Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder and its lock

Abstract

This application discloses a Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder and its locking mechanism. The Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder includes a housing assembly, a lock cylinder module, an elastic element, and an output shaft. The housing assembly has a mounting cavity, a connection hole, and an operating hole. The lock cylinder module is installed in the mounting cavity and includes a Type-C interface, a control component, and a drive component. The Type-C interface is electrically connected to the control component, and the control component is electrically connected to the drive component. The output shaft is rotatably mounted in the mounting cavity. The elastic element is installed between the drive component and the output shaft, so that the drive component drives the output shaft to rotate through the transmission action of the elastic element. When the rotation of the output shaft is restricted, the elastic potential energy is stored through the elastic deformation of the elastic element so that when the rotation restriction of the output shaft is released, the elastic potential energy drives the output shaft to continue to complete the unfinished rotation. This technical solution, after resolving a malfunction in the unlocking / locking mechanism, can realize the unlocking / locking operation of the unlocking / locking mechanism through the elastic potential energy of the elastic element.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of lock device technology, and in particular to a Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder and its lock. Background Technology

[0002] Locks are widely used in many fields due to their convenience and security. A lock typically includes a lock cylinder and an unlocking / locking mechanism. In locks with electronic components, it is common to use an electronic key interface to connect to the lock cylinder module, thereby gaining access to rotate the lock cylinder module.

[0003] In existing passive lock cylinders, the lock cylinder module is locked to the housing assembly by a drive element. When the lock cylinder is unlocked using an electronic key, the lock cylinder module establishes an electrical connection with the electronic key. The lock cylinder module obtains electrical energy from the electronic key, identifies the electronic key, and then controls the drive element to unlock the lock cylinder module from the housing assembly. Finally, the unlocking and locking operation is achieved by rotating the lock cylinder module by turning the electronic key.

[0004] However, when the lock cylinder module is a Type-C electronic lock cylinder, the Type-C interface, being an electronic component, cannot directly bear the force of the electronic key's rotation. Otherwise, it can easily damage the Type-C interface, causing its electrical connections to loosen or even break. Based on the usage scenarios required for Type-C electronic locks, the miniaturization design of the Type-C electronic lock cylinder also necessitates the miniaturization of the corresponding drive components (motors or solenoids, etc.). This affects the driving force of the drive components, making the problem of the locking / unlocking mechanism jamming in case of malfunction more prominent, thus restricting the rotation of the drive shaft.

[0005] In summary, it is urgent to solve the drive failure problem of the unlocking and locking mechanism in the aforementioned Type-C electronic lock cylinder, especially for miniaturized self-driven Type-C electronic lock cylinders that can complete the unlocking and locking operations without turning the Type-C electronic lock cylinder. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The main purpose of this application is to provide a Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder, which aims to improve the existing lock cylinder. If the unlocking and locking mechanism malfunctions and becomes stuck, the electronic key needs to be turned again after the malfunction is resolved to drive the lock cylinder module to drive the unlocking and locking mechanism in order to complete the unlocking and locking operation.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder proposed in this application is applied to locks. The Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder includes a housing assembly, a lock cylinder module, an elastic element, and an output shaft; wherein,

[0008] The housing assembly is provided with a mounting cavity and a connection hole and an operation hole respectively communicating with the mounting cavity;

[0009] The lock cylinder module is installed in the mounting cavity. The lock cylinder module includes a Type-C interface, a control component, and a drive component. The Type-C interface is electrically connected to the control component and is exposed on the outer surface of the housing component through the connection hole to interface with external devices. The control component is electrically connected to the drive component to control the drive component to work after authorization.

[0010] The output shaft is rotatably mounted in the mounting cavity and partially exposed on the outer surface of the housing assembly through the operating hole, so as to be connected to the locking and unlocking mechanism of the lock.

[0011] The elastic element is installed between the drive assembly and the output shaft, so that the drive assembly drives the output shaft to rotate through the transmission action of the elastic element. When the rotation of the output shaft is restricted, the elastic element stores elastic potential energy through elastic deformation, so that when the rotation restriction of the output shaft is released, the elastic potential energy drives the output shaft to continue to complete the unfinished rotation.

