second operating state, respectively;

34A and 34B are cross-sectional views in a first operating state and a second operating state, respectively, taken along the line XXXIV-XXXIV in FIG. 33A;

35A and 35B are cross sectional views in a first operating state and a second operating state, respectively, taken along the line XXXV-XXXV in FIG. 33A;

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved lock capable of changing a key combination, a key used with the lock, and a method of simultaneously changing the lock and the key combination. Thus, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a cylinder lock is provided in which the key combination is changeable, wherein the cylinder lock is

A cylinder housing forming a bore;

A plug disposed in the bore to form a key passage;

The key fastening end face disposed in the plug along the axis of the at least one plug pin and in communication with the key passage and having a key fastening end face, wherein the key fastening end face in communication with the key passage is such that the plug pin rotates about the axis of the cylinder lock. One or more plug pins configured to change the key combination,

The cylinder housing further includes one or more plug pins for selectively adjusting the rotational position of the one or more plug pins such that the key combination of the cylinder lock is changed by rotating the one or more plug pins about the axis of the plug pins. One or more access holes are formed to access.

In addition, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a key for use with a lock, the key being

A tall head;

A shank attached to the key head;

And at least one key is rotatably mounted to the shank portion to selectively adjust the rotational position, the at least one key being arranged such that the keys of the at least one plug pin are engaged with the fastening end face.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a key for use with a cylinder lock whose key combination is changeable.

A cylinder housing defining a bore extending along the first axis;

A plug disposed in the bore to form a key passage;

At least one plug pin disposed in the plug along the axis of the at least one plug pin and in communication with the key passage and having a key fastening end surface, the key fastening end surface communicating with the key passage being axially asymmetrical; Including;

The key is,

A tall head;

A shank portion attached to the key head;

And at least one key is rotatably mounted on the shank portion to selectively adjust the rotational position, the at least one key being arranged such that the key of the at least one plug pin is engaged with the fastening end face.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of simultaneously changing a key combination for a cylinder lock and a key inserted therein.

A cylinder housing defining a bore extending along the first axis;

A plug disposed in the bore to form a key passage;

At least one plug pin disposed in the plug along the axis of the at least one plug pin and in communication with the key passage and having a key fastening end surface, the key fastening end surface communicating with the key passage being axially asymmetrical; Including;

A cylinder lock having one or more access holes formed in the cylinder housing to allow access to the one or more plug pins to selectively adjust the rotational position of the one or more plug pins;

A tall head;

A shank portion attached to the key head;

A key that is rotatably installed in the shank portion to selectively adjust the rotational position, wherein the at least one key disposed to engage the key of the plug pin with the fastening end surface includes a fastening end surface engaging element and is inserted into the lock As a method of changing the combination at the same time,

Inserting the key into the key passage such that the at least one keying end face engagement element engages a corresponding keying end face of the at least one plug pin;

Positioning the key and the plug such that a pin rotational end face of the at least one plug pin opposite the key engagement end face is accessible through the at least one access hole;

Inserting a tool through the one or more access holes such that the keyed end face of the plug pin engages with the pinned end face of the one or more plug pins while simultaneously engaging the corresponding keyed end face engaging element;

The key fastening end face of the plug pin is engaged with the corresponding pin fastening end face engaging element, and at the same time as the key fastening end face engaging element is rotated by the degree of rotation of the plug pin; A method is provided that includes rotating a tool.

Preferably, the key fastening end face is axially asymmetrical.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the plug pin comprises a plurality of plug pins.

The key fastening end face is preferably asymmetrical at 180 ° rotation.

According to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the plug pin is selectively rotatably arranged without limiting the azimuth angle with respect to the plug pin axis when the pin rotational end face is rotatably engaged by the tool, but otherwise It is not free to rotate without limitation.

The plug pin preferably comprises a collar portion, wherein the collar portion is engaged with the pin rotational end face so as to be rotatable by the tool and with respect to the rotational end face when the collar part is restricted for rotation. It is arranged to be selectively rotatable, otherwise it is arranged so that selective rotation is not possible.

According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the cylinder lock comprises a side locking element for selectively locking the cylinder housing and the plug, the side locking element arranged to engage corresponding to the collar portion.

In addition, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a key for use in a cylinder lock, the key combination is changeable, wherein the cylinder lock,

A cylinder housing defining a bore extending along the first axis;

A plug disposed in the bore to form a key passage;

The key lock end face disposed in the plug along the axis of at least one plug pin and in communication with the key passage and having a key lock end face, wherein the key lock end face in communication with the key passage is such that the plug pin rotates about its axis to lock the cylinder. And one or more plug pins configured to change this combination of keys,

The key is,

A tall head;

A shank portion attached to the key head;

One or more keys rotatably installed on the shank portion to selectively fix the rotational position and then fix it so that further rotational position adjustment is suppressed, and the one or more keys arranged so that the keys of the one or more plug pins are engaged with the fastening end faces. And a fastening end face engaging element.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a key for use with a lock disposed along the axis of the plug pin and having one or more plug pins in communication with the key passage.

