Lock system

A lock system has lock cylinders (5) in which the rotor (9) is lodged as usual in the cylinder housing, (11) as well as lock cylinders (6) in which the rotor (10) is rotated through 180.degree. about its longitudinal axis relative to the other rotors (9). The security keys for the lock system are flat keys and not turning keys and, in the event that these are priority keys, have two completely independent key codes. The invention also provides a further possibility for increasing the number of variations of the lock and thus for increasing its security.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The invention relates to a lock system and to a key for such a lock system. 
2. Prior Art 
Lock systems of this generic type are generally known. As a rule, they have 
a great number of hierarchically arranged flat keys, with which a 
correspondingly large number of lock cylinders can be actuated. The keys 
are flat keys of the kind known for instance from German Patent 3 021 334 
of the present applicant. That patent also discloses that the number of 
locking actions can be increased substantially by means of bores having a 
plurality of control faces and corresponding tumblers. The number of 
locking variants can be increased by other provisions, for instance by a 
linear shift in the bore pattern. 
OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION 
The object of the invention is to create another way of increasing the 
number of locking actions of a locking system of this generic type. The 
intent is for this to be possible in a structurally simple way, without 
impairing the functional reliability. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In the locking system according to the invention, the safety keys are 
so-called non-reversible keys, and are immediately apparent as such, for 
example by the shape of the head of the key. To open a lock, the key must 
accordingly be introduced into the key channel in one of the two possible 
rotary positions. Some of the lock cylinders also have rotors, which are 
rotated from the other rotors by 180.degree. about their longitudinal axis 
with respect to the cylinder housing. The rotors may have open or closed 
key channels. An essential advantage of the lock system according to the 
invention is that two completely different lock codes can be disposed on 
the same key. By lessening the rotational symmetry of the keys and the 
associated tumblers, the number of locking variations is thus practically 
doubled. This is readily compatible with other known provisions to 
increase the locking variations. For instance, the bores may also be 
stepped bores, and at the same time a linear shift in the bore patterns is 
also possible. 
The provisions necessary for the lock cylinders are comparatively simple 
and do not change the basic structure of the lock cylinders. In 
particular, the number of tumblers in the lock cylinders need not be 
increased relative to comparable cylinders. Manufacture of the keys at a 
favorable cost is also assured. 
A superordinated key is for instance equipped with two independent locking 
codes, while a subordinated key contains only one code. A key of the 
system according to the invention preferably has at least two different 
rows of bores, which are disposed opposite one another on the wide sides 
of the shaft of the key. Two different locking cylinders having the same 
lock code or different lock codes can thus be opened with the same key, 
without requiring that the key be turned.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIGS. 1a through 1c show a flat key with a shaft 2 and a key head 3. The 
shaft 2 has six different rows of bores a through f, each row a through f 
having five bores, for example. These bores are simple countersunk bores 
or stepped bores, which cooperate with associated tumblers in the lock 
cylinders. 
The key has two independent lock codes, which are formed by the bore rows 
a, e and d or the rows b, c and f. Each group of bore rows comprises one 
bore row e or f, respectively, with edgewise bores on the narrow sides 13 
or 14 and lateral bores on the wide side faces 15 and 16, respectively. As 
can be seen, the bores cannot be made to coincide by rotating the key 
about its longitudinal direction, as would be the case with a key intended 
to be turned. 
The key head 3 has an asymmetrically disposed opening 4, for example, in 
order to make the orientation of the key 1 immediately apparent. It is 
understood that other markings or shapes are also possible; for instance, 
the key 1 may be embodied in the shape of a letter L. 
In FIGS. 2 and 3, different lock cylinders 5 and 6 of a system according to 
the invention are schematically shown. These lock cylinders may be simple 
or double lock cylinders, or other special types of cylinders. Different 
cylinder profiles are equally possible. In the cylinder of FIG. 2, a rotor 
9 in a conventional orientation is inserted into the cylinder housing 11. 
Core pins a, e and d protrude into a key channel 7 in the usual way. This 
cylinder can be entirely equivalent to a known cylinder. In the cylinder 6 
of FIG. 3, a rotor 10 that is rotated about its longitudinal axis by 
180.degree. from the rotor 9 is inserted into a cylinder housing 12. The 
lock channel 8 of the rotor is thus laterally open at the top. Core pins 
b, c and f, which are likewise embodied conventionally, protrude into the 
key channel 8. 
If the key 1 in the orientation shown in FIG. 1a is now introduced into the 
key channel 7 of the lock cylinder 5, then the tumblers are aligned with 
the core pins a, d and e, so that the rotor 9 can be turned and the 
corresponding lock can be opened. If in the same orientation the key 1 is 
introduced into the key channel 8 of the lock cylinder 6, then the core 
pins b, c and f are now aligned by the rows b, c and f, so that this rotor 
10 can be turned as well. 
If a key, not shown here, has merely the bore rows B, C and F, then with 
these subordinate keys a lock having the lock cylinder 6 can be opened, 
but a lock having the lock cylinder 5 cannot. The converse is true for a 
key, again not shown here, having the bore rows A, D and E. In one system, 
all the inside doors are now for instance equipped with lock cylinders 5, 
and all the outside doors with lock cylinder 6. By varying the bores, it 
will be appreciated that a great number of lock cylinders 5 and lock 
cylinder 6 can be manufactured, with a great many possible ways of 
locking. The number of locking possibilities in particular can be 
increased substantially by providing the lock cylinders 5 and 6 with 
different permutations. 
A lock system in which the number of lock variations and thus the safety of 
locking can be increased substantially in a structurally simple way and 
thus economically is thus apparent from the above description.