Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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HIGH SECURITY LOCK
Cross-Reference to Related Applications
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Application
Serial
No. 13/331,222, filed December 20, 2011 (pending) which is a continuation of
U.S. Application Serial No. 12/554,372, filed September 4, 2009 (now U.S.
Patent No. 8,091,392) which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application
Serial No. 61/094,730, filed on September 5, 2008 (expired), the disclosures
of
which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates generally to locks, and more
specifically, to high security locks adapted for use in safes and other
security
structures or areas.
Background
[0003] Documents of an extremely sensitive nature and items having a
high proprietary value often need to be stored within a safe or other
structure.
The structure typically includes a lock mechanism, and the structure is
generally
designed to be accessible only by a select few individuals who are entrusted
with a predetermined combination code that facilitates the unlocking of the
mechanism. Unauthorized persons will use simple lock picking tools as well as
sophisticated equipment that can apply high mechanical forces or an electric
or
magnetic field to the lock mechanism in order to manipulate the components
within the lock mechanism.
[0004] As the tools utilized in lock picking have become more
sophisticated, lock mechanisms have been improved to resist these
sophisticated lock picking methods. Mechanical and/or electrical elements
have been used in locks to provide complicated barriers to a potential
unauthorized person attempting to break into the structure. However,
unauthorized persons continue to attack even these improved lock
mechanisms, including drilling into the interior of the lock mechanism through
lock casing openings. Locations on the lock casing that are subject to
frequent
attack include the mounting bolts and the spindle mount where a spindle shaft
from the combination dial enters the lock casing.
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[0005] Additionally, unauthorized persons attempting to break into
the
structure have been known to use devices that apply high acceleration to the
combination dial in order to overcome security elements of the lock mechanism.
The high accelerations of the gear train can sometimes force the gears
controlling a lock bolt to rotate and unlock the lock mechanism without a
proper
combination entry. These high acceleration devices can include so-called auto-
dialers, which rapidly attempt every possible combination until the proper
combination has been detected. Even if the unauthorized person is
unsuccessful at opening the lock mechanism in this manner, the rapid
collisions
of gear teeth in a gear train caused by high acceleration can frequently
damage
the gear train and lead to improper operations of the lock mechanism. The
collisions of the gear teeth may also provide audible information that an
unauthorized person can detect and use to determine the programmed
combination that actuates the unlocking of the mechanism.
[0006] Furthermore, improved lock mechanisms must comply with highly
stringent government specifications in order to be used on government-
controlled structures and containment devices. For example, the stringency of
relevant U.S. government specifications is readily appreciated from Federal
Specification FF-L-2740, dated October 12, 1989, titled "FEDERAL
SPECIFICATION: LOCKS, COMBINATION" for the use of all federal agencies.
Section 3.4.7, "Combination Redial," requires that once the lock bolt has been
extended to its locked position "it shall not be possible to reopen the lock
without completely redialing the locked combination." Section 3.6.1.3,
"Emanation Analysis," requires that the lock shall not emit any sounds or
other
signals which may be used to surreptitiously open the lock within a specified
period. Further U.S. government requirements are included in Federal
Specification FF-L-2937, dated January 31, 2005, titled "FEDERAL
SPECIFICATION: COMBINATION LOCK, MECHANICAL." In that document,
Section 4.7.4, "Endurance Test," requires that a sample lock be "cycled
through
fifty combination changes including three open and close verifications after
each change" to ensure proper combination setting functionality. Section
4.7.7,
"Resistance to Unauthorized Opening Test," requires that the lock cannot be
opened by mechanical manipulation or autodialing of a computer-assisted
device for at least a period of 20 hours.
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[0007] Consequently, it would be desirable to improve on a high
security
lock to address the frequently-attacked areas of the lock mechanism while
remaining in full compliance with typical government specifications.
Summary of the Invention
[0008] In one embodiment, a locking mechanism includes a lock bolt
that
moves between an extended position and a retracted position. The lock bolt is
coupled to a bolt retraction gear which is movable between an engagement
position and a disengagement position. In the engagement position, the bolt
retraction gear is engaged with a manually-driven gear. The locking
mechanism also includes a user input device for receiving user input
information and a controller for verifying user input information with stored
authentication information. Upon detecting valid user input information, the
controller triggers an actuator assembly having a guide element, which is
operatively movable between a capturing position and a non-capturing position.
In the capturing position, the guide element inhibits the movement of the bolt
retraction gear. In the non-capturing position, the guide element releases the
movement of the bolt retraction gear. The guide element inhibits the movement
of the bolt retraction gear toward the engagement position until the
controller
verifies that the user input information matches the stored authorization
information.
[0009] In one aspect, the guide element engages the bolt retraction
gear
while moving from the non-capturing position to the capturing position for
directing the bolt retraction gear to the disengagement position. The actuator
assembly further includes a cam movable between a first position and a second
position, an actuator, and a clutch mechanism. The actuator engages the cam
via the clutch mechanism. The cam is positioned adjacent to the guide element
in the first position and engaged with the guide element in the second
position.
As such, the cam engages the guide element for moving the guide element
between the capturing and non-capturing positions.
[0010] According to another embodiment, a locking mechanism includes
a lock bolt that moves between an extended position and a retracted position.
The lock bolt is coupled to a bolt retraction gear which is movable between an
engagement position and a disengagement position. In the engagement
position, the bolt retraction gear is engaged with a manually-driven gear. The
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locking mechanism also includes a lock dial for receiving user input
information,
and a sensor configured to sense the rotation of the lock dial. A display is
configured to visualize the user input information, and a controller is
configured
for verifying user input information with stored authentication information.
The
controller is operatively connected to the sensor and the display for
converting
the rotation of the lock dial into the user input information visualized on
the
display via an algorithm. Upon verifying that the user input information
matches
the stored authorization information, the bolt retraction gear moves from the
disengagement position to the engagement position with the manually-driven
gear.
[0011] In one aspect, the user input information visualized on the
display
is generally random from the rotational position of the lock dial.
Furthermore,
the algorithm converts the rate of rotation of the lock dial into the user
input
information selected by a user.
