Card locking device

A card key operated locking mechanism has a connecting mechanism for connecting and disconnecting a locking device with a manual operated handle, a controller for controlling the connecting mechanism in accordance with card key insertion or removal, a latch mechanism to allow the connecting mechanism to maintain connection of the locking device with the handle, and a releasing mechanism to release the latch mechanism upon operation of the handle. The card key operated locking mechanism allows a user to rotate the handle one time upon removal of the card key.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 1. Field of the Invention
 The present invention relates to a card locking device, particularly, to a
 card key operated locking device which can be unlocked one time if a card
 key has been inserted into a card slot, moved an actuator to an unlocked
 position and the card key has been moved from the card slot.
 2. Discussion of Related Art
 A recent technology for a card key locking mechanism is disclosed in detail
 in Korean Patent Application Publication No. 7221/1990, which is
 priority-claimed with U.S. application Ser. No. 837,528 filed on Mar. 7,
 1986.
 A conventional card key locking device(card key door lock), which is
 currently commercialized, is constructed as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. An
 actuator 12 is installed to be movable by a predetermined distance
 relative to a fixed frame 11 if a card key 10 is inserted into a key slot
 and is then pushed. If the actuator 12 has been moved down, an impeller 8
 which is formed as a unitary body with the actuator 12 pulls a coupling
 spring 9 in such a manner that a coupling shaft 7 couples two spline
 shafts 6 and 6', thus coupled with each other. At this time, if a handle
 grip 5 is turned, a keeper which is coupled with the spline shaft 6'
 operates to thereby lock or unlock a door.
 To prevent the actuator 12 from being returned to the original position
 (also known as the normal position or the locked position) thereof by the
 elasticity of a restoring spring 13, even if the force applied on the card
 key 10 is removed after the card key 10 is inserted and pushed,
 installation of both a hook cam 4 and a restriction spring 3 are needed.
 In this case, if the card key 10 is extracted from the key slot, the
 coupling of the hook cam 4 with the restriction spring 3 is released in
 such a manner that the actuator 12 is restored to the original position
 thereof by the elasticity of the restoring spring 13.
 Under the construction as discussed above, the conventional card locking
 device operator should turn the handle grip 5, without delay, to lock or
 unlock the door, after the card key 10 is inserted into the key slot and
 the force applied on the card key is in a card key insertion direction to
 thus move the actuator 12.
 If the card key 10 is extracted from the key slot before the handle grip 5
 is turned, the handle grip 5 can not be turned. Sometimes a user leaves a
 card key in the card slot, and without extracting the key the user enters
 into a room.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 The present invention is directed to a card locking device that
 substantially obviates the problems due to limitations and disadvantages
 of the related arts.
 An object of the invention is to provide a card locking device where, when
 a card key is removed from a key slot after the card key is inserted into
 a key slot and an actuator is thus moved to the unlocked position, the
 actuator is not restored to the original position without one time
 performing an unlocking operation. Thus even if the card key is extracted
 from the key slot after insertion, a handle grip can be turned only one
 time, so a door is unlocked or locked at one time. Even when the card key
 is extracted prior to the turning of the handle grip, the handle grip can
 be turned one time, without re-insertion of the card key.
 Another object of the present invention is to provide a card key locking
 device which has a mechanism so that an unlocking coupling securely is
 decoupled to a locking position.
 According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a card
 locking device including: a flange provided on an end portion of the one
 side of the actuator; a keeper for locking the flange for preventing the
 actuator from returning to the original position thereof, when the
 actuator has been moved by insertion of a card key; and a releasing
 projection rotated with the rotating shaft and for pushing the keeper to a
 releasing position in order to return the actuator to the original
 position, whereby the card key moves the actuator for the rotating shaft
 to be coupled in operation condition, then the actuator is held in the
 locked state by the keeper even though the card key is extracted from the
 card slot unless the rotating shaft finishes its rotation of a
 predetermined angle.
 According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
 card locking device including: a plunger inserted in a plunger box
 installed on a lower end portion of the actuator and being supported by a
 spring; a locking protrusion formed on the fixed frame, for locking the
 plunger when the actuator is downward over a predetermined distance; a
 releasing projection rotated with the rotating shaft and for pushing the
 plunger to a releasing position in order to return the actuator to the
 original position, whereby the card key moves the actuator for the
 rotating shaft to be coupled in operation condition, then the actuator is
 held in the locked state by the plunger even though the card key is
 extracted from the card slot unless the rotating shaft finishes its
 rotation of a predetermined angle.
