Rekeyable lock system
US9127479B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 1, 2013 |
| Grant date | Sep 8, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 15, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T70/7746
- WIPO fieldCivil engineering
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A rekeyable lock cylinder includes a cylinder body and a plug assembly, which includes key followers normally biased for linear movement into a home position. Locking bar interfaces in the plug assembly are rotatably connected to respective key followers for simultaneous linear movement with the key followers, and are movable from a non-rotatable to a rotatable position within the plug assembly. Each interface defines a plurality of angularly-spaced unlocking cavities alignable with a locking bar operatively associated with the cylinder body and plug assembly. When the user causes the interface to move into the rotatable position, it can be rotated to re-align any or all of the unlocking cavities with the locking bar. Inasmuch as each unlocking cavity is also associated with a particular elevation of the interface's respective key follower, re-aligning one or more such cavities resets the respective elevations of the key followers so that they can accept only a different valid key.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.