[0012] A further embodiment of a locking mechanism includes a lock
casing having interior components of a lock therein. The lock casing is at
least
partially formed of a substantially translucent material. In this respect, the
interior components of the lock are visible from exterior of the casing for
showing evidence of lock tampering. Additionally, the lock casing further
includes a first portion, which is opaque, and a second portion, which is
substantially translucent. The first and second portions of the lock casing
are
permanently sealed together such that separating the first and second portions
will damage at least a portion of the lock casing.
[0013] In use, a method of operating a lock includes capturing the
bolt
retraction gear with the guide element in the capturing position to inhibit
the
movement of the bolt retraction gear toward engagement with the manually-
driven gear. The method also includes recording user input information from
the user input device, and verifying that the user input information matches
authorization information stored in the controller. Furthermore, the method
includes rotating the cam of the actuator assembly to engage the guide element
and move the guide element to the non-capturing position. In addition, the
method includes disengaging the guide element from the bolt retraction gear to
permit engagement of the bolt retraction gear with the manually-driven gear
after the user input information has been verified. The method also includes
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driving the lock bolt to the retracted position by manually driving the gear
with
the bolt retraction gear.
[0014] In one aspect of using the lock, the method includes operating
the
actuator for a predetermined period of time in order to rotate the clutch
mechanism for the predetermined period of time and engaging the clutch
mechanism with the cam. The method also includes seizing the movement of
the cam while the actuator continues to operatively rotate the clutch
mechanism.
[0015] Various additional objectives, advantages, and features of the
invention will be appreciated from a review of the following detailed
description
of the illustrative embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0016] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the
invention
and, together with a general description of the invention given above, and the
detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the
principles of the invention.
[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a high-security lock
constructed in
accordance with one embodiment of the invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the lock illustrated
in
FIG. 1;
[0019] FIG. 3 is an exploded rear perspective view of the lock;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the lock taken
along the longitudinal central axis thereof;
[0021] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the lock casing and
bolt
retraction hardware;
[0022] FIG. 6 is a perspective view, partially exploded to illustrate
various
bolt retraction hardware;
[0023] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the bolt retraction assembly;
[0024] FIG. 8A is an elevational view partially broken away
illustrating the
bolt retraction hardware with the bolt in an extended or locked position;
[0025] FIG. 8B is an elevational view similar to FIG. 8A,
illustrating an
initial portion of the bolt retraction sequence;
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[0026] FIG. 80 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 8B,
illustrating the
fully retracted position of the bolt and associated bolt retraction hardware;
[0027] FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 9A-9A
of
FIG. 8A;
[0028] FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 9B-9B of
FIG.
8B;
[0029] FIG. 90 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 90-90 of
FIG.
80;
[0030] FIG. 10 is a rear perspective view of the lock of FIG. 1 with
the
lock casing partially exploded to illustrate a circuit breaker boil;
[0031] FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of an alternative
embodiment of the lock casing and bolt retraction hardware;
[0032] FIG. 12 is an exploded view of the bolt retraction hardware
and
retracting mounting screw shield of FIG. 11;
[0033] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the bolt retraction hardware
and
retracting mounting screw shield of FIG. 11;
[0034] FIG. 14A is an elevational view illustrating the retracting
mounting
screw shield of FIG. 11 in a locked position of the bolt retraction hardware;
[0035] FIG. 14B is an elevational view similar to FIG. 14A,
illustrating an
initial portion of the bolt retraction sequence;
[0036] FIG. 140 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 14A,
illustrating the
fully retracted position of the bolt and associated rotation of the retracting
mounting screw shield;
[0037] FIG. 15A is an elevational view partially broken away of
another
alternative embodiment of the lock, illustrating the bolt retraction hardware
with
the bolt in an extended or locked position;
[0038] FIG. 15B is an elevational view similar to FIG. 15A,
illustrating an
initial portion of the bolt retraction sequence;
[0039] FIG. 150 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 15A,
illustrating the
fully retracted position of the bolt and associated bolt retraction hardware;
[0040] FIG. 16A is an elevational view partially broken away of an
alternative embodiment of the lock, illustrating the bolt retraction hardware
with
the bolt in an extended or locked position;
[0041] FIG. 16B is an elevational view similar to FIG. 16A,
illustrating an
initial portion of the bolt retraction sequence;
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[0042] FIG. 160 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 16A,
illustrating the
fully retracted position of the bolt and associated bolt retraction hardware;
[0043] FIG. 17A is a reverse elevational view partially broken away
of the
lock of FIG. 16A, illustrating the bolt retraction hardware with the bolt in
an
extended or locked position;
[0044] FIG. 17B is a reverse elevational view similar to FIG. 16A,
illustrating an initial portion of the bolt retraction sequence;
[0045] FIG. 170 is a reverse elevational view similar to FIG. 16A,
illustrating the fully retracted position of the bolt and associated bolt
retraction
hardware;
[0046] FIG. 18 is a rear perspective view of another alternative
embodiment of the lock, illustrating visible damage from unauthorized
tampering with the lock case;
[0047] FIG. 19A is a perspective view of a high-security lock
constructed
in accordance with yet another alternative embodiment of the invention;
[0048] FIG. 19B is a is an exploded perspective view of the lock
casing
and bolt retraction hardware;
[0049] FIG. 20 is a is exploded perspective view of a portion of the
lock
casing and bolt retraction hardware;
[0050] FIG. 21 is a is a perspective view, partially exploded of the
bolt
retraction assembly;
[0051] FIG. 22A is an elevational view partially broken away
illustrating
the bolt retraction hardware with the bolt in an extended or locked position;
[0052] FIG. 22B is an elevational view similar to FIG. 8A,
illustrating an
initial portion of the bolt retraction sequence;
[0053] FIG. 220 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 8B,
illustrating the
fully retracted position of the bolt and associated bolt retraction hardware;
[0054] FIG. 23A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 23A-
23A of
FIG. 22A;
[0055] FIG. 23B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 23B-
23B of
FIG. 220;
[0056] FIG. 24A is an enlarged view showing a portion of FIG. 23A;
[0057] FIG. 24B is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken generally
along the line 24B-24B of FIG. 22B;
[0058] FIG. 240 is an enlarged view showing a portion of FIG. 23B;
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[0059] FIG. 25A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 25A-
25A of
FIG. 22A illustrating a thermal relocker in an operational position;
[0060] FIG. 25B is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 25A
illustrating
the thermal relocker in a tampered position;
[0061] FIGS. 26A and 26B are a flowchart illustrating the control
logic of
the operational mode for one embodiment of the lock; and
[0062] FIG. 27 is a flowchart illustrating the control logic of the
configuration mode for one embodiment of the lock.
