Patent Description:
Electromechanical lock and key with identification code, or key with a specific shape without identification code, are widespread. They enable authorized key holders to have access to locked rooms if the identification code of the key, or the shape of the key, corresponds to a predetermined code, or a predetermined shape, in relation with the electromechanical lock. The key may be an ordinary looking key to insert into the lock or an access badge to pass in front of the lock.

In case of a key with an identification code, the electromechanical lock comprises a processor configured to compare the identification code of the key with the predetermined code. If the identification code corresponds to the predetermined code, the electromechanical lock switches from its locked state to its unlocked state.

Commonly locks are formed with a body that can be easily unscrewed by a locksmith to facilitate rekeying. The body has the function to lock and unlock the lock. A lock body may be found under the form of a European cylinder (defined by the DIN18251). A European cylinder is a type of lock cylinder. There exist other profiles of lock bodies like the oval cylinder that is used in the Nordic countries. A body may not be in the form of a cylinder. A lock body may be inserted into a lock or a mortise lock or a slot-in lock. This function offers the advantage of allowing its change without altering the boltwork hardware. Removing the body typically requires only loosening a set screw, then sliding the body from the boltwork.

As depicted in <FIG>, a lock mechanism, or doolock, <NUM> has a deadbolt <NUM> that may be entirely positioned inside the housing of the door <NUM> in the unlocked state. In the locked state (state depicted in <FIG>), this deadbolt6 projects beyond the door <NUM> and is inserted into a slot of the door frame (not represented), thus locking the door to the frame. The movement of the deadbolt <NUM> can be mechanically obtained, for example by a rotation of a key inserted into the doorlock or by rotation of a handle <NUM>, preferably an indoor handle. The rotation of the key clockwise, respectively anticlockwise, causes a pin to rotate accordingly, thereby making the deadbolt <NUM> translate either outside the door to be inserted into the slot of the door frame, or inside the door. To switch from the locked state of the door to the unlocked state of the door, a user has to rotate the key with the corresponding rotation of the key inside the doorlock, or rotate the indoor handle <NUM> with the corresponding rotation (which means with the adapted angular displacement in the corresponding direction <NUM>, <NUM>) to generate a rotation of the pin that actuates in translation the deadbolt <NUM>. The door may comprise a handle <NUM> to activate the latch <NUM> of the door. This handle <NUM> (together with the latch <NUM>) enables to open and close the door in its unlocked state, to enter or leave the room.

Therefore, the rotation of the indoor handle enables to make the deadbolt translate between various positions, from a position totally inserted in the door to a position where the deadbolt extends beyond the door, so as to be inserted into the corresponding slot of the door frame, and vice versa depending on the direction of the rotation of the indoor handle (clockwise and/or anticlockwise).

However, after having turned the handle clockwise and/or anticlockwise, it is difficult for a user to estimate the position of the deadbolt in the door or in the slot of the door frame. The existing doorlocks do not offer the possibility to determine if the doorlock is locked or unlocked.

<CIT> provides a mechanism for monitoring the respective position of a window handle from a distance. A handle shaft and/or handle bearing bears a circuit slide which controls the sensors associated with the individual positions of the handle. The output signals of the sensors are transmitted by radio or via a line to a report centre.

<CIT> Presents an interchangeable electro-mechanical lock core for use with a lock device having a locked state and an unlocked state is disclosed. The interchangeable electromechanical lock core may include a moveable plug having a first position relative to a lock core body which corresponds to the lock device being in the locked state and a second position relative to a lock core body which corresponds to the lock device being in the unlocked state.

There is consequently a need for a doorlock configured to enable to retrieve the status of the doorlock to know whether the doorlock is in its locked state of in its unlocked state.

A solution to overcome this drawback is to provide a doorlock enabling to retrieve the lock status of the doorlock by analyzing the rotation and the direction of the rotation of the handle.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a doorlock configured to switch between a locked state and an unlocked state, the doorlock extending along a first axis between a first end and a second end, the doorlock comprising:.

wherein the PCB comprises a processor configured to determine an angular displacement of the handle and a direction of the rotation of the handle around the first axis, based on an electric field generated by the two reed switches when the handle is actuated in rotation around the first axis and to determine a locked/unlocked state of the doorlock.

