US-12624573-B2 - Electromechanical lock assembly

US12624573B2US 12624573 B2US12624573 B2US 12624573B2US-12624573-B2

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electromechanical lock assembly ( 1;2 ) comprising a lock body ( 15;115 ), a lock core ( 17;117 ), a lock bolt operating member ( 19;119 ), and an electronic access control device. The electromechanical lock assembly further comprises an annular element ( 27;127 ) which is rotatably and axially displaceably mounted on said lock core ( 17;117 ), a coupling device ( 25;125 ) arranged to communicate with said electronic access control device and, upon the insertion of an appropriate key ( 65 ) in the key receptacle ( 37 ), rotationally lock the annular element ( 27;127 ) to the lock core ( 17;117 ), thereby enabling rotation of the lock core ( 17;117 ) in a first direction and thereby enabling unlocking of said lock ( 3 ) with said appropriate key ( 65 ), and a blocking arrangement ( 63 ) arranged to prevent unauthorized unlocking of said lock ( 3 ).

Inventors

Johan Hörberg
Martin Lindvall
Magnus Nilsson

Assignees

SWEDLOCK AB

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20210401

Claims (20)

1 . Electromechanical lock assembly, which is configured to be powered upon insertion of a programmable key in a key receptacle, said lock assembly comprising a lock body, a lock core extending along an axial direction, the lock core being located at least partially within the lock body and selectively rotatable with respect to the lock body along the axial direction, the lock core including the key receptacle for receiving the programmable key, a lock bolt operating member rotationally secured to the lock core and configured to move a lock bolt of a lock for locking and unlocking said lock, and an electronic access control device, an annular element which is rotatably and axially displaceably mounted on said lock core, a coupling device arranged to communicate with said electronic access control device and, upon the insertion of an appropriate key in the key receptacle, rotationally lock the annular element to the lock core, thereby enabling rotation of the lock core and thereby enabling locking and unlocking of said electromechanical lock with said appropriate key, and a blocking arrangement comprising a retaining device arranged to prevent said annular element from rotating together with said lock core when the lock core is rotated with an inappropriate key, an engagement portion arranged to rotate with the lock core, one contact surface situated on the engagement portion, one contact surface situated on said annular element and a stationary blocking member, wherein said contact surfaces being configured to, upon rotation of said lock core relative to said annular element, axially move said annular element into engagement with said stationary blocking member, thereby blocking further rotation of the lock core and thereby preventing unauthorized locking and unlocking of said lock.
2 . The electromechanical lock assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the electromechanical lock assembly is configured to be powered by the programmable key when the programmable key has reached an activation position within the key receptacle.
3 . Electromechanical lock assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling device comprises a coupling member arranged to be linearly movable along a direction being transverse to the axial direction of the lock core.
4 . Electromechanical lock assembly according to claim 3 , wherein said coupling member forms a part of an electric actuator of the coupling device, wherein said electric actuator is arranged to move the coupling member from a rest position, in which the coupling member allows the lock core to rotate relative to the annular element, to a coupling position in which the coupling member rotationally locks said annular element to said lock core.
5 . Electromechanical lock assembly according to claim 4 , wherein said annular element is movable between a non-blocking position, to which said annular element is biased by a biasing member, and a blocking position.
6 . Electromechanical lock assembly according claim 4 , wherein said coupling member comprises a locking portion arranged to be received in a geometrically complementary portion of the annular element.
7 . Electromechanical lock assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the coupling member further comprises a coupling member solenoid, and wherein the lock core further comprises a permanent magnet.
8 . Electromechanical lock assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the lock core further comprises an impulse dampening arrangement arranged to dampen a movement of the coupling member upon exposing the electromechanical lock assembly to an impulse.
9 . Electromechanical lock assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the impulse dampening arrangement comprises circuitry having an electromotive voltage generating function configured to generate an electromotive voltage in response to a voltage induced by a relative movement between the coupling member and the permanent magnet, thereby generating a magnetic force between the coupling member solenoid and the permanent magnet counteracting a movement of the coupling member relative to the lock core.
10 . Electromechanical lock assembly according to claim 9 , wherein said circuitry having an electromotive voltage generating function is defined by a closed loop including the coupling member solenoid and electrical connections short-circuiting the same.
11 . Electromechanical lock assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the impulse dampening arrangement further comprises a pivotable arm arranged to be pivoted relative to the lock core upon exposing the electromechanical lock to an impulse such that the pivotable arm upon the impulse blocks a movement of the coupling member relative to the lock core.
12 . Electromechanical lock assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said retaining device comprises a retaining member which is received in a recess formed in the annular element.
13 . Electromechanical lock assembly according to claim 12 , wherein said retaining member is a ball and preferably a spring biased ball.
14 . Electromechanical lock assembly according to claim 12 , wherein said recess is an axial groove extending in the axial direction.
