Key and lock cylinder

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016265247-A1
Application number	US-201514644712-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 11, 2015
Priority date	Mar 11, 2015
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A plug assembly for a lock includes a generally cylindrical plug body that defines a keyway and a generally cylindrical plug housing that rotatably receives the plug body, A plurality of blocking members are housed in the plug body and are movable into the keyway upon rotation of the plug body relative to the plug housing to obstruct the keyway. A key can be provided that is positionable into the keyway, and the blade of the key defines receptacles for receiving the blocking members when the plug body is rotated so that the lock can be unlocked. However, the blocking members prevent rotation of the plug body when a picking tool or unauthorized key is inserted in the keyway since either the blocking members cannot move into the keyway and remain engaged to the plug housing due to the object in the keyway, or obstruct the keyway and prevent insertion of the picking tool.

First claim

1 . An apparatus comprising;
a plug assembly for a lock, the plug assembly including:
a substantially cylindrical plug body comprising:
a keyway extending along a longitudinal axis of the plug body;
at least two slots extending from an outer surface of the plug body to the keyway, at least one of the slots being positioned on a first side of the key way and at least one of the slots being positioned on a second side of the keyway, the at least two slots beam spaced axially from one another along the keyway;

at least two blocking members in respective ones of the at least two slots, each blocking member including a blocking portion on u radially inward side of the blocking member and a cam portion on a radially outer side of the blocking member; and a substantially cylindrical plug housing for receiving the plug body, the plug housing including an inner surface with at least one detent on each of opposite sides of the plug housing to receive the cam portion of a respective one of the blocking members, wherein the at least two blocking members are biased to position the cam portion thereof in the respective detent so the blocking portions are not located in the key way when the plug body is in a first position relative to the plug housing, and wherein rotation of the plug body relative to the plug housing from the first position displaces the cam portions from the respective detent to move the at least two blocking, members radially inwardly relative to the plug body and position the blocking portion of each blocking member in the keyway.

2 . An apparatus comprising:
a plug assembly for a lock, the plug assembly including:
a substantially cylindrical plug body comprising:
a keyway extending along a longitudinal axis of the plug body;
at least two slots extending from an outer surface of the plug body to the keyway, at least one of the slots being positioned on a first side of the keyway and at least one of the slots being positioned on a second side of the keyway;

at least two blocking members in respective ones of the at least two slots, each blocking member including a blocking portion on a radially inward side of the blocking member and a cam portion on a radially outer side of the blocking member,
a substantially cylindrical plug housing for receiving the plug body, the plug housing including an inner surface with at least one detent on each of opposite sides of the plug housing to receive the cam portion of a respective one of the blocking members, wherein the at least two blocking members are biased to position the aim portion thereof in the respective detent so the blocking portions are run located in the keyway when the plug body is in a first position relative to the plug housing, and wherein rotation of the plug body relative to the plug housing from the first position displaces the cam portions from the respective detent to move the at least two blocking members radially inwardly relative to the plug body and position the blocking portion of each blocking member in the keyway; wherein the plug assembly includes:
an axial channel extending in the plug body opening in the keyway and at the outer surface;
a sidebar positioned in the axial channel, the sidebar comprising an interference portion on a radially inner side of the sidebar, and a tapered portion on a radially outer side of the sidebar; and
the plug housing including a groove, the tapered portion of the sidebar being biased into the groove with the plug body in the first position, wherein the groove is sized so that rotation of the plug body positions the blocking portions of the blocking members in the keyway before the tapered portion of the sidebar is displaced from the groove to move the sidebar into the keyway.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein, in a circumferential direction around the inner surface of the plug housing, the groove defines a first width and each of the detents defines a second width, the first width being greater than the second width.

4 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the earn portions is tapered.

5 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the blocking portions extend along a majority of a height of the keyway when in positioned in the keyway.

6 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the blocking portions of the at least two blocking members overlap one another across a center vertical axis of the key way when the plug body is rotated from the first position.

7 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the blocking portions of the at least two blocking members do not overlap a center vertical axis of the keyway when the plug body is rotated from the first position.

8 . An apparatus comprising:
a plug assembly for a lock, the plug assembly including:
a substantially cylindrical plug body comprising:
a keyway extending along a longitudinal axis of the plug body;
at least two slots extending from an outer surface of the plug body to the keyway, at least one of the slots being positioned on a first side of the keyway and at least one of the slots being positioned on a second side of the keyway;

at least two blocking members in respective ones of the at least two slots, each blocking member including a blocking portion on a radially inward side of the blocking member and a cam portion on a radially outer side of the blocking member;
a substantially cylindrical plug housing for receiving the plug body, the plug housing including an inner surface with at least one detent on each of opposite sides of the plug housing to receive the cam portion of a respective one of the blocking members, wherein the at least two blocking members are biased to position the cam portion thereof in the respective detent so the blocking portions are not located in the key way when the plug body is in a first position relative to the plug housing, and wherein rotation of the plug body relative to the plug housing from the first position displaces the cam portions from the respective detent to move the at least two blocking members radially inwardly relative to the plug body and position the blocking portion of each blocking member in the keyway, wherein each of at least two blocking members includes a plate body, the plate body including a curved outer edge extending along the inner surface of the plug housing and the cam portion projects outwardly from the curved outer edge.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the plate body includes two linear inner edges extending radially inwardly from opposite ends of the curved outer edge.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the two linear edges intersect one another so the plate body defines a sector.

11 . A method of obstructing a keyway of a lock, the method comprising:
positioning a first blocking member and a second blocking member outside of the key way when a plug body defining the keyway is in a first position relative a plug loosing receiving the plug body, wherein the first blocking member and the second blocking member are located within the plug body on opposite sides of the keyway; and rotating the plug body relative to the plug housing to displace the first blocking member and the second blocking member radially inwardly into the keyway so that the first and second blocking members obstruct the keyway, wherein the radially inwardly displaced first and second blocking members overlap one another in the keyway when viewed in a direction along a longitudinal axis of the plug body that extends along the keyway.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein positioning the first blocking member and the second blocking member includes biasing the first blocking member and the second blocking memb

Assignees

• Schlage Lock Co Llc

Inventors

• Clifford Jason Curtis
• Walls Brian Edward
• Evans Evan Earl

Classifications

• E05B27/0003 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• E05B21/063 Primary

  of the sliding-plate tumbler type · CPC title

• E05B15/06

  Lock wards · CPC title

• E05B19/0058

  with key bits on at least one wide side surface of the key · CPC title

• Y10T70/7605

  Pin tumblers · CPC title