Detailed Description of Illustrative Embodiments
[0063] FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a high security lock 10
coupled, for example, to a structure door 12, and including a lock casing 14
and
a user input device 15. The user input device 15 of this embodiment of the
lock
is a mechanical lock dial 24 disposed within a dial housing 16. A dust cover
18 may be coupled to the dial housing 16 in a removable manner using suitable
snap-fit connectors 20, for example, and includes an aperture 22 through which
the lock dial 24 extends. The dial 24 may be rotated to input a numerical
combination and, as will be explained below, the numbers of the combination
are viewable through a window 26 in the dial housing 16 via a reflection in a
mirror 28.
[0064] FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of the user input device
15 and
its contents. The dial 24 includes a protruding portion 30 which may be
manually gripped by a user, and a plate portion 32 that includes the numerical
combination numbers 34 on the backside thereof (see FIG. 3). A brass insert
36 is rigidly secured to the dial 24 using screw fasteners 38. The brass
insert
36 can provide weight for the dial 24 and serve a bearing member for rotation
against a portion 40 of the dial housing 16. The dial housing 16 includes
windows 42, 44 for allowing the numbers on the back side of the dial plate
portion 40 to be viewed via a reflection in the mirror 28. An LED indicator
light
46 is provided and may be used in various manners to provide indication of
combination input. A battery 48, such as a standard 9-volt battery, is
removably
placed in the dial housing 16 through a battery door 50, and provides power
for
the electronic circuit and servo motor to be discussed below. A rotatable
spindle shaft 52 is provided for transferring rotation of the dial 24 to the
bolt
retraction hardware upon input of a correct combination code.
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[0065] FIG. 3 illustrates a rear perspective view of the lock 10 and
illustrates a lock bolt 54 extending from the lock casing 14. The shaft 52
extends through a back side 56 of the lock casing 14 and is secured with a nut
58 in such a manner as to allow rotation of the shaft 52 when the dial 24 is
rotated. As further shown in FIG. 3, the back side of the dial plate portion
32
includes combination numbers, which, when reflected in the mirror 28 (FIG. 2)
will be viewable by the user.
[0066] FIG. 4 illustrates a longitudinal cross-sectional view, in
perspective, of the lock 10, including the various components described above.
In particular, the spindle shaft 52 is shown extending completely through the
dial housing 16 and the lock casing 14. One or more spindle sleeves 60
receive the spindle shaft 52 along its length. Such sleeves 60 will help
prevent
undesired entry into the lock casing 14 and access of the various bolt
retraction
hardware if the shaft 52 were to be removed.
[0067] Turning to FIG. 5, the lock casing 14 is shown in exploded
form to
illustrate the circuit board 62 and various lock bolt retraction hardware,
including
a bolt guide member 64, the bolt 54, a bolt retraction gear 68, an actuator
70, a
pivot block 72, and a cover 74 for fastening to the pivot block 72 and
covering a
rotating output element 76 of the actuator 70. The lock casing 14 includes a
front casing half 14a and a rear casing half 14b. The circuit board 62 is
placed
on a front inner side of the front casing half 14a. Therefore, if a drill is
used to
drill into the lock casing 14 from outside of the door 12, the drill bit will
first
contact the circuit board 62 and likely disable the lock 10, thereby making
entry
more difficult. A spindle gear 78 is coupled for rotation with the spindle
shaft 52
and the connected dial 24 (FIG. 4). The spindle gear 78 meshes with a first
gear portion 80a of a drive gear element 80. An opposite or second gear
portion 80b of the drive gear element 80 extends through an aperture 82 in the
rear casing half 14b, such that it may mesh with the bolt retraction gear 68
upon
input of a correct combination code as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. An encoder 84
is used to detect input of combination codes via rotation of the shaft 52 and
is
used in conjunction with suitable controller circuitry on the circuit board
62.
[0068] Turning to FIGS. 6 and 7, taken in conjunction with FIGS. 8A-
8C
and 9A-9C, the bolt retraction sequence will now be discussed. Upon entry of
the correct combination code as recognized by the encoder and controller
circuitry, the actuator 70 will be activated such that its output element 76
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rotates. The output element 76 includes a pin 76a that will rotate through a
slot
86 in the pivot block 72 (FIG. 5) and also move through a slot 68c in the bolt
retraction gear 68. Normally this pin 76a would prevent rotation of the bolt
retraction gear 68, as shown in FIG 8A, for example. However, when the output
element 76 of the actuator 70 rotates and moves the pin 76a in a downward
direction, as viewed in FIGS. 8A-8C, this allows the bolt retraction gear 68
to
move or rotate clockwise as viewed in FIGS. 8A-8C, such that it may engage
with the second portion 80b of the drive gear element 80. Although not shown
in the drawings, the bolt retraction gear 68 is slightly spring-loaded, with,
for
example, a torsion spring of low spring force, such that the bolt retraction
gear
68 is biased in the clockwise direction to the position shown in FIG. 8B upon
activation of the actuator 70. Once the gears 68, 80b are engaged as shown in
FIG. 8B, the dial 24 may be manually rotated such that the drive gear element
80 is rotated through engagement of the first drive gear portion 80a with the
spindle gear 78. As shown in FIGS. 8A-8C, the spindle gear 78 is coupled to
the shaft 52 by a key 88. When the bolt retraction gear 68 is engaged with the
drive gear portion 80b as shown in FIG. 8B, the bolt retraction gear 68 will
rotate about its pivot axis 68a, and a pin 68b secured to the bolt retraction
gear
68 will rise out of a position seated in a recess 64a of the bolt guide member
64
and the end 90a of a curved slot or pin guide 90 of the bolt guide member 64
(FIG. 5). The pin 68b also extends through a slot 54a in the bolt 54, and as
the
bolt retraction gear 68 rotates, the pin 68b rides upwardly in the slot 54a as
viewed in FIGS. 8B and 80 and simultaneously moves the bolt 54 into the lock
casing 14 and through the bolt guide member 64. Rotating the dial 24, shaft
52,
and gears 78, 80, 68 in the opposite direction will extend the bolt 54 back to
its
fully-extended position and the bolt retraction gear 68 will be returned to
the
initial position shown in FIG. 8A by the pin 76a. In this regard, the output
element 76 is spring-loaded by use of a spring 92 such that when the actuator
70 is deactivated, the spring 92 will return the pin 76a to the initial
position
shown in FIG. 9A, and the spring force of the output element 76 is
sufficiently
strong to force the bolt retraction gear 68 to the initial position shown in
FIG. 8A.
