Tubular pin tumbler lock unit

• US 7,150,168 B1
• Filed: 12/09/2005
• Issued: 12/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ACCO Brands USA LLC (ACCO Brands Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Lambert Kuo
• Inventors: Kuo, Lambert
• Primary Examiner(s): Gall, Lloyd A.
• Application Number:
  US11/297,469
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: 70/58, 704/09, 704/03, 704/04, 704/91, 703/89, 704/19
• US Class Current: 70/491
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 27/083 of the split-pin tumbler type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7593 Sliding tumblers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7853 Tubular

Abstract

A tubular lock unit has a lock and key. An upper pin seat and a lower pin seat with multiple pins are respectively mounted in the lock. A shaft is inserted into the lower pin seat and connected to the upper pin seat. The upper pin seat has an annular keyway and a slot is defined in a sidewall. The key has a barrel and a protrusion extending out of the barrel. When the key is inserted into the keyway, the protrusion is inserted into the slot and a lower end of the protrusion meets with an upper end of the lower pin seat to rotate the upper pin seat. When an improper key is inserted into the keyway and rotated, at least one of the pins will remain extended into the upper pin seat to prevent rotation.

Claims

1. A tubular lock unit comprising:

a lock having

a hollow cylinder with a hole in an end;

a lower pin seat securely mounted in the cylinder and having

multiple lower pin openings defined evenly and radially therein;

an upper pin seat mounted rotatably in the cylinder and abutting an upper end of the lower pin seat and having

an annular keyway defined axially in an upper end thereof,

a slot defined radially in an outer sidewall and in communication with the keyway, and

multiple upper pin openings defined evenly and radially in a sidewall of the keyway corresponding to the lower pin openings in the lower pin seat;

multiple lower pins inserted into the lower pin openings;

multiple upper pins inserted into the upper pin openings; and

a shaft inserted into the lower pin seat and connected to the upper pin seat; and

a key corresponding to the lock and having

a barrel corresponding with the keyway and having

a lug mounted longitudinally in a sidewall thereof, and

a protrusion formed on an end of the lug and extending downward wherein when the protrusion is inserted into the slot, a lower end of the protrusion meets with an upper end of the lower pin seat.

2. The tubular lock unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slot extends radially in the upper pin seat to form an open end.