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US-12624570-B2 - Door lock with associated keys

US12624570B2US 12624570 B2US12624570 B2US 12624570B2US-12624570-B2

Abstract

A door lock has a body ( 1 ) equipped with an internal chamber ( 2 ), an external chamber ( 3 ) and an interspace containing a mobile unit ( 4 ) having an internal cam ( 40 ) suitable for receiving and retaining a inner key end, and an external cam ( 41 ) adapted to receive and retain an outer key end. A plurality of springs ( 13 ) are positioned in the inner chamber ( 2 ) in passages parallel to the direction of insertion of the keys; pins ( 15 ) of a plurality of pins ( 15 ), loaded by respective springs ( 13 ) of said plurality of springs ( 13 ), are slidable in respective passages extending into the inner chamber ( 2 ), in the interspace and in the outer chamber ( 3 ) along a direction parallel to the key insertion direction. The external key can be modified to open locks of this type.

Inventors

  • Vincenzo Mancini

Assignees

  • Vincenzo Mancini

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20230313
Priority Date
20220315

Claims (14)

  1. 1 . Door lock with associated keys, comprising: a body ( 1 ) equipped with an external chamber ( 3 ) for inserting an external key ( 6 ) with its external end, and a movable equipment ( 4 ) or device suitable for the mechanical operation of a latch serving the lock, said movable equipment ( 4 ) comprising an external cam ( 41 ), bordering the external chamber ( 3 ) and provided with an external central recess ( 43 ) adapted to receive and retain the external key end, a plurality of springs ( 13 ), each spring ( 13 ) being placed in a passage parallel to an insertion direction of the external key ( 6 ); and a plurality of pins ( 15 ), each pin ( 15 ), loaded by the spring ( 13 ), being slidable in said passage; characterized in that said external chamber ( 3 ) of the body ( 1 ) has a perforated sleeve ( 31 ) that is integral with the external chamber ( 3 ) and is equipped with an external central hole ( 35 ) for inserting the external key ( 6 ) and with a plurality of external chamber passages ( 36 ) made circumferentially around the external central hole ( 35 ) parallel to the insertion direction of the external key ( 6 ); the body ( 1 ) is also equipped with an internal chamber ( 2 ) for inserting an internal key ( 5 ) with its internal end, the internal chamber ( 2 ) being coaxial to the external chamber ( 3 ) in the insertion direction of the keys and separated from the external chamber ( 3 ) by an interspace; said internal chamber ( 2 ) has a perforated block ( 21 ) that is integral with the internal chamber ( 2 ) and is equipped with: an internal central hole ( 10 ) coaxial to the external central hole ( 35 ) of the perforated sleeve ( 31 ), and a plurality of internal chamber passages ( 11 ) that are formed circumferentially around the internal central hole ( 10 ) coaxially to the plurality of external chamber passages ( 36 ) and have a closed end facing the internal key ( 5 ), each internal chamber passage ( 11 ) receiving a spring ( 13 ) and a pin ( 15 ); said movable equipment ( 4 ) further comprises an actuating arm shaped internal cam ( 40 ) provided with an internal central recess ( 42 ) suitable for receiving and retaining said internal key end, the internal cam ( 40 ) having a boundary, on the one hand, with said internal chamber perforated block ( 21 ) and, on the other hand, with said external cam ( 41 ), said internal cam ( 40 ) and said external cam ( 41 ) having a plurality of movable equipment passages ( 44 ) coaxial both to the plurality of internal chamber passages ( 11 ) and to the plurality of external chamber passages ( 36 ); each pin ( 15 ), slidably positioned in a respective internal chamber passage ( 11 ), in a respective movable equipment passage ( 44 ) and in a respective external chamber passage ( 36 ), is formed by a plurality of modules (M); the modules (M) are arranged so that when the internal key ( 5 ) or no key is inserted in the lock, no module straddles the boundary between the internal cam ( 40 ) and the perforated block ( 21 ) and also no module straddles the boundary between the internal cam ( 40 ) and the external cam ( 41 ), whereby the internal cam ( 40 ) is able to rotate relative to the external cam ( 41 ), and when the external key ( 6 ) is inserted in the lock, no module straddles the boundary between the internal cam ( 40 ) and the perforated block ( 21 ) and also no module straddles the boundary between the external cam ( 41 ) and the perforated sleeve ( 31 ), whereby the internal cam ( 40 ) and the external cam ( 41 ) are able to rotate together.
