APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICALLY RETURNING A LOCK TO A DESIRED ORIENTATION

• US 20130061644A1
• Filed: 09/06/2012
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Assa Abloy High Security Group Inc. (Assa Abloy AB)
• Original Assignee: Medeco Security Locks Incorporated (Assa Abloy AB)
• Inventors: TRENT, Doug, HARTMAN, Glenn
• Granted Patent: US 8,978,428 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 70/278.7
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2009/047 Means for returning cylinder locks to their neutral position
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 2047/0058 by batteries
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0012 with rotary electromotors actuators with rotary electromotors per se H02K7/06, H02K23/68
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0615 operated by handles, e.g. by knobs
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/063 with a rectilinearly moveable blocking element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 292/61 Spring devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 70/33 Starting point
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 70/36 Spring-returned lock cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/57 Operators with knobs or handles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/59 Rollback and spindle connection
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/82 Knobs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7062 Electrical type [e.g., solenoid]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7102 And details of blocking system [e.g., linkage, latch, pawl, spring]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7107 And alternately mechanically actuated by a key, dial, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/713 Dogging manual operator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7588 Rotary plug
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7616 Including sidebar
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7633 Transverse of plug
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7706 Operating connections

Abstract

An electromechanical lock includes a spring-biased cylinder plug return mechanism for automatically rotating the rotatable plug to a home position after the plug has been rotated from the home position and thereafter released. In one embodiment, the cylinder plug return mechanism comprises a torsional spring coupled to the plug, In a second embodiment, the cylinder plug return mechanism comprises a slider that is coupled to the plug so that rotation of the plug moves the slider, thereby increasing the potential energy in a return spring, and when the plug is released, the increase potential energy is released by moving the slider, and the coupling between the slider and the plug causes the plug to rotate back to a home position.

Claims

1. A cylinder lock comprising:

a housing;

a cylinder plug rotatably mounted within the housing, and configured such that the cylinder lock is unlocked by rotation of said cylinder plug from a home rotational position; and

a spring-biased cylinder plug return mechanism, operatively coupled to said cylinder plug and configured to exert a rotating force to said cylinder plug that will cause said cylinder plug to rotate toward the home rotational position.

2. The cylinder lock of claim 1, wherein said spring-biased cylinder plug return mechanism comprises a torsion spring including one portion thereof that is fixed and another portion thereof that is fixed with respect to said cylinder plug such that rotation of said cylinder plug causes angular deflection of said torsion spring to increase potential energy stored in said torsion spring, and when a force causing said cylinder plug to rotate is released, the potential energy in said torsion spring is released to exert the rotating force to rotate said cylinder plug toward the home rotational position.

3. The cylinder lock of claim 1, wherein said spring-biased cylinder plug return mechanism comprises:

a slider movable with respect to said cylinder plug;

a return spring coupled to said slider; and

a coupling between said slider and said cylinder plug, wherein, as the cylinder plug is rotated from the home rotational position, said coupling is constructed and arranged to move said slider in a first direction to deflect said return spring to increase potential energy stored in said return spring, and when said cylinder plug is released, the potential energy in said return spring is released to move the slider in a second direction opposite to the first direction and said coupling is constructed and arranged to exert the rotating force to cause said cylinder plug to rotate toward the home rotational position.

4. The cylinder lock of claim 3, wherein said coupling between said slider and said cylinder plug comprises:

a cam surface on said slider; and

a projection extending from said cylinder plug and rotatable therewith, said projection being engaged with said cam surface of said slider, wherein, as the cylinder plug is rotated from the home rotational position, engagement of the projection with the cam surface moves the slider in the first direction and deflects said return spring to increase potential energy stored in said return spring, and when said cylinder plug is released, the potential energy in said return spring is released to move the slider in the second direction opposite to the first direction and the engagement of said projection with said cam surface exerts the rotating force to cause said cylinder plug to rotate toward the home rotational position.

5. The cylinder lock of claim 3, wherein said slider comprises a body of revolution having a central opening through which a portion of said plug extends, wherein said plug is rotatable with respect to said slider about a longitudinal axis of said plug, and said slider is configured to be movable in an axial direction with respect to said plug.

6. The cylinder lock of claim 5, further comprising a collar disposed over said slider and attached to said housing, said collar including anti-rotation elements, wherein said slider includes anti-rotation elements configured to engage the anti-rotation elements of said collar to prevent rotation of said slider when said plug rotates with respect to said slider.

7. The cylinder lock of claim 3, wherein said spring-biased cylinder plug return mechanism is configured to allow said cylinder plug to be returned to the home rotational position from any rotational position relative to the home rotational position.

8. The cylinder lock of claim 4, wherein engagement of said projection with said cam surface causes said cylinder plug to rotate either clockwise or counter clockwise toward the home rotational position on a path of least resistance to return the cylinder plug to the home rotational position.

9. The cylinder lock of claim 3, wherein said spring-biased cylinder plug return mechanism is configured so that the cylinder plug can be rotated from the home rotational position beyond 360 degrees in either direction necessary to drive a lock mechanism and the cylinder plug will return to the home rotational position when the cylinder plug is released by the user.

10. The cylinder lock of claim 1, further comprising:

a sidebar configured to engage a slot formed in said plug to prevent rotation of said plug;

rotational tumblers each having a slot formed therein, whereby when said tumblers are oriented such that the respective slots thereof are aligned, said sidebar is able to move into the aligned slots of the rotational tumblers and disengage the slot formed in said plug to thereby permit said plug to be rotated; and

a motor configured to rotate said rotational tumblers.

11. The cylinder lock of claim 10, further comprising a microprocessor configured to control said motor to rotate said rotational tumblers into a first orientation in which the respective slots thereof are not aligned or a second orientation in which the respective slots thereof are aligned.

12. The cylinder lock of claim 11, further comprising a signal reader in communication with said microprocessor, wherein said microprocessor is configured to interpret a signal transmitted to said reader and if the signal presents a proper credential, to cause the motor to rotate the rotational tumblers from the first orientation to the second orientation.

13. The cylinder lock of claim 1, further comprising a thumb knob attached to said plug.