Rekeyable lock cylinder and method for rekeying the same

A rekeyable lock cylinder comprises a cylinder body and a plug assembly disposed within the cylinder body. The plug assembly comprises a plug body, a plurality of assembled pins, a position block and a rotating member. The plug body has a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and a first through hole. Each of the assembled pins is movably disposed in the plug body and comprises a first rack component and a second rack component selectively engaging with the first rack component. The position block is disposed at the plug body and has a plurality of pin runners for disposing the first rack components and a second through hole corresponding to the first through hole. The rotating member is installed penetrating the first through hole and the second through hole and has a contacting portion located within the second through hole, wherein the position block is capable of being pushed by the contacting portion and moved along the transverse axis-direction of the plug body for disengaging the first rack components from the second rack components.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is generally relating to a rekeyable lock cylinder and method for rekeying the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Lock cylinder of the known lock device is normally matched with a proper key so lock cylinder as well as key must be replaced in pair at the time of replacing a lock for safety or other special reasons, which results in high cost and inconvenience in use.

SUMMARY

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a rekeyable lock cylinder and method for rekeying the same. First, a first matched key is inserted into a plug body and then turned to drive the plug body and a position block turning. Next, a rotating member is turned to push the position block and make the first rack components move along a transverse axis-direction of the plug body for disengaging from the second rack components. Then, the first matched key is pulled out prior to inserting a second matched key into the plug body. Finally, the rotating member is turned to reengage the first rack components with the second rack components. Accordingly, the present invention is capable of providing advantages of widely lowering rekeying cost and enhancing convenience in use, because lock-replacing process can be completed as soon as rekeying another matched key only without replacing lock cylinder.

A rekeyable lock cylinder in accordance with the present invention comprises a cylinder body and a plug assembly disposed within the cylinder body. The plug assembly comprises a plug body, a plurality of assembled pins, a position block and a rotating member, wherein the plug body has a longitudinal axis, a transverse axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and a first through hole, each of the assembled pins movably disposed at the plug body comprises a first rack component and a second rack component selectively engaging with the first rack component, the position block disposed at the plug body has a plurality of pin runners servicing for disposing the first rack components and a second through hole corresponding to the first through hole, and the rotating member installed penetrating the first through hole of the plug body and the second through hole of the position block has a contacting portion located within the second through hole. The contacting portion is capable of pushing the position block and makes it to move along the transverse axis-direction of the plug body for disengaging the first rack components from the second rack components.

In accordance with rekeying method of a rekeyable lock cylinder of the present invention, first a rekeyable lock cylinder is provided comprising a plug body, a position block disposed at the plug body, a rotating member installed penetrating the position block and a plurality of assembled pins, wherein the plug body has a transverse axis, each of the assembled pins at least comprises a first rack component and a second rack component engaging with the first rack component. Next, a first matched key is inserted into the plug body and then turned to drive the plug body and the position block turning. Next, the rotating member is turned to push the position block that makes the first rack components move along the transverse axis-direction of the plug body for disengaging from the second rack components. Then, a second matched key is inserted into the plug body after pulling the first matched key out. Finally, the first rack components reengage with the second rack components by means of turning the rotating member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference toFIGS. 1 and 2, a rekeyable lock cylinder in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a cylinder body10, a plug assembly20disposed within the cylinder body10and a plurality of upper pins30. The cylinder body10comprises a hollow cylinder portion11for disposing the plug assembly20, an extending protrusion12formed at one side of the hollow cylinder portion11and a resilient assembly13disposed at the hollow cylinder portion11, or the extending protrusion12is capable of being omitted from the cylinder body10in another embodiment. In this embodiment, the hollow cylinder portion11has an inner wall11a, an outside wall11band a recession111recessed from the inner wall11aand communicating with the inner wall11aand the outside wall11b. The extending protrusion12has a plurality of upper pin holes121in communication with the hollow cylinder portion11. With reference toFIGS. 1,2and4, the resilient assembly13disposed within the recession111of the hollow cylinder portion11comprises a movable plate131, an immovable plate132fixed at the recession111and at least one resilient member133disposed between the movable plate131and the immovable plate132. In this embodiment, the movable plate131is transversely movable within the recession111and has a surface131afacing the resilient member133and at least one pillar131bprojecting from the surface131a. Preferably, the resilient member133is disposed at the pillar131bof the movable plate131and two ends of the resilient member133contact against the movable plate131and the immovable plate132respectively.

