The invention relates to a cylinder lock having a cylinder housing and having a cylinder core rotatably supported in the cylinder housing, wherein the cylinder housing has at least one tumbler blocking recess and a latch blocking recess. A plurality of disk tumblers are provided in the cylinder core, wherein each of the plurality of disk tumblers has an engagement section and is movable between a latched position and an unlatched position. In the latched position, the engagement section of the respective disk tumbler engages into the tumbler blocking recess of the cylinder housing. In the unlatched position, the engagement section is brought out of engagement with the tumbler blocking recess. At least one of the plurality of disk tumblers has a latch reception recess. The cylinder lock furthermore comprises at least one latch element which has a latch tip and a blocking section, wherein the latch element is movable between a blocking position and a release position and is preloaded into the release position. In the blocking position, the blocking section of the latch element engages into the latch blocking recess of the cylinder housing. In the release position, the latch tip engages into the latch reception recess of the at least one disk tumbler and the blocking section is brought out of engagement with the latch blocking recess of the cylinder housing.
In such a cylinder lock, the disk tumblers and the latch element serve in their respective base position (latched position or blocking position in the latched state of the cylinder lock) to latch the cylinder core against a rotational movement relative to the cylinder housing. Only when an associated (i.e. a correctly encoded) key is introduced into the cylinder core through the key introduction openings of the disk tumblers can the cylinder core be rotated in a rotary direction of opening by means of the key.
A problem with such a cylinder lock is the so-called lock picking. This is understood as the attempt to open a cylinder lock manipulatively, i.e. without the associated key, without force. For this purpose, special opening tools are used with which the disk tumblers are displaced from their respective latched position against their preload direction up to and into their respective unlatched position, while a torque is simultaneously exerted onto the cylinder core in a rotary direction of opening. In accordance with a method (“setting” the disk tumblers), the disk tumblers are displaced after one another so that ultimately all disk tumblers are caught at the edge of the tumbler blocking recess of the cylinder housing and the cylinder core can finally be rotated further in the rotary direction of opening. In accordance with another method (probing the codings), the respective unlatched position is identified by a changed resistance on the displacement of the disk tumbler against the respective preload direction, with the changed resistance being able to manually probed by means of a suitable tool and/or being able to be acoustically recognized. Due to the thus determined displacement paths which the disk tumblers cover between the respective latched position and unlatched position, a correspondingly encoded key can be copied which can the open the cylinder lock without damage.
Cylinder locks of the above-explained kind are disclosed in the patent specifications U.S. Pat. No. 1,965,336, U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,482 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,978,647 B2. A lock-picking tool is additionally disclosed in the patent specification U.S. Pat. No. 6,978,647 B2 which can be used for the above-explained lock picking. A cylinder lock having a pivotable latch element is disclosed in patent specification U.S. Pat. No. 8,695,390 B2 which engages, adjacent to a latch reception recess, into a toothed zone of the respective disk tumbler to latch the disk tumbler against a movement when a torque is exerted onto the cylinder core in a rotary direction of opening. While such cylinder locks have proved themselves in practice and a high degree of protection against manipulations has already been reached, there is a need to increase the security against lock picking even further in cylinder locks having disk tumblers.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide a cylinder lock which has an improved security against manipulation, in particular with respect to the explained lock picking in accordance with the method of probing the codings of the disk tumblers.
This object is satisfied by a cylinder lock having the features of claim 1 and in particular in that the named at least one disk tumbler, which has a latch reception recess, has, adjacent to the latch reception recess, at least one latch catching recess into which the latch tip of the latch element catchingly engages when the at least one disk tumbler is displaced by a first path length from the unlatched position, wherein the latch catching recess is less deep than the latch reception recess of the disk tumbler.
