None.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lock cylinder, and, more particularly, to a tool-less rekeyable lock cylinder.
2. Description of the Related Art
When rekeying a cylinder using a traditional cylinder design, the user is required to remove the cylinder plug from the cylinder body and replace the appropriate pins so that a new key can be used to unlock the cylinder. This typically requires the user to remove the cylinder mechanism from the lockset and then disassemble the cylinder to some degree to remove the plug and replace the pins. This requires a working knowledge of the lockset and cylinder mechanism and is usually only performed by locksmiths or trained professionals. Additionally, the process usually employs special tools and requires the user to have access to pinning kits to interchange pins and replace components that can get lost or damaged in the rekeying process. Finally, professionals using appropriate tools can easily pick traditional cylinders.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,860,131, there is disclosed a rekeyable lock cylinder that includes a cylinder body with a plug body and carrier sub-assembly disposed therein. The plug body includes a plurality of spring-loaded pins and the carrier assembly includes a plurality of racks for engaging the pins to operate the lock cylinder. A tool is inserted into a tool-receiving aperture on the plug body face to move the carrier in a longitudinal direction from an operating position to a rekeying position. In the rekeying position, the racks are disengaged from the pins and a second valid key can replace the first valid key. The second valid key is inserted into the keyway of the plug body, and then the tool is released to reengage the racks with the pins to complete the rekeying process.
The present invention provides a tool-less rekeyable lock cylinder, which facilitates the rekeying of a lock cylinder without the need for lock disassembly or tools.
The invention, in one form thereof, is directed to a rekeyable lock cylinder having a longitudinal axis. The rekeyable lock cylinder includes a plug assembly and a lock cylinder. The plug assembly includes a plug body, a plurality of key followers, a plurality of racks, and a rack carrier. The plug body has a keyway configured to receive a key. The plurality of key followers is moveably disposed in the plug body. The plurality of racks is movably disposed in the rack carrier. The plug body has a proximal end and a distal end. The rack carrier is longitudinally moveable relative to the plug body between the proximal end and the distal end. The rack carrier has a cam follower that extends outwardly from the rack carrier. The lock cylinder body includes a cylinder wall having an interior surface defining an interior void in which the plug assembly is rotatably disposed, and has a cam track configured on the cylinder wall at the interior surface to guide the cam follower of the plug assembly. The cam track has a ramp portion configured to longitudinally displace the cam follower and the rack carrier as the plug assembly is rotated about the longitudinal axis relative to the lock cylinder body to facilitate selective disengagement of the plurality of racks from the plurality of key followers.
The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. For convenience, and ease of discussion, both an individual element and a plurality of like individual elements may be referenced by the same element number. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate one embodiment of the invention, in one form, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.
Referring now to the drawings and particularly to
Referring also to
Longitudinal axis 18 extends through the interior void 20 from front end 22 to back end 24, and defines a corresponding rotational axis 18 for plug assembly 14. Cylinder wall 26 includes an interior, locking bar groove 30. In the present embodiment, a generally V-notch locking bar groove 30 extends longitudinally along a portion of lock cylinder body 12 from the front end 22 toward the back end 24 in a direction parallel to longitudinal axis 18.
Referring also to
Plug body 32 includes a plug face 50, an intermediate portion 52 and a drive portion 54. Plug body 32 has a proximal end 32-1 and a distal end 32-2. A keyway 56 extends from plug face 50 into intermediate portion 52, with keyway 56 being configured to receive a key 58 for operating lock cylinder 10. A pair of channels 60 extends radially outwardly for receiving anti-drilling ball bearings 62 (
Intermediate portion 52 includes a main portion 70 formed as a cylinder section, a first planar surface 72 and a second planar surface 74 (
Spring-retaining cap 82, illustrated in
Intermediate portion 52 further includes a plurality of guide channels 100 configured to receive and guide the respective plurality of key followers 34. Guide channels 100 extend transversely to the longitudinal axis 18 of lock cylinder body 12 and plug body 32, and parallel to first planar surface 72, in direction D1. The plurality of key followers 34 are individually biased toward keyway 56 in direction D1 by a corresponding number of the plurality of biasing springs 36. Each key follower of the plurality of key followers 34 is located to extend across keyway 56.
Referring also to
Guide channels 100 extend from the second planar surface 74 partially through plug body 32, with the sidewalls of guide channels 100 open to the first planar surface 72. In other words, as shown in
Referring again to
Referring to
Referring to
Rack carrier 40 includes a body 108 in the form of a cylinder section that is complementary to the main portion 70 of plug body 32, such that rack carrier 40 and the main portion 70 combine to form a cylinder that fits inside lock cylinder body 12. The body 108 of rack carrier 40 includes a curved surface 110 and a flat surface 112. The curved surface 110 includes a locking bar recess 114. Locking bar recess 114 further includes a pair of return spring-receiving bores 116 (
The flat surface 112 of rack carrier 40 includes a plurality of parallel rack-receiving slots 118. Each of the plurality of rack-receiving slots 118 is configured to respectively slidably receiving a corresponding rack of the plurality of racks 42. Locking bar recess 114 extends inwardly from the curved surface 110 to intersect with each of the plurality of parallel rack-receiving slots 118. Locking bar recess 114 is configured to slidably receive locking bar 46, which is spring biased toward locking bar groove 30 of lock cylinder body 12. When lock cylinder 10 is assembled, locking bar 46 is disposed within lock cylinder body 12.
