Patent Publication Number: US-RE48585-E

Title: Profiled key for cylinder locks

Description:
This application is a Divisional of co-pending application Ser. No. 12/866,204, filed on Aug. 4, 2010, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference and for which priority is claimed under 35 U.S.C. §120. 
     CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation reissue application of co-pending U.S. Reissue application Ser. No. 14/677,452 filed on Apr. 2, 2015, now U.S. RE 47,555E issued on Aug. 6, 2019, which is a reissue of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/080,339 filed on Apr. 5, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,205,473 B2 issued on Jun. 26, 2012, which is a Divisional Application of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/866,204 filed on Aug. 4, 2010, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,210,009 B2 issued on Jul. 3, 2012, which is a National Phase of PCT Patent Application No. PCT/SE2010/050189 filed on Feb. 18, 2010, which claims priority to an earlier filed PCT Patent Application No. PCT/SE2010/050006 filed on Jan. 4, 2010 and to Swedish Patent Application No. 0900207-2 filed on Feb. 18, 2009. More than one reissue application has been filed for the reissue of U.S. Pat. No. 8,205,473; the present application and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/677,452 now U.S. RE 47,555E issued on Aug. 6, 2019. 
    
    
     FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a key for use in a cylinder lock with a rotatable key plug having a profiled key hole or keyway, said key comprising:
         an elongated key blade with a relatively wide lower portion and a relatively narrow upper portion, there being a step-like transition region between the wider lower portion and the narrow upper portion,   said key blade having a longitudinal profile groove located adjacent to said step-like transition region and extending along at least a portion of the length of the key blade, with an inner wall of said groove being substantially parallel to a side surface of said lower portion of said key blade,   said longitudinal profile groove having an undercut portion adjacent to and inside a ridge portion of the key blade, the outside of said ridge portion forming a part of said side surface of the key blade in said relatively wide lower portion up to said step-like transition region, and the inside of said ridge portion facing said inner wall of said groove.       

     Such a key with an undercut groove is previously known, e.g. from U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,717 (Widén) or U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,865 (Widén). Such keys have proven to be very useful in that they provide an improved security. The key profile is quite distinguished from conventional keys, and it is rather difficult to copy such keys. Moreover, they permit a great variation of the cross-sectional profile, which is a great advantage. 
     OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
     However, over time, there is a constant need for further distinguishing profiles and many more possible variations thereof. 
     A further object of the invention is to make it even more difficult to copy such profiled keys with ordinary lock smith tools. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In order to achieve these objects, the undercut portion of the longitudinal profile groove, at its innermost part inside said ridge portion, is extended or expanded downwardly, preferably substantially in a direction in parallel to said side surface of the key blade, into a longitudinal pocket having opposite lateral wall portions and a lowermost transverse end wall, which is substantially flat or slightly curved, and which is substantially parallel to a lower edge portion of the key blade and faces upwardly in a direction in a central plane of the key blade. 
     The inside wall of the ridge portion may be substantially parallel to a side surface of the key blade, so that the ridge portion forms a massive and strong material portion extending in parallel to the side surface of the key blade. The pocket inside the ridge portion may have a substantially rectangular cross-section, a substantially circular cross-section, with a relatively large curvature, or some other configuration. 
     In this way, the material of the key blade is used in an optimum way, and a new kind of profile is obtained, and it will be very difficult to copy such keys, especially if they are produced by stamping and milling. A cutting disc is normally not enough. Rather, it may be necessary to use broaching tools and a well-controlled use of such tools in order to secure exact dimensions of the pocket-like extension of the groove. This is of great importance for key control and high security to the end user of the key. 
     With such a configuration of the undercut groove, many advantages are obtained at the same time, as will be explained further below. 
     Other preferable features are stated in the dependent claims and will appear from the detailed description below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be described more fully below with reference to the appended drawings. 
         FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  illustrate a prior art lock and key combination; 
         FIG. 3  shows a side view of the key illustrated in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-section through the prior art lock with an inserted key; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the prior art key blade; 
         FIG. 6  shows a side view of a profiled key according to the present invention for an embodiment with a wave-like code pattern; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-section through the key of FIG,  6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-section through an associated lock with a key plug and a side tumbler; 
         FIG. 9  is a similar view of a lock and an inventive key inserted into the lock; 
         FIGS. 10-17  are cross-sectional views of some additional embodiments of the profiled key according to the invention (the upper part of the key being taken away), and 
         FIGS. 18-26  are similar cross-sectional views of some further modified embodiments of the profiled key according to the invention. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SOME PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIGS. 1 through 5  show a prior art lock and key system with a key blade having an undercut profile groove in a side surface thereof, such as the system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,717 (Widén). The lock  10  is of the kind having a housing  11  with locking pins 14 in an upper portion thereof and a rotatable key plug  12  accommodated in a cylindrical bore of the housing. In the key plug  12 , there is a central longitudinal keyway or key hole  13  having a sectional profile corresponding to an associated key  20  provided with conventional recesses  21  at the upper edge thereof and a profile groove  22  at a side surface  23  of the key blade. As appears from  FIG. 3 , the key also has a grip portion  24 . 
     The operation of the lock is more readily understood from the cross-sectional view in  FIG. 4 . The key plug  12  is rotatable within the housing  11  and can be locked against rotation by means of a longitudinal row of upper and lower locking pins  14 a,  14 b. Each pair of such locking pins can be positioned with their abutting end surfaces at the shear line between the key plug  12  and the housing  11 . In this position, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the key plug  12  is rotatable. Here, as is well-known in the art, the locking pins are positioned so as to release the lock by means of a properly cut key  20 . 
     The full profile of the key  20  (of prior art design) is illustrated in  FIG. 5 , as disclosed e.g. in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,717 (Widén). Accordingly, this prior art key has a longitudinal profile groove  22  extending longitudinally along the key blade at a depth which is slightly greater than half the thickness of the key blade. In  FIG. 5 , the central a plane of the key blade is denoted by the letter “A”. The longitudinal groove  22  has an inner wall  24  surface 241 and opposite walls upper wall surface  25  and lower side wall surface  26 . An inclined portion 25a extends upwardly from the upper wall surface 25. One of these opposite walls the wall surfaces, in particular the lower side wall or surface  26  located closest to the base edge  27  of the key blade, is undercut and extends in a plane being inclined so as to face inwardly towards the inner wall or surface  24  241. This lower side wall surface  26  of the undercut groove  22  forms an inside wall surface of a ridge portion  28 , the outside of which forms part of the above mentioned side surface  23  of the key blade. 
     The prior art key blade shown in  FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5  also has two further longitudinal grooves  30  and  31  on the other side of the key (to the left in  FIG. 5 ). 
     The undercut portion  29  of the longitudinal groove  22  has many advantages, as explained in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,717 (Widén), especially with regard to increasing the number of possible profile variations, improved resistance against picking the lock and high security against unauthorized key copying. 
     According to the present invention and as illustrated in  FIG. 6 through 9 , a further improvement resides in a modification of the undercut groove. This modification comprises an expansion or extension of the innermost part of the undercut portion of the groove  122  ( FIG. 7 ) so as to form a longitudinal pocket-like configuration  135 . 
     In  FIG. 7 , all reference numerals relating to the key correspond to those shown in  FIG. 5 , although they have been supplemented with the digit “1” before the number given in  FIG. 5 . 
     Also, in the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 6-9 , the a one piece key blade  120  has a relatively wide lower portion  140  and a relatively narrow upper portion  141 , there being a shelf or step surface  142  in the transition region between the wider lower portion  140  and the narrow upper portion  141 . The wider lower portion extends farther in a lateral direction relative to the narrow upper portion to form a step-like transition. The longitudinal profile groove  122  is located adjacent to this shelf surface  142 . This structure with a shelf or step surface is previously known per se. 
     TheAs illustrated in FIG. 7, the downwardly extended pocket-like configuration  135  of the modified undercut groove  122 , is (in this particular embodiment) substantially rectangular in cross-section, with opposite lateral walls  132  and  133  being parallel to each other, and a lowermost transverse end wall  134 , being parallel to the lower edge surface  127  of the one piece key blade and facing upwardly in the direction of the central plane A of the one piece key blade. The one piece key blade 120 has the step-like transition formed by an external side wall surface 123 at the lower part of the one piece key blade 120 that is in a plane which is parallel to an upper side surface 1123′ of the one piece key blade 120 at an upper part thereof, above said longitudinal profile groove 122. The lowermost transverse end wall 134 of the pocket 135 faces upwardly towards an upper wall surface 144 that is formed by a projecting surface 143 on the upper side surface 1123′. 
