Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Cylinder lock and key combination with a blocking element in
the lock
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a cylinder lock and key com-
bination, wherein said cylinder lock comprises:
- a housing having a cylindrical bore,
- a cylindrical key plug being rotatably journalled in
said cylindrical bore,
- said key plug having a longitudinal, profiled keyway
and means for locking the key plug against rotation
in the cylindrical bore unless a correctly cut key
is fully inserted into the keyway,
- said keyway being oriented along a central plane and
having a profiled cross-section being partly defined
by a profile rib extending longitudinally along said
key plug and having a predetermined cross-sectional
contour along at least a part of its length, and
wherein said key comprises a key blade having:
- a cross-sectional profile fitting into said keyway,
and
- a profile groove extending longitudinally along the
key blade, said profile groove having a cross-sec-
tional profile configured to accommodate said pro-
file rib of the keyway when the key is being in-
serted into the lock.
Such lock and key combinations are generally known, e.g. from
the US patent 5,715,717 (Widen). The profile groove or grooves
in the key, and the corresponding profile ribs in the keyway
of the lock, will provide great possibilities to vary the
cross-sectional profile of the key, which is a great advan-
tage.
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OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
Against this background, the object of the invention is to
provide a lock and key combination which provides for an even
greater number of profile varieties.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, this object is achieved by
providing the lock with a blocking mechanism having at least
one movable blocking element, serving as a movable keyway por-
tion and reaching into the keyway in the vicinity of the pro-
file rib, said blocking element being movable from a first
blocking position, in which a first projecting portion of the
cross-sectional profile of the blocking element extends out-
side the cross-sectional contour of said profile rib, into a
second blocking position, in which a different, second pro-
jecting portion of said blocking element extends outside the
cross-sectional contour of the profile rib and is accommodated
by a local recess of a correctly configured key blade.
The insertion of such a key blade will bring about the move-
ment of the blocking element from said first position into
said second position. Thus, the key blade will make contact
with the first, projecting portion of the blocking element and
thereby move it into the second position, in which the second,
projecting portion of the blocking element extends outside the
cross-sectional contour of the profile rib in the keyway. In
this way, the effective profile of the keyway will be changed
when a key blade is being inserted into the keyway.
Moreover, the first and second projecting portions of the
blocking element are non-symmetrical in shape. Only one of
these blocking element portions is visible when there is no
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key inserted into the key way, so when the keyway is free for
inspection from the outside, the second projecting portion of
the blocking element is concealed within a cut-out portion of
the profile rib. Since it has a non-symmetrical configuration
in relation to the visible, first projecting portion of the
movable blocking element, it is also impossible to predict
what shape it has. Accordingly, the effective, local profile
of the keyway is virtually impossible to determine, and it
will therefore be difficult to make a key that will open the
lock on the basis of only inspecting the keyway.
In essence, the blocking element can be regarded as a movable
keyway portion, the shape of which is unknown.
The movable blocking element or keyway portion may be config-
ured in many different ways. It may have a part with a cross-
section which, apart from the second projecting portion, has a
cross-section corresponding substantially to only a part of
the cross-sectional area of the profile rib, or it may have a
cross-section corresponding entirely to the cross-sectional
contour of the profile rib. In the latter case, of course, the
blocking element will match and entirely fill out the profile
groove of the key blade, whereas the projecting, second por-
tion of the blocking element needs to be accommodated by a lo-
cal recess in the key blade. Otherwise, the second portion of
the blocking element will stop further insertion of the key
blade into the keyway.
The second, projecting portion of the blocking element may
have a slanted surface portion, which faces obliquely away
from the associated side wall of the keyway, and the profile
rib may have a corresponding, inclined surface portion also
facing obliquely away from the associated side wall of the
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keyway. Preferably, the inclinational angle relative to a
plane perpendicular to said side wall of the keyway, is about
the same as the inclinational angle of the inclined surface
portion of the base portion of the profile rib.
With such a structure, the second projecting portion of the
blocking element may extend upwards with a tapering end, even
to a region where the keyway (and thus also the key blade) has
a transition between a relatively wide lower portion and a
relatively narrow upper portion, and even so leave a suffi-
cient material region for the key blade to have sufficient
strength in the corresponding transition region.
The slanted surface portion of the blocking element will pro-
vide a relatively large travel distance for the blocking ele-
ment and will thus secure a maximum blocking effect, i.e. a
good capability of preventing an incorrectly cut key blade
from being fully inserted into the key blade.