[0012] In some embodiments of this application, the drive assembly includes a drive member and a drive shaft. The drive member is fixedly installed in the mounting cavity and is connected to the drive shaft for transmission to drive the drive shaft to rotate in a first direction or a second direction. The elastic member is installed between the drive member and the output shaft.

[0013] Wherein, the first direction is opposite to the second direction.

[0014] In some embodiments of this application, the elastic element includes a torsion spring, the torsion spring including a helical coil, a first elastic arm and a second elastic arm, the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm being respectively connected to the two ends of the helical coil;

[0015] The drive shaft is provided with a drive block, and the output shaft is provided with an abutment block. The drive shaft rotates along the first direction to drive the drive block to abut against the first spring arm, so that the second spring arm abuts against the abutment block. The drive shaft rotates along the second direction to drive the drive block to abut against the second spring arm, so that the first spring arm abuts against the abutment block.

[0016] In some embodiments of this application, the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm are both located inside the spiral coil and are arranged adjacent to each other, and the first elastic arm and the second elastic arm also extend along the axial direction of the spiral coil;

[0017] The drive block is provided on the periphery of the drive shaft, and the output shaft is provided with a torsion spring groove on the side facing the drive shaft. The abutment block is provided on the bottom wall of the torsion spring groove. The torsion spring is at least partially sleeved on the periphery of the drive shaft and at least partially accommodated in the torsion spring groove. The drive block and the abutment block are both located inside the first spring arm and the second spring arm.

[0018] In some embodiments of this application, the mounting cavity is provided with a rotating mounting portion, the peripheral wall of the rotating mounting portion is provided with a first limiting portion, the output shaft is rotatably mounted on the rotating mounting portion, and is provided with a second limiting portion that movably abuts against the first limiting portion to limit the range of rotation of the output shaft.

[0019] In some embodiments of this application, the first limiting part protrudes from the peripheral wall of the rotating mounting part and extends along the circumferential direction of the rotating mounting part. The first limiting part also has an avoidance notch formed on the peripheral wall of the rotating mounting part.

[0020] The output shaft includes a rotating body, which is rotatably mounted on the rotating mounting portion and abuts against the first limiting portion. The rotating body also has a second limiting portion protruding from it. The second limiting portion is accommodated in the clearance notch portion. The second limiting portion movably abuts against both ends of the first limiting portion to limit the range of rotation of the output shaft.

[0021] In some embodiments of this application, the housing assembly includes a bottom shell and a cover plate, the bottom shell being provided with a mounting groove, and the cover plate being connected to the bottom shell and covering the mounting groove to enclose and form the mounting cavity;

[0022] The bottom wall of the mounting groove is provided with the connection hole, and the cover plate is provided with the operation hole, so that the operation end of the output shaft can extend out and be connected to the locking and unlocking mechanism of the lock.

[0023] In some embodiments of this application, the output shaft rotates relative to the unlocking / locking mechanism to have an unlocked state and a locked state. The lock cylinder module further includes a detection component, which is electrically connected to the control component. The detection component is used to detect whether the output shaft is in the unlocked state or the locked state.

[0024] In some embodiments of this application, the bottom wall of the mounting slot is further provided with a transparent window, and the detection component includes a status indicator, which displays the detection result of the detection component through the transparent window.

[0025] This application also proposes a lock, which includes an unlocking and locking mechanism and a Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder as described in any one of the above claims. The lock further has a mounting hole, the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder is mounted in the mounting hole, and the output shaft is drivenly connected to the unlocking and locking mechanism to drive the unlocking and locking mechanism to perform unlocking and locking operations.

[0026] In some embodiments of this application, the housing assembly has an annular groove recessed on its periphery, and the housing assembly further includes a sealing ring, which is embedded in the annular groove and at least partially extends out of the annular groove.