With reference toFIGS. 1 and 3, the plug assembly20comprises a plug body21, a plurality of assembled pins22, a position block23and a rotating member24. The plug body21has a longitudinal axis21a, a transverse axis21bperpendicular to the longitudinal axis21a, a front portion211, a rear portion212, a first through hole213penetrating the front portion211and a keyhole214. In this embodiment, the rear portion212has a plurality of pin holes215for disposing the assembled pins22and a trench216in communication with the pin holes215, wherein the trench216has a trench wall216afacing the first through hole213and a tool-fixing hole216brecessed from the trench wall216a, and preferably the tool-fixing hole216bis capable of corresponding to the first through hole213. Besides, the first through hole213communicates with the trench216. With reference again toFIGS. 1,3and4, the assembled pins22are movably disposed in the pin holes215of the plug body21. In this embodiment, the assembled pins22are height-adjustable pins and each of the assembled pins22comprises a first rack component221, a second rack component222selectively engaging with the first rack component221and an elastic component223disposed between the first rack component221and the second rack component222. With reference again toFIGS. 1,3and4, the position block23disposed at the trench216of the rear portion212of the plug body21has a first side23afacing the first through hole213, a second side23bopposite to the first side23a, a plurality of pin runners231for disposing the first rack components221, a second through hole232corresponding to the first through hole213and an inside wall23clocated within the second through hole232. The second through hole232communicates with the first side23aand the second side23b, and also communicates with the pin runners231in this embodiment. With reference again toFIGS. 1,3and4, the rotating member24is installed penetrating the first through hole213of the plug body21and the second through hole232of the position block23in this embodiment, or with reference toFIGS. 13 and 14in another embodiment, it may install penetrating the second through hole232of the position block23only and turn the rotating member24via the first through hole213of the plug body21by utilizing a tool (not shown in the drawing). The rotating member24, shown inFIGS. 1,3and4, has a first end241pivotally disposed at the front portion211of the plug body21, a second end242pivotally disposed at the rear portion212of the plug body21and a contacting portion243connecting the first end241and the second end242. In this embodiment, the second end242of the rotating member24is pivotally disposed at the tool-fixing hole216bof the plug body21, and the first end241of the rotating member24has a tool-turning groove241aprovided for inserting a tool to turn the rotating member24, or the first end241of the rotating member24may have a turning plate (not shown in the drawing) for turning the rotating member24in another embodiment. With reference again toFIGS. 1,3and4, the contacting portion243of the rotating member24is located within the second through hole232of the position block23and has an arc sidewall243aand a lateral243bdisposed in opposition to the arc sidewall243a. The contacting portion243may have a shape of semicircle, triangle or ellipse, and is in shape of semicircle in this embodiment. With reference again toFIGS. 1 and 2, the upper pins30may be movably disposed at the upper pin holes121of the extending protrusion12of the cylinder body10and the pin holes215of the rear portion212of the plug body21.

FIG. 5illustrates rekeying method of the rekeyable lock cylinder comprising “providing a rekeyable lock cylinder” step400, “inserting a first matched into plug body” step410, “turning first matched key to drive plug body and position block turning” step420, “turning rotating member to push position block and make first rack component move along transverse axis-direction of plug body for disengaging from second rack component” step430, “pulling first matched key out” step440, “inserting second matched key into plug body” step450, “turning rotating member to make first rack component reengage with second rack component” step460and “turning second matched key to make lock cylinder restore normal service condition” step470. First, with reference to step400ofFIG. 5,FIGS. 2 and 4, the rekeyable lock cylinder is formed by assembling the cylinder body10, the plug assembly20and the upper pins30during “providing a rekeyable lock cylinder” step400, wherein the arc sidewall243aof the contacting portion243of the rotating member24doesn't contact against the inside wall23cof the position block23, the first rack components221are in engagement with the second rack components222. Next, with reference to step410ofFIG. 5andFIG. 6, a first matched key50is inserted into the keyhole214of the plug body21during “inserting a first matched into plug body” step410, wherein the first matched key50will push the assembled pins22to move up to rotating interface in this embodiment. Next, with reference to step420ofFIG. 5andFIG. 7, the first matched key50is turned to drive the plug body21and the position block23turning to a predetermined angular position during “turning first matched key to drive plug body and position block turning” step420, wherein the first matched key50is turned 45-degrees clockwise, the position block23corresponds to the recession111of the hollow cylinder portion11and the resilient assembly13, and also contacts against the movable plate131of the resilient assembly13. Next, with reference to step430ofFIG. 5andFIGS. 2 and 8, the rotating member24is turned 90-degrees clockwise and then the contacting portion243of the rotating member24will push the inside wall23cof the position block23that makes the position block23move along the transverse axis21b-direction of the plug body21during “turning rotating member to push position block and make first rack component move along transverse axis-direction of plug body for disengaging with second rack component” step430. In this embodiment, a tool (not shown in the drawing) can be used to insert into the tool-turning groove241afor turning the rotating member24, wherein the arc sidewall243aof the contacting portion243will contact against the inside wall23cof the position block23during turning the rotating member24and then the position block23is gradually pushed to the resilient assembly13, so the movable plate131of the resilient assembly13will be pushed by the position block23to move to the immovable plate132and compress the resilient member133. In this embodiment, a space needed for the position block23to move in can be provided by that the movable plate131moves away. Besides, the position block23is moved to drive the first rack components221moving along the transverse axis21b-direction of the plug body21for disengaging from the second rack components222. Next, with reference to step440ofFIG. 5andFIG. 9, the first matched key50is pulled out during “pulling first matched key out” step440, wherein the second rack components222of the assembled pins22are pushed by the elastic components223to fall down to lowermost position when the first matched key50is pulled out in this embodiment. Next, with reference to step450ofFIG. 5andFIG. 10, a second matched key60is inserted into the keyhole214of the plug body21during “inserting second matched key into plug body” step450, wherein the second rack components222of the assembled pins22will readjust height in accordance with different height of bitting of the second matched key60in this embodiment. Next, with reference to step460ofFIG. 5andFIG. 11, the rotating member24is turned 90-degrees counterclockwise to make the arc sidewall243aof the contacting portion243of the rotating member24move away from the inside wall23cof the position block23, and meantime the position block23is pushed by the resilient member133of the resilient assembly13to restore and drive the first rack components221to reengage with the second rack components222during “turning rotating member to make first rack component reengage with second rack component” step460. Finally, with reference to step470ofFIG. 5andFIG. 12, the second matched key60is turned to make the rekeyable lock cylinder restore normal service condition during “turning second matched key to make lock cylinder restore normal service condition” step470.

While this invention has been particularly illustrated and described in detail with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that is not limited to the specific features shown and described and various modified and changed in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.