In the cylinder lock in accordance with the invention, a rotation of the cylinder core is prevented in the closed state by two latching mechanisms explained in the following. On the one hand, a respective engagement section of the disk tumblers engages into a tumbler blocking recess of the cylinder housing in their latched position, wherein the disk tumblers are preferably preloaded into the latched position along a respective first preload direction. On the other hand, a blocking section of at least one latch element engages into a latch blocking recess of the cylinder housing in its blocking position, wherein the latch element is preferably preloaded into a release position along a second preload direction. Only when all disk tumblers are in the respective unlatched position, i.e. out of engagement with the tumbler blocking recess, and when the latch element is in the release position, i.e. out of engagement with the latch blocking recess, is the cylinder core freely rotatable in the cylinder housing. In this state, the latch element engages into a latch reception recess of the respective disk tumbler which is preferably provided at a longitudinal side of the disk tumbler.
On the lock-picking according to the method of the probing of the codings, the respective unlatched position of the disk tumbler is identified, as explained, by a changed resistance on the displacement of the disk tumbler. Such a changed movement resistance in particular occurs when the respective disk tumbler moves into the unlatched position and the latch element thus engages due to its preload into the latch reception recess of the disk tumbler (completely or only partly, the latter if all the disk tumblers associated with the latch element are not yet in their unlatched position). This changed resistance on the displacement of the disk tumbler will be called a first change of the resistance in the following.
In the closed state of the cylinder lock in accordance with the invention, the explained lock picking is now made more difficult in that a second change of the resistance is realized, which occurs additionally to the explained first change of the resistance, by a catching (e.g. springing back) engagement of a latch tip of the latch element into a latch catching recess of the associated disk tumbler on the displacement of the disk tumbler. On an attempt to probe the codings, there is thus the lack of clarity as to which change of the resistance (first change or second change) is currently being probed on the manipulative displacement of the disk tumbler, i.e. whether the currently probed change of the movement resistance is actually caused by the reaching of the unlatched position of the disk tumbler. The respective disk tumbler can thus admittedly be displaced out of the latched position in the direction of the unlatched position in the closed state of the cylinder lock (even when simultaneously a torque is exerted onto the cylinder core in the rotary direction of opening). However, for this purpose, a plurality of latch locks, and thus a plurality of changes of the movement resistance, have to be overcome between the latch element and the disk tumbler since the latch tip slides along the respective longitudinal side of the disk tumbler and in so doing catchingly engages into the latch catching recess and into the latch reception recess. The probing of the unlatched position of the disk tumbler by means of a lock-picking tool is hereby made more difficult.
The latch catching recess is provided adjacent to the latch reception recess into which the latch tip of the latch element engages when all of the disk tumblers associated with the latch element are in their unlatched position and the latch element can thus adopt the release position. In thus connection, “adjacent” is to be understood as an arrangement in which the latch catching recess is admittedly (necessarily) separate from the latch reception recess and is thus spaced apart from the latch reception recess by an intermediate elevated portion. The spacing between the latch catching recess and the latch reception recess is, however, smaller than the displacement path of the respective disk tumbler (spacing between the latched position and the unlatched position) so that on a probing of a changed movement resistance, the explained lack of clarity remains as to whether the respective disk tumbler is actually in the unlatched position. The at least one latch catching recess can in particular be adjacent to the latch reception recess of the respective disk tumbler such that the width of an intermediate elevated portion provided between the latch catching recess and the latch reception recess is smaller than the clearance of the latch reception recess and is preferably also smaller than the clearance of the latch catching recess.
The catching engagement of the latch tip of the latch element into the latch catching recess of the disk tumbler is thus established directly when the at least one disk tumbler is displaced relative to the unlatched position, wherein the latch catching recess at the disk tumbler is less deep than the latch reception recess (with respect to the direction of movement of the preloaded latch element). The length of the latch element is selected in this respect such that, when the at least one disk tumbler is at least partly in the latched position, the latch tip of the latch element can, on the one hand, engage catchingly into the latch catching recess of the disk tumbler and, on the other hand, the blocking section of the latch element nevertheless engages into the latch blocking recess of the cylinder housing. Since the latch catching recess is less deep than the latch reception recess of the disk tumbler, it is thus achieved that the latch element maintains its blocking position even when the latch tip engages into the latch catching recess (and not into the latch reception recess). The clearance of the latch catching recess (that is the opening width along the direction of displacement of the disk tumbler) is preferably also smaller than the clearance of the latch reception recess.
