Locking apparatus

• US 20040025550A1
• Filed: 08/06/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Junichi Yamagishi, Unirec Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Junichi Yamagishi, Unirec Company Limited
• Inventors: Yamagishi, Junichi
• Granted Patent: US 6,865,913 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 70/278.1
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00563 using personal physical data of the operator, e.g. finger prints, retinal images, voicepatterns
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5832 Lock and handle assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7068 Actuated after correct combination recognized [e.g., numerical, alphabetical, or magnet[s] pattern]

Abstract

A locking apparatus allows a user to lock and unlock a door even if the user loses a key. The locking apparatus involves a reduced number of parts and is easy to install on a door.

The locking apparatus has a lock driver (7) to electrically lock and unlock a door (3), a fingerprint read/verify unit (9) to receive a fingerprint from a user, verify the received fingerprint by comparing it with registered fingerprint data, and if the fingerprint verification authenticates the user, enable the lock driver to electrically operate, a key cylinder (25) attached to the door, an interlock (35) to interlock the key cylinder with the lock driver, and a key (31) to manually operate the lock driver in cooperation with the key cylinder and interlock.

Claims

1. A locking apparatus comprising:

a lock driver configured to electrically lock and unlock a door;

a biometric verifier configured to receive biometric information from a user, verify the received biometric information by comparing it with registered biometric information, and if the biometric verification authenticates the user, enable the lock driver to electrically operate;

a key cylinder attached to the door;

an interlock configured to interlock the key cylinder with the lock driver; and

a key configured to manually operate the lock driver in cooperation with the key cylinder and interlock.

2. The locking apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a lever configured to open and close the door;

a pivot shaft extended from the lever to face the lock driver; and

a hollow formed through the pivot shaft, configured to receive the key cylinder, wherein;

the interlock is extended from the key cylinder; and

an end of the interlock is joined with the lock driver when the lever with the key cylinder incorporated in the hollow is installed on the door.

3. The locking apparatus of any one of claims 1 and 2, further comprising:

a detector configured to detect a manipulation on the key cylinder; and

an alarm configured to give an alarm if the detector detects a manipulation on the key cylinder.

4. The locking apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

an alarm power supply circuit configured to supply power to the alarm;

a detector switch configured to form the detector, the detector switch and alarm being connected to the alarm power supply circuit; and

a normally-closed disconnecting switch arranged in the alarm power supply circuit, configured to disconnect the alarm power supply circuit when the biometric verifier authenticates the user.

5. The locking apparatus of claim 4, wherein:

the biometric verifier is connected to the alarm power supply circuit.