A cylinder lock/key combination, a key and a key blank therefor

(54) (56)

PATENT INVENTOR INVENTOR'S OFFICE NAME

SE key and key subject (57)

Assa AB, Box 371 631 05 Eskilstuna

Lars Wallden, Eskilstuna SE Kransell & Wennborg AB Cylinder lock / key combination and for this

CALLED PUBLICATIONS:

FR A 2,565,281, US A 1,477,318, US

SUMMARY:

A cylinder lock / key combination comprises a lock cylinder (2)

A 1 932 706, DE C 217 999 having a core (3) received in this rotatable or rotatable core with a key slot (4) and a plurality of pins (6) operable by the key (5). The key slot occupies a substantial portion of its length axially extending rod-shaped element (7). The key (5) has a blade portion (5c) having an axially extending portion (5d) provided with a hole (8), in which the slot element (7) is included upon insertion of the key into the lock. The slot element (7) and the hole (8) in the key (5) are eccentrically located relative to the center of the core (3) and accompany the rotation or rotation movement of the core with the aid of the key (5) without being the center of movement. The slot element (7) and the hole (8) in the key may have varying profile shapes within wide limits. The object of protection is also a key to a combination of the type specified and a key substance for the manufacture of such a key.

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The numbers in brackets indicate international identification code, INID code. Letters in clamps indicate international document code.

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Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cylinder lock / key combination of the kind set forth in the preamble of claim 1. The invention also relates to a key and a key blank of claim 8 and 8, respectively. 13 ingress indicated stroke.

Locks and keys for locks in which the key slot occupies a central part of the core, ie in its center of rotation, located slot elements, are known e.g. by DE, C, 36 12 38 (Bergmann),

DE, C, 6 42 131 (Hermann Bode in Hanover), US, A, 877 930 (Katzenberger) and FR, A, 2,525,267 (Toutain).

These designs show the disadvantage that if the pins included in the lock cylinder and the core channels need to be replaced, e.g. in conjunction with a recoding of the lock or if one or more of the pins is damaged, this cannot be done in a conventional manner at the place of use itself.

An axial slot element of the type specified in the key slot has the advantage that the insertion of a tool into the key slot is made more difficult, but since the simple pin change operation described below cannot be performed on site with the aid of a tool of the specified type, the said known type of lock has, despite their cultivation-preventing profits, not winning success in the market.

In the case of pin changing, a tool is often used which is carried through the core from below. With this tool, the pins are pushed out of their respective channels, whereupon a new set of pins and associated springs are inserted and the lock cylinder pin channels are closed.

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The locking cylinder equipped with the core is then ready to be installed in place and ready for use, possibly together with a new key if the pin-change operation has meant coding of the lock.

Further examples of the prior art can be found in US, A, 1 477 318 (Crass), US, A, 1 932 706 (Neer), DE, C, 217 799 (Hartmann) and FR, A, 2,565,281 (Construzioni Italian Serrature Affini).

The object of the invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cylinder lock / key combination provided with a slot element of the specified type and which, despite the existence of such - which makes the locking of the lock difficult - can cooperate with a pin replacement tool which after insertion can remove all pins in the core and / or lock cylinder respectively.

Another object is to provide a cylinder lock / key combination with a new and changed profile shape of the associated key.

Brief description of the invention

These and other objects are fulfilled by a lock / key combination according to the invention by being given in the characterizing part of claim 1.

Unlike the prior art where the slit member is in the core, respectively, the key's rotation or rotation center and as a rule does not rotate together with the core - although this is possible according to the known technology - a new concept for lock and key manufacturing has been created where

a) the slot member is eccentrically positioned and optionally removable in the key slot and included in its rotation;

b) thereby the slot element can be given a different and new function, namely enabling the production of keys with very thin, curved and irregular profile portions, which makes the locking of the lock with a cultivating tool difficult;

c) making illegal key copying more difficult, including because convention

505 780 key elements lack sufficient thickness to leave - after completion of the hole or recess for the slit member - a sufficiently thick material area remaining on one or both sides of the slit member; and

d) a conventional disassembly tool can be used despite the presence of a slit member.