In accordance with a desired embodiment and with required safety aspects, a plurality of tumbler blocking recesses and latch blocking recesses can naturally be provided in addition to the one tumbler blocking recess and to the one latch blocking recess, with a plurality of latch elements also correspondingly being possible.
It must still be mentioned for a better understanding that the invention is described to a large extent with reference to at least one disk tumbler since the invention can generally already be realized by a cooperation of the latch element with a single disk tumbler. One respective latch element is, however, preferably associated with a group of some disk tumblers. In this case, the cooperation of the latch element, in particular the described engagement of the latch tip into the latch reception recess or the engagement of the latch tip into the latch catching recess, takes place with at least one of the disk tumblers from the associated group, in particular with that disk tumbler which is brought into the unlatched position last. It may, for example, be that the latch tip of the latch element which contacts a plurality of disk tumblers only engages partly into the latch catching recess of a specific disk tumbler, namely when the other disk tumblers are displaced by a specific path length with respect to the one specific disk tumbler.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention are named in the following and in the dependent claims.
In accordance with an advantageous embodiment, the at least one disk tumbler has, adjacent to the latch reception recess, a plurality of latch catching recesses arranged next to one another. It is hereby insured that a plurality of resistance changes—that is not only the explained first and second changes of the movement resistance—can be caused during a manipulative displacement of the disk tumbler along a wide displacement range by the catching engagement of the latch tip of the latch element into the respective latch catching recess. The unlatched position of the disk tumbler can hereby be probed with even more difficulty. So many latch catching recesses can advantageously be arranged next to one another adjacent to the latch reception recess that the latch tip of the latch element always catchingly engages into a latch catching recess of the disk tumbler for every possible position of the disk tumbler outside the unlatched position.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, the disk tumbler has a respective at least one latch catching recess at both sides of the latch reception recess, i.e. not only at one single side of the latch reception recess. This is in particular of advantage when the disk tumblers are preloaded in opposite senses between one another, i.e. in two mutually opposed directions, or when the disk tumbler is displaceable such that the latch tip of the latch element can be at both sides of the latch reception recess of the disk tumbler and can act on the disk tumbler. Yet a further change of the movement resistance above all also hereby results when the respective disk tumbler is moved beyond the latched position on the attempt of a probing of the unlatched position.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, the disk tumbler has a respective plurality of latch catching recesses arranged next to one another at both sides of the latch reception recess. It can hereby be insured that the above-explained resistance changes on the displacement of the disk tumblers along a wide displacement range are realized at both sides of the latch reception recess by a catching engagement of the latch tip into the respective latch catching recess, whereby the security against lock picking is increased.
The latch reception recess is advantageously provided at a side edge of the disk tumbler with respect to the direction of movement of the disk tumbler, the side edge preferably extending in parallel with the direction of displacement of the disk tumbler. A displacement of the disk tumbler is hereby brought about which is low in friction loss and is thus reliable on a contact of the latch tip of the latch element at the side edge. A plurality of disk tumblers arranged next to one another can furthermore contact the latch tip in a space-saving manner, whereby a compact size for the cylinder core can be achieved.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, the latch reception recess and the latch catching recess are (at least) substantially formed as triangular. A substantially triangular recess is in particular still present when the outline of the recess is formed as an obtuse tip and/or with curved flanks. A stable shape match between the respective recess and the latch element engaging into the respective recess is achieved, on the one hand, by the substantially triangular configuration; on the other hand, the stable shape matching can be simply cancelled by a displacement of the disk tumblers by a suitable force (for example by means of the associated key), whereby the latch element is urged out of the respective recess against its preload.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, an intermediate elevated portion is provided between the latch reception recess and the latch catching recess of the disk tumbler, wherein the latch tip has an intermediate recess and wherein the Intermediate elevated portion of the disk tumbler is adapted to engage into the intermediate recess of the latch tip when the disk tumbler is displaced out of the unlatched position by a second path length (which corresponds to the engagement of the latch tip into the latch catching recess). It is insured in a simple manner by this feature that the latch tip of the latch element enters into a further catching shape-matched connection with the disk tumbler, namely already directly after the latch element has been urged out of the latch reception recess by the relatively small second path length by displacement of the disk tumbler. A further (i.e. third) change of the movement resistance of the disk tumbler is hereby effected on its displacement due to the temporary latch connection hereby caused, namely as soon as the disk tumbler is no longer in the unlatched position. The desired security against picking is therefore insured particularly well by this feature.
