Patent Publication Number: US-7591160-B2

Title: Electromechanical lock cylinder

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The invention relates to an electromechanical lock cylinder, having a first cylinder half to be arranged on the outside of the door, having a key channel for a safety key and a second cylinder half to be arranged on the inside of the door, having a rotary knob rotor, which is connected to a rotary knob, having tumblers, which are arranged in the first cylinder half and which are to be positioned by the safety key in order to enable rotation, and having an electronic controller arranged in the rotary knob for the purpose of driving a blocking apparatus. The invention also relates to a rotary knob for a lock cylinder and a construction kit for producing an electromechanical lock cylinder. 
   2. Prior Art 
   Electromechanical cylinder locks have been disclosed, for example, by EP 0 816 600, DE 199 30 054 C, EP 1 256 671 A and EP 0 743 411 B. Such electromechanical cylinder locks provide a higher degree of locking security owing to electronic coding and allow for a simpler design for lock systems. 
   An electromechanical lock cylinder having a rotary knob on the inside of the door has been disclosed by EP 1 188 887 A. In addition to the conventional pin tumblers in the cylinder half on the outside of the door, this electromechanical lock cylinder has an electronic blocking system having an additional blocking apparatus, which is likewise arranged in the cylinder half on the outside of the door. A transmitter is arranged in the key head of the key and transmits a coded signal to a reception antenna, which is arranged in the housing of the lock cylinder. An electronic circuit analyzes the coded signal and compares it with a plurality of stored codes. If the key is identified as being authorized, a signal for unblocking the mentioned additional blocking apparatus is triggered by the electronic circuit. Unblocking takes place, for example, by a blocking pin being displaced by a motor, which is fed by a battery. This battery is accommodated, for example, in the mentioned rotary knob. After this unblocking, the lock cylinder remains blocked by the conventional tumblers, however, and can only be actuated by the key on the outside of the door once these conventional tumblers have been positioned by the mechanical coding of the key. The electronic circuit is arranged in the rotary knob and partially in the cylinder housing and forms a stationary bearing journal for the sleeve-shaped handle part of the rotary knob. The electronic circuit is fixed to the housing of the inner cylinder half by means not shown here. 
   EP 1 079 051 A has disclosed a locking device having a rotary knob, which has control electronics beneath a pot-shaped handle. In order to hold the control electronics, the housing of the locking device has a flange. A shaft connected to the rotor is guided through this flange. This shaft is welded to a base region of the pot-shaped handle. The pot-shaped handle is withdrawn, together with the mentioned shaft, from the housing, for example for the purpose of replacing a battery. 
   There is a plurality of profile variants for the lock cylinder which are available on the world market. The invention is based on the object of providing an electromechanical lock cylinder which allows for particularly economic production and fitting for all known profile variants. 
   In the case of an electromechanical lock cylinder of the generic type, the object is achieved by the rotary knob with the electronics arranged therein forming a unit which is mounted detachably and removably on an extension, which protrudes on the housing, of the rotary knob rotor and by the rotary knob rotor being capable of being altered in terms of its length by means of a removable intermediate piece. 
   OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In the case of the electromechanical lock cylinder in accordance with the present invention, the rotary knob with the electronics arranged therein forms a unit. The connection between the electronics and the housing of the cylinder is pluggable. For this connection only one hole is required in the housing of the cylinder, and a complex screw connection is superfluous. This allows for a simple construction for a very wide variety of cylinder profiles without the previously required use of a special adapter which needed to be matched individually to each cylinder profile and screwed. The rotary knob rotor is therefore a universal carrier for various cylinder profiles, in this case it also being possible to use a rotary knob rotor without any electronics. 
   In accordance with one development of the invention, the rotary knob rotor can be altered in terms of its length by a removable intermediate piece. This further feature makes it possible to provide a construction kit system with which it is possible to produce cylinder locks of different lengths from the same individual parts. As a result, it is possible to achieve considerable rationalization and a considerable reduction in terms of storage. 
   In accordance with one development of the invention, the electronics which are accommodated in the rotary knob are connected to the housing of the second cylinder half to be arranged on the inside of the door by means of a plug-in connection. In order to produce this connection, only one hole is required in the mentioned housing. This has the significant advantage that it is possible to construct the rotary knob on a very wide variety of cylinder profiles without any problems and without any special adapters. The lock cylinder according to the invention can therefore be produced with a very wide variety of commercially available profiles. 
   In accordance with one development of the invention, the plug-in connection has a pin which engages, in a floating manner, in a cutout in the housing of the second cylinder half. This floating mounting has the significant advantage that the electronics in the rotary knob are protected against impacts on the cylinder. Vibrations of the cylinder are therefore not transmitted directly to the electronics. 