[0069] The use of a dial plate portion 32 and mirror 28 allows for
placement of the battery 48 in the dial housing 16 in a space efficient
manner.
The lock casing portions 14a, 14b are mechanically fixed together, such that
if
they are pried apart, the mechanical elements (not shown) fixing the lock
casing
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14 together will break. It will be appreciated that the bolts 94 extending
through
the lock casing 14 do not fasten the lock casing portions 14a, 14b together,
but
merely serve to secure the lock casing 14 to, for example, a door 12. Another
manner of surreptitious entry into locks may involve using a hammer from the
outside to force the spindle shaft 52 through the lock 10. In the present
lock,
however, this does not move the casing 14, and, therefore, there would be no
need for a "relock" feature as used in other high-security locks. The actuator
70
is a servo motor 70 in the illustrated embodiment. The use of the servo motor
70, such as a micro-servo as opposed, for example, to a stepper motor, has
advantages. For example, the servo motor 70 includes a relatively complex
gear train that involves several revolutions in order to rotate the output
element
76 through just a partial rotation as discussed above. Thus, the servo motor
70
would be difficult to activate in some surreptitious manner. The pin 68b used
on
the bolt retraction gear 68 rests in a recess in its home position with the
lock
bolt 54 extended as shown in FIG. 8A. Thus, if the lock bolt 54 is forced
inwardly in a surreptitious attempt to compromise the lock 10, the force will
not
be exerted against the gear train, but rather against the bolt guide member
64,
which may be designed and configured to withstand high forces.
[0070] With reference to FIG. 10, the lock 10 further includes a
circuit
breaker device 96. The circuit breaker device 96 of the illustrated embodiment
consists of a continuous conductive wire having a first end 96a and a second
end 96b, each end 96a, 96b electrically connected to the circuit board 62. The
circuit breaker device 96 is connected integrally into the primary controller
circuits for the lock 10 such that if the circuit breaker device 96 is broken,
the
lock 10 will become inoperable. As seen in FIG. 10, the circuit breaker device
96 is disposed adjacent to the spindle sleeve 60 that carries the spindle
shaft
52 as the shaft 52 enters the lock casing 14. An unauthorized person trying to
circumvent the lock 10 may remove the user input device 15 and then attempt
to drill into the spindle sleeve 60 at the front opening of the lock casing
14.
However, any attempt to surreptitiously enter the lock casing 14 through the
spindle sleeve 60 will cause the circuit break device 96 to break, thereby
thwarting this method of attack on the lock 10. The circuit breaker device 96
is
illustrated as a coil in FIG. 10, the coil being wrapped around the spindle
sleeve
60. One skilled in the art will recognize that the circuit breaker device 96
may
also comprise a plurality of wires.
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[0071] With reference to FIGS. 11-140, another embodiment of a lock
110 is illustrated. As most clearly shown in the exploded view of the lock
casing
14 and inner lock hardware of FIG. 11, the lock 110 includes many of the same
elements as the first embodiment of the lock 10, such as the circuit board 62,
bolt retraction gear 68, and actuator 70. In this application, reference
numerals
remain the same for similar elements in the various embodiments described.
This embodiment of the lock 110 follows the same bolt retraction sequence
illustrated in FIGS. 6-90 and described above, and the lock 110 includes a
different lock bolt 112 and a retracting bolt shield 114. The lock bolt 112
includes a slot 112a adapted to receive the pin 68b of the bolt retraction
gear
68. The lock bolt 112 further includes a pair of opposing recesses 112b used
in
the retracting bolt shield 114 as described in detail below, and also a bolt
extension 112c. The bolt extension 112c is coupled to the lock bolt 112 with
threaded fasteners 116 that are disposed flush with the bolt extension 112c
outer surface when the bolt extension 112c is placed on the lock bolt 112. In
the embodiment of FIG. 11, the bolt extension 112c has a thickness of about
one-tenth (0.100) to three-sixteenths (0.1875) of an inch. Various government
contractors have manufactured locks for the United States government, and
one of the primary lock manufacturers designed lock bolts that were flush with
the lock casing when retracted, while another primary lock manufacturer
designed lock bolts that extended about three-sixteenths (0.1875) of an inch
beyond the lock casing when retracted. The bolt extension 112c can be added
to the lock bolt 112 if necessary for the door 12 selected. Thus, the lock
bolt
112 can be configured for use with any type of door.
[0072] As shown in the previous embodiment, the mounting bolts 94 of
the lock casing 14 are accessible from the back side 56 of the lock casing 14.
An unauthorized person having access to this rear side 56 could remove the
mounting screws 94 and replace the lock casing 14 with a lock body of a
different mechanism, thereby compromising the lock 110. To address this
problem, the lock 110 of the current embodiment includes the retracting bolt
shield 114. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the lock 110 includes a modified bolt
guide member 118. The bolt guide member 118 continues to include a recess
118a and a curved slot 120 for engaging the pin 68b of the bolt retraction
gear
68. The bolt guide member 118 also has a pair of longitudinally-directed
apertures 118b formed on opposing sides of the bolt guide member 118. These
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longitudinally-directed apertures 118b are in communication with laterally-
directed slots 118c, the slots 188c extending from an edge of the bolt guide
member 118 to longitudinal receptacles 122 holding the mounting bolts 94. The
retracting bolt shield 114 includes a blocking member 124 with a non-circular
aperture 124a, a first member 126 with a non-circular aperture 126a, and a non-
circular drive rod 128 operatively coupling the blocking member 124 to the
first
member 126 at the non-circular apertures 124a, 126a. The drive rod 128 is
positioned within one of the longitudinally-directed apertures 118b of the
bolt
guide member 118 while the blocking member 124 is at least partially disposed
in one of the lateral slots 118c, as most clearly shown in FIG. 13. The drive
rod
128 and associated apertures 124a, 126a are hexagonal in the illustrated
embodiment, but one skilled in the art will appreciate that any alternative
non-
circular shape may be chosen for these elements. The first member 126 has a
first end 126b configured to engage the lock bolt 112 and more specifically,
one
of the recesses 112b in the lock bolt.