In accordance with a particularly simple embodiment, the intermediate recess of the latch tip can be formed as a groove which preferably extends in parallel with the axis of rotation of the cylinder core, in particular when the latch element is elongate and is associated with a group of some disk tumblers along the axis of rotation of the cylinder core. Such a groove can be formed in a straight line. The groove can, however, alternatively also not be in a straight line, but rather arcuate, for example. Alternatively or additionally, such a groove can also extend obliquely to the axis of rotation of the cylinder core. A greater variation of the engagement possibilities between the groove and the latch catching recess or the intermediate elevated portion of the disk tumbler can be achieved by such modifications, which increases the security against picking.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, the latch element has a connection section between the latch tip and the blocking section, which connection section is narrower along a tangential direction viewed about the axis of rotation of the cylinder core than the blocking section of the latch element, i.e. the connection section is tapered in the manner of a neck. The possibility of a direct rotational clearance of the cylinder core relative to the cylinder housing hereby results which can advantageously increase the security against picking, as will be explained in more detail in the following.
In accordance with an advantageous embodiment, the connection section of the latch element is set back or set back less far at one side, which faces in a rotary direction of opening of the cylinder core, with respect to the blocking section of the latch element than at another (oppositely disposed) side which faces against the rotary direction of opening of the cylinder core. The side of the connection section facing in the rotary direction of opening of the cylinder core can in particular be planar and can end flush with the blocking section of the latch element, with the other side of the connection section being of oblique form and/or being set back with respect to the blocking section. The rotary clearance of the cylinder core to be explained in the following is hereby promoted.
The connection section of the latch element at the one side which faces in the rotary direction of opening of the cylinder core can in particular end flush with the blocking section of the latch element and can be set back with respect to the blocking section at the other side which faces against the rotary direction of opening of the cylinder core so that the blocking section only forms a lateral projection at the named other side. Such a lateral projection can have the effect on a manipulation attempt in which the cylinder core is acted on by a torque in the rotary direction of opening that the latch element remains in its blocking position and thus prevents a manipulative rotation of the cylinder core since the lateral projection is in this respect urged over the outer jacket surface of the cylinder core. Since no such lateral projection and accordingly no setback is provided at the named one side which faces in the rotary direction of rotation of the cylinder core, the manipulative rotational movement effects the desired displacement of the lateral projection over the outer jacket surface of the cylinder core at an early stage.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, a holding plate is associated with the latch element which has a support opening which is penetrated by the connection section of the latch element when the latch element is in the blocking position. Provided that the at least one disk tumbler is in the latched position and the latch element is in the blocking position, there is a first rotary clearance, with respect to a rotary actuation of the cylinder core relative to the cylinder housing, between the blocking section of the latch element and the latch blocking recess of the cylinder housing. There is furthermore in the aforesaid state a second rotary clearance between the connection section of the latch element and the support opening of the associated holding plate. There is a third rotary clearance between the engagement section of the at least one disk tumbler and the tumbler blocking recess of the cylinder housing. In this embodiment, the first rotary clearance is smaller than the second rotary clearance and the second rotary clearance is in turn smaller than the third rotary clearance.
