NZ540737A - Assembly of lock plug into lock cylinder using pin retainer clip - Google Patents

Abstract

To install a lock plug in a sub-assembled Euro lock cylinder housing that has a removable pin keeper plug 10 to retain the pins in the lock cylinder housing, a retaining clip 15 is inserted into the housing so that a pin retaining part 17 of the retaining clip slidingly engages with the keeper plug 10 to assume a pin retaining position, the keeper plug 10 is then withdrawn from the housing and a lock plug is inserted into the housing through the same end of the cylinder housing from which the keeper plug was removed, and when the lock plug is fully inserted the retaining clip is removed. The keeper plug has a longitudinal groove 14 into which the retaining part of the retaining clip 15 engages.

Description

No: 540737 Date: 14 June 2005 NEW ZEALAND Patents Act 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION A METHOD AND MEANS OF ASSEMBLING LOCK CYLINDERS WE, ASSA ABLOY NEW ZEALAND LIMITED a New Zealand company of 6 Armstrong Road, North Harbour Industrial Estate, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- OF nZ'W Office] 1 20% ived 2 TITLE OF THE INVENTION A METHOD AND MEANS OF ASSEMBLING LOCK CYLINDERS BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION This invention relates to a method of assembling lock cylinders and a means for carrying out the method. The invention is more particularly directed to the assembly of so-called European ("Euro") pin lock cylinders or any other front loaded pin type tumbler lock.

A Euro lock can be described as a cylinder with two plugs sharing the same axis of rotation that operates a cam(s) situated between them. A Euro half lock cylinder is a cylinder of similar construction to the double cylinder with only one plug.

Typically Euro lock cylinders, as manufactured by a lock manufacturer, are sold to a customer in the form as manufactured. However, there is an increasing requirement for lock cylinder suppliers or locksmiths to re-key a cylinder in order to comply with a customer's requested key number. This re-keying process involves dismantling the lock cylinder, i.e. removing the plug from the housing changing the pins in the plug and then reassembling the cylinder. This is a time consuming exercise and one that places increasing time demands on lock suppliers/locksmiths due to the increasing number of requests for specific key numbers.

SPEC!835 3 The term plug is used in the art interchangeably with terms such as barrel and core. For ease of description the term plug will be used herein.

With other types of key cylinders it is known for manufacturers to supply sub-assembled cylinders where the housing pins are pre-loaded and held in place with a removable keeper plug. This enables a lock supplier/locksmith to re-key the lock plug and then insert this into one end of the lock cylinder housing and in doing so push the removable keeper plug out the other end of the lock cylinder. However, this is not possible with a Euro cylinder because the removable keeper can only be removed from the cylinder housing via the same opening into which the lock plug is inserted. Consequently, use of a known removable keeper plug is not an option with the Euro cylinder.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a method of installing a lock plug in a sub-assembled Euro lock cylinder.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means of installing a lock plug in a sub-assembled Euro lock cylinder.

Broadly in one aspect the present invention consists of a method of installing a lock plug in a sub-assembled Euro lock cylinder housing, said sub-assembled lock SPEC 1835 JUNE 2006 cylinder housing having a removable pin keeper plug to retain the pins in the lock cylinder housing, the method including the steps of inserting into the sub-assembled lock cylinder housing a retaining clip, such that a pin retaining part of the retaining clip slidingly engages with the keeper plug to assume a pin retaining position, withdrawing the keeper plug from the lock cylinder housing while retaining the retaining clip in place, inserting a lock plug through the same end of the lock cylinder housing from which the keeper plug has been removed, and removing upon completion of insertion of the plug, the retaining clip.