In this connection, it should also be mentioned that there are major limitations in the manufacture of conventional keys with regard to the profile shape and thickness of the key blade. Such a limitation is related to the shear or pull tools used in the key slot design.

Namely, the punch tool becomes weak so that precision cannot be maintained, as some part of the slit cross section becomes too thin.

Thus, in practice, a cross-sectional dimension for the key slot may not be less than 0.8 to 1 mm, which should be the preferred thinnest section.

This limitation in providing the core key slot and corresponding key blade profile is eliminated in the application of the invention.

The key slot can instead be made abnormally wide in the area of ​​the key's back or bottom, which is positive for the breaker tool. The application of the key element cooperating with the axial hole in the key thus causes the actual profile parts of the key blade in connection with the hole or recess to be made abnormally thin, which leads to the above-mentioned special advantages for the lock / key combination according to the invention and without this having any consequences. for use in the key slot in the core, using crushing tools.

In practice, it is preferred that the slit member is detachable from the core after disassembling it from the lock cylinder.

This feature facilitates the above-described operation for changing pins at a point of use, e.g. in conjunction with an om

505 780 encoding the cylinder lock. At the same time, it is ensured that the slot element cannot be removed, e.g. by a person trying to grow this up.

A practically preferred cylinder lock / key combination according to the invention, in which the core has a series of pins, the axes of which are in a starting position for the rotation of the core, when a splitting plane of the pins is formed between pins in the core and in the lock cylinder, falls in a plane of symmetry through the core , is characterized in that an axial line through the slit member or the center area of ​​the hole or recess falls alongside said symmetry plane.

In other words, the eccentrically located slit member may be located adjacent to a plane of symmetry laid through the center of the pins in the row of pins with which the key's coding surface interacts and the geometric axis of the core.

The slit member may be around which, however, is not a requirement. Thus, slot elements of square, rectangular or polygon cross-sectional shape may be used. It is even possible within the scope of the invention to use slit members having a completely irregular or asymmetrical shape, although this, as will be seen, leads to difficulties in providing a hole with a corresponding profile shape in the key.

In practice, it is preferred that the diameter of the pin element or the largest thickness be between 1 and 3 mm. Furthermore, it is preferred that the width of the key slot in the area of ​​the back or bottom of the key has a size of up to 3 to 3.5 mm.

The walls around the slot element receiving the hole or recess in the key may be provided with recesses and / or recesses to give the key a shape that is difficult to copy.

In practice, it is most appropriate for the key to have a circumferential hole in which the slit member is included at the insertion of the key into the key slot in the core. In the presence of such a hole, the key blade obtains the required stiffness even if the hole

505 780 surrounding walls are thin. This is therefore the preferred key design. However, within the scope of the invention, there is also the possibility, instead of a hole, to design the key with a recess extending along the blade portion in which the pin element is included. This recess thereby has a function corresponding to a hole, even though it is not surrounded by material. This design reduces the stiffness of the key part of the key, which can be compensated for by the key being instead made of a more resistant, possibly resilient material.

In practice, the slot element should extend along a substantial portion of the length of the key slot.

The invention also relates to a key to a combination of the kind specified. Significant features of such a key are set forth in claims 8-12. A key blank from which such a key can be manufactured is defined in claim 13.

The hole surrounding material portions of a key according to the invention are, in a preferred embodiment, at least partially thin, namely less than 1 mm, preferably less than 0.7 mm and preferably less than 0.5 mm.

Normally, it is not possible to perform part of a key slot so thin that it corresponds to a corresponding portion of the associated key with a thickness of only, for example, 0.4 mm. As can be seen from the above, in practice it is not possible to use crushing tools to provide these slit portions with a correspondingly small thickness. Using a slit element according to the invention, the problem is overcome in a surprisingly simple way. The actual area of ​​the key slot is broken with a tool with a thickness that is normal or greater than normal. As a result of the applied slit member, these surrounding portions of the key can be said to have very low thickness.

