EP0999328B1 - Cylinder lock - Google Patents

Abstract

The lock has an access control circuit (12), housed in an internal door knob (8), actuated by a coded key fob type transmitter. This energizes a coil (22) causing an armature (24) to engage a coupling system (18) with an external door knob (10) which houses a battery (14). This enables the knob to actuate the locking pin (6). A counter magnet (50) can be provided to hold the coupling in the disengaged position.

Description

The present invention relates to a lock cylinder, in particular an electronic lock cylinder for use in mortise locks for doors.

Mortise locks for doors according to DIN 18251 are provided in large numbers with mechanical lock cylinders according to DIN 18252. Such lock cylinders have a cylinder housing and therein a cylinder core, which can be rotated with a matching key in the housing and then moves approximately from the center of the cylinder housing, within the mortise from the cylinder housing protruding cam or catch to the castle or up lock up.

The known mechanical lock cylinders can be many in terms of security, locking layout and flexibility Wishes open, because the mechanical keys are easily copied, locking plans that define access permissions must be structured essentially hierarchical and key loss and locking plan modification, the lock cylinder must be completely replaced.

To avoid these problems, electronic locking systems have been proposed. Examples of such locking systems are given in DE-A-44 38 832 and DE-A-195 02 288. There, a mortise lock for doors is modified so that the lock cylinder is replaced by a linkage, which has on the inside of the door and the outside of each door a knob. The linkage includes a driver, which operates the lock as in a mechanical lock cylinder. The driver is rotatably connected to the inside door knob and an electromagnetically actuated coupling with the outside door knob. An electronic controls the clutch so that it produces a rotational connection only if, for example, a high-frequency transponder is located on the outside of the door within the range of an antenna, which has received an access authorization in a previous programming operation. Electronics, antenna and an electromagnetic actuator for actuating the clutch are distributed on inside and outside door fittings. However, this arrangement is very expensive to protect against manipulation and appropriate security measures lead to expensive and unsightly door fittings.

In US-A-4 901 545 and US-A-5 447 047 door locks are given, in which in addition to a mechanical lock still electronic access control components are included in the door outside pommel or pusher. These arrangements are susceptible to manipulation. A special lock with integrated electronics partially housed on the outer door fitting is disclosed in US-A-4,820,320.

From DE-U-297 03 559, for example, a door lock with at least one handle on a protruding from the door leaf axis of rotation for actuating the latch and / or the bolt is known. The handle is rotatably arranged in the closed position of the door lock on the axis of rotation. An actuatable by an electric coupling coupling connects the handle with the axis of rotation to open the door. The electric drive can be actuated by a code evaluation device with a device for contactless code input. The electric drive, the clutch, the evaluation device with the non-contact code input device and a power supply for the electric drive and the code evaluation device are arranged in the handle of the door lock. However, this door lock also leaves much to be desired in terms of its reliability and safety. Thus, for example, provided in this door lock coupling mechanism against mechanical or magnetic attacks from the outside is essentially unprotected, so that manipulation or breakage are relatively easily possible.

From EP-A-0 588 209 a lock cylinder according to the preamble of claim 1 is known. Furthermore, in GB-A-1452032, a door lock is indicated with a magnet which controls the movement of a closing member. GB-A-1452032 describes in particular an automatic closing device with a drive element which can be magnetized to close and open the door lock by an outer coil and can be demagnetized by changing the current direction in the coil.

The present invention has for its object to provide an improved lock cylinder, which is in particular safer and more reliable than known lock cylinder and at the same time provides a simple and safe and flexible lock system. For the solution of this problem is further to consider the aspect that such lock cylinder, in particular for the replacement of existing lock cylinder, usually have an autonomous power supply. To ensure a long life, it is thus desirable to form the electronic lock cylinder so that it is characterized by a low power consumption. This object is achieved with the features of patent claims 1.

According to the invention, a temporarily monostable material is used as the drive element provided in the housing of the lock cylinder drive means for the coupling device. This material has the property that it can be magnetized by a current pulse through an external coil and this magnetization can be reversed after a predetermined period of time by suitable electrical control. By applying a holding current to the coil, the magnetization can be preferably further supported. With the degradation or loss of magnetic properties the coupling device is automatically disengaged.