A tall head;

A shank portion attached to the key head and defining at least one flat shank surface;

And at least one plug pin engagement position formed on the at least one flat shank surface to have a three-dimensional plug pin engagement structure that is axially asymmetrical with respect to the plug pin axis and asymmetrical at 180 ° rotation with respect to the plug pin axis.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a tool for changing a key combination of a cylinder lock is provided, wherein the cylinder lock,

A cylinder housing defining a bore extending along the first axis;

A plug disposed in the bore to form a key passage;

At least one plug pin disposed in the plug along the axis of the at least one plug pin and in communication with the key passage and having a key fastening end surface, the key fastening end surface communicating with the key passage being axially asymmetrical; Including;

The cylinder housing is formed with one or more access holes allowing access to one or more plug pins for selective rotational positioning of the plug pins,

The tool,

A cylinder holder;

One end is a passive support, the other end is a plug pin fastening, and includes an elongate element configured to penetrate the access hole in the cylinder housing.

The invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, as examples only.

The present invention provides a cylinder lock, a cylinder lock key, and a cylinder lock system in which the user can easily change the lock and key combination using a simple tool.

The principles and operation of cylinder locks, keys and systems designed and operated in accordance with the present invention will be better understood from the accompanying drawings and the description.

1 and 2 are end views and cross-sectional views cut in parallel planes, respectively, of a basic embodiment of a cylinder lock according to the present invention. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views taken along two section lines, namely III-III and IV-IV in FIG. 1, respectively.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a cylinder lock 10 capable of changing a key combination is a key that can be changed at the same time or independently of the key combination of the cylinder lock 10 as described below. It is designed to be operated by (12). Unchanged keys may also be used as described below.

The cylinder lock 10 includes a cylinder housing 14 and a plug 16 rotatably mounted inside a bore 17 formed in the cylinder housing 14. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the cylinder housing 14 is preferably formed of a housing sidebar accommodating recess 18 in communication with the bore 17 and extending longitudinally, the plug 16 is formed as a plug side rod receiving groove 19 extending in the longitudinal direction on the outer surface.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, the cylinder housing 14 preferably comprises one or more access holes, which communicate with the bore and preferably extend perpendicular to the axis of the bore 17. And intersect the axis 21 of the bore and extend radially. Three such access holes 20 are shown in FIGS. 3 and 6.

The plug 16 is formed of an axial key passage 22 and preferably one or more plug pin bores 23 extending perpendicular to the key passage 22 and intersecting with the key passage. The plug pin bores 23, which are shown five in FIGS. 3 and 4, each have a plug in a position that can be aligned with the corresponding access hole 20 of the cylinder housing 14 by appropriately rotating the plug 16. 16 extends from the key passage 22 to the outer surface of the plug 16. Preferably the bores 23 are each formed of a restricted azimuth recess 24 (shown in FIG. 4). The plug pin 25 is located inside the plug pin bore 23.

As will be described below, an access hole 20 is provided to allow the key combination of the cylinder lock 10 to be changed by properly rotating the plug pin 25 disposed inside the bore 23.

The keyed end face of the plug pin 25 is disposed inside the bore 23 about the plug pin axis formed so as to coincide with the longitudinal axis of the bore 23 in order to facilitate engagement of the keyed end face with the corresponding end face engaging portion of the key. In order to allow the plug pin 25 to rotate freely within a limited angular range, a limited azimuth groove 24 is provided.

3 shows five rotatable plug pins 25 each mounted within each plug pin bore 23. As will be described in detail below, the plug pin 25 can rotate about its respective plug pin axis inside the plug pin bore 23 when engaged by the key 12 and can be moved in the axial direction. have. As mentioned above, the extent to which the plug pin 25 is freely angularly rotated is limited by the projection 26 on the plug pin which can only move inside the groove 24.

One embodiment of a rotatable plug pin 25 is shown in perspective in FIG. 5. It can be seen that the rotatable plug pin 25 is composed of three parts. That is, the main part 32, which is preferably integrally formed and separated by the central part, forms a main fastening end face and a pin rotating end face, a main collar part 34 generally surrounding the center part, and a pin rotating end. It is composed of a spacer collar 35 which freely rotates with respect to the collar 34 of the rotatable plug pin 25 which surrounds the side surface.

In order to prevent free relative rotation between the collar and the main part when the rotational force exceeds a predetermined limit value, but to allow relative rotation to occur, the collar part 34 is press-fitted in a press fitting manner. Is connected to 32. The collar portion 34 is preferably formed with an axial slot 36. The axial slot 36 in the collar portion 34 provides the necessary flexibility to the collar portion 34 so that relative rotation between the collar portion 34 and the main portion 32 can occur at least when a limiting rotational force is applied. An axial slot 36 is also provided to engage the side locking element as described below. This latter object can also be realized by providing axial projections rather than axial slots as described in more detail with reference to FIG. 10.