According to a second broad aspect of the invention there is provided a removable pin keeper plug for installation in a sub-assembled Euro pin lock cylinder housing, the keeper plug being of a cylindrical shape and dimensioned to be engageable in the bore of the lock cylinder housing to retain pins in the cylinder housing, the keeper plug including a longitudinal groove into which, in use, a pin retaining part of a retaining clip can engage to retain the pins in the lock cylinder housing upon the keeper plug being removed from the bore of the lock cylinder housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the following more detailed description of the present invention reference will be made to the accompanying drawings in which:- SPECT 835 intellectual property OFFICE OF N.2. ' 4 DEC 2007 RECEIV^n"06 Figure 1 is a perspective illustration of a Euro five pin sub-assembled lock cylinder housing and a retaining clip, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the removable pin keeper plug, Figure 3 is a side elevation view of the pin keeper plug, Figure 4 is an end elevation view of the pin keeper plug looking toward the flanged end thereof, and Figure 5 is an end elevation view from the opposite direction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBOIDMENT OF THE INVENTION In the following more detailed description of the invention according to the present invention, the removable pin keeper plug 10 will be illustrated and described in a form suitable for five and six pin Euro pin lock cylinders. This is by way of example.

Referring to Figure 1 there is shown a Euro five pin cylinder E which, in accordance with conventional construction, has midway in the length thereof a cam M. Also in accordance with conventional Euro cylinder construction the Euro cylinder E incorporates a housing formed by a cylindrical body B in which extends a bore and SPEC 1835 JUNE 2006 6 into which a lock plug (not shown) is inserted. Pins (not shown) reside in pin chambers in the body section S.

According to the present invention the Euro cylinder E is supplied by the manufacturer in a sub-assembled state this being achieved by the insertion into the body B of the removable pin keeper plug 10. This keeper plug 10 remains in place in the sub-assembled lock until such time as it is removed for the insertion of the lock plug. The keeper plug 10 can, therefore, be considered to be in the nature of a sacrificial plug as it is disposed of once removed from the Euro cylinder E.

Referring to Figures 2-5, the keeper plug 10 is formed by a cylindrical body 11 which is hollow. Preferably it has therein a bore 12. This bore 12 can either extend completely through the body 11 or be a blind bore i.e. closed at one end.

At one end of the body 11 is a flange 13. This flange 13 abuts, as shown in Figure 1, the end of the body B of the Euro cylinder housing when the keeper plug 10 is fully installed therein. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that for a double Euro block cylinder a keeper plug 10 will be inserted in each end of the body B.

The length of the body 11 of the keeper plug 10 will be such as to span the length of the bore in the body B so as to engage with and retain in place the pins. Therefore, in respect of a five or six pin Euro cylinder the length of the body 11 measured from SPECl 835 JUNE 2006 7 the inside face of the flange 13 to the distal end of the body 11 will be in the order of 34mm.

Formed through flange 13 and preferably the full length of the body 11 of the keeper plug is a longitudinally groove 14. As can be seen from Figures 2-5 the groove 14 is of angular cross-section. This is the preferred form of the groove 14.

In Figure 1 there is shown a retaining clip 15. The clip 15 includes a tab 16 from which projects at right angles three prongs being a central prong 1 7 and a pair of outside prongs 18. The central prong 17 is of a cross-sectional shape and dimensions such that it can slidingly engage in the groove 14. In a preferred form the prongs 1 7 and 18 are of an angular cross-sectional shape as illustrated in Figure 1.

As is also evidence from Figure 1 the tab 16 is transverse to the length of the prongs and the central retaining prong 17 lies in a plane which is spaced from a plane in which both prongs 18 are located. The side prongs 18 are spaced from and parallel to the retaining prong 1 7.

A lock supplier/locksmith having received a request for a particular key will re-key the lock plug. Once this operation has been completed the re-keyed plug will be inserted in a sub-assembled Euro cylinder housing. This is achieved by installing the retaining clip 16 in the Euro cylinder housing by inserting the central prong 17 into SPEC!835 JUNE 2006 8 the groove 14. This will result in the outside prongs 18 locating against the outer surface of the Euro cylinder housing at about the interface of the body B and the projecting body section S. The disposition of the prongs 1 7 and 18 and the location of the prongs 18 in the aforesaid position ensures that the clip 16 remains firmly in place.

During the insertion of the prong 17, it will engage with and press the pins which prior to the insertion of the prong will have engaged against the floor of the groove 14. The length of the prong 17 is, therefore, sufficient to span over all of the pins in the sub-assembled cylinder and, therefore, retain the pins.

