The present invention relates to a keyed cylinder assembly for a door lock and, more particularly, to a keyed cylinder assembly including a keyed cylinder that allow insertion of either a first key capable of unlatching both a latch bolt and a deadbolt of the door lock or a second key capable of unlatching the latch bolt only.
Typical mortise locks include a latch bolt and a deadbolt both mounted in a case to lock a door to which the lock is mounted. Generally, the mortise locks further include a keyed cylinder to allow operation of both the latch bolt and the deadbolt from the outdoors by using a key. In mortise locks for use in hotel room doors, the keyed cylinder is required to cooperate with two different keys known as a master key and a service key, allowing a holder, such as a hotel manager, of the master key to operate both the latch bolt and the deadbolt from the outdoors while a holder, such as a room guest, of the service key can operate only the latch bolt from the outdoors. In a case that the room guest is intended to stay longer but refuses to pay the current bill, the hotel manager may move the deadbolt to a locking position with the master key to prevent the room guest from entering the room before the current bill is paid up. Thus, not only the payment problem of the room guest can be solved but also the possibility of burglary resulting from copied or lost service keys can be reduced. In such an operation mode allowing the deadbolt to be unlocked by the master key but not by the service key, a keyed cylinder with a special mechanism is required in which the service key can only rotate a cylinder plug of the keyed cylinder in a restricted angular range while the master key can rotate the cylinder plug 360 degrees. However, structures of the keyed cylinders of mortise locks are generally complicated, resulting in assembling difficulties, frequent malfunction, and increased costs.
Thus, a need exists for a keyed cylinder that can be operated by either a master key capable of unlatching both a latch bolt and a deadbolt of a door lock or a service key capable of unlatching the latch bolt only while having simplified structure and allowing smooth operation by the master and service keys.
The present invention solves this need and other problems in the field of keyed cylinders of mortise locks by providing, in a preferred form, a keyed cylinder assembly including a keyed cylinder adapted to be mounted in a door lock having a latch bolt and a deadbolt. The keyed cylinder includes a hollow body and a cylinder plug rotatably received in the hollow body about an axis. The cylinder plug includes front and rear ends spaced along the axis and an outer periphery surrounding the axis. The cylinder plug further includes a keyway extending from the first end through the second end along the axis and extending from an interior of the cylinder plug to the outer periphery in a radial direction perpendicular to the axis. The keyway includes a radial outer portion in the outer periphery and extending along the axis. The cylinder plug further includes an annular groove formed in the outer periphery and intersecting the radial outer portion of the keyway. The keyed cylinder further includes a first arresting member received in the hollow body and having an inner end received in the annular groove of the cylinder plug. The inner end of the first arresting member has a first length along the axis. The keyed cylinder assembly further includes a first key having a first blade insertable into the keyway of the cylinder plug. The first blade includes a side extending along the axis. A notch is formed in the side of the first blade and has a second length along the axis not smaller than the first length. The side of the first blade is received in the radial outer portion of the keyway when the first blade is received in the keyway. The keyed cylinder assembly further includes a second key having a second blade insertable into the keyway of the cylinder plug. The second blade includes a side extending along the axis. When the second blade is received in the keyway, the side of the second blade is received in the radial outer portion of the keyway, and a portion of the second side is received in the annular groove of the cylinder plug. When the first blade of the first key is inserted into the keyway of the cylinder plug and rotated, the cylinder plug rotates together with the first key, and the inner end of the first arresting member is received in the notch when the outer end of the keyway of the cylinder plug rotates to a first position in alignment with the inner end of the first arresting member, allowing 360° rotation of the cylinder plug in the hollow body for unlocking both the latch bolt and the deadbolt of the door lock. When the second blade of the second key is inserted into the keyway of the cylinder plug and rotated in a first direction, the cylinder plug rotates together with the second key until the portion of the second side of the second key contacts and is stopped by the inner end of the first arresting member when the radial outer portion of the keyway of the cylinder plug rotates to a second position adjacent to the inner end of the first arresting member, allowing unlatching the latch bolt of the door lock but not allowing 360° rotation of the cylinder plug in the hollow body for unlocking the deadbolt of the door lock.
In the most preferred form, the keyed cylinder assembly further includes a second arresting member received in the hollow body and angularly spaced from the first arresting member. The second arresting member includes an inner end received in the annular groove of the cylinder plug and having a third length along the axis not larger than the second length along the axis. When the second blade of the second key is inserted into the keyway of the cylinder plug and rotated in a second direction reverse to the first direction, the cylinder plug rotates together with the second key until the portion of the second side of the second key contacts and is stopped by the inner end of the second arresting member when the radial outer portion of the keyway of the cylinder plug rotates to a third position adjacent to the inner end of the second arresting member, allowing unlatching the latch bolt of the door lock but not allowing 360° rotation of the cylinder plug in the hollow body for unlocking the deadbolt of the door lock.