 The present invention includes a feature that the keeper comprises a plate
 spring which is attached on the fixed frame, and has a locking protrusion
 for locking the flange of the actuator.
 The present invention includes a feature that the releasing projection is
 formed unitary on the rotating shaft or the releasing projection is a
 circular plate shape fixed to the rotating shaft, having the edge-inclined
 protruding and reentrant portions, the protruding portion of the releasing
 projection adapted to push the keeper or the plunger to be separated from
 the flange or the locking protrusion, and the reentrant portion thereof
 adapted to have the keeper or the plunger returned to the locking
 position, if the rotating shaft is rotated to the original position
 thereof.
 The present invention includes a further feature of comprising a pushing
 portion formed on end of the actuator for pushing a coupling spring when
 the actuator is returning from the locked state by the keeper to the
 original position.
 It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the
 following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are
 intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
 Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the
 present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying
 drawings.
 FIGS. 4 to 5 are schematic sectional views of a card locking device
 constructed according to an embodiment of the present invention. An
 explanation of the function of the components as mentioned in FIGS. 1 to 3
 will be excluded in this detailed description and elements having the same
 function in the FIGS. 1 to 3 are given the same reference numerals for the
 sake of brevity.
 In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hook cam 4 and
 restriction spring 3 in the conventional art(as shown in FIG. 3) are not
 used in the present invention. Instead, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 5, a flange
 16 is provided on the end portion of the one side of an actuator 12 and a
 keeper 18 is adapted to lock the flange 16 to thereby prevent the actuator
 12 from returning to the original position thereof, when the actuator 12
 is moved by the insertion of a card 10 key and a rotating shaft is thus
 operated.
 The actuator 12 stores a cryptic code, and only when the card key 10
 inserted coincides with the cryptic code of the actuator 12, it can be
 moved by the force applied from the card key. This operation is the same
 as the conventional one. In the same manner as the conventional device, an
 impeller 8 is formed on the actuator 12 and is coupled with a coupling
 spring 9. Thus, if the actuator 12 moves in the downward direction, the
 coupling spring 9 allows a coupling shaft 14-3 to be moved, and thus to
 couple two spline shafts 14-2 and 14-4.
 The keeper 18 is fixed to the frame 11 and is made as a plate spring, as
 shown in FIGS. 10A-10C. This plate spring has a locking protrusion 19
 which is curved to correspond with the flange 16 formed in curved shape,
 so that the flange 16 of the actuator 12 is locked to the plate spring.
 The locking protrusion 19 may be formed flatly if the flange 16 is formed
 in a flat shape contacting the locking protrusion 19. The keeper 18 may be
 used with a locking tool which presses a rotating plate having a locking
 protrusion by means of a spring.
 To release the flange 16 which has been locked to the locking protrusion
 19, a releasing projection 20 is formed as a unitary body with the
 rotating shaft 14-2 as shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 12d thereby pushing the
 keeper 18 in the opposite direction to the flange 16. The releasing
 projection 20 has a protruding portion 21 and a reentrant portion 23 on
 the edge portion thereof. When the reentrant portion 23 is opposite to the
 keeper 18, the flange 16 is locked to the keeper 18, and contrarily, when
 the protruding portion 21 is opposite to the keeper 18, the keeper 18 is
 pushed and the flange 16 is then deviated from the keeper 18.
 Another example, the releasing projection 20' is formed in a circular plate
 shape as shown briefly in FIG. 6, and has a tooth-shaped hole 22 on the
 center portion thereof, through which it can be secured on the spline
 shaft 14. In this example, the shaft and the coupling spring, etc, are the
 same as those in the FIG. 4. The method of securing the releasing
 projection 20' on the spline shaft 14 is an interference fitting method or
 a position fixing pins 15-1 and 15-2 using method. FIG. 11A is a plan view
 of the releasing projection 20', FIG. 11B is a sectional view taken along
 the line B--B of FIG. 11A, and FIG. 11C is a sectional view taken along
 the line C--C of FIG. 11A. The releasing projection 20' forms a protruding
 portion 21' and a reentrant portion 23' on the edge portion thereof. When
 the reentrant portion 23' is opposite to the keeper 18, the flange 16 is
 locked to the keeper 18, and contrarily, when the protruding portion 21'
 is opposite to the keeper 18, the keeper 18 is pushed and the flange 16 is
 then deviated from the keeper 18.