[0073] The operation of the retracting bolt shield 114 is illustrated
in a
sequence of illustrations at FIGS. 14A-140. In FIG. 14A the bolt retraction
gear
68 has just been engaged with the gear train 78, 80 to begin the process of
retracting the lock bolt 112. When the lock bolt 112 is in the extended
position,
the blocking members 124 completely conceal the mounting bolts 94 on the
bolt-side of the lock 110. In FIG. 14B, the bolt retraction gear 68 has moved
to
partially retract the lock bolt 112. In this operational state, the blocking
members 124 continue to conceal the mounting bolts 94 because the first
member first end 126b has moved within the lock bolt recess 112b but has not
been rotated. As the bolt retraction gear 68 continues to retract the lock
bolt
112, the recesses 112b force the first members 126 to rotate to the position
shown in FIG. 140. Once the lock bolt 112 has been fully retracted in that
position, the drive rods 128 have transferred the motion of the first members
126 to the blocking members 124 to reveal the mounting bolts 94. As the
spindle gear 78 drives the bolt retraction gear 68 and lock bolt 112 back to
an
extended or locked position, the first members 126 again engage the lock bolt
recesses 112b and rotate back to the position in FIG. 14A. Thus, the
retracting
bolt shield 114 prevents an unauthorized person attempting to tamper with the
lock 110 by removing the mounting bolts 94.
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[0074] In a similar non-illustrated embodiment, the retracting bolt
shield
114 could include a second pair of blocking members coupled for rotation with
the bolt-side blocking members 124 through a simple linkage. In that
embodiment, the bolt-side blocking members 124 would conceal the mounting
bolts 94 on one side of the lock 110 when the lock bolt 112 is extended and
the
second pair of blocking members would conceal the mounting bolts 94 on the
opposite side of the lock 110 when the lock bolt is retracted. Thus, an
unauthorized person would need to be able to operate the lock 110 using the
combination in order to have access to all four mounting bolts 94.
[0075] With reference to FIGS. 15A-15C, an additional embodiment of
the lock 210 is illustrated. The lock 210 operates a bolt retraction sequence
substantially similar to the above described bolt retraction sequence shown in
FIGS. 8A-9C, with some modifications. The lock 210 includes a spindle gear
212, a drive gear 214 having a first drive gear portion 214a adapted to engage
the spindle gear 212 and a second drive gear portion 214b, and a bolt
retraction
gear 216 adapted to engage the second drive gear portion 214b. Like the
previous embodiments, the bolt retraction gear 216 includes a pivot axis 216a
and a pin 216b which rides in corresponding slots 54a, 90 of the lock bolt 54
and the bolt guide member 64. Unlike the previous embodiments, the bolt
retraction gear 216 remains engaged with the second drive gear portion 214b
when the lock bolt 54 is fully extended as shown in FIG. 15A. A two-tooth
relief
218 is provided on the spindle gear 212 and a corresponding two-tooth relief
220 is provided on the first drive gear portion 214a. The relief 220 in the
first
drive gear portion 214a is oriented as shown in FIG. 15A to prevent
engagement of the spindle gear 212 and the drive gear 214 while the spindle
gear 212 is rotated during combination entry. Thus, no audible information
from
gear collisions is provided to an unauthorized person rotating the dial 24.
[0076] Once a correct combination has been entered, the actuator 70
does not immediately rotate the output pin 76a out of the path of the bolt
retraction gear 216. Instead, the controller waits until the spindle gear 212
has
been rotated to the position shown in FIG. 15B, wherein the relief 218 on the
spindle gear 212 is positioned facing towards the drive gear 214. At this
position, the controller sends the signal to the actuator 70 to rotate output
element 76 and pin 76a out of the path of bolt retraction gear 216 as
previously
illustrated in FIGS. 9A-9C. The bolt retraction gear 216 then rotates slightly
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downwards as shown in FIG. 15B, thereby rotating the drive gear 214 and
moving the teeth of the first drive gear portion 214a into position for
meshing
with the spindle gear 212. As the spindle gear 212 continues to rotate with
the
dial 24, the first drive gear portion 214a is driven to the location shown in
FIG.
150, which also translates through the second drive gear portion 214b into
downward rotation of the bolt retraction gear 216. Furthermore, the pin 216b
forces the lock bolt 54 to retract in the position shown in FIG. 150, thus
completing the bolt retraction sequence of the lock 210.
[0077] An additional embodiment of the lock 310 is illustrated in
FIGS.
16A-170. The lock 310 is similar to the lock 210 of the previous embodiment
and includes a spindle gear 312, a drive gear 314 having a first drive gear
portion 314a adapted to engage the spindle gear 312 and a second drive gear
portion 314b, and a bolt retraction gear 316 adapted to engage the second
drive gear portion 314b. The spindle gear 312 and first drive gear portion
314a
are also provided with corresponding two-tooth reliefs 318, 320 in the same
manner as explained above with respect to lock 210. In this embodiment of the
lock 310, the actuator 70 and associated output element 76 have been
removed. The second drive gear portion 314b includes a two-tooth relief 322
that is adapted to prevent engagement of the bolt retraction gear 316 and the
second drive gear portion 314a when the lock bolt 54 is fully extended as
shown in FIGS. 16A and 17A. The bolt retraction gear 316 is initially
positioned
in a similar location as the previous embodiment, with gear teeth facing the
second drive gear portion 314b for engagement.
[0078] When the lock bolt 54 is fully extended, the orientation of
the
reliefs 320, 322 on opposing drive gear portions 314a, 314b is set to
disengage
the drive gear 314 from both the spindle gear 312 and the bolt retraction gear
316. The drive gear 314 of the current embodiment is mounted on an input
shaft 324, and an actuator 326 is operatively coupled to the drive gear 314 at
the opposing end of the shaft 324. The actuator 326 is located proximate to
the
circuit board 62 and is adapted to rotate the shaft 324 and the drive gear
314.