In an embodiment, the blocking element corresponds to the
cross-sectional area of a base part of the profile rib only.
In a further embodiment, the blocking element extends through
a side opening in a side wall of the keyway from a body which
is movably guided in a side cavity in the key plug, the body
and the blocking element forming parts of a blocking mechanism
of the lock. In this way, the blocking element can be properly
guided for a linear movement elevationally while making con-
tact with a key being inserted into the keyway. Most conven-
iently, the body and the associated cavity are substantially
cylindrical.
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The blocking element, preferably by way of the guided body in
the cavity, may cooperate with a means for locking the key
plug against rotation, e.g. by means of a side bar or by an
end portion of the body extending past a circumferential sur-
5 face of the key plug so as to register with a recess or hole
in the lock housing, whereby the key plug will be firmly
locked.
Such a locking of the key plug against rotation may be supple-
mented by a conventional locking mechanism with lower and up-
per locking pins, located above the keyway and being guided in
associated holes in the key plug and the housing, respec-
tively.
Further features of the invention will appear from the depen-
dent claims and the detailed disclosure of some preferred em-
bodiments which will be explained below with reference to the
appended drawings.
SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure la shows, in a side view a cylinder lock according to
the present invention, with a key blade inserted therein;
Figure lb shows the cylinder lock and key combination of fig.
la in a perspective view;.
Figure lc shows the lock and key combination of fig. la in a
perspective, exploded view, illustrating a locking mechanism
above the keyway of the lock;
Figure 1d shows a cross-section along the line Id-Id in figure
la also illustrating a blocking element;
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Figure le shows a cross-section similar to the one in figure
1d, without an inserted key;
Figure 2 shows, in a side view, a lock and key combination
with a modified blocking element;
Figure 3 shows a cross-section along the line III-III in fi-
gure 2;
Figure 4a shows a cross-section along the line IVa-IVa in fi-
gure 2;
Figure 4b shows a part of fig. 4a at a larger scale;
Figure 5a, 5b, 5c show, in views similar to figures la, 1d and
le (without a key), an embodiment having a blocking element
also serving to lock the key plug against rotation;
Figures 6a, 6b, 6c show the embodiment of figures 5a, 5b, 5c
upon insertion of a key blade into the lock;
Figures 7a, 7b show schematically in perspective views how the
key blade interacts with the blocking element of the lock
(fig. 7b at a larger scale);
Figures 8a and 8b show the key blade of figures 7a, 7b in a
side view (fig. 8b at a larger scale);
Figures 9a and 9b show, in views corresponding to figures 7a
and 7b, a key blade and an associated blocking element of the
kind also serving to lock the key plug against rotation;
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Figure 10 shows, in a side view, a key blade and a blocking
element located closer to the entrance of the keyway;
Figure 11 and 12 show the blocking element and the key blade
of fig. 10 in a cross-sectional view and an end view, respec-
tively.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In figures la, lb, lc, 1d, le there is shown a cylinder lock
and key combination having conventional upper and lower tumb-
ler pins 1, 2 in a linear row (fig. lc) cooperating with an
upper edge of the inserted key blade, the upper edge having a
corresponding number of recess cuts 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 at
various levels. Deep inside the keyway of the lock, not very
far from the tip of the inserted key blade, there is a block-
ing element 20, which is movable elevationally (up and down)
at the side of the keyway.
The blocking element, and its interaction with the inserted
key blade, will be better understood from figures ld and le.
Here, the cylindrical housing of the lock is denoted 30, hav-
ing an upright housing part 31 accomodating the upper locking
pins 1,2 mentioned above and a cylindrical bore 32, in which a
cylindrical key plug 33 is rotatably journalled.
The key plug 33 has a central keyway 34 extending longitudi-
nally along the axis of the cylindrical bore 32 and a central
plane A extending through the cylindrical axis and the upper
housing portion 31. In a longitudinal row in this plane A,
there are a number of cylindrical holes (not visible in fig.
1d) each accommodating one of the lower locking pins 2. In
figures ld and le, the profile of the keyway 34 (figure le)
and the corresponding key blade 60 (fig. 1d) are clearly vis-
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ible. The keyway 34 is oriented along the central plane A. It
has a lower, rather wide portion 50a, and an upper, relatively
narrow portion 50b. The upper and lower portions of the keyway
have side walls 50c and 50d lying in a common plane in pa-
rallel to the central plane A (to the right thereof in figure
3). At the other lateral side, the upper keyway portion 50b
has a side wall 50e, whereas the lower part of the keyway has
a side wall 50f, the latter being located further away from
the central plane A than the upper side wall 50e.