Thus, within the scope of the invention, it is possible to impart to the key a more or less intrusive shape varying within wide limits, with some component parts having very small thickness.

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Some embodiments of the invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a cylinder lock according to the invention with an associated key.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a removable end plate of the lock cylinder of a cylinder lock according to Fig. 1, which end plate is provided with an eccentrically arranged slit element.

Fig. 3 is a partially cut front view of the cylinder lock of Fig. 1.

Figures 4 and 5 are front views corresponding to Fig. 3 of alternative embodiments where the slit member is laterally offset and has a round and square shape respectively.

FIG. 6 is a partially cut away side view of a cylinder lock of FIG.

4.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a key blank for manufacturing a key of Fig. 1.

Description of preferred embodiments

A cylinder lock / key combination comprises a lock cylinder 2 with a rotatably mounted core 3 therein and an associated key.

5.

The core 3 is provided with a key slot 4 and a number of actuable pins 6 of the code 5a of the key 5. The key slot 4 occupies an entire or substantial portion of its length axially extending member 7, which may have varying profile shapes.

In addition to a gripping portion 5b and a blade portion 5c provided with a code 5a, the key 5 has an axially extending portion 5d provided with a hole 8, in which the slot element 7 is included when the key is inserted into the lock.

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The slit member 7 and the hole 8 in the key 5 are eccentrically located relative to the center of the core 3 and are included in the rotation or rotation of the core with the aid of the key 5.

It can be seen from Fig. 2 that the slot element is connected to a removable end plate 9 of the lock cylinder 2. Thus, the slot element can be removed first in connection with the removal of the lock cylinder 2 from the lock housing 1.

In the embodiment of Figures 1 and 3, the slit member falls in a vertical plane of symmetry through the lock cylinder. The slit member 7 is eccentrically positioned relative to the core, i.e., the axis of the slit member 7 extends parallel to and above the center line of the core 3.

According to Fig. 4, the core 3 has a series of pins 6, the axes of which in the shown starting position for the rotation of the core fall into a plane of symmetry for the center of the core. Upon inserting key 5, a splitting plane is formed for the pins between the upper and lower pins included in the core 3 and in the lock cylinder 2.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, an axial line falls through the middle region of the slot element 7 and the hole 8, respectively, alongside the said plane of symmetry, ie the slot element 7 extends parallel to and laterally offset relative to the center line of the core.

The material areas surrounding the hole 8 in the key are thin and can in practice have a thickness of about 0.4 mm.

In the embodiments shown in Figs. 1-4, the slit member 7 and the corresponding holes 8 in the key have a circular shape. The diameter of the slot element can thereby be between 1 and 3 mm.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, the slit member has a square shape. Its thickness can thus vary correspondingly, ie between 1 and 3 mm.

As can be seen from the above, the slit member may exhibit varying profile shapes within wide limits, possibly the shape

505 780 be asymmetrical or completely irregular.

The width of the key slot 4 in the area of ​​the key's back or bottom part 5e can be a maximum of 2.5 mm, but in practice is often smaller, e.g. about 2 mm.

In the embodiments shown in Figures 1, 2, 4 and 6, where the slit member has a circular cross-sectional shape, the hole 8 in the key 5 preferably consists of a bore having a diameter slightly exceeding the diameter of the slit member 7.

The blade part 5c of the key may have more or less erratic shape with the hole 8 surrounding material portions, the thickness of which, as indicated above, may be less than 0.5 mm and e.g. have a value of 0.4 mm.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a blank 5 'from which a key 5 of Fig. 1 can be made. This key blank comprises a gripping member 5'b and a blade member 5'c and has a portion provided with a hole 8 for a slot member 7. The hole 8 is eccentrically located relative to the center line of a core 3 with which a key 5 made of the blank is intended to cooperate.

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