The actuator 326 is a low-powered driving device such as a geared servo
motor, a non-geared servo motor, or an air core rotary solenoid. When a proper
combination has been entered into the lock 310, the circuit board 62 waits
until
the dial 24 is rotated such that the relief 318 in the spindle gear 312 faces
the
first drive gear portion 314a as shown in FIGS. 16B and 17B. Then the circuit
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board 62 sends a signal to the actuator 326, causing the shaft 324 and the
drive
gear 314 to rotate into engagement with both the spindle gear 312 and the bolt
retraction gear 316 simultaneously as shown in FIGS. 16B and 17B. As the
user continues to rotate the dial 24, the spindle gear 312 drives the drive
gear
314 and the bolt retraction gear 316 to the position shown in FIGS. 160 and
170, wherein the lock bolt 54 has been fully retracted. This embodiment of the
lock 310 also removes all audible noise from gear engagement or collisions
during combination entry, and the actuator 326 requires as little as 10% of
the
operating energy as the servo motor 70 of previous embodiments. Therefore,
this embodiment of the lock 310 further thwarts unauthorized entry through the
door.
[0079] Referring to FIG. 18, an alternative embodiment of the lock
410 is
illustrated. The lock 410 includes a lock casing 414 formed of substantially
translucent material such that the interior components of the lock 410 are
visible
from the outside of the lock casing 414. In the event of an unauthorized entry
into the lock casing 414 or an attempt to break the lock 410, the translucent
lock
casing 414 will clearly show evidence of the attempted entry as shown in FIG.
18. A drilled hole 412 through the casing 414 is visible proximate to the lock
bolt 54. Unlike an opaque lock casing, the drilled hole 412 in the translucent
lock casing 414 cannot be patched or filled with material to conceal the
attempted entry without detection by a person inspecting the rear side 56 of
the
lock casing 414. Furthermore, an inspection of the lock 410 through the
translucent lock casing 414 will reveal any internal tampering or problems
with
the components of the lock 410. One having skill in the art will appreciate
that
the translucent casing 414 of the current embodiment can be used with any of
the previous embodiments described to further discourage unauthorized
tampering with the lock.
[0080] With respect to FIG. 19A and FIG. 19B, a further alternative
of a
lock 510 shows a lock casing 512 in exploded form to illustrate a circuit
board
514 and various lock bolt retraction hardware, including a bolt guide member
516, a lock bolt 518, a bolt retraction gear 520, an actuator assembly 522,
and
a biasing device 524. The lock casing 512 includes a front casing half 512a
and a rear casing half 512b. The front and rear casing halves 512a, 512b are
mechanically fixed together as described above with mechanical elements (not
shown). Additionally, the front and rear casing halves 512a, 512b are also
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permanently sealed together with adhesive during manufacturing of the lock
510. As such, any attempt to separate the front and rear casing halves 512a,
512b will damage at least a portion of the lock casing 512 and indicate
unauthorized entry into the lock 510.
[0081] The circuit board 514 is placed on a front inner side of the
front
casing half 512a. Therefore, if a drill is used to drill into the lock casing
512, the
drill bit will first contact the circuit board 514 and likely disable the lock
510,
thereby making entry more difficult. The spindle gear 78 is coupled for
rotation
with the spindle shaft 52 and the connected lock dial 24. Accordingly, like
numbers with respect to the lock 510 indicate like features described above.
The spindle gear 78 meshes with a first gear portion 80a of a drive gear
element 80. An opposite or second gear portion 80b of the drive gear element
80 extends through an aperture 82 in the rear casing half 512b, such that it
may
mesh with the bolt retraction gear 520 upon input of a correct combination
code
as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21.
[0082] The lock 510 also includes a sensor 526 configured to sense
the
rotation of the lock dial 24. More particularly, the sensor 526 includes an
encoder 528 and a rotary sensor 530. The encoder 528 is directly mounted to
the drive gear element 80, which is manually and mechanically driven by the
lock dial 24. The rotary sensor 530 is electrically connected to suitable
controller circuitry on the circuit board 514. The rotary sensor 530 is
positioned
adjacent to the encoder 528, which is a magnet. Because the rotary sensor
530 is close enough to the encoder 528 to sense the magnetic field of the
magnet, the rotary sensor 530 detects the rotation of the drive gear element
80.
In this respect, the position of the drive gear element 80 may directly or
indirectly correlate to the position of the lock dial 24. The exemplary
embodiment of the circuit board 514 operates an algorithm based on the
rotation of the drive gear element 80 for converting the rotation of the lock
dial
24 to user input information. Furthermore, a display 532 visualizes the user
input information converted from the rotation of the lock dial 24 via the
algorithm. The display 532 is an LED display recessed within the lock 510 to
limit the viewing angle of the visualized user input information. The display
532
also includes a filtering device 534 covering at least a portion of the
display 532
for further prevention of viewing the user input information from a plurality
of
viewing angles.
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[0083] According to an exemplary embodiment, the algorithm converts
the rate of rotation of the lock dial 24 into the user input information
visualized
on the display 532. Accordingly, the user input information is separable and
generally random from the rotational position of the lock dial 24 for further
inhibiting unauthorized access with the lock 510. While the exemplary
embodiment of the algorithm converts the rate of lock dial 24 rotation to the
user input information, it will be appreciated that other properties of
movement
of the lock dial 24 may be used singularly or in combination with each other
for
use in the algorithm. For example, such properties may include, but are not
necessarily limited to position, direction, speed, acceleration, and/or time
of
rotation of the lock dial 24.
[0084] Turning to FIGS. 20 and 21, taken in conjunction with FIGS.
22A-
220 and 23A-24C, the bolt retraction sequence will now be discussed. Upon
entry of the correct combination code as recognized by the controller
circuitry
visualized on the display 532, the actuator assembly 522 will be activated for
enabling movement of the bolt retraction gear 520, which is biased toward the
drive gear element 80. The actuator assembly 522 includes a guide element
536. The guide element 536 is operatively movable between a capturing
position and a non-capturing position. In the capturing position, the guide
element 536 inhibits the movement of the bolt retraction gear 520, but, in the
non-capturing position, the guide element 536 releases the movement of the
bolt retraction gear 520. Furthermore, the rear casing half 512b also includes
a
guide recess 537 adapted to receive the guide element 536 while moving to the
non-capturing position.
[0085] The bolt retraction gear 520 is slightly spring-loaded with
the
biasing device 524 such that the bolt retraction gear 520 is biased in the
clockwise direction to the position shown in FIG. 22B upon activation of the
actuator assembly 522. Once the gears 520, 80b are engaged as shown in
FIG. 22B, the lock dial 24 may be manually rotated such that the drive gear
element 80 is rotated through engagement of the first drive gear portion 80a
with the spindle gear 78 (see FIG. 19).
