Electronic lock with clutch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11443572-B2
Application number	US-201916705343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2019
Priority date	Dec 6, 2019
Publication date	Sep 13, 2022
Grant date	Sep 13, 2022

Abstract

A lockset including a bolt mechanism, an exterior assembly, an interior assembly, a driving tailpiece, and a driven tailpiece. The bolt assembly includes a bolt having an extended position and a retracted position. The exterior assembly includes a rotatable exterior manual actuator. The interior assembly includes a clutch having a coupling state and a decoupling state. The driving tailpiece is connected between the exterior manual actuator and the clutch. The driven tailpiece is connected between the clutch and the bolt mechanism such that rotation of the driven tailpiece actuates the bolt assembly. In the coupling state, the clutch couples the driving tailpiece with the driven tailpiece such that the exterior manual actuator is operable to actuate the bolt assembly. In the decoupling state, the clutch decouples the driving tailpiece from the driven tailpiece such that the exterior manual actuator is inoperable to actuate the bolt assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lockset configured for mounting to a door having an exterior side, an interior side, and a free edge extending between and connecting the exterior side and the interior side, the lockset comprising:
a bolt mechanism configured for mounting within the door and comprising a bolt having an extended position and a retracted position;
an exterior assembly configured for mounting to the exterior side of the door, the exterior assembly comprising an exterior escutcheon and an exterior manual actuator rotatably mounted to the exterior escutcheon;
an interior assembly configured for mounting to the interior side of the door, the interior assembly comprising an interior escutcheon and a clutch mounted in the interior escutcheon, the clutch having a coupling state and a decoupling state;
a driving tailpiece connected between the exterior manual actuator and the clutch; and
a driven tailpiece connected between the clutch and the bolt such that rotation of the driven tailpiece drives the bolt between the extended and retracted positions;
wherein the clutch, in the coupling state, couples the driving tailpiece with the driven tailpiece such that the exterior manual actuator is operable to drive the bolt between the extended and retracted positions; and
wherein the clutch, in the decoupling state, decouples the driving tailpiece from the driven tailpiece such that the exterior manual actuator is inoperable to drive the bolt between the extended and retracted positions.

2. The lockset of claim 1 , further comprising:
an electromechanical driver mounted in the interior escutcheon, the electromechanical driver operable to drive the clutch between the coupling position and the decoupling position; and
a controller mounted in the interior escutcheon and in communication with the electromechanical driver;
wherein the controller is configured to operate the electromechanical driver to drive the clutch between the coupling position and the decoupling position based on information received from a credential reader.

3. The lockset of claim 2 , wherein the exterior assembly further comprises the credential reader, and wherein the credential reader is mounted in the exterior escutcheon.

4. The lockset of claim 2 , wherein the electromechanical driver comprises a rotary motor.

5. The lockset of claim 4 , wherein the clutch comprises:
a main gear engaged with the rotary motor via a worm gear such that rotation of the worm gear by the rotary motor rotates the main gear; and
a coupler engaged with the main gear via a cam interface such that rotation of the main gear linearly drives the coupler between a coupling position corresponding to the coupling state and a decoupling position corresponding to the decoupling state;
wherein the coupler in the coupling position operably connects the driving tailpiece with the driven tailpiece; and
wherein the coupler in the decoupling position operably disconnects the driving tailpiece from the driven tailpiece.

6. The lockset of claim 1 , wherein the exterior assembly further comprises a lock cylinder, and wherein the lock cylinder is engaged with the driven tailpiece such that the lock cylinder is operable to rotate the driven tailpiece to drive the bolt between the extended and retracted positions.

7. The lockset of claim 1 , wherein the interior assembly further comprises an interior manual actuator rotatably mounted to the interior escutcheon, and wherein the interior manual actuator is engaged with the driven tailpiece such that the interior manual actuator is operable to rotate the driven tailpiece to drive the bolt between the extended and retracted positions.

8. The lockset of claim 1 , wherein the driving tailpiece extends along a first longitudinal axis;
wherein the driven tailpiece extends along a second longitudinal axis arranged parallel to the first longitudinal axis; and
wherein the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis are laterally offset from one another.

9. The lockset of claim 1 , wherein the interior assembly further comprises:
a driving gear rotatably mounted in the interior escutcheon, wherein the driving gear is engaged with the driving tailpiece via the clutch such that the driving tailpiece is operable to rotate the driving gear when the clutch is in the coupling state; and
a driven gear rotatably mounted in the interior escutcheon, wherein the driven gear is engaged with the driving gear and the driven tailpiece such that rotation of the driving gear causes a corresponding rotation of the driven tailpiece.

10. The lockset of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the driving gear or the driven gear comprises a lobe;
wherein the interior assembly further comprises a switch; and
wherein the lobe activates and deactivates the switch as the one of the driving gear or the driven gear moves between a first position corresponding to the extended position of the bolt and a second position corresponding to the retracted position of the bolt.

11. The lockset of claim 9 , wherein the interior assembly further comprises a motor having a motor shaft; and
wherein the motor shaft is engaged with the clutch such that rotation of the motor shaft causes the clutch to move between the coupling state and the decoupling state.

12. The lockset of claim 11 , wherein the clutch comprises:
a main gear engaged with the motor shaft such that the motor is operable to rotate the main gear between a first position and a second position;
a coupler coupled with the driving tailpiece such that the coupler and the driving tailpiece are rotationally coupled with one another and the such that coupler is longitudinally slidable along the driving tailpiece between a coupling position and a decoupling position, wherein the coupler in the coupling position is rotationally coupled with the driving gear, and wherein the coupler in the a decoupling position is rotationally decoupled from the driving gear; and
a cam interface configured to longitudinally drive the coupler between the coupling position and the decoupling position in response to rotation of the main gear between the first position and the second position.

13. The lockset of claim 1 , further comprising an electromechanical driver positioned in the interior escutcheon;
wherein the clutch comprises a coupler having a coupling position corresponding to the coupling state and a decoupling position corresponding to the decoupling state; and
wherein the coupler is rotationally coupled with the driving tailpiece and is configured to slide along the driving tailpiece between the coupling position and the decoupling position.

14. A method, comprising:
mounting a bolt mechanism in a door, the bolt mechanism including a bolt having an extended position and a retracted position;
mounting an exterior assembly to an exterior side of the door, the exterior assembly comprising an exterior manual actuator;
positioning a driving tailpiece such that the driving tailpiece is operably coupled with the exterior manual actuator and extends at least partially through the door;
positioning a driven tailpiece in engagement with the bolt mechanism such that rotation of the driven tailpiece drives the bolt between the extended and retracted positions;
mounting an interior assembly to an interior side of the door, the interior assembly including a clutch;
engaging the clutch with the driving tailpiece and the driven tailpiece such that the clutch is operable to selectively couple the driving tailpiece with the driven tailpiece, the driving tailpiece is connected between the exterior manual actuator and the clutch, the driven tailpie

Assignees

• Schlage Lock Co Llc

Inventors

• Kusanale Vishal Salitkumar
• Appaji Mahesha
• Nayak Rakshith R
• Mani Vijayakumar
• Mckibben Aaron P

Classifications

• G07C2009/00626

  by using optical transmission · CPC title

• G07C9/00722 Primary

  with magnetic components, e.g. magnets, magnetic strips, metallic inserts (mechanical locks operated by permanent magnets E05B47/0038) · CPC title

• E05B2047/0026

  Clutches, couplings or braking arrangements · CPC title

• G07C9/00174

  Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys (mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00) · CPC title

• E05B2047/0084

  Key or electric means; Emergency release · CPC title