The present invention will become clearer in light of the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments of this invention described in connection with the drawings.
The illustrative embodiment may best be described by reference to the accompanying drawings where:
All figures are drawn for ease of explanation of the basic teachings of the present invention only; the extensions of the figures with respect to number, position, relationship, and dimensions of the parts to form the preferred embodiments will be explained or will be within the skill of the art after the following teachings of the present invention have been read and understood. Further, the exact dimensions and dimensional proportions to conform to specific force, weight, strength, and similar requirements will likewise be within the skill of the art after the following teachings of the present invention have been read and understood.
Where used in the various figures of the drawings, the same numerals designate the same or similar parts. Furthermore, when the terms “first”, “second”, “inner”, “outer”, “side”, “end”, “portion”, “section”, “radial”, “annular”, “clockwise” “counterclockwise” “lateral” “length”, and similar terms are used herein, it should be understood that these terms have reference only to the structure shown in the drawings as it would appear to a person viewing the drawings and are utilized only to facilitate describing the invention.
A keyed cylinder assembly according to the preferred teachings of the present invention is shown in the drawings and generally designated 10. Keyed cylinder assembly 10 can be utilized in a door lock 1 mounted in a door 2 (
According to the preferred form shown, keyed cylinder assembly 10 includes a keyed cylinder 3, a first key 4 and a second key 5. Keyed cylinder 3 includes a hollow body 31, a cylinder plug 32 rotatably received in hollow body 31 about an axis, and first and second arresting members 33 and 37. According to the preferred form shown, hollow body 31 includes first and second ends 311 and 312 spaced along the axis and a cylinder plug hole 313 extending from first end 311 through second end 312 along the axis. Hollow body 31 further includes a plurality of first tumbler pin holes 314 spaced from each other along the axis and each extending from an outer circumference 315 of hollow body 31 to cylinder plug hole 313. Each first tumbler pin hole 314 receives a first tumbler pin 352 and a spring 353 for biasing first tumbler pin 352 inward (see
According to the preferred form shown, cylinder plug 32 includes front and rear ends 321 and 322 spaced along the axis and an outer periphery 320 surrounding the axis. Cylinder plug 32 is received in cylinder plug hole 313 of hollow body 31. Front end 321 includes a flange and is rotatably coupled in first end 311 of hollow body 31. Rear end 322 extends through second end 312 of hollow body 31. Cylinder plug 32 further includes a keyway 323 extending from front end 321 through rear end 322 along the axis and extending from an interior of the cylinder plug 32 to the outer periphery 320 in a radial direction perpendicular to the axis. Keyway 323 includes an insertion opening 325 in front end 321 and a radial outer portion 326 in the outer periphery 320 and extending along the axis. Cylinder plug 32 further includes a plurality of second tumbler pin holes 324 spaced from each other along the axis and each extending from outer periphery 320 to keyway 323. Each second tumbler pin hole 324 receives a second tumbler pin 351. When cylinder plug 32 is received in hollow body 31 in a predetermined position, second tumbler pin holes 324 are aligned with first tumbler pin holes 314 such that springs 353 bias inner ends of first tumbler pins 352 into second tumbler pin holes 324 and bias inner ends of second tumbler pins 351 into keyway 323, thereby locking cylinder plug 32 in hollow body 31 (
According to the preferred form shown, each of first and second arresting members 33 and 37 is in the form of a pin and includes an inner end 331, 371. First arresting member 33 is received in first through-hole 316 with inner end 331 of first arresting member 33 extended through first through-hole 316 and received in annular groove 327 of cylinder plug 32. Second arresting member 37 is received in second through-hole 318 with inner end 371 of second arresting member 37 extended through second through-hole 318 and received in annular groove 327 of cylinder plug 32. Each of first and second arresting members 33 and 37 further includes an outer end 332, 372 adjacent outer circumference 315 of hollow body 31. A screw 38 is engaged in each of first and second through-holes 316 and 318 and presses against outer end 332, 372 of one of first and second arresting members 33 and 37 so that inner end 331, 371 of each of first and second arresting members 33 and 37 abuts bottom wall 39 of annular groove 327. Inner end 331, 371 of each of first and second arresting members 33 and 37 has a length along the axis.