The key fastening end face 37 faces the key passage 22 while the pin rotation end face 38 faces the outer circumference of the plug 16 and is aligned by appropriately rotating the plug facing the access hole 20. Can be.

The key fastening end face 37 has a symmetrical shape under 180 ° rotation. However, the key engagement end face 37 is not symmetrical at any rotational angle to engage the rotatable corresponding engagement element of the key 12 which can change the key combination as described in detail below with respect to FIG. 27. In order to achieve this, the axial asymmetrical structure is preferable.

Preferably, the keyed end face 37 of the rotatable plug pin 25 features a protrusion, more preferably in the shape of a chisel head as shown in FIGS. 5 and 25. These blade head protrusions are sized to engage a complementary slot on the rotatable engagement element of the key as described below. As described below with respect to FIG. 10, a key fastening end face 37 may be drilled to engage a protrusion formed on the rotatable engagement element of the key.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pin rotating end face 38 preferably has a slot 39 or similar feature that facilitates rotation of the keyed end face 37, as described below. Include.

As described above, when sufficient force is applied, the collar portion 34 can rotate with respect to the key engagement end face 37 (detailed explanation will be made later). This relative rotation about the plug pin axis is preferably not limited in azimuth, and this relative rotation allows the combination of the cylinder lock 10 to be easily changed using a tool as described below.

As described above, the spacer collar 35 is disposed adjacent the collar portion 34 and surrounding the pin rotating end face 38. The spacer collar 35 is not connected to the remainder of the rotatable plug pin 25 and can rotate freely with respect to the collar portion 34. The function of the spacer collar 35 is described below. A suitable deflection mechanism, such as the pin spring 40 shown in FIG. 2, is used to deflect the spacer collar 35 in the direction of the key passage 22. As shown in FIG.

2 and 4, the cylinder lock 10 comprises a side locking element, such as a side rod 41, in which the plug 16 has a bore shaft 21 relative to the cylinder housing 14. ) To selectively fix it so that it cannot rotate around it. As can be seen in FIG. 7, whenever a suitable key is not inserted into the key passage 22, the side rods 41 engage the plug side rod receiving grooves 19 and the housing side rod receiving grooves 18. Immobilization is thereby achieved.

The side rod 41 preferably comprises a projection 42 which is clearly visible in FIG. 4, which is for each rotatable plug pin 25 with a perforated collar 34. The protrusion 42 may be replaced with a slot as described below with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11.

The protrusion 42 of the side rod is sized to pass through the axial slot 36 of the collar portion 34 of the rotatable corresponding plug pin 25. The slots 36 in the axial direction are adapted to allow the protrusions 42 to pass through the slots 36 only when the protrusions 42 and the slots 36 are exactly aligned both in the rotational direction and in the axial direction. It is slightly longer than the size of 42). This condition substantially prevents twisting the cylinder lock according to the present invention and increases the safety of the lock.

Each protrusion 42 has a lateral side in the rotational and axial positions of the rotatable plug pin 25 and the spacer collar 35 when the rotatable plug pin 25 engages with the appropriate modifiable key 12. The rod 41 is positioned and shaped so that the rod 41 escapes from the cylinder housing side rod groove 18 so that the key plug 16 can rotate inside the cylinder housing 14.

In some cases, in order to use a master key, i.e., a key capable of opening one or more special locks, one or more axial slots 36 of a width larger than necessary to accommodate the corresponding protrusion 42 are required. It may be desirable to make. The master key can be made selectively or additionally by providing one or more axial slots 36.

Preferably, the side rod 41 is deflected in a direction away from the key passage 22 with the appropriate spring 43 shown in FIG. This deflection occurs when the side rods 41 align with the cylinder housing side rod grooves 18, allowing a portion of the side rods 41 to enter the cylinder housing side rod grooves 18 and thus the cylinder housing 14. And the plug 16 to secure the plug to prevent the plug 16 from rotating about the shaft 21 relative to the cylinder housing 14 and to prevent the cylinder lock 10 from opening.

It is not necessary to shape the side rods 41 as shown in the figure and as described above. For example, the side rods may be in the form of side pins or may be other element (s) that perform the same function. All such elements are included in the terms side rod and side locking elements as used herein and in the claims.

10 and 11 illustrate the case where the side rods are in selective engagement with the plug pins. As described above, and as shown in FIG. 11, another embodiment of the side rod 100 features a side rod slot 101 rather than a protrusion 42 in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 6. . The side rod slot 101 is sized to accommodate the pin protrusion 102 shown in FIG. 10, which is replaced by the axial slot 36 in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 6. can do. The side rod slot 101 and the pin protrusion 102 may be engaged with each other in the same manner as the axial slot 36 and the side rod protrusion 42 engage in the embodiments shown in FIGS. .