 A pushing portion 17 is formed man end of the actuator 12 for pushing a
 coupling spring 9 while the actuator 12 is returning from the locked state
 to the normal position.
 The rotating shaft 14 coupled to a handle grip 5 on one end portion thereof
 and on the other end portion of the rotating shaft 14 coupled to a locking
 shaft 14-5, which is adapted to be connected/disconnected with another
 locking device to lock or unlock the door. The rotating shaft 14 can have
 a coupling shaft 14-3, a first spline shaft 14-2, and a second spline
 shaft 14-4, all not shown in FIG. 6. The releasing projection 20 or 20'
 can be formed at the first spline shaft 14-2.
 The coupling shaft 14-3 has teeth at an inside portion thereof, and the
 first and second spline shaft 14-2, 14-4 have teeth at an outside portion
 thereof in the shape of a gear.
 In operation, when the card key 10 is first inserted and pushed in the
 insertion direction thereof, it is checked whether the card key coincides
 with the cryptic code recorded on the actuator 12. If the card key and
 cryptic code coincide, the actuator 12 can continue to be moved to lock
 the flange 16 to the locking protrusion 19 of the keeper 18. After this
 action, even after the card key is extracted, the actuator 12 is kept in
 the locked state. In other words, the unlocked state of the actuator 12 as
 shown in FIG. 4 is changed to the locked state thereof as shown in FIG. 5.
 The impeller 8 of the actuator 12 forces the coupling spring 9 to move the
 coupling shaft 14-3 to the first spline shaft 14-2 connected to the handle
 grip 5 through the connecting shaft 14-1, to thus couple with the second
 spline shaft 14-4 which is connected with another locking device.
 Thus, if the handle grip is turned, a turning torque is transferred to the
 another locking device, so it can be locked or unlocked.
 When the handle grip is turned and the rotating shaft 14 is thus rotated,
 the protruding portion 21, 21' of the releasing projection 20, 20' pushes
 the keeper 18, as shown in FIG. 6, and so, the locking protrusion 19 is
 deviated from the flange 16, to thereby restore the actuator 12 to the
 original position thereof. The rotating shaft 14 is provided with a
 rotating spring 14-6 for restoring an amount of rotation thereof. If a
 manual torque of the rotating shaft 14 disappears, the rotating shaft 14
 can be returned to the original position by the rotating spring 14-6,
 after the locking or unlocking operation. When the actuator 12 is returned
 to the previous position, the force of the coupling spring 9 pushing the
 coupling spline shaft 14-3 is reduced, so the coupling spline shaft 14-3
 is returned to the previous position. The coupling spline shaft 14-3 is
 returned to normal position by forces of a pushing spring 14-7 and the
 coupling spring 9, the force of which is strengthened by the pushing
 portion 17, While the actuator pushes the coupling spring 9 back. So, the
 coupling spline shaft 14-3 could be returned to an unblocked state.
 FIGS. 7 to 9 are schematic sectional views of a card locking device
 constructed according to another embodiment of the present invention. An
 explanation of the components as mentioned in FIGS. 1 to 3 will be
 excluded in this detailed description for the sake of brevity. In these
 drawings, the coupling spline shaft, the coupling spring, etc, are not
 drawn, but may be the same as those in the FIG. 4, or in the conventional
 art in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.
 In this embodiment of the present invention, the conventional hook cam and
 restriction spring(as shown in FIG. 3) are not used. Instead, as shown in
 FIG. 7, a locking protrusion 32 is formed on the fixed frame to prevent
 the actuator 12 from being restored to the original position thereof. A
 plunger device is installed on end of the actuator 12.
 The plunger 30 is inserted in a plunger box 35, which is installed on a
 lower end portion of the actuator 12 and the plunger is supported by a
 spring 36. The spring 36 which is inserted into the interior of the
 plunger box 35, and is adapted to support the force exerted to the
 direction of the locking protrusion 32.