  2. 2 . Door lock with associated keys according to claim 1 , wherein the perforated sleeve ( 31 ) has a shorter length than that of the external chamber ( 3 ), and the plurality of the external chamber passages ( 36 ) has a reduction in section (point Z) towards the outside; and each pin ( 15 ) has a terminal module (MT) integral with a needle (A) on the opposite side of the spring ( 13 ) so as to be retained in its own external chamber passage ( 36 ).
  3. 3 . Door lock with associated keys according to claim 1 , wherein the internal key ( 5 ) has: an internal key shaft ( 50 ) passing through the internal central hole ( 10 ) of the internal chamber perforated block ( 21 ), an internal key squared end ( 51 ) configured for engaging said internal central recess ( 42 ), and an internal key disk ( 53 ) integral with said internal key shaft ( 50 ) on the opposite side of said internal key squared end ( 51 ).
  4. 4 . Door lock with associated keys according to claim 3 , wherein said internal chamber ( 2 ) has at the front an internal radial protrusion ( 20 ) for centering the internal key, and said internal key disk ( 53 ) has a notch ( 55 ) configured in such a way as to be crossed by said internal radial protrusion ( 20 ).
  5. 5 . Door lock with associated keys according to claim 3 , wherein an internal key retaining device ( 22 ) in the form of a first spring-loaded ball ( 23 ) is positioned radially in front of the internal chamber perforated block ( 21 ) and the internal key disc ( 53 ) is provided with an internal peripheral groove ( 54 ) with which said first ball ( 23 ) is able to radially engage, capable of verifying the correct insertion of the internal key ( 5 ).
  6. 6 . Door lock with associated keys according to claim 1 , wherein the external key ( 6 ) includes: an external key shaft ( 60 ) configured to pass into the external central hole ( 35 ) of the perforated sleeve ( 31 ), and an external key squared end ( 61 ) configured to engage with said external central recess ( 43 ) of the external cam 41 , at least one crown (C), equipped with a plurality of holes (F) for receiving the needles (A) of the terminal modules (MT), the plurality of holes (F) being coaxial to the multiplicity of the external chamber passages ( 36 ), and an external key disk ( 63 ) integral with the external key shaft ( 60 ) suitable for acting as a stop for at least one crown (C).
  7. 7 . Door lock with associated keys according to claim 6 , wherein each hole (F) of the plurality of holes (F) of a crown (C) has a depth, in a direction parallel to the external key shaft ( 60 ), which varies from a zero depth, i.e. lack of hole, so that the needle (A) of the terminal module (MT) abuts the crown (C), up to a through hole so that each pin ( 15 ) is loaded against the respective spring ( 13 ) selectively by the at least one crown (C) or by the disk ( 63 ) integral with the external key shaft ( 60 ) which act on the needle (A) of the pin terminal module (MT).
  8. 8 . Door lock with associated keys according to claim 6 , wherein said external chamber ( 3 ) has at its front an external radial protrusion ( 30 ) for centering the external key, and said external key disk ( 63 ) has a notch ( 65 ) configured so as to be crossed by said external radial protrusion ( 30 ).
  9. 9 . Door lock with associated keys according to claim 6 , in wherein an external key retaining device ( 32 ) in the form of a second spring-loaded ball ( 33 ) is positioned radially in front of the external chamber sleeve ( 31 ), and the external key disc ( 63 ) is equipped with an external peripheral groove ( 64 ) with which said second ball ( 33 ) is able to radially engage, capable of verifying the correct insertion of the external key ( 6 ).
  10. 10 . Door lock with associated keys according to claim 6 , wherein each crown (C) has circumferentially a plurality of alphanumeric references which identifies said plurality of holes (F) of the crown (C).
  11. 11 . Door lock with associated keys according to claim 7 , wherein each alphanumeric reference is situated in a notch of each crown (C).
  12. 12 . Door lock with associated keys according to claim 6 , wherein the crowns (C) are four in number.
  13. 13 . Door lock with associated keys according to claim 9 , wherein said alphanumeric references are eight in number.