   In accordance with one development of the invention, the electronics are connected to an actuator by means of a cable, said actuator being arranged in the first cylinder half. This ensures a reliable electrical connection between the electronics and the actuator. 
   In accordance with one development of the invention, the cable has a plug at each of its two ends. The cable is connected with one plug to the electronics and with the other plug to the actuator or the blocking apparatus. As a result, the cable can be separated from the electronics or the actuator in a simple manner for the purpose of extending or shortening the lock cylinder. In the basic version, the cable is preferably designed such that it has a reserve region which can be used to extend the lock cylinder. 
   In accordance with one development of the invention, the two cylinder halves are connected detachably to one another by a connecting web. In order to extend the lock cylinder, the two cylinder halves can be separated from one another and reassembled once one or more extension pieces have been installed. 
   In accordance with one development of the invention, provision is made for it to be possible for the connecting web to be used for various cylinder lengths. For this purpose, the cylinder web has a surplus of holes, which are each used depending on the cylinder length. 
   In accordance with one development of the invention, the connecting web has a groove on its underside, the cable being laid in said groove. As a result, the cable can be integrated in the connecting web, which facilitates fitting and also any extension. 
   The invention also relates to a rotary knob for an electromechanical lock cylinder as claimed in claim  1 . The rotary knob forms a unit, which can be fixed detachably to the extension of the rotary knob rotor. 
   In accordance with one development of the invention, the rotary knob has a pot-shaped handle part, into which, at the front, open end, a bearing disk is inserted which has an opening for passing through a cable and an opening for accommodating a connecting pin. By means of the connecting pin, the electronics of the rotary knob are coupled to the housing of the second cylinder half. The cable which connects the electronics to the actuator is drawn through the second opening. 
   In accordance with one development of the invention, the bearing disk is fixed to the pot-shaped handle part by a snap ring. It is therefore possible to replace the batteries accommodated in the rotary knob in a simple manner. 
   In accordance with one development of the invention, the rotary knob is fixed detachably to the rotary knob rotor by a snap ring. 
   In accordance with one development of the invention, the rotary knob has a slide sleeve in the pot-shaped handle part, in which slide sleeve a carrier for the electronics is mounted. At least one battery is preferably likewise accommodated in this carrier. 
   The invention also relates to a construction kit for producing an electromechanical lock cylinder as claimed in claim  1 . This construction kit comprises at least one first cylinder half having tumblers and an actuator, which can be driven electronically and with which the rotor of the first cylinder half can be blocked, having a second cylinder half, which has an extended rotary knob rotor, on which a rotary knob is mounted, having intermediate pieces, with which the rotary knob rotor can be extended and having further intermediate pieces, with which the housings of the first and the second cylinder halves can be extended. With this construction kit it is possible for electromechanical cylinder locks of different lengths to be produced. A lock cylinder which has already been installed can also be extended or shortened at any time, if required. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     One exemplary embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing, in which: 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a lock cylinder according to the invention, individual parts being withdrawn from one another, 
       FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of the rotary knob and the rotary knob rotor, in this case individual parts also being withdrawn from one another, 
       FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of each station of the floating mounting of the rotary knob on the lock cylinder, 
       FIG. 4  shows a simplified sectional illustration of a cylinder lock according to the invention, 
       FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of an actuator and a connection cable, 
       FIG. 6  shows a view of a connecting web with an inserted cable, 
       FIG. 7  shows a view of the connecting web, the cable being omitted, and 
       FIGS. 8   a - 8   d  show views of different profiles of the lock cylinder according to the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) OF THE INVENTION 
   The lock cylinder  1  shown in  FIG. 1  has essentially a first cylinder half  2 , a second cylinder half  3  and a rotary knob  24 . The two cylinder halves  2  and  3  are connected detachably to one another by a connecting web  12 . The first cylinder half  2  has a housing  5  and a rotor  7  and pin tumblers (not shown here) which can be positioned by a key  44  indicated in  FIG. 4 . For this purpose, the rotor  7  has a key channel  8 . In addition, the further blocking apparatus, which is shown in  FIG. 5  and can be driven by a signal from electronics  17  accommodated in the handle part  25 , is arranged in the first cylinder half  2 . 
   A driver  10  is arranged between the two cylinder halves  2  and  3  and has a beard  11 , with which a bolt (not shown here) of a lock can be actuated. The driver  10  is connected, such that it is fixed against rotation, to a rotary knob rotor  4 , which in turn is connected, such that it is fixed against rotation, to the rotary knob  24 . By means of rotating the rotary knob, the driver  10  can be rotated and therefore the mentioned bolt displaced. A coupling member  23 , which can be displaced axially counter to the reactive force of a spring  22 , is connected to the driver  10  when the key  44  is inserted into the key channel  8  of the rotor  7 . The driver  10  can therefore be rotated by means of an authorized key  44 , and therefore the mentioned bolt can likewise be displaced. 