It is advantageous to provide the lock cylinder with a coupling device for rotatably connecting an outer actuating element such that the coupling device is designed to be axially movable and / or tiltable on a drive element of a drive device. According to a preferred embodiment, the guide portion of the coupling device is axially movably mounted between two stops of the drive element, wherein the first stop for engagement and the second serves for disengaging the coupling device. Thereby, the coupling device can be decoupled in a much more reliable manner than before, which brings a significant improvement in the security of such electronic lock cylinder with it. According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, a spring element is provided between the coupling device and the drive device, which causes a secure engagement of the coupling device. The spring element is preferably a compression spring which is tensioned during an engagement movement of the drive device when the clutch device is in a non-engageable position, and which pushes the clutch device into the engaged state by its pressure force due to the bias as soon as an engageable position is present ,

By attaching at least one so-called counter magnets in the housing of the lock cylinder according to the invention, the safety can be advantageously further improved because characterized in superposition with an external magnetic field, the coupling device is not engaged, but always remains in the disengaged state.

Figur 1

einen schematischen Längsschnitt durch einen erfindungsgemäßen Schließzylinder;

Figur 2

einen schematischen Querschnitt durch eine erste Ausführungsform einer im erfindungsgemäßen Schließzylinder vorgesehenen Kupplungseinrichtung;

Figur 3

eine Schnittansicht entlang der Linie III-III durch die Kupplungseinrichtung von Figur 2;

Figur 4

eine schematische Darstellung einer asymmetrischen Ausführungsform eines Kupplungselements;

Figur 5

den Ablauf eines Ausrückvorgangs der Kupplungseinrichtung entsprechend einer Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Schließzylinders;

Figur

6 einen vergrößerten schematischen Längsschnitt durch die Kupplungseinrichtung entsprechend einer anderen Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Schließzylinders; und

Figur 7

einen schematischen Längsschnitt durch den erfindungsgemäßen Schließzylinder entsprechend einer weiteren bevorzugten Ausführungsform.

A preferred embodiment of the lock cylinder according to the invention is described below by way of example with reference to the drawings. Show it:

FIG. 1

a schematic longitudinal section through a lock cylinder according to the invention;

FIG. 2

a schematic cross-section through a first embodiment of a coupling device provided in the lock cylinder according to the invention;

FIG. 3

a sectional view taken along the line III-III through the coupling device of Figure 2;

FIG. 4

a schematic representation of an asymmetric embodiment of a coupling element;

FIG. 5

the sequence of a disengagement of the clutch device according to an embodiment of the lock cylinder according to the invention;

figure

6 is an enlarged schematic longitudinal section through the coupling device according to another embodiment of the lock cylinder according to the invention; and

FIG. 7

a schematic longitudinal section through the lock cylinder according to the invention according to a further preferred embodiment.

A preferred embodiment of the lock cylinder 2 according to the invention is shown as a schematic longitudinal section in Figure 1. The electronic lock cylinder 2 according to the invention can be used in a conventional door lock, but may also have any other external shape. The locking cylinder 2 according to the invention essentially comprises a housing 4, a locking bit 6 rotatably arranged relative to the housing 4, an actuating element 8 opposite the inside of the door or the potential attack side in the form of a first door knob and an actuating element facing the outside of the door or the potential attack side 10 in the form of a second door knob on. An electronic access control circuit 12 for verifying an access authorization is preferably accommodated in the cylinder lock 2 according to the invention in the door inner side actuating element 8. In the door outer side actuator 10, the power supply for the electronic lock cylinder 2 is preferably provided in the form of a battery 14. The door-side actuator 8 is rotatably connected to the cam 6 of the cylinder lock 2 according to the invention by a connecting sleeve 16, so that the cam 6 from the inside or the potential attack side opposite side is always operable.

The schematic representation of Figure 1 shows the lock cylinder 2 according to the invention in a coupled state, i. the outer-side actuating element 10 is also in rotationally fixed operative connection with the locking bit 6. In the decoupled state, the outer-side actuating element 10 is preferably freely rotatable without actuating the locking bit 6. For coupling the lock cylinder 2 according to the invention, it is preferred that the access control circuit 12, after the expiration of a verification protocol, temporarily couples the outer actuator 10 to the lock bit 6. For this purpose, a coupling device 18 and a drive device 20 for the coupling device 18 in the housing 4 of the lock cylinder 2 is provided according to the invention.