[0027] The Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder provided in this application embodiment, through the above-described structural configuration, allows the operator to control the drive component by connecting an external device to the Type-C interface under normal lock / unlock mechanism conditions. This control enables the output shaft to rotate via the transmission action of the elastic element, thus achieving the locking / unlocking operation of the mechanism. When the locking / unlock mechanism malfunctions and becomes stuck, the operator can still control the drive component by connecting an external device to the Type-C interface. Because the output shaft rotation is restricted due to the malfunction, the drive component cannot drive the output shaft to rotate via the transmission action of the elastic element. In this case, the elastic element undergoes elastic deformation under the force of the drive component and the output shaft, storing elastic potential energy. When the restriction on the output shaft rotation is released, the resistance to rotation disappears, and the output shaft, under the elastic force generated by the release of the elastic potential energy, will continue to complete the unfinished rotation, driving the locking / unlock mechanism to move, thereby achieving the locking / unlocking operation of the mechanism. As can be seen, the technical solution of this application, when the output shaft rotation is restricted, can store elastic potential energy through the elastic deformation of the elastic element. When the rotation restriction of the output shaft is released, the elastic potential energy stored in the elastic element can drive the output shaft to continue the unfinished rotation, realizing the locking and unlocking operation of the locking and unlocking mechanism. Compared with the prior art, it does not require turning the electronic key to drive the lock cylinder module to drive the locking and unlocking structure after the locking and unlocking mechanism malfunctions, thus realizing the locking and unlocking operation of the locking and unlocking mechanism. At the same time, since there is no rotational connection between the lock cylinder module and the housing assembly, when designing the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder, a static sealing structure can be designed at the Type-C interface to achieve the sealing of the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder, without considering the dynamic sealing of the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder. This improves the reliability of the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder while reducing the design difficulty. Attached Figure Description

[0028] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.

[0029] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the lock according to this application;

[0030] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of a Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder;

[0031] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Cross-sectional view of a Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder;

[0032] Figure 4 for Figure 2 Another cross-sectional view of a Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder;

[0033] Figure 5 for Figure 2 Exploded view of a Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder;

[0034] Figure 6 for Figure 2 Partial structure of the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder;

[0035] Figure 7 for Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the output shaft, elastic element, and drive shaft;

[0036] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Another perspective on the output shaft, elastic components, and drive shaft;

[0037] Figure 9 for Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the middle and bottom shell structure.

[0038] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0039] 100. Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder; 10. Housing assembly; 11. Bottom shell; 111. Mounting slot; 1111. Connecting hole; 1112. Transparent window; 112. Rotating mounting part; 1121. First limiting part; 1122. Clearance notch; 113. Annular groove; 12. Cover plate; 121. Operating hole; 13. Mounting cavity; 14. Sealing ring; 15. Seal; 20. Lock cylinder module; 21. Type-C interface; 22. Control Components; 23. Drive assembly; 231. Drive element; 232. Drive shaft; 2321. Drive block; 2322. Cross groove; 24. Detection assembly; 30. Torsion spring; 31. Helical coil; 32. First spring arm; 33. Second spring arm; 40. Output shaft; 41. Abutment block; 42. Torsion spring groove; 43. Rotating body; 44. Second limiting part; 45. Operating end; 46. Magnet; 1000. Lock; 200. Locking and unlocking mechanism; 1001. Mounting hole.

[0040] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this application will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0042] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connection," "fixed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "fixed" can mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can mean a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can mean a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can mean the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0043] Furthermore, the use of terms such as "first" and "second" in this application is for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but only on the basis of being achievable by those skilled in the art. If the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, such a combination of technical solutions should be considered non-existent and not within the scope of protection claimed in this application.

[0044] This application provides a Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100, which is applied to a lock 1000 and used in conjunction with the locking / unlocking mechanism 200 of the lock 1000. Please refer to the following references. Figures 2 to 7 In this embodiment of the application, the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100 includes a housing assembly 10, a lock cylinder module 20, an elastic element, and an output shaft 40.

[0045] The housing assembly 10 has a mounting cavity 13 and a connection hole 1111 and an operation hole 121 communicating with the mounting cavity 13. The housing assembly 10 can be made of rigid plastic, metal, or a combination of both. The mounting cavity 13 of the housing assembly 10 is mainly used for mounting other components of the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100. The housing assembly 10 provides enclosed protection for the components within the mounting cavity 13, and also improves the sealing performance of the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100 through the mounting cavity 13.

[0046] The lock cylinder module 20 is installed in the mounting cavity 13. The lock cylinder module 20 can be fixedly installed in the mounting cavity 13 by screw thread connection or by snap-fit ​​connection.