An embodiment of a modifiable key 12 according to the invention is shown in FIG. 14. The key 12 includes a key head 50 and a shank 52. Shank 52 preferably includes one or more rotatable keyed end face engagement elements 54, five of which are shown in FIG. 14. The rotatable key fastening end face engaging elements 54 can each be drilled as indicated by reference numeral 56 in FIG. 16, or respectively indicated by plug pins as indicated by reference numeral 57 in FIG. 15. It may also be characterized by a protrusion for receiving a protruding or perforated rotatable key fastening end face of 25).

Each of the rotatable keying end face engagement elements 54 is adapted to be engaged by the corresponding keying end face 37 of the rotatable plug pin 25. For example, in the rotatable plug pin shown in FIG. 5, the blade head of the keyed end face 37 of the rotatable plug pin 25 is a keyed end face properly perforated as shown in FIG. 16. Since it is sized to fit into the engagement element 54, the inclined surface of the blade head of the end face 37 directly engages the obliquely cut slot 56 edge. Similarly, in the perforated keyed end face of the type shown in Fig. 10, the perforated portion of the plug pin 25 is sized to engage the protrusion 57 of the engagement element.

Preferably, the rotatable key fastening end face engaging element 54 has a horseshoe or special purpose circlip similar to that sold by Bossard of Switzerland and Seeger of Germany. Similar.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each rotatable keying end face engaging element 54 fits comfortably into a groove 58 (preferably circular) in the shank 52 of the key 12. . When a rotational force above a given limit is applied, the rotatable key engaging end face engaging element 54 rotates inside the groove 58, preferably only when the rotational force is applied using a tool such as a screwdriver, as described below. In order to be able to do so, the rotatable key fastening end face engaging element 54 fits inside the groove 58 and the rotatable key fastening end face engaging element 54 is elastic and deflected outward. .

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the key adjacent to the groove 58 is pressed into engagement with the shank portion, and a locking projection 59 is provided adjacent the groove 58 so that a portion of the key protrudes from such an engagement element. Is engaged with (54), which locks the engagement element (54) so that it is not accidentally rotated once the key combination is set. The locked state of the protrusion after engagement by the press is shown in FIG. If desired, the protrusion 59 can then be removed using the tool 60 (FIG. 12), thus changing the key combination again.

In operation, the lock and key combination according to the illustrated embodiment of the present invention functions as follows. Each rotatable plug pin 25 is characterized by a certain rotatable angle Z, which is an axial protrusion formed on the keyed end face 37 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 10, respectively. Or the angle between the axis of the slot and the axial slot 36 or protrusion 102 of the collar 34.

The correct key 12 is the key 12 of the keyed end face 37 of each rotatable plug pin 25 when the key 12 is fully inserted into the key passage 22. To the extent necessary to ensure that the corresponding rotatable key of the top is properly engaged with the fastening end face, the key fastening end face 37 and the collar 34 of each rotatable plug pin 25 are automatically oriented by rotation together. In order to ensure that, the oriented rotatable key has a fastening end face engaging element.

As the rotatable plug pin 25 is correctly oriented, all slots 36 (FIG. 5) or protrusions 10 (FIG. 10) of the rotatable plug pin 25 can be seen as shown in FIGS. 3 and 11, respectively. The side rods 41 are aligned with each other in a direction facing each other.

If the key 12 is rotated about the shaft 21, and thus the plug 16 is rotated about the shaft 21, the inclined surface of the groove 18 and the corresponding surface of the side rod 41 are The side rod 41 is moved toward the inside of the plug 16 and the rotatable plug pin 25. Since the slots 36 or the protrusions 102 are all properly aligned, the protrusions 42 of the side rods 41 pass through the slots 35, or the protrusions 102 of the rotatable plug pin 25 have side faces. The side rod 41 may be moved toward the plug shaft 21 through the rod slot 101. The movement of the side rods 41 allows the side rods to be completely pulled out of the cylinder housing side rod grooves 18, so that the key plug 16 inside the cylinder housing 14 has a plug axis 16 to open the cylinder lock. You can rotate around).

If the wrong key is used, one or more of the slots 36 or protrusions 102 will not be properly aligned, eliminating the passage engagement of the collar of the side rods and plug pin 25, and thus the side rods 41 ) Remains partially in the cylinder housing side rod groove 18 to prevent rotation of the key plug 16 inside the cylinder housing 14.

Whenever you want to change the combination of the cylinder lock 10, it is desirable to go through the following steps. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the cylinder lock 10 is first removed from the door or other mounting structure to allow access to the access holes of the cylinder housing 14. The correct key 12 is inserted into the key passage 22 to allow the plug 16 to rotate inside the cylinder housing 14.

Next, the plug 16 is shown in FIGS. 3 and 13 so that the access hole 20 is aligned with the pin rotating end face 37 of the rotatable plug pin 25 as shown in FIG. 13. In the case of shapes, rotate them about 180 degrees. Once the access hole 20 is aligned with the rotatable plug pin 25, through the access hole 20 to engage the slot 39 at the pin rotating end face 38 of the rotatable plug pin 25. Insert a tool 60 such as a screwdriver. The spacer collar 35 is hollow to allow access to the slot 39 of the pin rotating end face 38.

