US3606776A - Lock assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A LOCK ASSEMBLY SECURE AGAINST UNAUTHORIZED MANIPULATION AND AGAINST THE INTRUSION OF FOREIGN MATTER AND MOISTURE, THE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL NON-MAGNETICALLY SENSITIVE CORE HAVING A KEY SLOT THEREIN AND SLIDABLY CARRYING A PAIR OF NON-MAGNETICALLY SENSITIVE LOCKING BARS AND A PLURALITY OF MAGNETIC TUMBLERS OPERABLE TO IMPEDE BODILY SHIFTABLE MOVEMENT OF THE LOCKING BARS. THE CORE IS ENCLOSED IN A MAGNETICALLY PERVIOUS JACKET FABRICATED FROM A MOISTURE RESISTANT MATERIAL SUCH AS TEFLON WHICH JACKET LINES THE KEY SLOT. A MAGNETICALLY CODED KEY IS OPERABLE TO BODILY SHIFT THE TUMBLERS TO RELEASE THE LOCKING BARS AND IS SUBSEQUENTLY OPERABLE TO BODILY SHIFT THE LOCKING BARS INTO COUPLING ENGAGEMENT WITH AN OPERATING MEMBER SO THAT THE CORE AND THE OPERATING MEMBER AR UNITARILY ROTATABLE.

Description

sept. 21, G, DRACH, JR LOCK i ASSEMBLY Filed April 17, 1970 a ieg, O

BY Gesrqa @uc/1,11:

ATTORNEY United States Patent Q1 hee U.S. Cl. 70-276 4 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A lock assembly sec-ure against unauthorized manipulation and against the intrusion of foreign matter and moisture, the assembly including a generally cylindrical non-magnetically sensitive core having a key slot therein and slidably carrying a pair of non-magnetically sensitive locking bars and a plurality of magnetic tumblers operable to impede bodily shiftable movement of the locking bars. The core is enclosed in a magnetically pervious jacket fabricated from a moisture resistant material such as Teon which jacket lines the key slot. A magnetically coded key is operable to bodily shift the tumblers to release the locking bars and is subsequently operable to bodily shift the locking bars into coupling engagement with an operating mem-ber so that the core and the operating member are unitarily rotatable.

This invention relates generally to lock assemblies and in particular to a magnetic type lock assembly including means for preventing moisture-initiated operating diiiiculties.

Lock assemblies, particularly ones adapted for use on automobile doors, are often subjected to rapidly changing climatic conditions and to abusive treatment and possibly to attempted unauthorized manipulation. The advent of modern automobile washing facilities using high powered jets of water has added new difficulties since moisture may be Vforced into the lock assembly which moisture, in winter, may freeze to prevent normal operation of the lock assembly. Prior art lock designs addressed to the moisture and foreign matter problem typically employ mechanical devices such as spring biased key slot covers. These mechanisms, because of their size, are expensive to manufacture and may be prone to operational failures when physically abused.

In a lock assembly according to this invention magnetically pervious jacket means are provided to seal the operating elements of the lock assembly and to sealingly line the key slot. The jacket means prevent moisture from penetrating the lock assembly to disturb the operation thereof yet permit operation of the sealed lock assembly by a magnetically coded key in the key slot.

The primary feature of this invention is that it provides an improved lock assembly, specifically of the magnetically actuated type, having jacket means therein operable to prevent jamming of the lock assembly by moisture 4and other types of foreign matter. Another feature of this invention is that it provides a magnetic type lock assembly including a lock cylinder, an operating member rotatably mounted on the lock cylinder and a jacketed core assembly rotatably mounted on the lock cylinder and magnetically operable to permit coupling of the jacketed core to the operating member for unitary rotation. Yet another feature of this invention resides in the provision of a core assembly including a 4core member having a key slot therein and carrying locking bars bodily shiftable by a key into coupling engagement with the operating member, the core member and locking bars being sealingly enclosed in magnetically pervious jacket means which also sealingly line the key slot. A still further feature of this invention resides in the provision of a 3,606,776 Patented Sept. 21, 1971 plurality of magnetic tumblers in the jacketed core member which tumblers normally impede movement of the locking bars but which are movable by a magnetically `coded key in the key slot into positions permitting unimpeded -bodily sliiftable movement of the locking bars. These and other features of this invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and from the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partially broken away view of a lock assembly according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken generally along the plane indicated by lines 2 2 in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a pair of locking bars of a lock assembly according to this invention;