15 . Electromechanical lock assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the lock assembly further comprises an axial movement limiting device arranged to limit axial movement of the annular element relative to the stationary blocking member, thereby preventing the annular element to be moved into engagement with the stationary blocking member.
16 . Electromechanical lock assembly according to claim 15 , wherein said axial movement limiting device comprises at least one ball received in an annular groove formed in the annular element.
17 . Electromechanical lock assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said lock body is cylindrical.
18 . The electromechanical lock assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the stationary blocking member is located in between a front face of the key receptacle and the annular element along the axial direction such that said contact surfaces are configured to, upon rotation of said lock core relative to said annular element, axially move said annular element in a direction towards the front face of the key receptacle into engagement with said stationary blocking member.
19 . The electromechanical lock assembly according to claim 18 , wherein said stationary blocking member is annularly shaped and arranged circumferentially around the lock core such that the lock core is freely rotatable in respect thereto.
20 . The electromechanical lock assembly according to claim 18 , further comprising a connecting element which is rotationally secured to the lock core and to the lock bolt operating member, and wherein said engagement portion forms a part of said connecting element.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an electromechanical lock assembly, which is configured to be powered by insertion of a programmable key in a key receptacle, said lock assembly comprising a lock body, a lock core located at least partially within the lock body and selectively rotatable with respect to the lock body, the lock core including a key receptacle for receiving a programmable key, a lock bolt operating member rotationally secured to the lock core and configured to move a lock bolt of a lock for locking and unlocking said lock, and an electronic access control device. BACKGROUND EP 1 960 622 B2 shows an electromechanical locking system that comprises a lock core, a tailpiece and an electrically operated clutch mechanism for rotatably coupling the tailpiece to the lock core. Further, the lock core includes a keyway for a key having an electrical power source and electrical connection means which provides an electrical connection with the electrical power source of the key. However, this electromechanical locking system is considered to be complex, which render it cumbersome to manufacture, assemble and use with different kind of lock sets. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to at least partly overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks and to provide an improved electromechanical lock assembly. According to a first aspect of the invention, this and other objects are achieved, in full or at least partly, by an electromechanical lock assembly, which is configured to be powered upon insertion of a programmable key in a key receptacle, said lock assembly comprising a lock body, a lock core extending along an axial direction, the lock core being located at least partially within the lock body and selectively rotatable with respect to the lock body along the axial direction, the lock core including a key receptacle for receiving a programmable key, a lock bolt operating member rotationally secured to the lock core and configured to move a lock bolt of a lock for locking and unlocking said lock, and an electronic access control device, wherein the lock assembly further comprises an annular element which is rotatably and axially displaceably mounted on said lock core, a coupling device arranged to communicate with said electronic access control device and, upon the insertion of an appropriate key in the key receptacle, rotationally lock the annular element to the lock core, thereby enabling rotation of the lock core and thereby enabling locking and unlocking of said lock with said appropriate key, and a blocking arrangement comprising a retaining device arranged to prevent said annular element from rotating together with said lock core when the lock core is rotated with an inappropriate key, an engagement portion arranged to rotate with the lock core, one contact surface situated on the engagement portion, one contact surface situated on said annular element and a stationary blocking member, wherein said contact surfaces being configured to, upon rotation of said lock core relative to said annular element, axially move said annular element into engagement with said stationary blocking member, thereby blocking further rotation of the lock core and thereby prevent unauthorized locking and unlocking of said lock. Upon the insertion of an appropriate key, the coupling device thus couples the annular element to the lock core, which prevents the lock core from rotating together relative to the annular element and thereby enables locking and unlocking rotation of the lock core. The coupling device thus serves to enable locking and unlocking rotation of the lock core and the lock operating member which is arranged to rotate together with the lock core. The annular element is maintained in a non-blocking position as long as an appropriate key is inserted in the key receptacle. The lock core is formed as an integral part and the lock bolt operating member is never disengaged from the lock core. In this solution there is thus no need to rotationally couple separate parts of a lock core. This enables a simple solution having few parts and that is easy to manufacture and assemble. Also, it provides for a solution that can be used together with different types of lock sets in an easy manner. Furthermore, this solution allows the use of an electrical actuator to be minimized, thereby providing a power efficient solution. If the lock core is rotated using an inappropriate key, the annular element is moved into a blocking position, in which it engages each of the lock core and the stationary blocking member. Then, the annular element, blocks further rotation of the lock core. In this manner, the blocking arrangement blocks unauthorized locking and unlocking rotation of the lock core, and consequently unauthorized locking and unlocking of an associated lock, in a robust and reliable manner. Hence, the blocking arrangement may provide a robust and reliable solution. Hence, especially in