Patent ID: 8109122

Claim:
A programmable cylinder lock for operating a bolt or a latch, that can be reconfigured to operate with a user key selected from a set of keys, without disassembling the lock or replacing the tumblers, including: a. a set of keys comprising a plurality of user keys; b. a housing having a cylindrical bore with an inner surface and a plurality of driver chambers intersecting the inner surface; c. a plurality of drivers, each driver being movable within one of the plurality of driver chambers, and having a means for urged each driver toward the inner surface; d. a plug having a cylindrical periphery and rotatably mounted within the cylindrical bore of the housing, the plug being rotatable from a key insertion position to an operating position, and to a programming position, the plug having: i) a keyway configured to receive a key selected from the set of keys, ii) a plurality of tumbler chambers intersecting the plug periphery and the keyway, each tumbler chamber being aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of driver chambers when the plug is at the key insertion position to form a pin chamber, iii) a carriage bore formed inboard of the cylindrical periphery of the plug, and iv) at least one opening formed through the periphery of the plug that axially is aligned with and circumferentially spaced apart from a corresponding one of the plurality of tumbler chambers, and that align with a corresponding driver chamber when the plug is at the programming position; e. a plurality of tumblers, each tumbler being movable within a corresponding one of the plurality of tumbler chambers; f. at least one lock configuration change member, movable within the lock between at least a second position within the at least one retainer cavity, and a first position within the corresponding driver chamber; g. a cavity carriage having at least one retainer cavity therewithin, the cavity carriage movably axially within the carriage bore between a first aligned position wherein the at least one retainer cavity is aligned with the at least one opening and a corresponding driver chamber when the plug is in the programming position, wherein the change member can move between the at least one retainer cavity and the corresponding driver chamber, and a second non-aligned position wherein the at least one retainer cavity is not aligned with the at least one opening and the corresponding driver chamber when the plug is in the programming position, wherein the change member cannot move between the at least one retainer cavity and the corresponding driver chamber, and h. a biasing means disposed within the carriage bore for biasing the cavity carriage to its second non-aligned position.