FIG. 4 is a view taken generally along the plane indicated by lines 4-4 in FIG. l;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken `generally along the plane indicated by lines 5 5 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. i6 is a fragmentary sectional View taken generally along the plane indicated by lines 6--6 in FIG. 2.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a lock assembly according to this invention and generally designated 10 includes a lock cylinder 12 having an outwardly opening annular flange 14 at one end and an inwardly turned flange 16 at the other end. As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, a generally disc shaped operating member 17 is rotatably supported by the lock cylinder and is restrained against separation therefrom by flange 16. The operating member 17 has a pair of rectangular apertures 18 and 19 and an arcuate aperture 20 therein and has an eccentrically located cam projection 22 extending generally perpendicularly thereto. In automotive applications, as on a vehicle door, lock cylinder 12 is rigidly secured to the outer door panel and cam projection 22 is connected by suitable linkage, not shown, to a typical door latch such that -arcuate movement of the eccentric cam projection 22 in one direction about the axis of rotation of the operating member is operable to lock the door latch and in the other direction is operable to unlock the door latch.

A core assembly portion of the lock assembly 10 is rotatably supported in the lock cylinder 12, as described hereinafter, and includes a generally cylindrical core member 26 fabricated from a non-magnetically sensitive material, such as brass, with an outer diameter slightly less than the inside diameter of lock cylinder 12 and having a pair of diametrically opposed milled surfaces or ats 27, FIG. 2. As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the core 26 has a generally rectangular key slot 28 therethrough extending parallel to flats 27 which key slot is flanked on opposite sides by a pair of parallel generally rectangular locking bar guide `apertures 30' and 32. A plurality of cylindrical tumbler bores 34 in the core 26 extend generally transversely of the latter and perpendicularly to the key slot 28 and to locking bar ' guide apertures 30 and 32 and interconnect the key slot and respective ones of the milled surfaces 27 while generally piercing the locking bar guide apertures.

Referring more particularly now to FIGS. 2 and 3, the locking bar guide apertures 30 and 32 slidably receive respective ones of a pair of locking bars 38` and `40 fabricated from a non-magnetically sensitive material such as brass. The locking bar 3S has a plurality of generally semicircular notches 42 in the upper and lower edges thereof and has a tab `4riat one end thereof extending generally perpendicularly thereto. The tab 44 has a generally rectangular downwardly opening groove 6 therein corresponding to a similar shaped upwardly opening groove 48 in a tab 50 integral with locking bar 40 and extending generally perpendicularly to the latter. Locking bar 40 has a plurality of generally key-hole shaped apertures 52 therein, FIG. 6.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 3, and 6, the locking bar 38 is slidably received within guide aperture 30 with tab 44 thereon lying in generally parallel relationship to the upper portion of the front face of the core 26. Similar- 1y, locking bar 40 is slidably received in guide aperture 32 with tab 50 thereon lying in generally parallel relationship to the lower portion of the front face of the core. In the mounted positions of the locking bars on the core, the tabs 44 and 50 generally dove-tail to provide a at surface wherein a rectangular aperture defined by grooves 46 and 48 overlies and is axially aligned with key slot 28: in the core 26. A plurality of recesses are angularly spaced around the peripheral edge of the front surface of core 26 and have seated therein respective ones of a plurality of coil springs, such as indicated at S4 in FIG 1, which coil springs bear against the rear surfaces of respective ones of the tabs 44 and 50 of the locking bars 38 and 40 to bias the latter rightwardly.