     The innermost lateral wall  132  of the pocket-like extension  135  adjoins with the inner wall  124  of the undercut groove, whereas the opposite lateral wall  133  forms the inside wall of the ridge portion  128 , in parallel to the external side surface  123  of the key blade. 
     Thus, the surfaces  123 ,  133  and  132  are substantially parallel to each other. The one piece key blade 120 includes an undercut portion 129 of the longitudinal profile groove 122 which, at an innermost part, extends substantially in the same direction as the vertical direction (VD) into a longitudinal, substantially uniformly wide pocket 135 having a uniform width with opposite inner and outer substantially parallel lateral wall surface portions 132, 133. The undercut portion or longitudinal profile groove 122 defines, above said lower part with said undercut portion, an opening vertical width (w), as measured along a vertical direction (VD) in parallel to the external side wall surface 123 of the one piece key blade 120 between an upper wall 144 of the longitudinal profile groove (122) and the ridge portion 128. 
     According to a first aspect of the invention, the undercut portion 129 of the longitudinal profile groove 122, at an innermost part, extends substantially in the same direction as the vertical direction (VD) into a longitudinal substantially uniformly wide pocket 135 having a uniform width with opposite inner and outer substantially parallel lateral wall surface portions 132, 133 wherein the inner wall surface 124 of the longitudinal profile groove 122 adjoins the inner lateral wall surface portion 132 of the pocket 135. The inner lateral wall surface portion 132 of the pocket 135 extends downwardly to a lowermost transverse end wall surface 134, which is substantially flat or slightly curved, and which is substantially parallel to a lowermost edge wall surface 127 of the one piece key blade 120 and which faces upwardly in a direction towards the upper wall surface 144 of the longitudinal profile groove 122 with the opposite lateral wall surface portions 132, 133 of the pocket 135 being substantially parallel to the external side wall surface 123 of the one piece key blade 120. 
     According to a second aspect of the invention, the undercut portion 129 of the longitudinal profile groove 122, at an innermost part, is expanded downwardly into a longitudinal widened pocket 1353. The longitudinal widened pocket 1353 is formed by opposite inner and outer lateral wall surface portions and a lowermost transverse end wall surface. The inner lateral wall surface portion 1323 of the longitudinal widened pocket is connected to the inner wall surface of the longitudinal profile groove 122. The lowermost transverse end wall surface 1343 faces upwardly towards the upper wall surface 144 of the longitudinal profile groove 122 and at least a part of one of the opposite lateral wall surface portions of the longitudinal widened pocket 1353 is a circular arc. 
     According to a third aspect of the invention, the undercut portion 129 of the longitudinal profile groove 122, at an innermost part is extended substantially in the same direction as the vertical direction (VD) into a longitudinal pocket 135 being interrupted by a longitudinal recess formed in at least one of opposite inner and outer lateral wall surface portions 132, 133 wherein the inner wall surface 1243 of the longitudinal profile groove 122 adjoins the inner lateral wall surface portion 1324, located opposite to the ridge portion. After the longitudinal recess, the inner lateral wall surface portion 1324 extends to a lowermost transverse end wall surface 134, the lowermost transverse end wall surface 134 being substantially flat or slightly curved, and being substantially parallel to a lowermost edge wall surface 127 of the one piece key blade 120 and which faces upwardly towards the upper wall surface 144 of the longitudinal profile groove 122 with the opposite lateral wall surface portions 132, 133 of the pocket 135 being substantially parallel to the external side wall surface 123 of the one piece key blade 120. 