   The second cylinder half  3  has a housing  6  having a passage  51 , in which the rotary knob rotor  4  is mounted. The housing  6  can be extended by extension pieces  16 , which have the same profile as the housing  6  and which each likewise have a passage  52 . The housing  5  of the first cylinder half  2  can also be extended by these extension pieces  16 . If such extension pieces  16  are used, the rotary knob rotor  4  must be correspondingly extended. For this purpose, extension pieces  18   a ,  18   b  and  18   c  of different lengths are provided. In order to connect the extension pieces  18   a  to  18   c  to the rotary knob rotor  4 , said rotary knob rotor  4  has a dovetailed groove  19 , into which a corresponding slide part  19   a  of the intermediate piece  18   a ,  18   b  or  18   c  can be inserted. An identical connection is also provided with a coupling piece  21 . The coupling piece  21  has a groove  61 , into which a latching element (not shown here) is inserted with which the coupling piece is anchored on the cylinder. 
   The cylinder housing  6  also has a cutout  15  in a cylinder sack, which cutout  15  accommodates one half of the connecting web  12 . In order to anchor the housing  6  on the connecting web  12 , the housing  6  has a hole  54  for accommodating a pin  14 . The extension pieces  16  likewise have corresponding cutouts  53 . The connecting web  12  has, in the center, an enlarged section  49  ( FIG. 6 ) with a fore-end screw hole  13 . 
   As has already been mentioned above, the first cylinder half  2  has conventional pin tumblers, which are positioned by control faces (not shown here) of the key  44 . These control faces are realized, for example, by holes in the shank  44   a  of the key  44 . The key  44  is preferably a reversible key, but in principle it may also be in the form of a so-called serrated key or have another form. In order to electronically block the rotor  7  of the first cylinder half  2 , the blocking apparatus  43  shown in more detail in  FIG. 5  is provided. This blocking apparatus  43  is mounted in the lower part and therefore in the cylinder sack  9  of the housing  5 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . The blocking apparatus  43  has a housing  55 , on which a blocking part  46  is mounted, as shown in  FIG. 5 . This blocking part  46  can be moved between two positions by a motor (not illustrated here) which is accommodated in the housing  55 . In one of the positions, the blocking part  46  engages in cutouts in the rotor  7  and blocks them with respect to the housing  55 . In the other, withdrawn position, this engagement is cancelled. In addition, an antenna  47  is arranged on the housing  55  and receives signals from a transmitter  56  which is arranged in the key  44 . The blocking part  46  and the antenna  47  form a unit, which does not impair the mechanical functioning of the pin tumblers. The blocking apparatus  43  is connected, via an electrical cable  29 , to electronics  17 , which are arranged in the rotary knob  24  and therefore on the inside of the door, as shown in  FIG. 4 . The blocking apparatus  43  is connected to a current source and in particular a battery  41  via the cable  29  for the purpose of actuating the motor, which battery is likewise arranged in the rotary knob  24 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . The battery  41  and the electronics  17 , which are arranged on a plate  36 , are fixed to a carrier  32 , which is shown in  FIG. 2 . A battery holder  33  is inserted in the carrier  32  and is fixed on a disk  57  by means of cellular rubber  34 , which disk  57  is fixed to the carrier  32  by two fixing screws  35 . The plate  36  with the electronics is fixed to the carrier  32  by four fixing screws  37 . In order to accommodate an extension  4   a  of the rotary knob rotor  4 , the carrier  32  has a passage  58 . A bearing disk  39 , which is connected such that it is fixed against rotation to two pins  38 , is arranged on the carrier  32 . In order to accommodate the two pins  38 , the carrier  32  has two corresponding holes  59  on the front. The carrier  32  is arranged in a circular-cylindrical sleeve  31 , which is produced from plastic and is used as the slide sleeve for the handle part  25 . 
   In order to replace the battery  41 , the lock cylinder needs to be disassembled in order that the snap ring  26  is accessible. It is therefore hardly possible to remove the battery  41  without this being noticed. 
     FIG. 3  shows the position of the bearing disk  39 , which, as mentioned, is connected such that it is fixed against rotation to the carrier  32  and therefore to the electronics  17 . In order to accommodate the extension  4   a  of the rotary knob rotor  4 , the bearing disk likewise has a central passage  60 . In order to axially fix the bearing disk  39 , a snap ring  26  is provided which is inserted into a groove  61  in the handle part  25 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . The rotary knob  24  therefore forms a compact unit with the bearing disk  39 , the electronics  17  and the batteries  41 .  FIG. 3  shows the manner in which the rotary knob  24  is pushed axially onto the rotary knob rotor  4  in the direction of the arrow  40 . 