Advantageously, the doorlock of the invention comprises at least two magnets, two adjacent magnets of the at least two magnets forming an angular portion from the first axis with a predefined angle.

Advantageously, the processor is further configured to send to a remote control through a communication link the angular displacement of the handle and the direction of the rotation of the handle around the first axis.

Advantageously each of the at least two magnets comprises a north pole and a south pole superimposed on the north pole according to a second axis parallel to the first axis, respectively in a first direction and in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, for two adjacent magnets of the at least two magnets.

Advantageously the at least two magnets are distributed regularly on the ring.

Advantageously the processor comprises a memory configured to store a position of the handle.

Advantageously the processor is configured to read an identification code of an identification key and configured to cause the doorlock to switch from the locked state to the unlocked state if the identification code of the identification key is an authorized code of the doorlock.

The invention also relates to a method for determining a locked state and an unlocked state of a doorlock, the doorlock extending along a first axis between a first end and a second end, the doorlock comprising:.

the method comprising the following steps:.

Advantageously the method of the invention comprises a step of storing a position of the handle.

Advantageously the method of the invention further comprises a step of determining the locked state and the unlocked state of the doorlock from the stored position and the angular displacement of the handle and the direction of the rotation of the handle.

The accompanying drawings illustrate various non-limiting, exemplary, innovative aspects in accordance with the present descriptions:.

For the sake of clarity, the same elements have the same references in the various figures.

As previously mentioned, although many of the features of this invention are described in relation to a door, it is understood that they are generally applicable to any opening unit, such as a window.

In order to illustrate the invention, the explanations are related to a door. Note that these explanations may be applied similarly to any opening unit. A door is an opening unit enabling the access to a room (or from a room to the outside) through an aperture. The door is connected to a door frame that frames the aperture and is fixed to the walls around the aperture. In an unlocked state of the door, the door is mobile in relation to the door frame, typically mobile in rotation around doors hinges (or in translation in the case the door and the door frame are configured to let the door slide through a part of the door frame and into the wall). The door may be in an open configuration or a closed configuration. In the closed configuration, the door covers the aperture (i.e. no one can go through the aperture). Typically the door is equipped with a lock mechanism. The lock mechanism has a latch that is either inserted into a slot of the door frame (the door is closed) or retracted inside the door (the door is no longer attached to the door frame and may be open). In the closed configuration, the latch is inserted into the slot of the door frame. In existing lock mechanisms, a lock clutch is connected to the latch. The lock clutch is usually engaged with both the indoor and outdoor door knobs. This enables a user to activate the lock clutch to make the latch move by moving one of the door knobs or handles. Therefore a user has to move a door knob of the door to switch from the closed configuration of the door to the open configuration of the door. Indeed, the lock clutch being engaged with the knob, the movement of the knob leads to the movement of the latch. Moving the door knob makes the latch retract into the door. The user can pull or push the door to open it.

In the closed configuration of the door, the lock mechanism can be either in a locked state or an unlocked state. The unlocked state corresponds to the case discussed above. The door may be open by a user when activating a door knob and pushing or pulling the door. As explained in the introduction, the lock mechanism has a deadbolt entirely positioned inside the locking mechanism in the unlocked state. In the locked state, this deadbolt projects beyond the lock mechanism and is inserted into a slot of the door frame, thus locking the door to the frame. To switch from the locked state of the door to the unlocked state of the door, a user has to rotate the key with the corresponding rotation of the key inside the lock mechanism, or rotate the indoor handle with the corresponding rotation (which means with the adapted angular displacement in the corresponding direction).

This previous case corresponds to a single-point lock mechanism (i.e. with a single deadbolt). The invention similarly applies to a multi-point lock mechanism. A multi-point lock, also known as a safety lock, provides extra security as it distributes the locking points (i.e. a plurality of deadbolts) over the entire door. The most common multi-point lock is the three-point lock composed of a main deadbolt in the center and two other bolts at the top and at the bottom actuated by a rod. Some multi-point locks may have up to ten locking points.