With the retaining clip 15 in place the pin keeper 10 can be removed. This thus leaves the retaining clip 1 5 in place thereby retaining the pins in the lock housing. The lock plug is then inserted into the body B and when fully installed the retaining clip 15 is removed.

Accordingly, as a result of the inter-relationship, it is possible between the removable keeper 10 and the retaining clip 15 that a lock plug can be inserted into the lock cylinder housing through the same opening from which the removable keeper plug has been removed. As a result, it is possible to have a sub-assembled Euro pin cylinder thereby enabling a lock supplier/locksmith to receive as separate unit the sub-assembled assembly and the lock plug, which removes the current need to firstly disassemble the Euro cylinder before re-keying the barrel.

SPECl835 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.Z 01 AUG 2007 JUNE 2006 9 It is then a simple procedure to insert the retaining clip 15, remove the keeper plug 10, install the correctly keyed lock plug and remove the retaining clip 15. This is a far less time consuming operation than the conventional method currently practised with Euro cylinders thereby resulting in a more efficient pre-pinning operation of the lock plug to be carried out.

SPECl835 JUNE 2006

Claims (16)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS;

1. A method of installing a lock plug in a sub-assembled Euro lock cylinder housing, said sub-assembled lock cylinder housing having a removable pin keeper plug to retain the pins in the lock cylinder housing, the method including the steps of inserting into the sub-assembled lock cylinder housing a retaining clip, such that a pin retaining part of the retaining clip slidingly engages with the keeper plug to assume a pin retaining position, withdrawing the keeper plug from the lock cylinder housing while retaining the retaining clip in place, inserting a lock plug through the same end of the lock cylinder housing from which the keeper plug has been removed, and removing upon completion of insertion of the plug, the retaining clip.

2. A removable pin keeper plug for installation in a sub-assembled Euro pin lock cylinder housing, the keeper plug being of a cylindrical shape and dimensioned to be engageable in the bore of the lock cylinder housing to retain pins in the cylinder housing, the keeper plug including a longitudinal groove into which, in use, a pin retaining part of a retaining clip can engage to retain the pins in the lock cylinder housing upon the keeper plug being removed from the bore of the lock cylinder housing.

3. A pin keeper plug as claimed in claim 2 wherein the keeper plug is hollow. intellectual prope office of n.z. 14 DEC 2007 RECEIVED 11

4. A pin keeper plug as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein the plug includes a flange at one end thereof.

5. A pin keeper plug as claimed in claim 4 wherein the groove extends for substantially the length of the plug and extends through the flange.

6. A pin keeper plug as claimed in any one of preceding claims 2 to 5 wherein the plug is of a length such that it extends over all pins in a lock cylinder housing when the keeper plug is inserted therein.

7. A pin keeper plug as claimed in any one of preceding claims 2 to 6 wherein the groove is of angular cross-section.

8. A pin keeper plug as claimed in any one of preceding claims 2 to 7 in combination with a retaining clip, the retaining clip including a pin retaining part in the form of a prong configured to slidingly engage in the groove of the keeper plug, the retaining prong being coupled to a tab.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein the retaining clip includes at least one side prong which is spaced from and extends from the tab substantially parallel to the retaining prong. SPEC1835 JUNE 2006 12

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein there are two side prongs with the retaining prong located centrally between the side prongs.

11. The combination of claims 9 or 10 wherein the tab is transverse to the length of the prongs.

12. The combination of claim 11 wherein the side prong(s) are spaced from the retaining prong such that when the retaining clip is installed in a lock cylinder housing the side prong(s) engage with an external surface of the lock cylinder housing.

13. The combination of claim 12 wherein the retaining prong lies in a plane which is spaced from a plane in which lies the side prong(s).

14. The combination of any one of claims 9 to 13 wherein the prong(s) are of angular cross-section.

15. A method of installing a lock plug in a sub-assembled Euro lock cylinder housing substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. SPECl835 JUNE 2006 13

16. A removable pin keeper plug for installation in the sub-assembled Euro pin lock cylinder housing substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. ASSA ABLOY NEW ZEALAND LIMTIED By its Attorney DON HOPKINS & ASSOCIATES PER: SPEC 1835 JUNE 2006