As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 6 and in solid lines in FIG. 5, in predetermined axial positions of the locking bars 38 and 40, the notches 42 in the former and large diameter portions of apertures 52 in the latter register with respective ones of the tumbler bores 34 in the core 26. Each of the bores 34 slidably receives a permanent magnet cylindrical lock tumbler 58 having a reduced diameter portion `60. With the notches 42 and apertures 52 in register with corresponding ones of the bores 34, the tumblers 58 are freely bodily shiftable within the bores 34 and across the locking bar guide apertures 30 and 32 between locking positions, not shown, wherein the large diameter portion of the tumbler lies directly within the corresponding one of the locking bar guide apertures and unlocking positions, FIGS. 2, 5 and r6, wherein the reduced diameter portion 60 of the tumbler registers to lie over or within the` corresponding one of the locking bar guide apertures.

When the locking bars 38 and 40' assume the aforementoined predetermined axial positions relative to the core and a plurality of the tumblers 58 assume the aforementioned locking positions, attempted bodily shiftable movement of locking bar 38 initiates interference between the sides of the notches 42 and respective ones of the tumblers while attempted bodily shiftable movement of the locking bar 40 initiates interference between the narrow portions of apertures 52 andrespective ones of the tumblers. The locking bars are thus restrained against bodily shiftable movement. In the unlocking positions of the tumblers, the reduced diameter portions 60 of the tumblers generally overlie the edges of locking bar 38 so that bodily shiftable movement of the locking bar 38 is substantially unimpeded and are generally aligned `with the narrow portions of apertures 52 in locking bar 4t) so that bodily shiftable movement of the latter is permitted subject to the limitation imposed by the lengths of the narrow portions of the apertures 52.

As best seen in FIG. 2, a pair of magnetically sensitive metallic plates 62 are xedly secured to the core 26 on the milled surfaces 27 thereof by conventional means, not shown, and close the outboard ends of tumbler bores 34. The core '26 with the locking bars 38 and 40 thereon, the tumblers 58 therein, the metallic plates 62 thereon, and the springs 54 thereon, is sealingly enclosed in a magnetically pervious exible jacket 64 fabricated from a conventional moisture resistant and low friction material such as Teon. As best seen in FIG. 5, the portion of jacket 64 covering the rear surface of the core is perforated adjacent the locking bar guide apertures 30 and 32 so that leftward bodily shiftable movement, FIGS. 5 and 6, of the locking bars 38 and 40 is substantially unimpeded by the jacket 64. The jacket 64 also lines the interior of the key slot 28 and closes the rear edge thereof except for a drain opening 66 having a lip 68, FIG. 1.

The jacketed core assembly is rotatably supported within the lock cylinder with the core generally abutting operating member 17 and lip 68 projecting outwardly through arcuate aperture in the operating member. As

best seen in FIG. 1, a cap 70 having a central circular aperture 72 therein is received over outwardly opening annular ange 14 of the lock cylinder 12. The cap 70 is secured to the lock cylinder through crimping of the marginal edge of the former over the annular flange 14 and in the secured position functions to retain the core assembly in the lock cylinder and to normally slightly compress the springs 54 and flex the jacket 64, FIG. 1. By compressing the springs 54, the tabs 44 and S0 of the locking bars 38 and 40, respectively, are normally maintained in abutting relationship against the inside surface of the cap 70 and the axial positions of the locking bars thus defined are the aforementioned positions wherein the notches 42 and apertures 52 register with corresponding ones of the bores 34 in the core 26. As shown in solid lines in FIG. 5, a further characteristic of the axial positions thus defined is that the distal ends of the locking bars 38 and 40 lie in substantially coplanar relationship with the rear surface of the core so as not to contact operating member 18. The jacketed core assembly is rotatable within the lock cylinder and behind the collar 70 relative to the operating member I17 and the lip 68 traverses an arcuate path corresponding to arcuate aperture 20 in the operating member. When the locking bars are locked as described, rotation of the jacketed core 26 merely results in freewheeling rotation of the core and the locking bars as a unit relative to the operating member so that the latter remains inoperative.