On the right hand side of the keyway, there is a longitudinal,
profiled rib 51 extending along the key plug. The profile rib
51 has a base portion 52 (concealed by the blocking element 20
in fig. 1d) and an end portion 53 provided with a downwardly
directed tongue 54.
On the left hand side, the keyway has two longitudinal ribs 55
and 56 at the lower portion of the keyway.
The key blade 60 (fig. 1d) has a profile shape which is sub-
stantially supplementary to the keyway 50. Accordingly, the
key 60 has a lower base portion 60a, which is relatively wide,
and an upper portion 60b, which is relatively narrow.
At the right hand side (as seen in figure 1d) the key blade
has a longitudinally extending groove 61 with an outer portion
62, and an inner, undercut portion 63. The profile groove 60
has a bottom wall 64 and an opposite side wall 65, which is
inclined and faces the bottom wall 64 and also forms the in-
side wall of a ridge 66 extending along the key blade 60.
As will be evident from figure 1d, the profile groove 61 acco-
modates the longitudinally extending profile rib 51, including
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the downwardly directed tongue 54 in the undercut portion of
the groove 61.
On the left hand side, the key blade 60 has two longitudinal
grooves 67 and 68 corresponding to the profile ribs 55, 56.
As appears from figures 1d, le and 3, the outer portion 62 of
the profile groove 61, and the corresponding base portion 52
of the profile rib 50 has a slanted upper wall 69 and a
slanted surface 59, respectively.
Now, since the sectional profile of the key blade 60 corre-
sponds to the cross-sectional profile of the keyway 50, the
key blade 60 can be inserted partially or fully into the key-
way, as is known in the art. Of course, only key blades being
cut with the particular profile of the keyway may be fully in-
serted into the keyway.
In order to allow for further variations of the exact profile
of the keyway, there is provided, according to the present in-
vention, a blocking element 20 (as mentioned above) which can
be regarded as a movable profile portion.
Generally, the blocking element has a profile section, which
corresponds to the longitudinally extending groove 61 in the
key blade. However, in the region of the outer portion 62 of
the groove 61, it is somewhat larger, in a direction parallel
to the central plane A. So, it does not fit into the profile
groove of the keyway along the full length thereof.
However, locally, the key blade 60 is provided with a recess
70 which is wide enough to accommodate the uppermost portion
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of the blocking element 20, as will be explained more fully
below.
In order to secure a well-defined mobility of the blocking
5 element 20, it is integrated with or firmly connected to a
body 23, which is guided for elevational movement in parallel
to the central plane A of the key way in a substantially cy-
lindrical cavity 24 at the side of the keyway. Thus, the body
23 is guided for movement up and down in the cylindrical
10 cavity 24, so that the integrated or connected blocking
element 20 is also movable up and down.
The blocking element 20 may protrude partially or fully into
the profile groove 61, in a cut-out portion of the profile
rib. 51.
In the embodiment illustrated in figs. 2, 3, 4a, 4b, the
cross-sectional area of the blocking element 20, in the por-
tion protruding into the groove, corresponds essentially to
the contour of the profile rib 51, with an outermost part hav-
ing a downwardly directed tongue 25. The rest of the blocking
element has exactly the same configuration as the previous em-
bodiment (fig. 1d).
In figures 5a, 5b, 5c, 6a, 6b, 6c, the blocking 20 element is
integrated with or connected to a guiding body which also
serves as a locking element serving also to lock the key plug
against rotation in the cylindrical bore 32. For this purpose,
the body 23 is extended downwardly so as to project with an
end portion 23a past the circumferential surface of the key
plug into a corresponding hole 30a in the housing. This is the
position taken by the body and the blocking element in the
initial position without any key blade being inserted into the
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keyway. The key plug 33 is effectively locked against rotation
by means of the upper and lower locking pins 1, 2 as well as
the downwardly projecting body 23 with its end portion 23a en-
tering the hole 30a.
Figures 6a, 6b, 6c show the situation where a key blade has
been inserted into the key way. Then, the blocking element 20
is lifted upwards, so that the end portion 23a of the body 23
also leaves the corresponding hole 30a. Of course, in this po-
sition, the key plug 33 is free to rotate in the cylindrical
bore 32.
The elevational movement of the blocking element 20 is caused
by a direct mechanical contact with the key blade, when the
latter is inserted into the keyway.