When the tool 60 is rotated, it is fixed to prevent rotation by the protrusion 42 of the side rod 41 in the slot 36 of the collar portion 34, so that the collar portion cannot rotate with respect to the plug 16. Relative rotation occurs between the 34 and the keyed end face 37.

Rotation of the tool 60 also serves to simultaneously rotate the corresponding key fastening end face engaging element 54 of the key 12 which is engaged by the key fastening end face 37 of the rotatable plug pin 25. do. In this way, as the combination of the cylinder locks 10 is changed, the combination of the keys 12 is automatically changed simultaneously and in the same manner.

In this way, any desired relative angle between the keyed end face 37 and the slot 36 or pin protrusion 102 of the collar portion 34 can be achieved. In order to facilitate proper angle setting, the outer circumferential surface of the cylinder housing 14 surrounding each access hole 20 features a suitable cylinder housing mark 70 (FIG. 6) while the tool 60 is shown in FIG. It is characterized by an indication 72 as seen at 13. Thus, by arranging the unique housing marking 70 with the marking 72 of the tool, various reproducible angles can be set.

The alignment process can be facilitated using a magnifier 74 or other optical device that is properly focused to show the user an accurate indication. Preferably, magnifier 74 is attached to tool 60 to properly focus and facilitate the alignment process.

The number of possible combinations available for each cylinder lock is quite large. For example, if only 12 different angles are used for each of the five pins as shown in FIG. 6, the number of possible permutations is 12 ⁵ , ie 248,832. 12 or more angles per pin and / or more pins may also be used to increase the number of permutations.

Alternatively or additionally, a rotatable corresponding mating end face engagement element, which is somewhat grooved in pins and keys of some other length, may be used. An example of this is shown in FIG. 8, in which the rotatable plug pin 125 is of different lengths, and the various rotatable keying end face engagement elements 154 differ in height relative to the outer side of the key 112 shank 152. Have parts. The use of pins of different lengths is also effective in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 6, wherein the spacer collar 35 is provided with a side rod protrusion 42 to accurately position the plug pin 25 in the axial direction. A slot 36 of the same maximum size as the corresponding size is formed.

The key according to the invention can be characterized by a key fastening end face engaging element that is rotatable on one or both sides. As mentioned above, when the combination of cylinder locks is changed, the combination of a set of rotatable key engaging end face engagement elements is automatically changed.

If desired, the rotatable key fastening end face engaging elements on one or both sides of any copy key as well as the rotatable key fastening end face engaging elements on the other side of the key are easily modified as shown in FIG. 18. A tool 161 similar to tool 60 (FIG. 12) is used to rotate the rotatable key engagement end face engagement element 54 to a desired position. In order to facilitate the accurate rotation of the engagement element 54, the shank 52 portion of the key 12 surrounding the rotatable keyed end face engagement element 54 may be marked 70 on the cylinder housing 14. It may be characterized by a display similar to (Fig. 6).

Also, to facilitate accurate rotational positioning of the rotatable key engagement end face engagement elements 54, each rotatable key engagement end face rotation engagement element 54 is preferably as shown in FIGS. 14-16. Likewise, it features a notch 58 used in the alignment process. Preferably, the magnifying glass 174 is attached to the tool 61 as described above with respect to the tool 60.

Preferably, the rotatable key fastening end face engaging elements 54 each comprise a series of small projections (not shown) spaced apart on the outer periphery. This protrusion is adapted to engage a spaced complementary depression (not shown) of the inner wall of the groove 58. The presence of such protrusions and depressions makes it possible to more accurately reproduce the combination on the key by making the rotatable key engagement end face engaging element 54 and the groove 58 more preferably engage, preferably producing a click sound.

Similar mechanisms can be used for the rotatable plug pin 25 with the same advantages, provided that at least a portion of the plug pin is a small protrusion (not shown) that can be clicked and filled into the corresponding depression of the corresponding pin hole. It features.

The basic embodiment described above is entirely dependent on the side rods which rotationally fix the key plug with respect to the cylinder housing. In another embodiment according to the present invention, additionally or alternatively a driver pin is used through the cylinder housing to securely fix the key plug relative to the cylinder housing when no suitable key is inserted into the key passage.

In the above embodiment shown in Figs. 7 and 8, a driver pin 180 is used. The cylinder housing 181 includes a cylinder housing pin bore 182 corresponding to the plug pin bore 183 in place. Cylinder housing pin bore 182 is positioned and sized to receive driver pin 180.

The driver pin 180 can be opened by opening the plug pin bore 183 and the cylinder housing pin bore 182 whenever the correct key 186 is not inserted into the key passage 188, as shown in FIG. 116 serves to fix the cylinder housing 181 so as not to rotate about the plug shaft 121.