     The ridge portion  128  is somewhat longer, measured in parallel to the central plane A of the key blade, than the prior art structure ( FIG. 5 ) and reaches up to the step-like transition region  142 . More particularly, the ridge portion  128  has a vertical dimension h, which is more than half of the smallest width w of the undercut groove  122 , this smallest width w being measured as a perpendicular projection onto the inner wall  124  of the longitudinal groove  122 . Also, preferably, the vertical dimension h of the ridge portion  128  is greater than the distance d between the lowermost transverse end wall  134  and the lower edge surface  127  of the key blade. In this embodiment, the vertical dimension h of the ridge portion 128 is equal to or greater than the opening width w. This structure is advantageous for several reasons:
         by varying the width, depth (in the plane A) and longitudinal extension of the pocket-like configuration, the profile shape can be varied considerably;   because of the opposite lateral wall portions  132 ,  133  the total width of the undercut portion of the profile groove  122  can be accommodated in a limited region laterally, so that the total width of the key blade can be kept rather small. It appears from  FIGS. 5 and 7  that the total width of the new key blade is about the same;   the corresponding tongue portion, which may form a part of a longitudinal rib  150  at a side wall of the key way (see  FIGS. 8 and 9 ), will be stronger and does not have to have a pointed or sharp end portion, as in the prior art structure (compare  FIG. 4 );   the pocket-like extension  135  of the undercut portion of the groove  122  will make it much more difficult to make copies of such keys, since it may not be sufficient to use only a cutter disk. Normally, other tools also have to be used. Accordingly it will be difficult for others than specialized manufacturers to produce such key blanks;   the relatively long vertical extension of the ridge portion  128 , in parallel to the central plane A of the key blade, will make it possible to cut rather deep recesses in the ridge portion. Accordingly, just like in the prior art embodiment of  FIGS. 1-5 , it is possible to provide many vertical levels of code recesses in this material region, see  FIG. 6 . Of course, this will also facilitate lock and key systems having a very high number of code combinations.       

     In  FIGS. 8 and 9  there is shown an embodiment with a side locking tumbler  105 , which is guided in a cylindrical cavity  106  in the rotatable key plug  112 . In principle, the arrangement is similar to those disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,756,177 (Widén) and 5,715,717 (Widén). 
     The parts that correspond to the previous, prior art embodiment ( FIG. 5 ) have been given the same reference numerals, with the digit “1” added before the numbers shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     Accordingly, the side tumbler  105  is (in this embodiment) rotatable around its cylindrical axis, so that a transversally projecting finger  105 a will pivot back and forth when the projecting finger  105 a follows a wave-like coded surface on the side of the key blade (see  FIG. 6 ), in this case in the ridge portion  128  (see  FIG. 7 ). When the side tumbler  105  is correctly positioned, a recess  105 b in its cylindrical surface will register with corresponding projections  108 a on a side bar  108  ( FIG. 9 ). In this way, the side bar may move radially inwards so as to permit rotation of the key plug  112 . 
     The projecting finger  105 a on the side tumbler  105  will contact the wave-like code pattern on the side of the key blade  120 , as shown in  FIG. 6 , while pivoting back and forth and also moving vertically up and down. When the key blade is fully inserted, the various side tumbler projections  105 a will be located in the concavities  102 a,  102 b,  102 c,  102 d,  102 e and possibly also (or alternatively) onto an upper code surface portion  102 f at an uppermost extra code level. Such an upper, extra code level is disclosed in the published international patent application WO2005/028789 (Winloc et al). 
     It would be possible to provide an even deeper pocket-like extension  135  of the undercut portion of the profile groove, in parallel to the central vertical plane A of the key blade. Then, the number of possible code levels in the ridge portion  133  128 (see  FIGS. 6  and FIG.  7 ) would be larger than in prior art structures. 
     It should be noted that the new configuration of the undercut groove  122 , with the pocket-like extension  135 , is useful even without having a side tumbler  105 . Then, the ridge portion is basically continuous and does not have any cuts or codes. 
     Also, if at least one side tumbler is used, it does not have to be rotatable, but can be guided for elevational movement only. Furthermore, the side tumbler does not have to operate as a locking means for locking the key plug against rotation. Alternatively, it may serve only as a blocking element, which prevents incorrectly cut keys from being fully inserted into the key way  13  of the lock  10 . Such a blocking element is disclosed in a patent application being filed by the same applicant on the same day as the earliest priority date of this application (WO2010/096007 A1). 