<FIG> schematically represents a lock mechanism of a door of the prior art and was discussed in the introduction.

<FIG> schematically represents a doorlock <NUM> according to the invention. The doorlock <NUM> is configured to switch between a locked state and an unlocked state.

The doorlock extends along a first axis X between a first end <NUM> and a second end <NUM>. The doorlock comprises a handle <NUM> positioned at the first end <NUM> of the doorlock, the handle <NUM> being mobile in rotation around the first axis X. The doorlock comprises a pin <NUM> positioned between the first end <NUM> and the second end <NUM> of the doorlock, the pin <NUM> extending radially from the first axis X, the pin being mobile in rotation around the first axis X, and configured to be rotatably driven by a rotation of the handle <NUM> or by a rotation of an associated key inserted into the outdoor handle at the second end <NUM>, thereby making the doorlock switch between the locked state and the unlocked state.

The doorlock <NUM> may be configured to cooperate with at least one identification key <NUM>. The doorlock <NUM> may comprise at its second end <NUM> a key hole <NUM> shaped to accept insertion of the identification key <NUM>. A rotation of the identification key may lead to the rotation of the pin, thereby making the doorlock switch between the locked state and the unlocked state. Alternatively, or in addition, the doorlock <NUM> may comprise a processor configured to read an identification code of the identification key <NUM> and configured to cause the doorlock <NUM> to switch from the locked state to the unlocked state if the identification code of the identification key <NUM> is an authorized code of the doorlock <NUM>. The processor of the doorlock <NUM> may comprise an algorithm that is able to generate a plurality of codes. When inserting the identification key <NUM> into the key hole or having the identification key <NUM> or a smartphone close to the doorlock <NUM>, (i.e. until about <NUM> meters of the doorlock, for example thanks to the BLE technology (acronym of Bluetooth™ Low Energy technology)), one of the code generated by the algorithm of the processor is transmitted from the processor to the identification key <NUM> when this one is inserted into the key hole <NUM>. In return, the processor should receive from the identification key <NUM> an authorized code, that is to say an identification code corresponding to the code transmitted by the processor. There is a communication between the doorlock <NUM> and the identification key <NUM>. And if the processor receives from the identification key <NUM>, as a response to its code, an authorized code, the identification key <NUM> is considered as an authorized key for switching between the locked state and the unlocked state. The communication between the identification key and the doorlock may use a direct electrical contact, an RF communication link (NFC™, Bluetooth™, Wi-Fi™, Zigbee™ or other low power RF communication standard or proprietary means), an optical or an acoustical communication means.

More details of the core of the invention are given thereafter.

<FIG> schematically represents a doorlock according to the invention. According to the invention, the doorlock <NUM> comprises a PCB <NUM> (Printed Circuit Board) secured in an immovable manner inside the handle <NUM>. The doorlock <NUM> comprises a ring <NUM> centered around the first axis X, and fixed to the handle <NUM> so that the rotation of the handle <NUM> makes the ring <NUM> rotate. In other words, a clockwise rotation of a defined angle of the handle <NUM> around the first axis X makes the ring <NUM> rotate clockwise of the same defined angle around the first axis X. Similarly, an anticlockwise rotation of another defined angle of the handle <NUM> around the first axis X makes the ring <NUM> rotate anticlockwise of the same another defined angle around the first axis X.

The doorlock <NUM> comprises at least one magnet, but preferably at least two magnets <NUM> positioned on the ring <NUM>. The doorlock <NUM> comprises two reed switches <NUM> positioned on the PCB <NUM>, preferably facing the ring <NUM>. A reed switch is an electrical switch operated by an applied magnetic field. The reed switch is closed when a magnet is closed of the reed switch and the reed switch is open when the magnet is too far. This principle is described in detail below.

The PCB <NUM> comprises a processor configured to determine an angular displacement of the handle <NUM> and a direction of the rotation of the handle <NUM> around the first axis X, based on an electric field generated by the two reed switches <NUM> when the handle <NUM> is actuated in rotation around the first axis X.