  14. 14 . Door lock with associated keys according to claim 1 , wherein the end facing the internal key ( 5 ) of said plurality of internal chamber passages ( 11 ) in the perforated block ( 21 ) is closed with a threaded dowel ( 12 ).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a door lock with associated keys, in particular for a residential entrance door. BACKGROUND ART U.S. Pat. No. 4,006,615 A discloses a door lock with associated key, including: a body equipped with a chamber for inserting an external key with its external end, the chamber being coaxial to the insertion direction of the key,a movable equipment or device including a cam bordering on one side with said chamber and provided with a central recess suitable for receiving and retaining the end of the key,a multiplicity of springs positioned in the movable equipment parallel to the insertion direction of the key and individually provided with a head; anda plurality of pins, each pin, loaded by a spring of said plurality of springs, being slidable in a passage extending into said chamber, along a direction parallel to the insertion direction of the key. EP 1583878 describes a lock consisting of two half-bodies positioned so that an interspace remains defined between them in which the movable equipment or device is arranged in a rotatable manner. Each half-body comprises a bushing inside which small cylinders are rotatably housed with opposite ends which protrude into the interspace and to which the movable equipment is rotatably coupled. The bushings are coaxial with each other and from them extend respective radial expansions which lie on the same longitudinal radial plane as the bushings. In the cylinders and in the radial expansions there are pins and counter-pins which, aligned with each other by the key inserted in the channels obtained in the cylinders, allow the rotation of the cylinders and, therefore, the dragging of the movable equipment. While taking up the traditional form of lock described by way of example in the patent EP 1583878, the present invention uses, as U.S. Pat. No. 4,006,615 A, a technology specific to tubular locks, having spring-loaded pins, arranged parallel to the insertion axis of the key inside the lock. Such a lock is normally applied to a door of a piece of furniture and has no key that allows it to be opened from the inside. Examples of such types of locks can be found in GB 2485601A, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,509,748, 3,648,492, 4,233,828, US 2011/0192202 A1. SUMMARY OF INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a lock having pins spring loaded in the insertion direction of a key, lock that can be modified simply by changing the arrangement of its internal parts. Another object of the present invention is to provide a lock having pins spring loaded in the insertion direction of a key, lock that has an internal key and an external key. A further object of the invention is to provide a universal external key for opening the lock. Still another object of the invention is to allow the lock to be installed without the need to make changes to the door, to the deadbolt or to the latch bolt and to the relative housings. To achieve the aforementioned objects, the present invention provides a door lock with relative keys, as defined in the attached claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become most clear from the description of an embodiment of a door lock with associated keys as illustrated by an indicative and non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the lock from the outside of a home according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lock from the inside of the home according to the present invention; FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the lock in FIGS. 1 and 2; FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-section view taken along the lines A-A in FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a pin and spring assembly employed in the lock of the present invention; FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the pin and spring assembly in FIG. 5; FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an internal key for the lock according to the present invention; FIG. 8 is a side view of the internal key in FIG. 7; FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the lock according to the invention with the internal key inserted; FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the lock in FIG. 9; FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-section view obtained along the lines B-B in FIG. 10; FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the external key for a lock according to the present invention seen from the outside; FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the external key in FIG. 12 seen from the inside; FIG. 14 is a side view of the external key in FIGS. 12 and 13; FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a crown of the external key in FIGS. 12 to 14; FIG. 16 is a front view of the crown in FIG. 15; FIG. 17 is a top plan view of the crown in FIG. 15; FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the lock according to the invention with the external key inserted; FIG. 19 is a top plan view of the lock in FIG. 18; and FIG. 20 is an enlarged cross-section view obtained along the lines C-C in FIG. 19. Description of an Embodiment o