[0047] The lock cylinder module 20 includes a Type-C interface 21, a control component 22, and a drive component 23. The Type-C interface 21 is electrically connected to the control component 22 and is exposed on the outer surface of the housing component 10 through the connection hole 1111 to interface with external devices. The control component 22 is electrically connected to the drive component 23 to control the drive component 23 to work after authorization.

[0048] The Type-C interface 21 is typically a female connector for external devices to interface with. Based on the characteristics of the Type-C interface 21, the control component 22 can establish an electrical connection with external devices via the Type-C interface 21 to obtain power from the external devices and establish communication connections. It is important to note that when the external device is an electronic key that matches the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100, the electronic key can usually interface directly with the Type-C interface 21. When the external device is a smartphone, tablet, laptop, power bank, or similar device, a data cable is usually required to interface with the Type-C interface 21.

[0049] The control component 22 typically includes an authorization device, which can usually establish a communication connection with external devices via wireless or wired connection and verify the operator's identity. The control component 22 obtains authorization during authentication to control the operation of the drive component 23. Specifically, the authorization device can establish a communication connection with external devices via wireless connection such as Bluetooth, or it can establish a communication connection with external devices via the aforementioned Type-C interface 21.

[0050] The output shaft 40 is rotatably mounted in the mounting cavity 13 and partially exposed on the outer surface of the housing assembly 10 through the operating hole 121 for transmission connection with the locking / unlocking mechanism 200 of the lock 1000. The output shaft 40 can be rotatably mounted in the mounting cavity 13 via bearings or other components, or it can be directly and slidably abutted against the mounting cavity 13 for rotatable mounting. The portion of the output shaft 40 exposed on the outer surface of the housing assembly 10 is typically the operating end 45, which can be transmissionally connected to the locking / unlocking mechanism 200 via insertion, snap-fit, or other methods, enabling the locking / unlocking mechanism 200 to perform locking / unlocking operations under the transmission action of the output shaft 40.

[0051] The elastic element is installed between the drive assembly 23 and the output shaft 40, so that the drive assembly 23 drives the output shaft 40 to rotate through the transmission action of the elastic element. When the rotation of the output shaft 40 is restricted, the elastic element stores elastic potential energy through elastic deformation, so that when the rotation restriction of the output shaft 40 is released, the elastic potential energy drives the output shaft 40 to continue to complete the unfinished rotation.

[0052] The following is a detailed description of the operation of the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100 of the present invention under normal lock 1000 conditions, by way of example: The operator uses an external device to connect to the Type-C interface 21 to provide the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100 with the power required for operation. After receiving power, the control component 22 establishes a communication connection with the external device and verifies the identity of the operator. The control component 22 is authorized during the authentication process to control the drive component 23 to work. The drive component 23 applies a force to the elastic element and transmits the force to the output shaft 40 through the elastic element, thereby driving the output shaft 40 to rotate, so that the locking and unlocking mechanism 200 of the lock 1000 realizes the locking and unlocking operation under the driving action of the output shaft 40.

[0053] It should be emphasized that when the control component 22 establishes a communication connection with an external device via a wireless connection, the external device that provides power to the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100 and the external device that establishes a communication connection with the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100 can be different devices.

[0054] The restricted rotation of the output shaft 40 refers to a malfunction in the locking / unlocking mechanism 200 of the lock 1000, causing it to become stuck and unable to rotate. It is understandable that an elastic element undergoes elastic deformation when subjected to external force, storing energy, commonly known as elastic potential energy. When the external force is removed or the force is less than the elastic force provided by the elastic potential energy, the elastic element can return to its original shape, releasing the elastic potential energy. During this release, the elastic element outputs elastic force. It is important to emphasize that the elastic deformation of this element can be either tensile or compressive.

[0055] The aforementioned "output shaft 40 continues to complete the incomplete rotation" means that the output shaft 40 will continue to rotate until it reaches the position where the output shaft 40 is when the unlocking and locking mechanism 200 is driven to perform the unlocking and locking operation. That is, the position where the output shaft 40 is when the lock 1000 is in normal condition and the output shaft 40 drives the unlocking and locking mechanism 200 to perform the unlocking and locking operation.

