This invention relates to improvements in keys and key blanks, particularly with regard to defining the profiles of keys and key blanks using the shapes of ridges or grooves in a generally flat rectangular key blade profile. The shape of the key blank and key, of course, determines the shape of the keyway in a lock cylinder plug.
The lock cylinders art is requiring higher and higher security and there is a need in the art for the development of a shape or profile of a cross section of key and corresponding shape of the keyway in the cylinder plug to accommodate a hierarchical lock providing high security. The shape of the keyway is the first barrier that rejects or filters an unauthorized key in attempt to operate the lock cylinder.
There is only a finite space in a lock cylinder plug that can be occupied by the key and that space must be structured to allow for the maximum number of unique keyway shapes to be able to develop lock systems of adequate size. In large modern lock systems it is usual to arrange the structure of the keyways in a manner so that at least three levels of a hierarchical system can be provided, with one master key blank at the top level of the system, some sub-master key blanks at a medium level and several change key blanks at the lowest level of the hierarchical system. A new key section design must be different from prior key sections so that the key blanks can be controlled by the manufacturer and the end user can benefit from the security offered by the exclusivity of this key control via the key blanks.
Unique key profile shapes provide for additional protection against unauthorized key copying. Most key blanks of the generally flat rectangular key profiles are manufactured with single pass formed milling cutters that shape the side of the key blank. The axis of rotation of the cutter is held parallel to the side of the blade. Keys using an undercut groove profile require additional form cutting on specially designed machines that are usually not available at commercial duplicator operations and thus the blanks are more difficult to copy or counterfeit.
Early in the development of lock cylinders, it became apparent that there were specific parameters that affected the size of the lock cylinder systems that could be developed and that there were many design factors that influenced the wear of the key and the cylinder and thus the longevity of the system. Key blanks were designed with these parameters in mind. Representative examples of the prior art include the following:
In U.S. Pat. No. 0,263,244, Taylor discloses a key blank design that offers an economically simple solution to the problem of having a key that moves too freely in the keyhole. This offers a very minimal keyway shape in the plug and key profile in the blank.
In U.S. Pat. No. 0,420,174, Taylor teaches a unique but limited master keying technique that uses a Y shaped key section in a plug that allows two differently shaped key profiles to contact their own areas of the non rotating tumbler pins.
In U.S. Pat. No. 0,567,305, Donavan discloses a method of expanding the number of key sections, thus increasing the available size of lock systems, by dividing the key blank height into various areas and using consistent warding techniques at these locations to develop hierarchical keyways or key profiles. This increases the system size of pin tumbler cylinders. The bittings of one key can be repeated on a different key blank, configured with a different key profile, and the cylinders into which these individual keys fit can also be operated by a higher level key designed to insert into both of the keyways.
In U.S. Pat. No. 0,608,069, Noack discloses an arrangement of key section warding that provides improved wear on the key and the key contact area on the tip of the locking pins. In addition it provides a narrow cross sectional width under the bitting area, thus making it difficult to manipulate pick tools under the tumbler pins.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,304, M. Noujoks teaches a method of designing key section warding where both faces of the keys are provided with alternating ridges and grooves. It utilizes a master key blank that has all the grooves of the series but not the ridges, while the key blanks of a lower hierarchical level have varying ridges.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,168,617 and 4,368,629, Prunbauer discloses more methods of designing key section warding where the master key will fit into the subordinate keyways but the lower keys will not fit into the master keyways. In one embodiment, the ridges and grooves defining the key section are of a rectangular cross-section shape, and the outwardly projecting variable ridge on the subordinate key extends laterally beyond any of the other variable ridges. The subordinate key is thicker at its further ridge than the master key is at any location. In another embodiment the master key is formed of a zigzag shape, that is with its opposite sides formed of a plurality of planar facets each of which is substantially parallel to a respective planar facet on the other side.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,128, Steinbrink teaches another unique method of designing key sections where the longitudinal grooves on both sides of the key blank are formed with bottom faces that lay substantially along the arc of a circle.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,298, Tietz discloses a method of designing master key section warding that incorporates an invariable or family profile near the bitting area on the blank, and the variations defining the individual key sections are located near the spline or bottom edge of the blank. Additionally there are at least two profile formations that cross a center line in the key blank, one ridge is extending beyond the surface of the blank, and the variations are made with longitudinal grooves having rectangular cross sections.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,740, Errani illustrates a key section design that has a undercut groove shape making it very difficult to manipulate a pick tool in the keyway of the plug. The undercut groove is formed by means of cutters having their rotational axis inclined in relation to the sides of the key blank.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,715,717 and 5,809,816, Widen teaches some very specific methods of designing key sections using a three sided undercut groove located closest to the bottom edge of the key blank and extending inwardly inclined towards the bottom of the key blank, or using an undercut groove with a substantially flat surface which is inclined towards the groove bottom surface.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,357, Stefanescu teaches a method of designing master key section warding that utilizes a key blank with a T-shaped cross sectional area with all the profile ribs having specific curvilinear cross sectional contours, with rounded front and flank portions.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,851,292, Kruhn discloses a method of designing lock and key warding that incorporates specific perpendicular groove surfaces on one side of the key section, and slanting surfaces on the other side that are positioned in a relationship designed to trap, or limit the motion of a picking tool inserted into the key way.
While the prior art has developed usable key sections, they fail to maximize the area of the plug and do not allow for the development of many large master keying systems.
