Magnet card type lock

• US 5,193,371 A
• Filed: 12/24/1991
• Issued: 03/16/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki-Kaisha Matsuzaki
• Original Assignee: Kaisha Kabushiki
• Inventors: Yamane, Shinjiroh
• Primary Examiner(s): Luebke, Renee S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARRETT, SUZANNE LALE DINO
• Application Number:
  US07/813,015
• Time in Patent Office: 448 Days
• Field of Search: 70/276, 70/278, 70/279, 70/413
• US Class Current: 70/276
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0043 Mechanical locks operated by cards having permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/52 Other locks for chests, boxes, trunks, baskets, travelling bags, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7057 Permanent magnet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7904 Magnetic features

Abstract

A magnet card type lock includes an outer case, a slider having a key hole slit formed therein, an engagement member firmly secured to the outer case, a plurality of tumbler holes formed in conformity with a predetermined pattern of arrangement, a plurality of magnet tumblers bridged between the case and the slider, a projection integrated with the slider to be engaged with a locking mechanism and a magnet card adapted to be inserted into the key hole slit of the slider to serve as a fellow key. To prepare a specific key difference among a number of magnet card type locks, a predetermined number of tumbler holes are selected from the tumbler holes which extend at a substantially right angle relative to the slider and the outer case. The magnet card is formed with a pluraltiy of apertures some of which are immovably filled with permanent magnets corresponding to the selected number of tumbler holes. When the magnet card is inserted into the key hole slit of the slider, the magnet tumblers are displaced away from the bridged state so as to allow the slider to be pushed in the downward direction, whereby the lock is released from the locked state. A projection plate including a projection may be slidably inserted between the slider and the case. In this case, a plurality of magnet tumblers and a plurality of pin tumblers are received in the selected number of tumbler holes.

Claims

1. A magnet card type lock comprising

an outer case having a vertically extending opening formed therein;

a slider vertically slidably mounted in said outer case, said slider having a key hole slit formed therein for receipt of a key card;

first spring means for biasing said slider upwardly;

an engagement member fixed to said outer case for preventing upward movement of said slider beyond a predetermined location;

a projection plate vertically slidably mounted in said outer case between a vertical contact surface of said slider and a vertical contact surface of said outer case for vertical sliding movement relative to both said outer case and said slider;

a projection fixed to said projection plate and extending out of said outer case through said vertically extending opening;

wherein a plurality of substantially horizontal slider tumbler holes are formed in said slider and open through said contact surface of said slider, a plurality of substantially horizontal projection plate tumbler holes are formed through said projection plate, and a plurality of substantially horizontal outer case tumbler holes are formed in said outer case and open through said contact surface of said outer case;

wherein said slider tumbler holes, said projection plate tumbler holes, and said outer case tumbler holes are respectively located in said slider, said projection plate, and said outer case such that, when said slider and said projection plate are in predetermined vertically aligned positions, said slider tumbler holes, said projection plate tumbler holes, and said outer case tumbler holes are in registry with one another;

wherein a plurality of magnet tumblers are respectively slidably mounted in at least some of said plurality of slider tumbler holes in a predetermined arrangement, said magnet tumblers having contact end surfaces which face toward said contact surface of said outer case;

wherein a plurality of pin tumblers are respectively slidably mounted in at least some of said plurality of outer case tumbler holes which correspond to said at least some of said plurality of slider tumbler holes, said pin tumblers having contact end surfaces which face toward said contact surface of said slider and which are adapted to contact said contact end surfaces of said magnet tumblers, respectively;

wherein second spring means are provided for biasing said pin tumblers and said magnet tumblers toward said key hole slit formed in said slider such that, when said slider tumbler holes, said projection plate tumbler holes, and said outer case tumbler holes are in registry with one another, said magnet tumblers are depressed into said slider tumbler holes, respectively, such that said contact end surfaces of said magnet tumblers are substantially vertically aligned with said contact surface of said slider, and said pin tumblers extend from within said outer case tumbler holes into said projection plate tumbler holes, respectively, such that said contact end surfaces of said pin tumblers are in contact with said contact end surfaces of said magnet tumblers, respectively, and are substantially vertically aligned with said contact surface of said slider, to thereby maintain said projection plate substantially immovable relative to said outer case and allow said slider to move downwardly relative to both said outer case and said projection plate; and

wherein said plurality of magnet tumblers in said predetermined arrangement comprise a means for sliding said magnet tumblers and said pin tumblers against a biasing force of said second spring means when a key card having a magnet arrangement corresponding to said predetermined arrangement of said magnet tumblers is inserted into said key hole slit, such that said contact end surfaces of said magnet tumblers and said contact end surfaces of said pin tumblers are moved into substantial alignment with said contact surface of said outer case, to thereby allow said slider to be moved downwardly against a biasing force of said first spring means and cause said projection plate to be moved downwardly along with said slider when said slider is moved downwardly.

2. A magnet card type lock as recited in claim 1, wherein

said outer case tumbler holes are formed completely through a wall of said outer case;

and

an L-shaped tumbler cover is fixed to said wall of said outer case to cover outer ends of said outer case tumbler holes.

3. A magnet card type lock as recited in claim 1, wherein

said slider tumbler holes and said projection plate tumbler holes are formed with a diameter greater than a diameter of said outer case tumbler holes.

4. A magnet card type lock as recited in claim 1, wherein

said outer case is box-shaped.