[0056] The Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100 provided in this application embodiment, through the above-described structural configuration, allows the operator to control the drive component 23 by connecting an external device to the Type-C interface 21 under normal conditions of the lock 1000's locking / unlocking mechanism 200. This drives the output shaft 40 to rotate via the transmission action of the elastic element, thereby realizing the locking / unlocking operation of the locking / unlocking mechanism 200. When the locking / unlocking mechanism 200 malfunctions and becomes stuck, the operator can still control the drive component 23 by connecting an external device to the Type-C interface 21. If the output shaft 40 malfunctions and becomes stuck, the drive assembly 23 cannot drive the output shaft 40 to rotate through the transmission action of the elastic element. At this time, the elastic element will undergo elastic deformation under the force of the drive assembly 23 and the output shaft 40, thereby storing elastic potential energy. When the rotation restriction of the output shaft 40 is released, since the resistance to the rotation of the output shaft 40 disappears, the output shaft 40 will continue to complete the unfinished rotation under the elastic force generated by the release of elastic potential energy, so as to drive the unlocking and locking mechanism 200 to move, thereby realizing the unlocking and locking operation of the unlocking and locking mechanism 200. As can be seen, the technical solution of this application, when the rotation of the output shaft 40 is restricted, can store elastic potential energy through the elastic deformation of the elastic element. When the rotation restriction of the output shaft 40 is released, the elastic potential energy stored in the elastic element can drive the output shaft 40 to continue to complete the unfinished rotation, thereby realizing the unlocking and locking operation of the unlocking and locking mechanism 200. Compared with the prior art, it does not require turning the electronic key to drive the lock cylinder module 20 to drive the unlocking and locking structure after the unlocking and locking mechanism 200 malfunctions, thus realizing the unlocking and locking operation of the unlocking and locking mechanism 200. At the same time, since the lock cylinder module 20 and the housing assembly 10 are not rotatably connected, when designing the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder, a static sealing structure of the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100 can be designed at the Type-C interface 21 to achieve the sealing of the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100. There is no need to consider the dynamic sealing of the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100, which improves the reliability of the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100 while reducing the design difficulty.

[0057] Furthermore, based on the characteristics of the Type-C interface 21 itself, operators can use external devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and power banks, along with data cables, to perform locking and unlocking operations on the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100. At the same time, the Type-C interface 21's compact size and reversible insertion capabilities also provide considerable convenience for operators.

[0058] It should be emphasized that the operator will not usually notice that the locking mechanism 200 is stuck when the locking and unlocking operation is not performed. The operator will usually only notice that the locking and unlocking mechanism 200 is stuck when the locking and unlocking operation is performed, and usually only after the problem is discovered will the operator try to solve the problem, so that the restricted rotation of the output shaft 40 is released.

[0059] In some examples, such as Figures 3 to 8 As shown, the drive assembly 23 includes a drive member 231 and a drive shaft 232. The drive member 231 is fixedly installed in the mounting cavity 13 and is connected to the drive shaft 232 for transmission, so as to drive the drive shaft 232 to rotate in a first direction or a second direction. An elastic member is installed between the drive member 231 and the output shaft 40; wherein the first direction is opposite to the second direction. This arrangement is intended to facilitate the installation of the drive shaft 232, the elastic member, and the output shaft 40.

[0060] In some examples, the drive shaft 232 is provided with a cross groove 2322, and the drive rod of the drive member 231 is inserted into the cross groove 2322.

[0061] It should be noted that when the output shaft 40 rotates in the first direction to perform an unlocking operation, it rotates in the second direction to perform a locking operation; conversely, when the output shaft 40 rotates in the first direction to perform a locking operation, it rotates in the second direction to perform an unlocking operation. When the first direction is clockwise, the second direction is counter-clockwise; and vice versa.

[0062] In some examples, such as Figures 3 to 8 As shown, the elastic element includes a torsion spring 30, which includes a helical coil 31, a first elastic arm 32, and a second elastic arm 33. The first elastic arm 32 and the second elastic arm 33 are respectively connected to the two ends of the helical coil 31. The drive shaft 232 is provided with a drive block 2321, and the output shaft 40 is provided with an abutment block 41. The drive shaft 232 rotates in a first direction to drive the drive block 2321 to abut against the first elastic arm 32, so that the second elastic arm 33 abuts against the abutment block 41. The drive shaft 232 rotates in a second direction to drive the drive block 2321 to abut against the second elastic arm 33, so that the first elastic arm 32 abuts against the abutment block 41.