Referring more particularly now to FIGS. l and 2, the lock assembly is operated by inserting a key 74 into the lined kkey slot 28? in the core until respective ones of a pair of shoulders 76 and 78 thereon abut tabs 44 and 50 of the locking bars `38 and 40, respectively. A plurality of permanent magnet slugs 80 are predeterminedly located on the key 74 to register with respective ones of the bores 34 in the core when the shoulders 76 and 78 just abut tabs 44 and 50. The polar orientation of a plurality of the permanent magnet. slugs 80| is predetermined to initiate bodily shiftable movement of a plurality of magnetic tumblers 58 toward the unlocking positions, FIG. 2. As -best seen in FIG. 2, the polar orientation of several of the magnet slugs 80' are predetermined to prevent bodily shiftable movement of the corresponding tumblers. These particular tumblers continue to be magnetically attracted to metallic plates 62 and When abutting thereagainst permit unimpeded bodily shiftable movement of the locking bars. Should unauthorized manipulation be attempted, or by inserting a thin bar magnet into the key slot, some of the tumblers will be shifted to unlocking positions While the aforementioned particular tumblers will simultaneously lbe drawn away from the metallic plates 462 toward the lined key slot and into locking posigens impeding bodily shiftable movement of the locking ars.

When the locking bars are unlocked, the shoulders 76 shiftable movement, FIG. 1, and through engagement on the tabs 44 and 50` to bodily shift the locking bars 38 and 40 into coupling engagement with apertures 19` and 18 in the operating member 17 as shown in broken lines in FIG. 5. With the key 74 held in the aforementioned leftwardly shifted position, rotation thereof and of the core 26 is accompanied by unitary rotation of the operating member 17 thus causing the cam projection 22 to traverse the aforementioned arcuate path and lock or unlock the door latch. Simultaneously with bodily shiftable movement of the locking bars `38' and 48 and the key 74, the springs 54 are compressed and the jacket 64 is flexed. After the desired latch actuation has taken place, the key 74 is released and springs 54 bodily shift the locking bars 38 and 40 rightwardly, FIGS. 5 and 6, until tabs 44 and 50 abut the inside face of cap 70. When the key 74 is removed from the key slot, those permanent magnet tumblers 5,8 bodily shifted to unlocking positions by magnet slugs 80 are again magnetically attracted toward respective ones of the metallic plates 612 and into locking positions. The jacketed core assembly is then once again freely rotatable relative to the operating member 17.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that fwhen the key 74 is removed from the lined key slot 28 the tumblers return to the locking positions and there is presented exteriorly of the lock assembly on the key entry side thereof only the fully lined key slot. Therefore, should moisture or other foreign matter be directed toward the entry side of the lock assembly, such moisture or foreign matter cannot find its Way into the looking bar guide apertures 30 and 32 or the tumbler bores 34 to jam operation of the locking bars or tumblers. Should such moisture or foreign matter become lodged within the lined key slot 28, insertion of key 74 therein merely forces such material through the drain opening 66 at the rear edge of the key slot and over lip 68 into the interior of the door wherefrom it is drained a-way.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. A magnetic lock assembly comprising in combination, a lock cylinder, operating means mounted on said lock cylinder for movement relative thereto, a non-magnetically sensitive core member having a key slot therein, said core member being located within said lock cylinder for rotation relative thereto, coupling means on said core member movable relative to said core 'between an uncoupling position remote from said operating means and a coupling position in engagement with said operating means, said operating means with said coupling means in said coupling position being movable as a unit with said core member, magnetically sensitive locking means on said core member, said locking means being operable in a locking position thereof to impede movement of said coupling means and in an unlocking position thereof to permit unimpeded movement of said coupling means, magnetically pervious and moisture resistant jacket means sealingly enclosing said core member and said coupling means and said locking means and lining said key slot to prevent moisture penetration into said locking means and said coupling means, key means insertable into said core member within said lined key slot thereof and being operable upon insertion to rotate said jacketed core member relative to said lock cylinder, and magnet means on said key means operable with said key means in said lined key slot and through said magnetically pervious jacket means to move said locking means from said locking to said unlocking position, said key means thereafter being operable to move said coupling means from said uncoupling to said coupling position.