The driver pin 180 is preferably biased by the spring 189 towards the key passage 188 at the shearline boundary and against the spacer collar 190 so that the spacer collar 190 and the rotatable plug The remaining portion of the pin 125 is deflected in the direction of the key passage 188. The rotatable plug pin 125 and spacer collar 190 are rotatable plugs in the axial position of the rotatable plug pin 125 when the rotatable plug pin 125 engages with the correct modifiable key 186. Pin 125 and spacer collar 190, as shown in FIG. 8, are completely inside the plug pin bore 183 and the driver pin 182 is completely inside the cylinder housing pin bore 182. It has a combined length so that the key plug can rotate inside the cylinder housing.

Keys suitable for use in the changeable cylinder lock according to the present invention have been described so far as combinations of the keys are changeable and shown in FIGS. 14 to 16. However, under certain circumstances it may be desirable to use a flat key that cannot change the combination of the keys and instead locks the combination permanently during manufacturing or cutting. Such flat keys are much more advantageous than conventional Medeco-type keys in that significantly more angles can be used than some of the angles (typically three) currently available in conventional Medeco-type keys.

An example of a flat key in an unchangeable combination is shown in FIG. 25. The key 212 includes one or more slots 213 that are permanently oriented, which are chisel-headed on each rotatable pin of the cylinder lock as shown in FIG. It is sized to engage the part. Preferably, the blade head portion is axially asymmetrical so as to be different in every rotational orientation throughout 360 °.

If at least one key for operating the changeable cylinder lock as shown in FIG. 14 is a changeable combination type, the process for simultaneously changing the key combination of the key that cannot change the cylinder lock and the key combination is related to FIGS. 12 and 13. The same process as described above. However, once a new cylinder key combination has been established, it may be necessary to use a suitable non-modifiable combination of the type shown in FIG. 25 using any suitable technique instead of the technique of FIG. 18 illustrating a method for changing a separate modifiable key combination. Keys can be made.

In addition, in order to increase the stability of the cylinder lock system according to the present invention, it is desirable to make the key operated in such a system not easily reproducible using conventional techniques and not to easily use the margin of the key. For this purpose, it is proposed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention that each key comprises one or more floating members, the function and structure of which are described below with reference to FIGS. 19 to 23. do.

For purposes of illustration, FIGS. 19 and 20 show cylinder locks similar to FIGS. 7 and 8 in end and side views, respectively, in that they include driver pins. It will be readily appreciated that a cylinder lock such as that shown in FIG. 3 without driver pins may optionally be used.

The key 312 actuating the cylinder lock shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 has one or more elements for engaging the rotatable plug pin 325 up or down with respect to the key 312 at a range of displacements. It is different from the key of FIG. 14 in that it can move.

In FIGS. 19 and 20, and in FIG. 21, which enlarges the relevant portion of FIG. 20, the key 312 includes only one floating key engagement surface engagement element 330. Any one or more keying end face engaging elements can be made floating. Preferably the other engagement elements 340, which can rotate about each axis as described above, are fixed at a predetermined position along that axis.

Compared with the engagement element 340, the floating engagement element 330, which can rotate about the axis but does not necessarily need to rotate, is not fixed in the axial direction and can instead be floating. Thus, for example, the floating engagement element 330 is a small window between the first position shown in FIG. 21 and the second position where the flange 250 moves upwards until the flange is adjacent to the retaining member 360. It includes an enlarged flange 350 that can slide inward.

The retaining member 360 is preferably a floating engagement element 330 in the direction of rotation when there is no rotational force exceeding a predetermined limit when changing the combination of a circlip or other spring biased outwardly, or a cylinder lock, for example. It is a spring-like mechanism for fixing). In some embodiments, it is not possible to rotate the floating engagement element 330. In this case, the rotational orientation remains fixed according to the initial manufacturing process.

The degree of immobility in the floating engagement element 330 is preferably such that when the floating engagement element 330 is positioned as far away from the key 312 as possible, a portion of the floating engagement element 330 is formed of the key 312. It's about protruding beyond the surface.

19 to 23, the plug 354 may include a deflection pin 366 that is secured within the plug 354 and is radially deflected by a suitable mechanism such as a deflection pin spring 368. The plug 364 has been modified in comparison with the corresponding plug described above in that it is included.

In order to prevent the floating engagement element 330 from being accidentally rotated, the floating engagement element 330 can be made in the form as shown in FIG. 21 so that the floating engagement element 360 does not rotate at the same time. 330 cannot rotate, and rotation of the floating engagement element can occur only when a rotational force is applied that exceeds a predetermined threshold.

In operation, insertion of the key 312 can be made as described above, but the floating engagement element 330 can be pushed toward the key 312 so that the key 312 can be properly inserted into the key passage. When the floating engagement element 330 reaches the desired position, the deflection pins 366 are floating engagement elements to ensure that the keys of the floating engagement element 330 and the rotatable plug pin 325 are firmly engaged between the mating end faces. 330 is pushed radially inward, and the engagement takes place outside of the plane formed by the surface of the key 312 as shown in FIGS. 19 and 21.