[0063] When the lock 1000 is in its normal state, the drive shaft 232 rotates in the first direction, driving the output shaft 40 to rotate in the first direction via the transmission action of the torsion spring 30, thereby performing an unlocking or locking operation on the unlocking / locking mechanism 200. The drive shaft 232 also rotates in the second direction, driving the output shaft 40 to rotate in the second direction via the transmission action of the torsion spring 30, thereby performing a locking or unlocking operation on the unlocking / locking mechanism 200. In this way, the drive shaft 232 can reliably transmit power to the output shaft 40 via the torsion spring 30, realizing the unlocking / locking operation of the unlocking / locking mechanism 200. Of course, during the above process, the torsion spring 30 may undergo slight deformation, storing a small amount of elastic potential energy.

[0064] When the locking / unlocking mechanism 200 malfunctions and becomes stuck, the drive shaft 232 rotates in the first direction. The drive block 2321, by abutting against the first spring arm 32, stretches or compresses the spiral coil 31, causing the torsion spring 30 to store elastic potential energy. When the rotation restriction of the output shaft 40 is released, this elastic potential energy drives the output shaft 40 to rotate in the first direction, thereby unlocking or locking the locking / unlocking mechanism 200. When the drive shaft 232 rotates in the second direction, the drive block 2321, by abutting against the second spring arm 33, stretches or compresses the spiral coil 31, causing the torsion spring 30 to store elastic potential energy. When the rotation restriction of the output shaft 40 is released, this elastic potential energy drives the output shaft 40 to rotate in the second direction, thereby unlocking or locking the locking / unlocking mechanism 200. In this way, the torsion spring 30 can stably store and release elastic potential energy, and the torsion spring 30 has a simple structure and low manufacturing cost.

[0065] In some examples, such as Figures 3 to 8 As shown, the first spring arm 32 and the second spring arm 33 are both located inside the spiral coil 31 and are arranged adjacent to each other. The first spring arm 32 and the second spring arm 33 also extend along the axial direction of the spiral coil 31. A drive block 2321 is provided on the periphery of the drive shaft 232. A torsion spring groove 42 is provided on the side of the output shaft 40 facing the drive shaft 232. An abutment block 41 protrudes from the bottom wall of the torsion spring groove 42. The torsion spring 30 is at least partially sleeved on the periphery of the drive shaft 232 and at least partially accommodated in the torsion spring groove 42. The drive block 2321 and the abutment block 41 are both located inside the first spring arm 32 and the second spring arm 33.

[0066] This configuration allows the torsion spring 30 to abut against the bottom and peripheral walls of the torsion spring groove 42, improving the reliability of the torsion spring 30 installed between the output shaft 40 and the drive shaft 232. Furthermore, since the torsion spring 30 is constrained by the peripheral wall of the torsion spring groove 42, its helical coil 31 is more stable during stretching or compression.

[0067] In some examples, the drive block 2321 and the abutment block 41 are offset in the axial direction of the spiral coil 31, that is, the drive block 2321 is located on the side of the spiral coil 31 away from the output shaft 40 in the axial direction, and the abutment block 41 is located on the side of the spiral coil 31 close to the output shaft 40 in the axial direction, so that the drive shaft 2321 and the output shaft 40 will not interfere with each other during rotation.

[0068] Considering that the output shaft 40 can typically perform the locking and unlocking operation of the locking and unlocking mechanism 200 within a small range of rotation.

[0069] In some examples, such as Figures 3 to 9 As shown, the mounting cavity 13 is provided with a rotating mounting portion 112, and the peripheral wall of the rotating mounting portion 112 is provided with a first limiting portion 1121. The output shaft 40 is rotatably mounted on the rotating mounting portion 112 and is provided with a second limiting portion 44 that movably abuts against the first limiting portion 1121 to limit the range of rotation of the output shaft 40. This arrangement aims to prevent the output shaft 40 from being subjected to excessive force and rotating excessively, thereby damaging the structure of the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100 and the unlocking and locking mechanism 200.