This invention provides specific parameters for key section profiles and the corresponding key ways in a cylinder plug that allows for the development of many exclusive and non-interchangeable hierarchical master key systems. In order to accomplish this, the key blade is considered separately for three vertical sections from the bottom edge of the blade up to the bitting surface edge of the blade. Each of the three sections is contoured or formed with specific variations of ridges and grooves that establish the key blank's position within a hierarchical system or systems. The bottom most section has a registry groove for the positioning of any secondary side milling operations used in the manufacture of the blank. This registry groove also allows for exact positioning of the blank in a key cutting or bitting machine. A second vertical section of the blade has at least one undercut longitudinal groove on at least one side of the blade. The location and shape of the undercut groove in the second section determines the primary family of the hierarchical system. The third section of the blade, just below the bitting surface may be divided vertically into two sides. One of these sides has a variation of the key section profile determined by using longitudinal grooves of curved shaped forms that are shifted up and down the side of the blade to create the necessary variations. The position and curved form of the profiles on this side determines the secondary and subgroups in the family of the hierarchical system. On the other side of the third or top most section of the blade, the variations in the key section profiles are determined by using longitudinal grooves having substantially rectangular or straight angular cross sections that vary in depth into the side of the blade. The position and depth of the angular profiles on this third section determine the individual location in the subgroup in the hierarchical system. By using these different but specific warding techniques at defined sections and on different sides of the blade it is possible to develop a structured system to allow the maximum number of new and unique key profile shapes. Additionally, by reversing the warding structure from side to side of the blade within different sections, it is possible to significantly increase the already large number of non-interchangeable key systems available, each providing adequate system size for the demands of modern security cylinder users.
The cross section of the key blank in one configuration is shown in
Section A contains a groove 6 extending the length of the blade for registry purposes. When a key blank is being cut with bittings or machined for other grooves, registry groove 6 is used to provide a location for further operations relative to such groove.
In Section B there is an undercut groove 7 also extending the length of the blade. The undercut groove may be used to provide a first level in the hierarchical scheme for hierarchical master keying.
The area above the undercut groove is divided into the two sides C and C′ and the shapes and configurations of the grooves and ridges extending along these two sides are established by distinctly different parameters. The shapes in Section C are determined by a base curvilinear shape 110 on which is overlaid a number of partial circular curves 121, 122, 123, 124, 125 and 126. These curves are all centered along the baseline 110. The curves can project either outwardly as convex ridges or inwardly as concave grooves from the baseline creating either curved longitudinal ridges or curved longitudinal grooves along the side of the blank of Section C and below the bitting area 3. Similar families of curved shapes can be determined by variations in the base curvilinear shape 110, i.e., a different curvilinear shape 110 can function as a center line for the various circular curves. Subgroups of these secondary families may be predetermined by the presence of either curved ridges, e.g., 122, 124, 125, or curved grooves, e.g., 121, 123, 126, and also by moving the base curvilinear shape 110 either up or down the side of the blank in relation to the registry groove 6 in Section A.
The shapes of the side of the key blade in Section C′ are determined by providing rectangular sections such as 134′ and straight angular shapes such as 131, 132′ and 133 and by varying the depths of these shapes into the side of the blank. There are a large number of other locations to provide grooves in Section C′ on this side of the blank, for example areas 135″, 136″ and 137″. The size of the grooves and the depths of the grooves that are formed in Section C′ on this side of the blank determine the individual position of the key cut from the key blank in the family hierarchical structure.
Further variations and modifications of this invention will be apparent to those with ordinary skill in the art of keys and master keying for mechanical locks.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
263244 | Taylor | Aug 1882 | A |
420174 | Taylor | Jan 1890 | A |
567305 | Donovan | Sep 1896 | A |
608069 | Noack | Jul 1898 | A |
1679558 | Best | Aug 1928 | A |
3499302 | Spain et al. | Mar 1970 | A |
3499304 | Naujoks | Mar 1970 | A |
3722240 | Spain et al. | Mar 1973 | A |
4103526 | Surko | Aug 1978 | A |
4168617 | Prunbauer | Sep 1979 | A |
4356713 | Widen | Nov 1982 | A |
4368629 | Prunbauer | Jan 1983 | A |
4393673 | Widen | Jul 1983 | A |
4416128 | Steinbrink | Nov 1983 | A |
4635455 | Oliver | Jan 1987 | A |
4653298 | Tietz | Mar 1987 | A |
4683740 | Errani | Aug 1987 | A |
D325160 | Best et al. | Apr 1992 | S |
D327635 | Best et al. | Jul 1992 | S |
5287712 | Sieg | Feb 1994 | A |
5289709 | Field | Mar 1994 | A |
5419168 | Field | May 1995 | A |
5490405 | Ramo et al. | Feb 1996 | A |
D368846 | Myers et al. | Apr 1996 | S |
5570601 | Field | Nov 1996 | A |
5615565 | Field | Apr 1997 | A |
5715717 | Widen | Feb 1998 | A |
5809816 | Widen | Sep 1998 | A |
6023954 | Field | Feb 2000 | A |
6145357 | Stefanescu | Nov 2000 | A |
6477875 | Field et al. | Nov 2002 | B2 |
6851292 | Kruhn | Feb 2005 | B2 |
6945082 | Field et al. | Sep 2005 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country |
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2828343 | Oct 1980 | DE |