US-12618698-B2 - Cylinder lock apparatus and parts thereof

Abstract

A lock apparatus including a cylinder lock and an actuation member configured to operate the cylinder lock via rotation of the actuation member with respect to a part of the cylinder lock, wherein: the cylinder lock includes a magnet, and the actuation member includes a smart actuation member circuit, the smart actuation member circuit including: one or more sensors (including one or more magnetic field sensors) configured to sense an action of the smart actuation member circuit with respect to the cylinder lock; and a processor or controller configured to receive information indicative of the sensed action from the or each sensor for use in determining a status of the cylinder lock. Furthermore, smart actuation member circuit, cylinder lock and method of fitting such a cylinder lock are claimed.

Inventors

• Ryan Bromley

Assignees

• AVANTIS HARDWARE LTD

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20220624

Priority Date

20210625

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A lock apparatus including a cylinder lock and an actuation member configured to operate the cylinder lock via rotation of the actuation member with respect to a part of the cylinder lock, wherein: the lock apparatus includes a magnet, and the actuation member includes a smart actuation member circuit, the smart actuation member circuit including: one or more sensors configured to sense an action of the smart actuation member circuit with respect to the cylinder lock, the one or more sensors including one or more magnetic field sensors; and a processor or controller configured to receive information indicative of the sensed action from the or each sensor for use in determining a status of the cylinder lock, wherein the or each magnetic field sensor and the magnet are configured such that rotation of the actuation member to operate the cylinder lock moves the or each magnetic field sensor through a magnetic field of the magnet and the magnet is configured such that this movement changes a sensed polarity of the magnetic field as the or each magnetic field sensor passes the magnet.
2. 2 . The lock apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the magnet is received in a magnet bore in the cylinder lock or the magnet is housed in a magnet ring mated to the cylinder lock or a part of the cylinder lock.
3. 3 . The lock apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the actuation member is one of a key and a thumbturn.
4. 4 . The lock apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include an acceleration sensor.
5. 5 . The lock apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the or each magnetic field sensor is configured to sense strength of the magnetic field.
6. 6 . The lock apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the or each magnetic field sensor includes at least one Hall Effect sensor.
7. 7 . The lock apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more magnetic field sensors include two magnetic field sensors.
8. 8 . The lock apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the two magnetic field sensors are spaced apart with respect to each other.
9. 9 . The lock apparatus according to claim 7 , further including a third magnetic field sensor, wherein the third magnetic field sensor is a primary magnetic field sensor and other magnetic field sensors are secondary magnetic field sensors, and the secondary magnetic field sensors are configured to be activated in response to the primary magnetic field sensor detecting a magnetic field.
10. 10 . The lock apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the two magnetic field sensors are each a respective Hall Effect sensor.
11. 11 . The lock apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sensed action is a movement of the smart actuation member circuit with respect to the part of the cylinder lock based on the received information.
12. 12 . The lock apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the processor or controller is configured to determine the sensed action based on the received information, the sensed action being one or more of: insertion of the actuation member into the cylinder lock; removal of the actuation member from the cylinder lock; rotation of the actuation member with respect to the cylinder lock in a first direction; rotation of the actuation member with respect to the cylinder lock in a second direction; a degree of rotation of the actuation member with respect to the cylinder lock in the first direction; and a degree of rotation of the actuation member with respect to the cylinder lock in the second direction.
13. 13 . The lock apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the processor or controller is configured to determine one or more of the rotation of the actuation member with respect to the cylinder lock in a first direction; the rotation of the actuation member with respect to the cylinder lock in a second direction; the degree of rotation of the actuation member with respect to the cylinder lock in the first direction; and the degree of rotation of the actuation member with respect to the cylinder lock in the second direction, by at least in part using information about the sensed polarity of the magnetic field.
14. 14 . The lock apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the processor or controller is configured to determine a status of the cylinder lock based on the determined action of the smart actuation member circuit.
15. 15 . The lock apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors includes one or more of a location sensor and a proximity sensor.
16. 16 . The lock apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the cylinder lock includes a sacrificial part configured to change a keying of the cylinder lock from a first keying to a second keying upon sacrifice of the sacrificial part.
17. 17 . The lock apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the actuation member is a key, and the key includes a receiving portion configured to receive the sacrificial part.
18. 18 . The lock apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the magnet has a magnetic axis which is substantially perpendicular to a rotational axis of the actuation member.
19. 19 . The lock apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the magnetic axis is offset from the rotational axis of the actuation member.
20. 20 . The lock apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the rotation of the actuation member to operate the cylinder lock includes rotation of a plug of the cylinder lock with respect to a body of the cylinder lock, the plug being configured for rotation with the actuation member.