   In order to fix the rotary knob  24  on the rotary knob rotor  4  axially such that it can be detached, said rotary knob rotor  4  has a groove  62  on the outside for the purpose of accommodating a snap ring  27 , which connects the rotary knob  24  to the rotary knob rotor  4  detachably. In order that the rotary knob rotor  4  rotates concomitantly with the handle part  25 , the rotary knob rotor  4  has a surface  20  at the free end which forms a stop in a driver  45 . 
   If the rotary knob  24  is fixed on the rotary knob rotor  4 , the rotary knob rotor  4  and, with it, the driver  10  can be rotated. In this case, only the handle part  25  is preferably rotated with the rotary knob rotor  4 . The electronics  17  and the batteries  41 , on the other hand, are connected in a floating manner to the housing of the second cylinder half  3  by a pin  28 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the pin  28  engages with one end in a cutout  63  in the housing  6  and with the other end in a cutout  64  in the bearing disk  39 . The cutout  63  or the cutout  64  are designed such that the pin  28  is mounted in a floating manner with radial play in at least one of these two cutouts. This prevents impacts, which are caused for example by a door being slammed shut, from being transmitted to the electronics  17 . 
   The bearing disk  39  has a further hole  65 , through which the cable  29  is drawn, as shown in  FIG. 4 . The cutouts  64  and  65  can also be replaced by a common and correspondingly larger cutout (not shown here). The cable  29  and the pin  28  are then mounted in this cutout. The bearing disk  39  is therefore connected to the second cylinder half  3  in a floating manner by the pin  28 . The connection is a plug-in connection, with the result that only one hole is required in the second cylinder half  3  for the purpose of accommodating the pin  28 . Such a hole can be fitted in the case of each conventional cylinder profile and in particular in the case of the cylinder profiles shown in  FIGS. 8   a  to  8   d . In order to produce the electromechanical lock cylinder in accordance with the present invention, all conventional profiles can therefore be used, in which case there is comparatively little conversion work. The mechanically proven design of the rotary knob rotor with the rotary knob coupling or the coupling member  23  does not need to be substantially changed. In terms of lock technology, the first cylinder half  2  can be completely fitted with tumbler pins. The rotary knob rotor  4  is a universal carrier of rotary knobs  24  having different external shapes and profiles. A rotary knob  24  without any electronics can therefore also be used. 
   Owing to the simple design and the possibility of extending the two cylinder halves  2  and  3  and the rotary knob rotor  4 , it is possible to extend or shorten the electronic lock cylinder according to the invention at the point of installation. The two plugs  30  and  42  make it possible to detach the cable  29  from the blocking apparatus  23  and the electronics  17 . This can also be carried out by a non-professional. The connecting web  12  can be used universally for different cylinder lengths with the integrated cable  29 . As is shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the connecting web  12  has a groove  50  on its underside, into which groove the cable  29  is inserted. The cable  29  can only be seen from the outside from below in the region of the enlarged section  49 . Of the four passages  48 , in each case only two are used, with the result that in total four different lengths can be fitted with the connecting web  12 . As has been mentioned, it is thus possible for there to be considerable reductions in terms of storage and costs. 
   LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 
   
       
         1  Lock cylinder 
         2  First cylinder half 
         3  Second cylinder half 
         4  Rotary knob rotor 
         4   a  Extension 
         5  Housing 
         6  Housing 
         7  Rotor 
         8  Key channel 
         9  Cylinder sack 
         10  Driver 
         11  Beard 
         12  Connecting web 
         13  Fore-end screw hole 
         14  Pin 
         15  Cutout 
         16  Extension pieces 
         17  Electronics 
         18   a  Intermediate piece 
         18   b  Intermediate piece 
         18   c  Intermediate piece 
         19  Dovetailed groove 
         19   a  Slide part 
         20  Surface 
         21  Coupling piece 
         22  Spring 
         23  Coupling member 
         24  Rotary knob 
         25  Handle part 
         26  Large snap ring 
         27  Small snap ring 
         28  Pin 
         29  Cable 
         30  Plug 
         31  Sleeve 
         32  Carrier 
         33  Battery holder 
         34  Cellular rubber 
         35  Connection screw 
         36  Plate 
         37  Connection screw 
         38  Pins 
         39  Bearing disk 
         40  Arrow 
         41  Battery 
         42  Plug 
         43  Blocking apparatus 
         44  Key 
         44   a  Shank 
         45  Driver 
         46  Blocking part 
         47  Antenna 
         48  Holes 
         49  Enlarged section 
         50  Groove 
         51  Passage 
         52  Passage 
         53  Cutouts 
         54  Hole 
         55  Housing 
         56  Transmitter 
         57  Disk 
         58  Passage 
         59  Holes 
         60  Passage 
         61  Groove 
         62  Groove 
         63  Cutout 
         64  Cutout 
         65  Cutout