An unaltered key 212 such as shown in FIG. 24 may be used for a cylinder lock whose combination cannot be changed. As shown in FIG. 24, this unaltered cylinder lock is a unitary unit in which the angle X between the axial slot 386 and the trailing head 390 relative to a particular pin is fixed at the time of manufacture. And a one-piece pin 380. This monolithic structure consists of mutually rotatable details and is compared with the plug pin (FIG. 5) used in the cylinder lock embodiment having a changeable key shape.

Unchanged cylinder lock systems have the disadvantage that the combination of cylinder locks cannot be changed, while the advantage is the use of flat keys with slots that can be arranged at various angles of 360 ° or more. The number of angles increases the number of possible combinations, thereby increasing the stability of the lock.

FIG. 26 shows a plug pin 425 having an axially asymmetric keyed end face in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In addition to being axially asymmetric in shape of the keyed end face, the plug pin 425 may be the same as that shown in FIG. 5 and described above. By making the key fastening end face axially asymmetrical, there is an advantage that the number of available key combinations provided is considerably increased, since there is no symmetry in the end face under rotation about the longitudinal axis, plug pin axis of the end face. Because.

FIG. 27 shows a rotatable engagement element useful for a key designed for use in a lock having a pin of the type shown in FIG. 26. Comparing the form of the engagement element shown in FIG. 27 with the corresponding element shown in FIG. 16, the central portion 460 in the element of FIG. 27 is larger than the counterpart in the embodiment of FIG. The blade head 462 saddles and prevents engaging engagement when rotated by.

This can be clearly seen by comparing FIGS. 28 and 29. FIG. 28 shows the exact saddle state where the blade head 462 rests against the central portion 460. FIG. 29 shows an engaged state in the saddle state, in which the saddle-shaped head 462 is restrained by the central portion 460, so that the entire plug pin 425 is moved axially so that the lock is opened. Is prevented.

FIG. 30 illustrates a cylinder lock according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which the modified combination pin and the unchanged combination pin are used, and FIG. 31 is cut along the XXXI-XXXI of FIG. 30. One cross section is shown. 30 and 31 are provided with two rows of plug pins 525 of the type described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6, and preferably of FIG. 26. The plug pin 530 is provided.

FIG. 32 shows a reversible key 535 useful for the locks of FIGS. 30 and 31, an axially asymmetric plug pin surface engagement position 540 to engage the plug pin 525. Is provided. And a plug pin engagement position 550, typically axisymmetric, is provided to engage a conventional plug pin 530. It can be seen that the key of FIG. 31 is reversible.

33-35B show the structure and operation of the mechanism for changing the combination of the lock and / or key in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 33 is a plan view of a mechanism for changing a key combination.

The key combination change mechanism includes a housing 600 forming a bore 602 for accommodating a cylinder in the key passage, which may or may not include a key, and a second key passage bore 604 for separately receiving the key. ). A number of rotating tool passage bores 606 communicate with the bores 602, 604, and the tool passage bores are inserted into the respective bores 602, 604 when the cylinder or key is inserted into each of the bores 602. 6) and in communication with the rotational engagement element 54 (FIG. 14) of the key.

Since the key is right handed or left handed, it is preferred that suitable key position stops 608, 610 are provided to properly position the key within the bore 604. Do. The lock may also be right or left hand. Both types of locks can be accommodated by suitable mounting adapters 611 that are seated in sockets 612. Adapter 611 may be provided for proper external structure of the cylinder.

An appropriately sized dial 613 is provided to relatively easily view the various possible rotational position directions of the plug pin.

34A and 35A illustrate changing the combination of the cylinder locks of the type described above while simultaneously changing the combination of the keys inserted into the key passages of the lock. Optionally, the key may not be in the key passage.

34B and 35B illustrate changing the cylinder combination and changing the combination of the keys located within the bore 604 independently.

While the present invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, many variations, modifications, and other applications of the invention may be made.

Claims (14)