According to the preferred form shown, first key 4 includes a bow 42 for a user's grip and a first blade 41 insertable into keyway 323 of cylinder plug 32. First blade 41 includes a first side 46 extending along the axis and having serrations 43. Further, first blade 41 includes a second side 44 extending along the axis and opposed to first side 46. First blade 41 further includes a notch 45 formed in second side 44 and having a length along the axis not smaller than the length of inner end 331, 371 of each of first and second arresting member 33 and 37. In the most preferred form shown, notch 45 is formed in an outer end edge of second side 44 of first blade 41. When first blade 41 is received into keyway 323 (
Second key 5 includes a bow 52 for the user's grip and a second blade 51 insertable into keyway 323 of cylinder plug 32. Second blade 51 includes a first side 56 extending along the axis and having serrations 53 similar to serrations 43 of first key 4. Further, second blade 51 includes a second side 54 extending along the axis and opposed to first side 56. When second blade 51 is received into keyway 323 (
With reference to
With reference to
Further, in the most preferred form shown, when cylinder plug 32 is not rotated by either of first and second keys 4 and 5, inner end 331 of first arresting member 33 is angularly spaced from radial outer portion 326 of keyway 323 about 156° in the clockwise direction while inner end 371 of second arresting member 37 is angularly spaced from radial outer portion 326 of keyway 323 about 166° in the counterclockwise direction (see
With reference to
Deadbolt 13 is in the form of a parallelepiped and includes a front end 131 extendible through another opening 114 in case 11 between an extended, locking position outside of case 11 and a retracted, unlocking position inside of case 11. Deadbolt 13 further includes a rear end 132 to which a pivotal member 17 is connected. A turnknob 171 is mounted on an inner side of door 2 and connected with pivotal member 17 so that pivotal member 17 can be turned to actuate rear end 132 of deadbolt 13 by operation of turnknob 171, which, in turn, moves front end 131 of deadbolt 13 between the extended, locking position outside of case 11 and the retracted, unlocking position inside of case 11.
A lever link 14 is pivotally mounted around a pivot 140 formed in case 11 and includes a first end 141 adjacent to keyed cylinder 3 and a second end 142 releasably engaged with bracket 124 of latch bolt 12. Lever link 14 can be driven by actuating member 34 of cylinder plug 32 so as to move latch bolt 12 from the extended, latching position to the retracted, unlatching position inside of case 11. Specifically, when deadbolt 13 is in the retracted, unlocking position inside of case 11 (
With reference to
As discussed above, when latch bolt 12 is in its extended, unlatching position and deadbolt 13 in its retracted, unlocking position, either of first and second keys 4 and 5 can be used to unlatch latch bolt 12. But when both latch bolt 12 and deadbolt 13 are in the extended positions, only first key 4 can be used to unlock deadbolt 13. Thus, by cooperation of keyed cylinder 3 and first and second keys 4 and 5, first key 4 can unlock both latch bolt 12 and deadbolt 13 of door lock 1 while second key 5 can only unlatch latch bolt 12, allowing keyed cylinder assembly 10 to be utilized in mortise locks for use in hotel room doors. Specifically, first key 4 can be used as a master key to unlock both a latch bolt and a deadbolt of a hotel room door lock from the outdoors, and second key 5 can be used as a service key to unlatch only the latch bolt from the outdoors. Thus, in a case that a room guest is intended to stay longer but refuses to pay the current bill, the hotel manager may move deadbolt 13 to the extended, locking position with first key 4 to prevent the room guest from entering the room before the current bill is paid up. Further, keyed cylinder 3 according to the preferred teachings of the present invention has simplified structure while allowing smooth operation by first and second keys 4 and 5.
It can be appreciated that keyed cylinder assembly 10 according to the preferred teachings of the present invention can be utilized with door lock of any desired type.
Spaced first and second arresting members 33 and 37 of keyed cylinder 3 allow door lock 1 to suit differently handed doors by optionally mounting keyed cylinder 3 in keyed cylinder-receiving hole 112 from either of opposite lateral orientations of case 11. It can be appreciated that keyed cylinder 3 can include only one arresting member 33 or 37.
Thus since the invention disclosed herein may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or general characteristics thereof, some of which forms have been indicated, the embodiments described herein are to be considered in all respects illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is to be indicated by the appended claims.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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3090219 | Levin | May 1963 | A |
3704608 | Kloosterziel | Dec 1972 | A |
4123926 | Elder | Nov 1978 | A |
4376381 | Muus | Mar 1983 | A |
4631941 | Sjunnesson | Dec 1986 | A |
4672827 | Craig | Jun 1987 | A |
5000019 | Foster | Mar 1991 | A |
5046342 | Urby | Sep 1991 | A |
5138856 | Chyun | Aug 1992 | A |
20050235713 | Johansson et al. | Oct 2005 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20100300161 A1 | Dec 2010 | US |