The drive device 20 for the coupling device 18 is designed in the form of an electromagnet, which has a coil 22 and an armature 24 movable axially thereto. The armature or the drive element 24 is mounted axially movably in a guide element 26 mounted in the connection sleeve 16. The maximum anchor or punch path is denoted by "s" in FIG. According to the invention, the armature 24 is made of a monostable material which is temporarily magnetizable when exposed to a magnetic field. This magnetization is further preferably optionally supported by a holding current to a coil. To terminate the coupling, this material can be reversed by a suitable electrical signal.

The coupling device 18 is preferably designed in the form of a coupling cross. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the coupling device 18 has a guide section 28, which guides the coupling device 18 in an axially movable and / or tiltable manner in the region of a guide element 30 of the armature 24. The guide element 30 of the armature 24 is defined in the axial direction by two stops 32 and 34, respectively. When activating the coupling device, i. if an access authorization has been granted and the drive device 20 has been activated by the circuit 12, the armature 24 with the stop 34 pushes the coupling device 18 into the position shown in FIG. The coupling device 18 connects in this position, the door outside actuating element 10 with the cam 6, so that the door can also be opened from the outside. The non-rotatable connection between the outside door side actuator 10 and the cam 6 is preferably carried out via a connecting sleeve 36 and an engagement member 38, both of which are rotatably connected to the actuator 10. The engagement member 38 has e.g. Recesses 40, which may be formed corresponding to the shape of engagement portions 42 of the coupling device 18. Preferably, however, a sleeve is provided as the engagement element 38, which has a crenellated engagement portion on an end portion pointing to the coupling device 18, which can be brought into engagement with the coupling cross which is preferably provided as the coupling device 18. The coupling device 18 is preferably guided axially movable in the housing 4 or an outer guide sleeve.

According to a preferred embodiment, which is shown in Figures 2 and 3, the recesses 40 are formed at an opening in the disengaging angle α. The angle α is preferably in the range between 1 ° and 5 ° and preferably at about 3 °. In the case of the preferred sleeve-shaped engagement element 38, the bevels are provided on the longitudinal surfaces of the pinnacles in such a way that widen the spaces between the pinnacles in the release direction. By providing the chamfers by the angle α at the recesses 40 or battlements of the connecting element 38 and / or by the provision of chamfers on the engaging portion 42 of the coupling device 18 and the coupling cross a reliable decoupling of the coupling device 18 can be achieved. This is particularly due to the fact that the contact area between the engaging portions 42 of the coupling device 18 and the recesses 40 of the engaging member 38 is relatively small, so that after an initial release of the coupled parts due to the widening in the disengaging gap further disengagement with much less friction or even without further contact. As a result, therefore, the detaching force or breakaway force of the engagement portion 42 can be significantly reduced from the recesses 40, whereby the reliability of the lock cylinder according to the invention can be significantly increased.

The actual connection between the coupling device 18 and the cam 6 is realized by a provided on the coupling device 18 connecting sleeve 44. This is shown schematically only in FIG. As already described above, the coupling device 18 is guided on the guide portion 30 of the armature 24 axially movable and / or tiltable. This is particularly advantageous for disengaging the coupling device 18. In the decoupled state, the coupling device 18 is disengaged from the engagement element 38, so that the door-outside actuating element 10 is freely rotatable. In this position, the lock cylinder 2 according to the invention is always when the armature 24 of the drive device 20 is demagnetized. For this purpose, a compression spring 46 is preferably provided, which acts as a return spring and forces the armature 24 in its decoupled position. When recognizing an access authorization sets the circuit 12, the coil 22 of the drive means 20 under tension, so that the armature 24 moves out of the coil and the stopper 34, the coupling means 18 entrains to positively connect the engaging portions 42 of the coupling means 18 with the recesses 40 of the engaging member 38.