A cylinder housing forming a bore; A plug disposed in the bore to form a key passage; The key fastening end face disposed in the plug along the axis of the at least one plug pin and in communication with the key passage and having a key fastening end face, wherein the key fastening end face communicating with the key passage is a key of the cylinder lock as the plug pin rotates about its axis. One or more plug pins configured to change the combination; The cylinder housing has access to the at least one plug pin to selectively adjust the rotational position of the at least one plug pin to change the key combination of the cylinder lock by rotating the at least one plug pin about its plug pin axis. And a key combination changeable cylinder lock device characterized in that at least one access hole is formed. The method of claim 1, A tall head; A shank portion attached to the key head; A key is also provided rotatably mounted to the shank portion to selectively adjust a rotational position, the key having one or more keyed end face engaging elements disposed so that the key of the one or more plug pins engages with the fastened end face. And a key combination changeable cylinder lock device characterized in that it comprises a. A cylinder housing defining a bore extending along the first axis; A plug disposed in the bore to form a key passage; At least one plug pin disposed in the plug along the axis of the at least one plug pin and in communication with the key passage and having a key fastening end surface, the key fastening end surface communicating with the key passage being axially asymmetrical; As a key for use with a changeable cylinder lock comprising a key combination, A tall head; A shank portion attached to the key head; One or more keys rotatably installed on the shank portion to selectively adjust the rotational position, wherein the one or more keys are arranged such that the keys of the one or more plug pins are engaged with the fastening end faces. Tall. A cylinder housing defining a bore extending along the first axis; A plug disposed in the bore to form a key passage; At least one plug pin disposed in the plug along the axis of the at least one plug pin and in communication with the key passage and having a key fastening end surface, the key fastening end surface communicating with the key passage being axially asymmetrical; And a cylinder lock device having at least one access hole formed in the cylinder housing to allow access to the at least one plug pin such that the rotational position of the at least one plug pin is selectively adjustable; A tall head; A shank portion attached to the key head; Rotatably installed in the shank portion to selectively adjust the rotational position, the at least one key including a fastening end face engaging element disposed so that the key of the plug pin is engaged with the fastening end face and inserted into the cylinder lock device. A method of simultaneously changing the key combination for a key being Inserting the key into the key passage such that the at least one keying end face engagement element engages a corresponding keying end face of the at least one plug pin; Positioning the key and the plug such that a pin rotational end face of the at least one plug pin opposite the key engagement end face is accessible through the at least one access hole; The tool is placed through the one or more access holes such that the keyed end face of the plug pin engages with the corresponding keyed end face engaging element and simultaneously with the pin rotational end face of the one or more plug pins. Inserting; The key fastening end face of the plug pin is engaged with the corresponding pin fastening end face engaging element, and at the same time as the key fastening end face engaging element is rotated by the degree of rotation of the plug pin; Rotating a tool, the method comprising simultaneously changing a key combination of a cylinder lock and a key inserted therein. The cylinder lock device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the key engagement end surface has an axially asymmetrical structure. 3. The cylinder lock device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one plug pin comprises a plurality of plug pins. 7. The cylinder lock device according to any one of claims 1, 2, 5 and 6, wherein the key engagement end surface is asymmetrical at 180 degrees rotation. 8. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more plug pins are limited in azimuth with respect to the plug pin axis when the pin rotational end face is rotatably engaged by the tool. A cylinder lock device, characterized in that it is selectively rotatably arranged, but otherwise freely rotatable without limiting the azimuth angle. 9. The collar of claim 1, 2 or 5, wherein the one or more plug pins are configured to restrict the rotation of the collar portion while the pin rotational end face is rotatably engaged by a tool. 10. And a collar portion which is arranged to be selectively rotatable relative to the rotating end face when receiving and otherwise not capable of selective rotation. 9. The cylinder lock of claim 8, wherein the cylinder lock comprises a side locking element for selectively locking engagement between the cylinder housing and the plug, wherein the side locking element is arranged to engage corresponding to the collar portion. Cylinder lock device. A cylinder housing defining a bore extending along the first axis; A plug disposed in the bore to form a key passage; The key lock end face disposed in the plug along the axis of at least one plug pin and in communication with the key passage and having a key lock end face, wherein the key lock end face in communication with the key passage is such that the plug pin rotates about its axis to lock the cylinder. A key for use in a cylinder lock device in which a key combination is changeable, comprising one or more plug pins configured to change the key combination of A tall head; A shank portion attached to the key head; At least one key disposed rotatably in the shank portion to selectively fix the rotational position and then fix it so that further rotational position adjustment is suppressed, wherein the at least one key of the plug pin is arranged to engage the end surface of the engagement. And a fastening end face engaging element. A key for use with a lock device disposed along an axis of a plug pin and having one or more plug pins in communication with the key passage, A tall head; A shank portion attached to the key head and defining at least one flat shank surface; One or more plug pin engagement positions formed on the at least one flat shank surface to have a three-dimensional plug pin engagement structure that is axially asymmetrical with respect to the plug pin axis and asymmetrical at 180 ° rotation with respect to the plug pin axis. Key characterized by. A cylinder housing defining a bore extending along the first axis; A plug disposed in the bore to form a key passage; At least one plug pin disposed in the plug along the axis of the at least one plug pin and in communication with the key passage and having a key fastening end surface, the key fastening end surface communicating with the key passage being axially asymmetrical; A tool for changing a key combination of a cylinder lock device comprising: The cylinder housing is formed with one or more access holes allowing access to one or more plug pins for selective rotational positioning of the plug pins, The tool, A cylinder holder; A tool for changing the key combination of the cylinder lock device characterized in that it comprises an elongate element, one end being a manual support and the other end being a plug pin fastening, the long element being configured to penetrate the access hole in the cylinder housing. . 14. The cylinder lock of claim 13 further comprising a second holder for supporting a key having at least one plug pin fastener for engaging said at least one plug pin fastener by said elongate element. Tool for changing the key combination of the.