Patent ID: 6523382
Filing Date: 2003-02-25
Classification: C23C,E05B,Y10T

Abstract:
A lock assembly for operating a latching mechanism between locked and unlocked conditions, the lock assembly comprising:a case; a drive mechanism including a lock barrel and a driver, the lock barrel being supported within the case for rotational and axial movement relative to the case, the lock barrel having a key slot and at least one tumbler located adjacent to said key slot to be operated between locking and releasing positions as a function of the presence and absence of a mating key in the key slot, the driver coupled to the latching mechanism, and the lock barrel releasably coupled to the driver; and the drive mechanism further including at least one translation member disposed within the case for at least axial movement relative to the case in response to rotation of the lock barrel, said translation member coupled to said lock barrel when said one tumbler is in said locking position to prevent relative axial movement between said translation member and the lock barrel, rotation of the lock barrel when said one tumbler is in the releasing position causing the translation member and the driver to rotate, operating the latching mechanism between the locked and unlocked conditions, and rotation of the lock barrel when said one tumbler is in the locking position causing the lock barrel to be decoupled from the driver, whereby rotation of the lock barrel is ineffective to cause the driver to operate the latching mechanism between the locked and unlocked conditions.