The locking of the lock cylinder 2 according to the invention or the disengagement of the coupling device 18 takes place by reversing the magnetization of the armature 24 of the drive device 20. Immediately after reversing the magnetization, the return spring 46 pushes the armature 24 in the direction of its starting position, wherein first the coupling device 18 in engaged state remains until the armature 24 has traveled the (shown in Figure 1) distance Δs and comes into contact with the stop 32. The distance Δs is preferably about 0.5 mm. This ensures that the relatively large mass of the armature 24 is already in motion when it hits the coupling device 18 and thereby dissolves it by a corresponding breakaway pulse with momentum from the engaged state. This effect can be combined in an advantageous manner in particular with the chamfers already described above, since the coupling device is released from the initial coupling position in a particularly reliable manner by the breakaway pulse. The stop 32 of the armature 24 displaces by the force of the return spring 46, the coupling means 18 further into the rest position, i. the completely decoupled state.

In the housing 4 of the cylinder 2 according to the invention a drill protection 48 is further provided, which is preferably formed of hard metal and prevents forcible opening of the lock cylinder 2 of the invention from the outside of the door in a secure manner. The return spring 46 can be performed, for example, with a centering element 50 in the housing 4 of the lock cylinder 2.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a further preferred embodiment or function of the lock cylinder 2 according to the invention. According to FIG. 4, it may be preferable to design the coupling device 18 in the form of an asymmetrical coupling cross in order to achieve a particularly advantageous disengagement effect when uncoupling the coupling device 18 from the outside door-side actuating element 10. Preferably, when using an asymmetric coupling device 18, only a portion (eg, only one) of the engaging portions 42 engages the engaging member 38, so that upon disengagement of the clutch assembly 18, first, the portions (and low force) are engaged and thus lighter releasable portions are released before then the more firmly engaged engagement portions 42 are released. The resulting tilting movement of the coupling device 18 causes a more reliable decoupling.

However, the sequence of the disengaging operation of the coupling device 18 shown schematically in FIG. 5 can also be achieved independently of the shape of the coupling device 18. The Ausrückablauf shown in Figure 5 can be found both in combination with the breakaway pulse described above and / or the bevels of Figure 3 and independently apply. According to FIG. 5, the stop 32 of the armature 24 is initially in contact with the coupling device 18. When demagnetizing the return spring 46 presses the armature 24 in the release direction, whereby the coupling device 18 is first slightly tilted according to the middle figure in Figure 5, to release the engaging portions 42 of the recesses 40. Subsequently, the coupling device 18 is moved by the stop 32 and the return spring 46 in the disengaged or decoupled rest position.

A further preferred embodiment of the lock cylinder 2 according to the invention and in particular the usable therein Coupling device is shown in FIG. According to this embodiment, the engagement stop 34 of the embodiments described above here as a support for an engagement spring 52. The spring 52 may be formed for example as a compression spring and thereby urge the coupling device 18 away from the support member 34 in the direction or until the release stop 32. This clutch assembly has the particular advantage that thereby an even more reliable engagement of the clutch device 18 can be ensured.

To engage the armature 24 of the drive device 20 is first moved in the direction of engagement. If the parts to be coupled are not in a defined coupled position relative to one another at this time, the pulse energy transmitted by the drive device 20 to the armature 24 is buffered by compressing the spring 52 until coupling is possible. Then, the spring 52 pushes the coupling device 18 into the coupled position without further application of electrical energy. The decoupling is carried out by the stop 32, as described above with respect to the other embodiments, wherein the spring 52 may optionally support the contacting of the Ausrückanschlags 32 with the coupling device 18 by their pressing force.

According to the embodiment of the lock cylinder 2 according to the invention shown in FIG. 7, the armature 24 of the drive device 20 is interrupted by a magnetic decoupling device 54, which is adjoined by an extension section 56 of the armature 24, preferably with a reduced cross section. The extension portion 56 preferably extends to the disengagement stop 32. Between the decoupler 54 and the extension portion 56, a ferromagnetic material 60 is further provided. The spring 46 is formed in this embodiment as a tension spring. In the region of the diameter-tapered extension portion 56 is according to this embodiment at least one so-called counter-magnet 58 is provided. Moreover, this lock cylinder 2 corresponds to the action principle described above, wherein the input and Ausrückrichtung are reversed. The embodiment described with reference to FIG. 7 can be combined with the embodiments explained above and with the aspects of the invention described therein. -