Description

FIELD The present technology relates to a cylinder lock apparatus for providing an indication of the status of the cylinder lock (and parts thereof), a lock including the cylinder lock apparatus, and a method of fitting a cylinder lock apparatus. BACKGROUND There is a growing need for technology which can determine the status of a lock of a door or window. The determined status may then be transmitted to a remote location. Conventionally, sensor technology for use with locks typically requires the replacement of the entire lock mechanism or even the door or window to be specifically manufactured for use with such technology. This provides an obstacle to the adoption of such technology. There is a need to alleviate one or more problems associated with the prior art. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An aspect provides a lock apparatus including a cylinder lock and an actuation member configured to operate the cylinder lock via rotation of the actuation member with respect to a part of the cylinder lock, wherein: the lock apparatus includes a magnet, and the actuation member includes a smart actuation member circuit, the smart actuation member circuit including: one or more sensors configured to sense an action of the smart actuation member circuit with respect to the cylinder lock, the one or more sensors including one or more magnetic field sensors; and a processor or controller configured to receive information indicative of the sensed action from the or each sensor for use in determining a status of the cylinder lock, wherein the or each magnetic field sensor and the magnet are configured such that rotation of the actuation member to operate the cylinder lock moves the or each magnetic field sensor through the magnetic field of the magnet and the magnet is configured such that this movement changes the sensed polarity of the magnetic field as the or each magnetic field sensor passes the magnet. The magnet may be received in a magnet bore in the cylinder lock or the magnet may be housed in a magnet ring mated to the cylinder lock or a part of the cylinder lock. The actuation member may be a key or thumbturn. The one or more sensors may include an acceleration sensor. The or each magnetic field sensor may be configured to sense the strength of the magnetic field. The or each magnetic field sensor may include at least one Hall Effect sensor. The one or more magnetic field sensors may include two magnetic field sensors. The two magnetic field sensors may be spaced apart with respect to each other. A lock apparatus may further include a third magnetic field sensor, wherein the third magnetic field sensor may be a primary magnetic field sensor and the other magnetic field sensors are secondary magnetic field sensors, and the secondary magnetic field sensors may be configured to be activated in response to the primary magnetic field sensor detecting a magnetic field. The magnetic field sensors may each be a respective Hall Effect sensor. The sensed action may be a movement of the smart actuation member circuit with respect to the part of the cylinder lock based on the received information. The processor or controller may be configured to determine the sensed action based on the received information, the sensed action being one or more of: insertion of the actuation member into the cylinder lock; removal of the actuation member from the cylinder lock; rotation of the actuation member with respect to the cylinder lock in a first direction; rotation of the actuation member with respect to the cylinder lock in a second direction; a degree of rotation of the actuation member with respect to the cylinder lock in the first direction; and a degree of rotation of the actuation member with respect to the cylinder lock in the second direction. The processor or controller may be configured to determine one or more of the rotation of the actuation member with respect to the cylinder lock in a first direction; the rotation of the actuation member with respect to the cylinder lock in a second direction; the degree of rotation of the actuation member with respect to the cylinder lock in the first direction; and the degree of rotation of the actuation member with respect to the cylinder lock in the second direction, by at least in part using information about the sensed polarity of the magnetic field. The processor or controller may be configured to determine a status of the cylinder lock based on the determined action of the smart actuation member circuit. The one or more sensors may include one or more of a location sensor and a proximity sensor. The cylinder lock may include a sacrificial part configured to change the keying of the cylinder lock from a first keying to a second keying upon sacrifice of the sacrificial part. The actuation member may be the key, and the key may include a receiving portion configured to receive the sacrificial part. The processor or controller may be configured to transmit the received informati