[0086] The actuator assembly 522 also includes an actuator 538
operatively connected to a rotatable cam 540 for moving the guide element 536
as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21. The cam 540 includes a projection 542 that, in a
first position, is adjacent to the guide element 536. However, as the cam 540
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rotates to a second position, the projection 542 engages the guide element 536
and moves the guide element 536 from the capturing position to the non-
capturing position. Normally the guide element 536 would prevent rotation of
the bolt retraction gear 520, as shown in FIG. 22A, for example. However,
when the projection 542 of the cam 540 rotates and moves the guide element
536 toward the rear casing half 512b and slightly downward, as viewed in FIGS.
23A-23B, this allows the bolt retraction gear 520 to move or rotate clockwise
as
viewed in FIGS. 22A-22C, such that it may engage with the second portion 80b
of the drive gear element 80.
[0087] The actuator assembly 522 also includes a clutch mechanism 544
for rotatably and resiliently coupling the cam 540 operatively to the actuator
538, as seen in FIG. 20 and FIG. 21. The clutch mechanism 544 includes a
hub 546 having a proximal wall 548 coupled to the actuator 538. According to
the exemplary embodiment, the actuator 538 is an electric motor. The clutch
mechanism 544 also includes a pivot stop 550 and a clutch torsion spring 552
for transferring the rotation of the hub 546 to the cam 540. Specifically, the
cam
540 is positioned on the hub 546 against the proximal wall 548. Similarly, the
clutch torsion spring 552 is also positioned on the hub 546 and engages a cam
arm 554 of the cam 540. In this respect, the cam 540 and the clutch torsion
spring 552 would rotate freely together on the hub 546, except that the clutch
torsion spring 552 also engages a pivot arm 558 of the pivot stop 550. The
pivot stop 550 is rigidly affixed at a distal end 556 of the hub 546 such that
the
pivot arm 558 engages the clutch torsion spring 552 as the hub 546 is
rotatably
driven by the actuator 538. In turn, the clutch torsion spring 552 rotatably
engages the cam arm 554 to resiliently rotate the cam 540.
[0088] Furthermore, the guide element 536 is resiliently mounted to
the
rear casing half 512b in the capturing position adjacent to the cam 540 and
adjacent to a platform 560. The guide element 536 includes a lateral portion
562 extending to a transverse portion 564 that forms generally a right angle
along the guide element 536. More particularly, the guide element 536 is a
wire
guide bent at the generally right angle to form the lateral and transverse
portion
562, 564.
[0089] The lateral portion 562 is generally resilient for moving the
transverse portion 564 between the capturing and non-capturing positions. The
lateral portion 562 rests generally between a catch member 566 and a guide
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stop 568 of the platform 560. With respect to the capturing position, FIG. 20
and FIG. 23A show the lateral portion 562 adjacent to the catch member 566 so
that the transverse portion 564 extends to and against the bolt retraction
gear
520 in order to inhibit the movement thereof. In contrast, FIG. 23 shows the
guide element 536 in the non-capturing position. The projection 542 of the cam
540 moves the lateral portion 562 toward the rear casing half 512b and away
from the bolt retraction gear 520 until the lateral portion 562 contacts the
guide
stop 568. Notably, the cam 540 and the guide element 536 seize against the
guide stop 568, while the pivot stop 550 may continue rotating and winding the
clutch torsion spring 552. According to an exemplary embodiment, the actuator
538 is configured to operatively rotate the hub 546 and pivot stop 550 a
predetermined period of time. More particularly, the actuator 538 rotates the
hub 546 and pivot stop 550 for more time than necessary to move the guide
element 536 to seizure against the guide stop 568. Thus, the pivot stop 550
continues to rotate the clutch torsion spring 552 against the stationary cam
540,
causing the clutch torsion spring 552 to wind tighter therebetween.
[0090] As described briefly above and shown in FIGS. 19A-21, the bolt
retraction gear 520 is biased toward the drive gear element 80 by the biasing
device 524. The biasing device 524 generally includes a hollowed drum body
572 rotatably mounted to the rear casing half 512b and a kicker torsion spring
574 positioned about the drum body 572. In addition, a front portion 576 of
the
drum body 572 includes a gear advance lever 578, a stop lever 580, and a
kicker arm 582. The kicker torsion spring 574 winds against the stop lever 580
and the rear casing half 512b for rotatably biasing the drum body 572. The
gear advance lever 578 extends to and engages a notch portion 584 of the bolt
retraction gear 520. As such, when the bolt retraction gear 520 is in the
disengagement position, the bolt retraction gear 520 forces against the gear
advance lever 578 and winds the kicker torsion spring 574 tighter as shown in
FIG. 22A. In contrast, FIG. 22B shows that as the guide element 536 moves
toward the non-capturing position, the gear advance lever 578 directs the bolt
retraction gear 520 into the engagement position with the drive gear element
80. Finally, the stop lever 580 engages the rear casing half 512b for halting
the
rotation of the drum body 572 at a position for re-engaging the bolt
retraction
gear 520 while moving from the engagement position to the disengagement
position.
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[0091] When the bolt retraction gear 520 is engaged with the drive
gear
portion 80b as shown in FIG. 22B, the bolt retraction gear 520 will rotate
about
its pivot axis 68a, and a pin 68b secured to the bolt retraction gear 520 will
rise
out of a position seated in a recess 64a of the bolt guide member 516 and the
end 90a of a curved slot or pin guide 90 of the bolt guide member 516 (FIG.
19). The pin 68b also extends through a slot 586 in the lock bolt 518, and as
the bolt retraction gear 520 rotates, the pin 68b rides upwardly in the slot
586 as
viewed in FIGS. 22B and 220 and simultaneously moves the lock bolt 518 into
the lock casing 512 and through the bolt guide member 516. Rotating the dial
24, shaft 52, and gears 78, 80, 520 in the opposite direction will extend the
lock
bolt 518 back to its fully-extended position and the bolt retraction gear 520
will
be returned to the initial position shown in FIG. 22A by the transverse
portion
564 of the guide element 536.