 The locking protrusion 32 formed on the frame is for locking the plunger 30
 when the actuator 12 is downward over a predetermined distance. When the
 actuator 12 is moved by the insertion of the card key, the plunger 30 is
 engaged with the locking protrusion 32. Thus, the rotating shaft 14
 comprising the coupling spline shaft, the first and second spline shaft is
 thus coupled and become in the operation condition.
 A releasing projection 34, which is installed rotatably with the rotating
 shaft 14 a in similar way explained in the previous embodiment. It pushes
 the plunger 30 to a locking releasing position to thereby restore the
 actuator 12 to the original position thereof. The releasing projection 34
 has a protruding portion and a reentrant portion which respectively take
 the opposite shape to each other. The configurations of the remaining
 components of this embodiment are the same as the first embodiment of the
 present invention. The releasing projection 34 is adapted to push the
 plunger 30 to the original position thereof, if the rotating shaft 14 is
 rotated over a predetermined angle(for example, about 60 degrees).
 The releasing projection 34 is securely attached to the rotating shaft 14
 and is in an edge-inclined circular plate shape, as shown in FIGS. 11A to
 11C. The releasing projection 34 has a shaft hole 22 on the center portion
 thereof, through which it can be secured on the spline shaft. The
 releasing projection 34 forms a protruding portion 21 and a reentrant
 portion 23 on the edge portion thereof. When the reentrant portion 23 is
 opposite to the plunger 30, the plunger 30 is locked to the locking
 protrusion 32, and contrarily, when the protruding portion 21 is opposite
 to the plunger 30, the plunger 30 is pushed and then deviated from the
 locking protrusion 32, to thereby restore the actuator 12 to the original
 position thereof by the restoring force of the spring.
 In operation, when the card key 10 is firstly inserted and pushed in the
 insertion direction thereof, it is checked whether the card key coincides
 with the cryptic code recorded on the actuator 12. If coincides therewith,
 the actuator 12 is moved to lock the plunger 30 to the locking protrusion
 32, such that even if the card key is extracted, the actuator 12 is kept
 in the locked state. In other words, the unlocked state of the actuator 12
 as shown in FIG. 7 is changed to the locked state thereof as shown in FIG.
 8. The impeller 8 formed on the actuator 12 allows the coupling spring 9
 to press the coupling shaft 7 in such a manner that, as shown in FIG. 1
 and 2, the spline shaft 6 having the handle grip is coupled with the
 spline shaft 6' connected with another locking device. Thus, if the handle
 grip is turned, another locking device can be locked or unlocked. Next, if
 the handle grip is turned and the rotating shaft 14 is thus rotated over
 the predetermined angle(for example, about 60 degrees), the protruding
 portion 21 of the releasing projection 20 pushes the plunger 30, as shown
 in FIG. 9, and so, the plunger 30 is deviated from the locking protrusion
 32, to thereby restore the actuator 12 to the original position thereof.
 The rotating shaft is provided with a spring for restoring an amount of
 rotation thereof, if the torque of the rotating shaft disappears. Thus,
 the rotating shaft can be restored to the original position thereof, after
 the locking or unlocking operation.
 As clearly both fourth in the above, the conventional card locking device
 should turn the handle grip, without delay, to lock or unlock the door,
 after a card key is inserted into a key slot and a force applied on the
 card key is in a card key insertion direction to thus move an actuator. At
 this time, if the card key is firstly extracted from the key slot before
 the handle grip is turned, the handle grip can not be turned. Thus, in the
 state where the card key has been inserted into the key slot, a user
 enters the door or is out.
 On the other hand, a card locking device according to the present invention
 can prevent, after a card key is inserted into a key slot and an actuator
 is moved, the actuator from being restored to an original position, even
 if the card key is extracted from the key slot, while a handle grip is
 turned and the door is thus locked or unlocked one time, such that even
 under the state where the card key is extracted prior to the turning of
 the handle grip, the handle grip can be turned one time, without
 re-insertion of the card key.
 It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications
 and variations can be made in a card locking device of the present
 invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.
 Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications
 and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of
 the appended claims and their equivalents.