Patent ID: 6367297
Filing Date: 2002-04-09
Classification: E05B,Y10T

Abstract:
Cylinder lock, comprising:a lock fixed body or stator, having a cylinderical cavity, a cylinder or rotor, rotatably mounted within the cylindrical cavity of the fixed body and having an axial passage for introduction of a key, a plurality of locking tumblers which are slidably mounted within radial holes of the rotatable cylinder which open on said axial passage, said tumblers being adapted to be engaged at one end thereof by a key having a predetermined profile so as to arrange themselves to a position in which they enable a free rotation of the rotatable cylinder within the fixed body, a plurality of counter-tumblers slidably mounted within holes which are formed in the fixed body of the lock, and open on the cylindrical cavity of said fixed body, said holes for the counter-tumblers being adapted to become aligned with the holes of the tumblers in the rotatable cylinder at a given angular position of the latter, and means for biassing the tumblers radially towards the axis of the rotatable cylinder when the latter is at said given angular position, wherein in the case of at least one of said tumblers, said means for biassing the tumbler radially towards the axis of the rotatable cylinder are magnetically operative biassing means which comprise a first permanent magnet arranged within the hole of the fixed body where the respective counter-tumbler is movable, and a second permanent magnet associated with said key and adapted to draw the first permanent magnet towards the axis of the rotatable cylinder when the key is received in the rotatable cylinder, so that the first permanent magnet biasses the respective tumbler against the key, wherein the second permanent magnet is fitted within a seat formed in the key on a surface opposite of that which is for cooperating with the tumblers of the rotatable cylinder, and wherein said key has a flattened active portion and said axial passage has a similarly flattened shape with a general plane perpendicular to a plane containing the axes of the radial holes of the rotatable cylinder, said active portion of the key having a first face with cavities adapted to cooperate with the tips of the tumblers of the lock, wherein each second permanent magnet is fitted within a seat formed on a substantially planar face of the key opposite to said first face.