Each of the plurality of racks 42 is movably disposed in a respective guide slot of the plurality of rack-receiving slots 118. Each rack of the plurality of racks 42 has at least one engagement groove 120 (see
The spring-loaded locking bar 46 is sized and configured to slidably fit in locking bar recess 114 in rack carrier 40. Locking bar 46 is formed as an elongate member having a tapered triangular side edge 126 that is configured to be received by locking bar groove 30 of cylinder wall 26. Opposite the triangular side edge 126, locking bar 46 includes a longitudinally extending gear tooth 128 configured to be selectively received in locking bar engaging grooves 122 of the plurality of racks 42 when locking bar engaging grooves 122 of the plurality of racks 42 are in longitudinal alignment relative to longitudinal axis 18, as is the case when a proper key 58 is inserted into keyway 56.
Lock cylinder body 12 is configured to prevent a rotation of plug assembly 14 relative to lock cylinder body 12 when no key, or an invalid key, is inserted into keyway 56. For example, when no key, or an invalid key, is inserted into keyway 56, locking bar engaging groove 122 of the plurality of racks 42 are not in longitudinal alignment relative to longitudinal axis 18, and thus locking bar 46 is retained in locking bar groove 30 of lock cylinder body 12 by one or more of the plurality of racks 42, and thus prevents rotation of plug assembly 14 relative to lock cylinder body 12. Lock cylinder body 12 is configured to prevent a rotation of plug assembly 14 relative to lock cylinder body 12 when an invalid key is inserted into keyway 56.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, rack carrier 40 further includes having a cam follower 130 that extends outwardly from the curved surface 110 of rack carrier 40. More particularly, as shown in
Referring to
More particularly, in the exemplary embodiment shown in
The V-shaped portion 144 defines the pair of diverging ramp portions 140, individually identified as a first ramp portion 140-1 and a second ramp portion 140-2. The V-shaped portion may extend through the cylinder wall 26 and form a triangle cutout, as shown for example in
Referring again also to
The annular track portion 142 defines a distal extent of movement of rack carrier 40 associated with the distal position 40-2, and thus defines the distal position 40-2 of rack carrier 40. In the present embodiment, cam track 138 is configured such that cam follower 130 of plug assembly 14 reaches the annular track portion 142 after a rotation of plug assembly 14 relative to the home position HP in a rotational range of 20 degrees to 70 degrees either in the counterclockwise direction 152 or the clockwise direction 154 relative to the home position HP. In the exemplary embodiment, and referring to
The annular track portion 142 includes a first annular track segment 142-1 and a second annular track segment 142-2. Each respective annular track segment 142-1, 142-2 terminates in a respective return path, i.e., first return path 150-1 or second return path 150-2. The respective first return path 150-1 or second return path 150-2 is angularly offset from the respective one of the pair of diverging ramp portions 140, and more particularly, in the present embodiment is angularly offset by 90 degrees from the home position HP at 0 degrees. For example, the first return path 150-1 may be located at the 90 degree position in the counterclockwise direction 152 from the home position HP, and the second return path 150-2 may be located at the 90 degree position in the clockwise direction 154 from the home position HP. Each respective return path 150-1, 150-2 facilitates a return of rack carrier 40 to the proximal position 40-1 (see
Return path 150-1 is configured with a respective beveled side wall portion 156-1, and return path 150-2 is configured with a respective beveled side wall portion 156-2, to engage and depress cam follower 130 upon further rotation of plug assembly 14 relative to lock cylinder body 12 such that cam follower 130 leaves cam track 138, with rack carrier 40 in the proximal position 40-1, to travel along a neutral path 158, depicted by the horizontal dashed line in
By utilizing a configuration having the V-shaped portion 144 having the first ramp portion 140-1 and the second ramp portion 140-2 diverging from the apex 146, the present invention facilitates rekeying of lock cylinder 10 by a partial rotation of plug assembly 14 relative to lock cylinder body 12 in either of the counterclockwise direction 152 or clockwise direction 154, relative to the home position HP. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that rekeying may be limited to a rotation of plug assembly 14 in the counterclockwise direction 152 by elimination of the second ramp portion 140-1. Likewise, rekeying may be limited to a rotation of plug assembly 14 in the clockwise direction 154 by elimination of the first ramp portion 140-2.
In general, referring to
When a valid key 58 is inserted therein at the home position HP, as illustrated in
To rekey lock cylinder 10, the valid key 58 is inserted into keyway 56, and plug assembly 14 is rotated approximately 20 to 60 degrees such that cam follower 130 travels along the respective ramp portion 140-1, 140-2 to the annular track portion 142, and may be retained by a respective detent feature 148-1, 148-2 in the annular track portion 142. Referring to
At this point, lock cylinder 10 is keyed to the new key and the previous valid key is no longer able to operate lock cylinder 10.
While this invention has been described with respect to embodiments of the invention, the present invention may be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.
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