Patent ID: 6983630

Claim:
A programmable cylinder lock comprising: a substantially cylindrical core having front and back ends and a keyway having a key entry at the core front end and extending along the core longitudinal axis toward a core back end, the keyway having an opposed top and bottom and opposed left and right sidewalls shaped to closely receive a key blade having opposed top and bottom edges and opposed left and right flanks; a substantially cylindrical shell having a longitudinal bore closely coaxially surrounding the outer surface of the core, wherein the core has a neutral position within the shell such that the keyway top and bottom are at 0 and 180 degree positions, respectively, relative to the axis when viewed from the keyway entry and the core can rotate within the shell bore when a properly coded key is fully inserted in the keyway; a plurality of tumbler bores located in the shell and penetrating the shell bore at a 0 degree angle relative to the neutral position of the core; a respective plurality of tumblers located in the tumbler bores and biased toward the core; a plurality of programmable cut outs extending from the outer surface of the core to penetration of at least one keyway sidewall at an intermediate angle to the axis, each programmable cut out having an associated support surface within the core intermediate the core surface and the keyway; an activator insert in at least one of the programmable cut outs, said activator insert having an outer portion adjacent the core surface, an inner portion that can freely enter into the keyway, and being displaceable in said cut out between a rest position wherein no key is in said keyway, said inner portion is in the keyway, and said outer portion is recessed from the core surface, and an active position wherein a properly programmed key is in said keyway, said inner portion of the insert bears on the key, and said outer portion is at the core surface; and a filler insert in each of the remainder of the programmable cut outs, each filler insert having an outer portion at the core surface and an inner portion supported by said support surface such that the filler insert cannot enter into the keyway.