     The exact configuration or shape of the longitudinally extending pocket may be modified in various ways within the scope of the present invention. In  FIG. 10 , there is shown an embodiment where the inner wall  124  surface 124′ of the longitudinal profile groove  122  122′ of the key blade 120′ merges smoothly with the adjoining inner lateral wall  132  surface 132′ of the vertically oriented pocket-like configuration  135 , 135′ just like in  FIG. 7 . The external side wall surface 123′ is substantially parallel to the inner lateral wall surface 132′. 
     In  FIG. 11 , the pocket-like configuration  135  135″ is similar to the one in  FIG. 7 , but it is slightly wider and the lowermost transverse end wall  134 ′ surface 134″ is rounded or curved. In addition, FIG. 11 illustrates the undercut portion 129′ and the undercut groove 122″. Further, the vertical direction (VD) is illustrated in FIG. 11. 
     The embodiment shown in  FIG. 12  includes a lower side wall 126′ and is similar to the one embodiment in FIG.  10  11, but and the lowermost transverse end wall surface  134 ″ is curved. The inner wall  124  surface 124″ of the groove merges smoothly with the adjoining inner lateral wall  132  surface 132″. In FIGS. 11 and 12, the lowermost transverse end wall surface 134″ of the pocket 135″ is curved with a radius being more than half of a width of the pocket 135. The width is measured transversely to the external side wall surface 123 of the one piece key blade 120. 
     In  FIG. 13 , the pocket-like configuration  135 ′ 1353 is modified into a circular cross-section. Accordingly, in this embodiment, the lateral walls  132 ,  133  wall surfaces 1323, 133′ and the lowermost end wall  134  surface 1343 are all formed as circular arcs merging with each other. 
     The embodiment shown in  FIG. 14  is like the one shown in  FIG. 10 , but the inner lateral wall  132  surface 1324 adjoining the inner wall  124  surface 1243 is provided with a longitudinal recess  132 a, which is rectangular in cross-section. 
     The embodiment of  FIG. 15  is similar to the one of  FIG. 14 , but there is also a longitudinal recess  133 a in the outer lateral wall  133  surface 133″ opposite to the longitudinal recess  132 a 132a′ in the lateral wall surface 1325. 
     The embodiment in  FIG. 16  is similar to the one in  FIG. 15 , but there is a longitudinal rib  133 b (instead of a recess  133 a) opposite to the longitudinal recess  132 a 132a″. 
     The modified embodiment shown in  FIG. 17  comprises relatively small longitudinal recesses  132 c,  133 c,  134 c with part cylindrical part-cylindrical cross-sections in the lateral walls  133  wall surfaces 1333 and  132  1326 and the lowermost end wall  134  surface 1344, respectively. Except for these part-circular recesses, this embodiment is similar corresponds to the one shown in  FIG. 11 . 
     The embodiments of  FIGS. 14 through 17  are included to illustrate that the opposite lateral wall surface portions and the lowermost transverse end wall surface of the longitudinal pocket may be provided with irregular surface portions. 
     Finally,  FIGS. 18 through 26  show modified embodiments similar to those shown in  FIGS. 10 through 17 . Thus, the keys  321  through  328  329 each have a cross-sectional profile corresponding to those shown in  FIGS. 10 through 17 , respectively, except that the upper part of the ridge portion  228  is portions 228′, 228″, 2283, 2284, 2285, 2286, 2287, 2288 and 2289 are uniformly thick, and the inside  226  226′, 226″, 2263, 2264, 2265, 2266, 2267, 2268 and 2269 thereof is are parallel to the central plane of the key blade. 
       FIG. 26  corresponds to  FIGS. 11 and 19 , except that the lowermost transverse end wall  234  1234 of the key  329  is flat. 
     In all embodiments described above, and in the appended claims, it is assumed that the inner wall  124  of the longitudinal undercut groove  122 ,  122 ′,  122 ″ is substantially parallel to the central plane A of the key blade and a side surface the external side wall surfaces  123 ,  123 ′,  123 ″ thereof. Within this definition, the inner wall may be oriented at a small angle to said central plane A, this angle being normally no more than 15°. 
     The longitudinally extending pocket may be shorter than the length of key blade and extend along only a portion thereof. 
     Also, the longitudinal profile rib at the key plug may be interrupted or formed as one or more separate elements mounted in the key plug.