It is achieved by the quantitative differences in the rotary clearances configured in this manner that the latch element can tilt or cant easily between the latch reception recess and the holding plate when the blocking section of the latch element engages into the latch blocking recess of the cylinder housing and a torque is exerted onto the cylinder core in a rotary direction of opening (in particular in the case of a manipulation attempt). The catching engagement of the latch tip of the latch element with the latch catching recess of the disk tumbler is nevertheless maintained, whereby the explained second change of the resistance is maintained on the displacement of the disk tumbler despite a canting of the latch element and an association of the probed movement resistance to a fixed position of the disk tumbler is made more difficult. Since the first and second rotary clearances are smaller than the third rotary clearance, it is additionally prevented that the boundaries of the tumbler blocking recess can be utilized to bring the disk tumblers sequentially into the unlatched position in accordance with the above-explained method of “setting”, whereby the security against picking is increased even further.
The latch element is preferably supported in a linearly (i.e. straight line) displaceable manner. The latch element is preferably displaceably supported in the radial direction with respect to the axis of rotation of the cylinder core.
In accordance with an advantageous embodiment, a holding plate, in particular the holding plate already named above, is arranged between the cylinder core and the cylinder housing, wherein a latch preloading device associated with the latch element is supported between the holding plate and the latch element. The holding plate is preferably received in a shape-matched manner and flush at the outside in a recess at the outer side of the cylinder core. The latch element can be preloaded particularly simply in the direction of the disk tumblers, in particular in the radially inwardly facing direction, by arranging the latch preloading device between the holding plate and the latch element, whereby it is insured that the latch tip of the latch element always contacts the respective disk tumbler and acts on it so that a stable shape matching is insured on an engagement of the latch tip into the latch reception recess or into the latch catching recess. The holding plate is preferably arched, wherein a support opening of the holding plate, in particular the support opening already named above, can be designed such that the blocking section of the latch element engages with shape matching into the support opening in the release position and forms an outwardly flush termination with the holding plate. The holding plate can be inserted into the recess in a freely floating manner at the outer side of the cylinder core (in particular with clearance), whereby an improved security against picking results due to a greater rotary clearance of the cylinder core. Alternatively to this, the holding plate can be pressed into the recess at the outer side of the cylinder core. A simpler assembly results by such a press fit and a snagging of the holding plate in the tumbler blocking recess of the cylinder housing on a rotational movement of the cylinder core (in the direction of the closed position) is reliably avoided.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, each disk tumbler of a group which comprises some or all of the plurality of disk tumblers has a latch reception recess and at least one latch catching recess, wherein the latch element extends along the axis of rotation of the cylinder core and wherein the latch tip engages into a the latch reception recesses of the group of disk tumblers in the release position of the latch element. A single latch element can, for example, be associated with all the disk tumblers of the cylinder lock to cooperate therewith or a single latch element is associated with a subset of the disk tumblers (e.g. with every second one). Alternatively, a plurality of latch elements can be provided which are arranged axially behind one another and which act independently of one another. Two latch elements can furthermore be provided which can be arranged diametrically opposite with respect to the axis of rotation of the cylinder core. The respective rotary element can extend in parallel with or obliquely to the axis of rotation of the cylinder core and it can be linear or non-linear (for example arcuate). Depending on which safety requirements the cylinder is to satisfy, a suitable complexity of the cylinder lock can be selected in the sense of the above-explained alternatives.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the plurality of disk tumblers are preloaded into the respective latched position along a first preload direction, wherein the latch element is preloaded into the release position along a second preload direction and wherein the first preload direction and the second preload direction extend perpendicular or obliquely to one another. In this respect, the first preload direction can be directed radially outwardly with respect to the axis of rotation of the cylinder core, whereby the respective engagement sections of the disk tumblers generally, i.e. in their base position, engage into the tumbler blocking recess of the cylinder housing and latch the cylinder core with respect to a rotation. In contrast, the second preload direction, i.e. the preload direction of the latch element, is directed radially inwardly, whereby a second functionality of the latch element is insured. On the one hand, the latch element should, as already explained, enter into a catching shape match with the latch catching recess of the disk tumbler to realize a second resistance on the displacement of the disk tumbler. On the other hand, the radially inwardly directed second preload direction serves the purpose that the latch element automatically engages into the latch reception recess of the disk tumbler when the disk tumbler is in its unlatched position, whereby the blocking section of the latch element is brought out of engagement with the latch blocking recess and the cylinder core can be rotated in the cylinder housing. As already mentioned further above, the disk tumblers can be preloaded in opposite senses among one another, i.e. in two mutually opposite directions.
