Abnormal use indicator for door lock

• US 6,047,577 A
• Filed: 10/09/1998
• Issued: 04/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems Incorporated (General Dynamics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Frank Klimas
• Inventors: Klimas, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): JAYNE, DARNELL M
• Application Number:
  US09/169,420
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 70/337, 70/340, 70/432, 70/441, 70/DIG. 59, 70/433, 70/436, 70/439, 70/358, 70/493, 70/DIG. 23, 70/DIG. 37, 70/356
• US Class Current: 70/340
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 35/08 operable by a plurality of keys
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 41/00 Locks with visible indication as to whether the lock is locked or unlocked indicator lights E05B17/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 70/59 Lock with indicator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7463 Master- and change-key
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7605 Pin tumblers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/8027 Condition indicators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/827 Attention-directing

Abstract

A door lock particularly suited for an apartment or condominium where the resident has an entry key and management personnel also have a key that will allow access to the apartment, the door lock having a spring loaded axial pin which is retained in an externally visible position when the lock is actuated by the resident'"'"'s key and which is released to an externally non-visible position when the lock is actuated by the management key.

Claims

1. In a door lock having,

a cylinder housing for mounting within a door,

a cylinder disposed for rotation within the housing,

a row of radial channels in the housing,

a matching row of radial channels in the cylinder, and

spring loaded pins of selected lengths slidably disposed within said channels and adapted to be radially positioned by a profile section of a first selected key to permit rotation of the cylinder within the housing,

the improvement comprising:

at least one other channel radially disposed in the housing and in the cylinder at an angle apart from the first rows of channels,

a further pin member slidably disposed in said other radial channel, the position of which is determined by the engaging surface of a second selected key,

a spring loaded axial pin assembly disposed for axial movement within the housing, and

restraining means urged radially outwardly by the further pin member for holding the axial pin assembly in an externally visible position,

said restraining means being moved out of engagement with said axial pin assembly upon radial inward movement of the further pin member when engaged with a depressed profile section of the second selected key, allowing the release of the spring loaded axial pin assembly to the externally non-visible position in the door.

2. Door lock as claimed in claim 1 wherein said restraining means comprises

a spring loaded block (14) slidably disposed in said other radial channel in the housing, and

an intermediate member (36) in contact with the proximal end of the block and being in contact with said further pin member (28) which is spring loaded.

3. Door lock as claimed in claim 2 wherein a slot in the body of said block permits passage of the spring loaded axial pin assembly upon predetermined radial movement of said block.

4. Door lock as claimed in claim 2 comprising

radially disposed upper spring means (35) for urging said slidable block (14) and intermediate member (36) inwardly, with said further pin member (28) urging said intermediate member and said sliding block outwardly and the radial position of the block being determined by the profile section of the first and second keys.

5. Door lock means as claimed in claim 1 wherein

said spring loaded axial pin assembly comprises:

plug member (32) axially slidable in the housing between externally visible and non-visible positions,

a cone tip (22) at one of the plug member,

an intermediate member comprising a ball (36) urged into or out of engagement with the cone tip depending upon the profile section of the key that is engaged in the cylinder.

6. Door lock as claimed in claim 5, wherein

plug member (32) comprises a circumferential groove (23) for receiving said ball (36) after release of the spring loaded axial assembly to the externally non-visible position, and upon insertion of the first selected key.

7. Door lock as claimed in claim 5 comprising:

a cone tip stop (31) disposed in the housing and projected into the path of movement of plug member (32) to engage and limit axial movement of the cone tip (22).

8. Door lock as claimed in claim 5 comprising:

resetting means (16) insertable through an opening (20) in a door plate (19) for engaging cone tip (22) and moving plug member (32) axially to the externally visible position.