2. A magnetic lock assembly comprising in combination, a lock cylinder, operating means mounted on said lock cylinder for movement relative thereto, a non-magnetically sensitive core member having a key slot and a locking bar guide aperture therein, said core member being located within said lock cylinder for rotation relative thereto, a non-magnetically sensitive locking bar, said locking bar being received within said locking bar guide aperture for bodily shiftable movement relative to said core member and said operating member between an uncoupling position remote from the latter and a coupling position in engagement therewith, said operating member with said locking bar in said coupling position being movable as a unit with said core member, a plurality of magnetically sensitive tumblers, means mounting tumblers on said core member for movement between locking positions impeding bodily shiftable movement of said locking bar and an unlocking position permitting bodily shiftable movement of said locking bar, magnetically pervious and moisture resistant jacket means sealingly enclosing said core member and said locking bar and said tumblers and lining said key slot in said core member to prevent penetration of moisture to said locking bars and said tumblers, key means insertable into said core member within said lined key slot thereof and being operable upon insertion to rotate said jacketed core member relative to said lock cylinder, and magnet means on said key means operable with said key means in said lined key slot and through said magnetically pervious jacket means to move saidtumblers from said locking to said unlocking positions, said key means thereafter being operable to bodily shift said locking bar from said uncoupling to said coupling position.

3. A magnetic lock assembly as recited in claim 2 further including means on said jacketed core member operable to bias said tumblers toward said locking positions, and resilient means 0n said jacketed core member operable to bias said locking bar toward said uncoupling position.

4. A magnetic lock assembly comprising in combination, a lock cylinder, operating means mounted on said lock cylinder for rotation relative thereto, a non-magnetically sensitive core member having a longitudinal key slot and a pair of longitudinal locking bar guide apertures therein and a plurality of transverse tumbler bores communicating between said key slot and respective ones of said guide apertures, said core member being located within said lock cylinder for rotation relative thereto, a pair of non-magnetically sensitive locking bars, respective ones of said locking bars being received within respective ones of said locking bar guide apertures for bodily shiftable movement relative to said core member and said operating member between uncoupling positions remote from the latter and coupling positions in engagement therewith7 said operating member with said locking bars in said couphng positions being rotatable as a unit with said core member, spring means between said core and respective ones of said locking bars operable to resiliently bias said locking bars toward said uncoupling positions, a plurality of magnetized tumblers, each of said tumblers being received within a respective one of said tumbler bores for bodily shiftable movement between a locking position impeding bodily shiftable movement of said locking bars and an unlocking position permitting 4bodily shiftable movement of said locking bars, a pair of magnetically sensitive plate members, means mounting each of said plate members on said core member in communication with respective ones of said tumbler bores, said tumblers normally being magnetically attracted toward plate members and being normally located thereby in said locking positions, a magnetically pervious and moisture resistant jacket sealingly enclosing said core member and said locking bars and said tumblers and said plate members and lining said key slot to prevent moisture penetration into the lock assembly, a key insertable into said core within said lined key slot thereof and being operable upon insertion to rotate said core, and magnet means on said key operable with said key in said lined key slot and through said magnetically pervious jacket to bodily shift said tumblers from said locking to said unlocking positions, said key thereafter being operable to bodily shift said locking bars from said uncoupling to said coupling positions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,271,983 9/1966 Schlage 70-276 FOREIGN PATENTS 220,218 4/1968- Sweden 70-276 ALBERT G. CRAIG, JR., Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

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