Alternatively or additionally, the plurality of disk tumblers are preloaded into the latched position by means of a respective tumbler preloading device, wherein the latch element is preloaded into the release position by means of a latch preloading device and wherein the tumbler preloading devices and the latch reception recess of the at least one disk tumbler and the latch preloading device and the latch tip of the latch element are coordinated with one another so that the disk tumblers adopt their respective latched position in a closed position of the cylinder core and the disk tumbler or disk tumblers which has or have a latch engagement recess hereby urges or urge the latch element into the blocking position. In other words, the tumbler preloading devices have the effect in a base position of the cylinder lock that the disk tumblers adopt their respective latched position, wherein the latch element is urged into the blocking position against its preload due to the preloading effect and to the shape of the latch reception recess of the respective disk tumbler or disk tumblers. The cylinder core is thus latched against a rotational movement in the base position.
In accordance with a further advantageous embodiment, each of the plurality of disk tumblers has a key introduction opening whose outline has a first coding section and a second coding section. Matched to this, a key associated with the cylinder lock (in particular on a first side of a central plane) has a sequence of first incisions which correspond to the first coding sections of the plurality of disk tumblers. The key equally has (in particular on a second side of the central plane) a sequence of second incisions which correspond to the second coding sections of the plurality of disk tumblers. Due to this embodiment, the movement space in the keyway, which is formed by the key introduction openings of the disk tumblers, is reduced with respect to a simple substantially rectangular design of the keyway for possible manipulation attempts, i.e. the probing of the codings of the disk tumblers is hereby made more difficult. More closing variants furthermore result from the above-explained two-stage aspect of the key, whereby the security against picking is increased with respect to a false key since the two coding sections for each disk tumbler have to be correctly polled. There is furthermore a reduced probability that a key which is not associated with the cylinder lock can be introduced into the keyway at all.
The invention will be described in the following only by way of example with reference to the drawings.
The design of the shown cylinder lock will first be described with reference to
In
The disk tumblers 21 are movable in the cylinder core 13 along a preload direction Y shown in
As is shown in
As shown in
As shown in
On a manipulation attempt in the form of picking, in which the cylinder core 13 is preloaded in the rotary direction of opening O (that is when the cylinder core 13 is moved counter-clockwise beyond the shown rotational position with respect to the representation in accordance with
The general operation of the shown cylinder lock will be explained in the following mainly with reference to
The cylinder core 13 is only rotated in the cylinder housing 11 between a closed position and an open position.
In order better to illustrate the special operation of the shown cylinder lock with respect to the making more difficult of a probing of the codings of the disk tumblers 21, the engagement section 23 of the disk tumbler 21 shown at the very front in the representation in accordance with
The cylinder lock is shown in the open state in
To move all the disk tumblers 21 into their unlatched positions, the key 33 is introduced into the keyway of the cylinder lock which is formed by the key introduction openings 63 aligned with one another (
If an attempt is made in the shown cylinder lock to probe the displacement path in accordance with the method of the probing of the codings, which displacement path the respective disk tumbler 21 covers between the latched position and the unlatched position, there is a considerable difficulty in that a plurality of tangible changes of the movement resistance can occur as a consequence of the mutual catching engagement between the latch tip 35 (including the intermediate recess 42) and the latch catching recesses 49a, 49a′, 49b, 49b′ and the Intermediate elevated portions 51a, 51b along a far displacement range. It can thus not be determined or can only be determined with great difficulty in which position of the manipulatively displaced disk tumbler 21 the unlatched position is actually reached in which the latch tip 35 engages into the latch reception recess 47. A high security against picking is thus achieved.
Three specific rotary clearances exist overall in
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10 2014 108 355.5 | Jun 2014 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/EP15/63126 | 6/12/2015 | WO | 00 |