The counter magnet 58 is provided as a safety device against manipulation from the outside. It is isolated from the remainder of the magnetic circuit (drive means) by the magnetic decoupling device 54, and is preferably magnetizable by an external magnetic field. This means that when trying to manipulate the lock cylinder 2 according to the invention from the outside with a strong magnetic field of the lock cylinder 2 is "flooded" by the magnetic field, which magnetizes him and thereby the counter magnet 58 a stronger force on the element 60 on the armature 24 as the drive means 20 exerts, so that the armature 24 is urged with the element 60 to the counter-magnet 58 in the decoupled position. In the case of intentional coupling, on the contrary, a magnetic field can be selectively applied to drive the armature 24.

In the case of such magnetic field flooding of the armature 24 and thus the coupling means 18 is forced to the rest position, which is synonymous with a decoupling of the lock cylinder 2 according to the invention.

The locking cylinder according to the invention can be designed according to a further embodiment (not shown) such that a counter-magnet activates a locking device when an external magnetic field is applied for manipulation purposes. The locking device is preferably designed so that it prevents engagement of the coupling device 18.

Claims (17)

1. A lock cylinder (2) comprising a housing (4) insertable into a door lock, a lock bit (6) arranged rotatably with respect to the housing (4), an actuator (8) at an inner side of the door for the lock bit (6), an access control circuit (12) for verifying an access authorization, an actuator (10) at an outer side of the door and a coupling means (18) for rotatably connecting the outer actuator (10) with the lock bit (6), characterized in that a temporarily monostable drive element of a drive means (24), which can be magnetized by a current pulse by an exterior coil, wherein this magnetization can be cancelled after a predetermined duration by an appropriate electric control, actuates the coupling means (18), and wherein the drive means (24) is provided in the housing (4) of the lock cylinder (2).
2. The lock cylinder (2) according to claim 1, wherein the coupling means (18) is provided with at least one engagement portion (42) axially movable relative to an engaging member (40) establishing an effective connection with the actuator (10) at the outer side of the door, and the coupling means (18) is axially movably and/or tiltably provided on a drive member (24) of a drive means (20).
3. The lock cylinder (2) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the coupling means (18) is guided at the inside.
4. The lock cylinder (2) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the coupling means (18) is guided at the outside.
5. The lock cylinder (2) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the coupling means (18) is guided at the inside and at the outside.
6. The lock cylinder (2) according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the guide portion (30) is borne axially movably between two stops (32, 34) of the drive means (24), wherein the first stop (32) acts for disengaging and the second stop (34) acts for engaging the coupling means (18).
7. The lock cylinder (2) according to claim 6, wherein a spring member (52) is provided between the engaging stop (34) und the coupling means (18).
8. The lock cylinder (2) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the first stop (32) can be guided with a momentum against the coupling means (18) by means of a return spring (46) for disengagement.
9. The lock cylinder (2) according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the engagement portion (42) of the coupling means (18) and/or the engaging member (40) of the actuator (8, 10) at the outer and/or inner side of the door is/are inclined towards the outside in the direction of disengagement.
10. The lock cylinder (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the access authorization can only be imparted temporarily.
11. The lock cylinder (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the coupling means (18) and/or the couplable parts are formed asymmetrically such that during disengagement a tilting movement is assisted.
12. The lock cylinder (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the actuator (8) at the inner side of the door comprises the access control circuit (12) and the actuator (10) at the outer side of the door comprises a power supply (14).
13. The lock cylinder (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the access control circuit (12) is designed such that it executes data exchange with an identification medium of a person requesting for access according to a predetermined access control protocol to verify access authorization.
14. The lock cylinder (2) according to claim 13, wherein the identification medium comprises a transponder and data exchange with the access control circuit (12) is executed in a wireless manner.
15. The lock cylinder (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein a drilling protection (48) is provided between the actuator (10) at the outer side of the door and the lock bit (6).
16. The lock cylinder (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the temporarily monostable drive member (24) will additionally be magnetized by a continuous magnetic field during the potential actuation of the coupling means (18) and then be demagnetized.
17. The lock cylinder (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein in the housing (4) there is at least one counter magnet (50) which, when overlapping an outer magnetic field, activates a locking means which avoids coupling of the coupling means (18).

Images