<FIG> schematically represents the working principle of a reed switch included in a doorlock according to the invention. A reed switch is an electrical switch operated by an applied magnetic field. The reed switch is closed when a magnet is closed of the reed switch (on the left hand side of the figure) and the reed switch is open when the magnet is too far (on the right hand side of the figure). This should be clear to a person skilled in the art but it may be nevertheless noted that the state of the reed switch is not the state of the doorlock.

The operating mode of the reed switch described above is an example of a so-called "normally opened" reed switch (i.e. a reed switch that is normally in its open state and is closed when an magnetic field is applied in its vicinity). The invention similarly applies to a so-called "normally closed" reed switch (i.e. a reed switch that is normally in its closed state and is open when a magnetic field is applied in its vicinity).

As the magnet <NUM> are positioned on the ring <NUM>, when rotating the handle, the ring rotates similarly and so do the magnets <NUM> that pass in front of the reed switches positioned on the PCB. The rotation of the handle leads to the approach and distancing of a magnet in regards of a reed switch. Each reed switch changes accordingly its state between open and close.

<FIG> schematically represents the ring <NUM> of the doorlock according to the invention. In a preferred embodiment, each of the at least two magnets <NUM> comprises a north pole and a south pole superimposed on the north pole according to a second axis Y parallel to the first axis X, respectively in a first direction and in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, for two adjacent magnets <NUM> of the at least two magnets. This alternance of the north and south pole ensures that between two adjacent magnets the magnetic field is zero, which causes the reed switch to open. This technical feature ensures all reed switches are open when passing between two magnets. The reed switch is closed when it approaches a magnet. Nevertheless, this alternance of the poles is not compulsory.

<FIG> schematically represents the principle of the doorlock according to the invention. In this figure, the magnets <NUM> are labelled from <NUM> to <NUM> and the reed switches <NUM> are labelled A and B and installed on the main PCB. With this configuration, the processor of the doorlock is configured to analyse the angular distance of the rotation (how many degrees compared to the previous position) and its direction (clockwise or anti-clockwise), as explained thereafter.

<FIG> schematically represents the principle of the doorlock according to the invention. This figure depicts a non-limitative example of the ring having <NUM> magnets. The invention applies similarly with less than <NUM> magnets, for example <NUM> or <NUM>, or with more than <NUM> magnets, for example <NUM> or <NUM>. The magnets are preferably distributed regularly on the ring.

As mentioned before, the doorlock <NUM> comprises at least two magnets <NUM> positioned on the ring <NUM>. As depicted, two adjacent magnets <NUM> of the at least two magnets form an angular portion <NUM> from the first axis X with an angle <NUM> predefined by the position of the magnets. In this example the angle is <NUM>°. Should the ring have <NUM> magnets, the angle <NUM> would be <NUM>°. The angle <NUM> may take other values depending on the position of the magnets <NUM> on the ring <NUM>.

The two reed switches <NUM> are placed on the PCB <NUM>, forming an angular portion from the first axis X with an angle <NUM>. For the sake of explanation, the angle <NUM> is <NUM>° in the depicted example, but it could have other values, for example <NUM>° or <NUM>°. In the depicted example, the magnets and reed switches have a <NUM>° precision since there are <NUM> reed switch events for a <NUM>° rotation. Also, the angle <NUM> may be less than the angle <NUM>. A person skilled in the art understands that the values of the angles <NUM>, <NUM> depend on the position of the magnets <NUM> on the ring <NUM>, the distance of the PCB from the ring and the distance between between the reed switches. These geometrical parameters may be adapted according to the desired accuracy of the detection. This means that, when considering the angular portion <NUM> having an angle <NUM> of <NUM>° during the anticlockwise rotation of the handle (i.e. the rotation of the ring <NUM>), the first magnet <NUM>-<NUM> of the two adjacent magnets delimiting the said angular portion pass in front of the first reed switch <NUM>-<NUM>, then pass in front of the second reed switch <NUM>-<NUM>, and then the second magnet <NUM>-<NUM> of the two adjacent magnets delimiting the said angular portion pass in front of the first reed switch <NUM>-<NUM>, then pass in front of the second reed switch <NUM>-<NUM>. There are <NUM> events that can be noted:.