[0092] FIGS. 24A-240 show the bolt retraction gear 520 moving
respectively from the disengaged position to the engaged position as described
above. In this regard, the pivot arm 558 clears the cam arm 554 to rotate the
clutch torsion spring 552 and, in turn, rotate the projection 542 of the cam
540
into the guide element 536. The bolt retraction member 520 also includes a
beveled edge 588 that cooperates with a curved end portion 590 of the
transverse portion 564. While the curved end portion 590 moves from the
capturing position to the non-capturing position, the transverse portion 564
effectively releases the biased movement of the bolt retraction gear 520 as
the
beveled edge 588 falls off of the curved end portion 590. However, to return
the guide element 536 from the non-capturing position to the capturing
position,
the curved end portion 590 moves to the beveled edge 588. Once reaching the
beveled edge 588, the curved end portion 590 engages the beveled edge 588
to direct the bolt retraction gear 520 to the disengagement position. Thus,
the
guide element 536 will overcome the biasing force of the biasing device 524 on
the bolt retraction gear 520 to return the bolt retraction gear to the initial
position
shown in FIG. 22A.
[0093] The lock bolt 518 includes an indentation 592 that cooperates
with
a detent ball 594 for positively registering the lock bolt 518 in the extended
position as shown in FIG. 20 and FIGS. 25A-25B. Specifically, a ball spring
596
resiliently supports the detent ball 594 within the bolt guide member 516 and
against the lock bolt 518. The indentation 592 is positioned on the lock bolt
518
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so that when the lock bolt 518 is in the extended position, the biased detent
ball
594 lightly engages the indentation 592. Finally, the slot 586 in the lock
bolt
518 has a wider portion 598 so that the detent ball 594 effectively centers in
the
indentation 592 and encourages final advancement of the lock bolt 518 to the
extended position. In this respect, the ball spring 596, the detent ball 594,
and
the indentation 592 are each selected to have a nominal holding force on the
lock bolt 518 in the extended position.
[0094] FIGS. 25A-25B show a thermal relocker 600 positioned within a
cavity 602 of the bolt guide member 516 for preventing movement of the lock
bolt 518 to the retraction position. The thermal relocker 600 includes a
thermal
disc 604, a relocker pin 606, and a pin spring 608. Generally, the pin spring
608 biases the relocker pin 606 against the thermal disc 604 within the cavity
602 adjacent to the lock bolt 518. The thermal disc 604 covers an opening 610
for preventing the pin spring 608 from forcing the relocking pin 606 at least
partially through the opening 610. Under normal operating conditions, the
thermal disc 604 is sufficiently strong for holding the relocker pin 606 in an
operational position. However, under the influence of time and a threshold
temperature, the thermal disc 604 will weaken enough that the pin spring 608
will force the relocker pin 606 through the opening 610 to engage the lock
bolt
518 within a lock channel 612 into a tampered position. For example, FIG. 25B
shows the lock 510 being tampered with by applying a torch 614 to the lock
casing 512. Once the torch raises the temperature of the thermal disc 604 to
the threshold temperature for a sufficient amount of time, the relocker pin
606
engages the lock bolt 518 while in the extended position. As such, the lock
bolt
518 is held in the extended position to prevent the lock 510 from opening.
[0095] For each of the embodiments of the lock 10, 110, 210, 310,
410,
510 having a lock dial 24 for the user input device 15 as described above, the
circuit board 62 and encoder 84 are programmed to control the lock 10 by a
specific set of operating instructions diagrammed in FIGS. 26A-27. In the
operational mode of FIGS. 26A and 26B, once a counterclockwise rotation of
the lock dial 24 is detected, the lock power activates and obtains
authentication
information or the proper combination values X, Y, Z from memory along with a
value P that represents the number of incorrect combination entries attempted
since the last unlocking of the lock. The LED 46 will blink red P times to
allow
the authorized users of the lock to know when other persons have
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unsuccessfully attempted to break through the door 12. After these penalty
blinks, the LED 46 will blink red and green for one dial revolution and then
turn
solid green. Once the controller detects that counterclockwise rotation has
stopped and clockwise rotation has begun, then the controller stores the
entered dial value at the stop as X1 and repeats the process to obtain Y1 and
Z1
values. Then the controller verifies if the entered dial values X1, Y1, Z1
match
the proper combination values X, Y, Z. If the values do not match, the LED 46
blinks red for 10 seconds and the P value is increased by 1 before the lock 10
power deactivates. If the values do match, then the servo motor 70 or actuator
326 is engaged to allow the bolt 54 to be retracted, and the P value is set to
zero. As long as the lock bolt 54 remains in the opened or retracted position,
the LED 46 will blink red once every ten seconds to indicate that the lock 10
is
in the open position. Once the lock bolt 54 is moved back to the extended
position, the lock power is deactivated.
[0096] Referring to FIG. 27, a configuration mode is activated when a
change key is inserted into the lock 10. The lock power activates and obtains
the proper combination values X, Y, Z from memory. Once a counterclockwise
rotation of the dial is detected, the lock follows the procedure described
above
in FIGS. 26A and 26B to obtain user input values X1, Y1, Z1. After a five
second
pause, the process of obtaining user input repeats and values X2, Y2, Z2 are
stored. Then the controller sets the proper combination values X, Y, Z equal
to
the average of the two sets of user input values. Consequently, the
configuration mode verifies that the desired new combination is set correctly.
[0097] A person having skill in the art will recognize that the
various
embodiments of the lock 10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510 can be operated with
alternative user input devices 15 instead of the mechanical lock dial 24. For
example, an electronic keypad could be positioned on the outside of the door
12 for electronic entry of combination values. Alternatively, the user input
device 15 could include a fingerprint or retinal scan verification device. The
internal components of the lock 10 positioned within the lock casing 14
operate
as described above regardless of the chosen user input device 15.
[0098] While the present invention has been illustrated by a
description
of several embodiments, and while such embodiments have been described in
considerable detail, there is no intention to restrict, or in any way limit,
the
scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and
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modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. For example,
the
configuration mode detailed in FIG. 27 may be modified to require three sets
of
user input values to average together in order to set a new combination.
Therefore, the invention in its broadest aspects is not limited to the
specific
details shown and described. The various features disclosed herein may be
used in any combination necessary or desired for a particular application.
Consequently, departures may be made from the details described herein
without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims which follow. What
is
claimed is:
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