The interaction between the blocking element and the key blade
is illustrated in figures 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b. Initially,
when the keyway 50 is empty, the blocking element 20 will be
positioned in its lowermost position, because of the action of
a compression spring 26 in the cavity 24 (figure 1d). In the
embodiment of figures 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, the profile groove 61 of
the key blade 60 has no undercut portion, but this will not
make any difference to the interaction between the key blade
and the blocking element 20.
When the key blade 60 is inserted into the keyway 50, a lower,
first portion 21 of the blocking element 20 will make contact
with a ramp surface 75 near the tip end of the key blade. By
way of this contact, the blocking element 20 will move upwards
and take the position shown in figure 7b and figure 1d. Here,
the upper, second portion 22 of the blocking element 20 will
be accommodated in the above-mentioned recess 70, which is lo-
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cally cut out in this particular part of the keyway, so the
width of the profile groove is effectively widened in this re-
gion.
Without such a recess 70, the blocking element would be jammed
between the ramp surface 75 and the upper, slanted wall 69
(fig. 7b) of the longitudinal profile groove.
As seen from the end of the key way, the major part of the
blocking element 20 will be concealed in a cut-out portion of
the profile rib 51. In the initial, lowermost position, only
the first, projecting portion 21 will be visible from the out-
side (see fig. le), whereas in the elevated position shown in
figures 7b, 9b, only the second projecting portion 22 will ex-
tend upwardly above the longitudinal profile rib 51 (see fig.
1d). Importantly, this second, elevated position will only be
taken by the blocking element 20 upon insertion of the key
blade, so this portion 22 will never be visible from the out-
side of the keyway (looking into the keyway when the latter is
free).
Also importantly, the lower projecting portion 21 of the
blocking element 20 is non-symmetrical in shape in relation to
the upper or second projection portion 22. In the illustrated
embodiments, the second projecting portion 22 has an upper,
slanted surface portion 22a (fig. 7b) which faces obliquely
away from the associated side wall 50d of the keyway.
In this way, in case the configuration of the lower or first
projecting portion 21 is observed from the outside, there is
no way of determining the exact configuration or shape of the
upper or second projecting portion 22. Accordingly, on the ba-
sis of merely inspecting the keyway from the outside, it will
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be difficult to make a key with a recess conforming to the
shape of the upper or second projecting portion 22 of the
blocking element.
In the embodiment shown in figures 7a, 7b, 9a, 9b the blocking
element 20 is located deep inside the keyway near the tip end
of the key blade upon full insertion of the key blade into the
keyway. The first or lower projecting portion 21 of the block-
ing element 20 contacts a machined, slightly recessed surface
76 (fig. 8b) adjacent to the lower side wall of the profile
groove (in this embodiment there is no undercut portion),
whereas the upper or second projecting portion 22 of the
blocking element 20 is accommodated in the local recess 70.
This recess 70 is confined to the region of the fully inserted
key blade in the vicinity of the blocking element 20.
In figures 10, 11, 12, the blocking element 20 is located
closer to the entrance of the keyway, so when the key blade is
fully inserted into the keyway, the blocking element 20 is far
away from the tip end of key blade. In order to accommodate
the whole cross-section of the blocking element 20, the lower
part of the key blade material next to the groove 61 is taken
away. Thus, the ridge portion 66, except for a portion near
the tip end of the key blade, is cut away up to the location
of the blocking element, leaving a lower side wall 77. In this
case, of course, the local upper recess, accommodating the
second or upper projecting portion 22 of the blocking element
20 is located so as to start, with some overlap, where the
lower side wall 77 and an adjoining inclined or ramp surface
78 ends. The overlap length should correspond or slightly
exceed the dimension of the blocking element 20 in the
longitudinal direction of the key plug.
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The upper wall portion of the recess 70 is slanted at an angle
corresponding to the second projecting portion 22 of the
blocking element 20.
As will be seen from figure 10, the key blade is provided with
a second local recess 70 near the tip end, just like the key
blade shown in figures 8a and 8b. Therefore, the key blade of
figure 10 will cooperate also with a blocking element 20 ar-
ranged deep inside the keyway, like the ones shown in figure
7b and 9b.
Accordingly, by having two or more blocking elements distri-
buted longitudinally along the keyway, it is possible to pro-
vide a hierarchic system with master keys that open all indi-
vidual locks having blocking pins at various locations.
Moreover, the blocking element may be configured differently,
within the scope of the following claims.