<FIG> schematically represents the analysis of the direction of the rotation of the handle of the doorlock of the invention, based on the relative movement of the magnets passing in front of the two reed switches.

The indoor handle <NUM> is turned clockwise in one of these cases:.

The indoor handle <NUM> is turned anti-clockwise in one of these cases:.

<FIG> represents an example of the reed switch states for a clockwise rotation of the handle of the doorlock of the invention. When considering a case wherein the magnets are placed every <NUM> degrees on the ring of the doorlock, it means that during a <NUM>° rotation, the two reed switches will measure four changes of state (<NUM> events). This means that the indoor handle turns <NUM>° for each event on reed switches (see <FIG>).

Let now consider the following initial condition for the clockwise rotation: reed switches A and B are low which means that the two reed switches are between two magnets (see <FIG>):.

<FIG> represents an example of the reed switch states for an anticlockwise rotation of the handle of the doorlock of the invention.

Let now consider the following initial condition for the anticlockwise rotation: reed switches A and B are low which means that the two reed switches are between magnets (see <FIG>):.

Therefore, as the level of the electrical signal from each of the two reed switches depends on the magnetic field to which it is subjected, analyzing the evolution of the signal indicates the direction of the rotation (clockwise and anticlockwise) and the angle of the rotation performed by the handle.

The processor of the doorlock may comprise a memory configured to store a position of the handle. After analyzing the evolution of the signal and determining the direction and the angle of the rotation, and based on the previously stored position of the handle, it is possible to determine an updated position of the handle, that can also be stored in the memory.

The processor may further be configured to send to a remote control through a communication link the angular displacement of the handle and the direction of the rotation of the handle around the first axis. The processor may also calculate, based on the previous stored position of the handle, its angular displacement and the direction of the rotation whether the doorlock is in its locked or unlocked state. This information can be further sent to a remote control, for example to a smartphone via a web application.

<FIG> represents a block diagram of the steps of a method for determining a locked state and an unlocked state of the doorlock <NUM> according to the invention. According to the invention, the method comprises following steps:.

The method may further comprise a step <NUM> of storing a position of the handle.

The method may further comprise a step <NUM> of determining the locked state and the unlocked state of the doorlock from the stored position and the angular displacement of the handle and the direction of the rotation of the handle.

Claim 1:
A doorlock (<NUM>) configured to switch between a locked state and an unlocked state, the doorlock extending along a first axis (X) between a first end (<NUM>) and a second end (<NUM>), the doorlock comprising:
- A handle (<NUM>) positioned at the first end (<NUM>) of the doorlock, the handle (<NUM>) being mobile in rotation around the first axis (X),
- A pin (<NUM>) positioned between the first end (<NUM>) and the second end (<NUM>) of the doorlock, the pin (<NUM>) extending radially from the first axis (X), the pin being mobile in rotation around the first axis (X), and configured to be rotatably driven by a rotation of the handle (<NUM>), thereby making the doorlock switch between the locked state and the unlocked state,
- a PCB (<NUM>) secured in an immovable manner inside the handle (<NUM>),
- a ring (<NUM>) centered around the first axis (X), and fixed to the handle (<NUM>) so that the rotation of the handle (<NUM>) makes the ring (<NUM>) rotate,
- at least one magnet (<NUM>) positioned on the ring (<NUM>),
- two reed switches (<NUM>) positioned on the PCB (<NUM>), preferably facing the ring (<NUM>),
wherein the PCB (<NUM>) comprises a processor configured to determine an angular displacement of the handle (<NUM>) and a direction of the rotation of the handle (<NUM>) around the first axis (X), based on an electric field generated by the two reed switches (<NUM>) when the handle (<NUM>) is actuated in rotation around the first axis (X), and to determine a locked/unlocked state of the doorlock.