[0070] In some examples, such as Figures 3 to 9 As shown, the first limiting part 1121 protrudes from the peripheral wall of the rotating mounting part 112 and extends circumferentially along the rotating mounting part 112. The first limiting part 1121 also has a clearance notch 1122 formed on the peripheral wall of the rotating mounting part 112. The output shaft 40 includes a rotating body 43, which is rotatably mounted on the rotating mounting part 112 and abuts against the first limiting part 1121. The rotating body 43 also has a second limiting part 44 protruding from it. The second limiting part 44 is accommodated in the clearance notch 1122. The second limiting part 44 movably abuts against both ends of the first limiting part 1121 to limit the range of rotation of the output shaft 40.

[0071] With this configuration, the first limiting part 1121 can not only cooperate with the second limiting part 44 to limit the rotation range of the output shaft 40, but also support the output shaft 40 by abutting against the rotating body 43, thereby improving the stability of the output shaft 40. At the same time, the first limiting part 1121 can also limit the axial movement of the output shaft 40, further improving the stability of the output shaft 40.

[0072] Understandably, in this example, the magnitude of the rotation of the output shaft 40 can be controlled by adjusting the size of the clearance notch 1122. In some examples, the arc length of the clearance notch is the circumference of a quarter circle, meaning the magnitude of the rotation of the output shaft 40 is 90°.

[0073] In some examples, such as Figures 3 to 9As shown, the housing assembly 10 includes a bottom shell 11 and a cover plate 12. The bottom shell 11 has a mounting groove 111, and the cover plate 12 is connected to the bottom shell 11 and covers the mounting groove 111 to form a mounting cavity 13. The bottom wall of the mounting groove 111 has a connecting hole 1111, and the cover plate 12 has an operating hole 121 for the operating end 45 of the output shaft 40 to extend and be connected to the locking / unlocking mechanism 200 of the lock 1000. This arrangement is intended to facilitate the assembly of the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100 and improve the assembly efficiency of the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100.

[0074] In some examples, the bottom shell 11 is a one-piece structure, which can further improve the sealing performance of the mounting cavity 13; of course, in other examples, the bottom shell 11 can also be composed of two or more parts. By setting a seal 15 between the parts, the static sealing of the bottom shell 11 can be achieved, thus preventing moisture and other substances from entering the interior of the Type-C self-drive electronic lock cylinder 100 from the gaps between the parts.

[0075] In some examples, such as Figures 3 to 8 As shown, the output shaft 40 rotates relative to the locking / unlocking mechanism 200 and has an unlocked state and a locked state. The lock cylinder module 20 also includes a detection component 24, which is electrically connected to the control component 22. The detection component 24 is used to detect whether the output shaft 40 is in an unlocked state or a locked state.

[0076] With this configuration, the detection component 24 can provide real-time feedback on the status information of the output shaft 40. When the detection component 24 detects that the output shaft 40 has completed the state switch, it can transmit a signal to the control component 22. The control component 22 controls the drive component 231 to stop working based on the signal to avoid overloading the drive component 231.

[0077] Of course, in some examples, the drive element 231 can stop when stalled and remain stationary after stopping. Specifically, when the output shaft 40 is restricted in its rotation, the elastic element undergoes elastic deformation under the drive of the drive element 231 and the drive shaft 232, storing sufficient elastic potential energy. Then, the drive element 231 stalls and stops, remaining stationary, so that the elastic potential energy of the elastic element is not released.

[0078] In some examples, the detection component 24 includes a Hall effect device that detects whether the output shaft 40 is in an unlocked or locked state by detecting the magnet 46 on the output shaft 40.

[0079] In some examples, control component 22 can send the detection results of detection component 24 to an external device to monitor lock 1000 via the external device.

[0080] Considering that the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100 can perform the locking and unlocking operation of the locking and unlocking mechanism 200 without rotating the lock cylinder module 20, the operator may not be able to obtain information in a timely manner whether the locking and unlocking mechanism 200 has completed the locking and unlocking operation without rotating the lock cylinder module 20.

[0081] In some examples, such as Figure 2 As shown, the bottom wall of the mounting slot 111 is also provided with a transparent window 1112. The detection component 24 includes a status indicator, which displays the detection result of the detection component 24 through the transparent window 1112. With this configuration, the operator can quickly obtain the detection result of the detection component through the indicator, and thus quickly obtain information on whether the locking / unlocking mechanism 200 has completed the locking / unlocking operation. This indicator can be an indicator light or a display screen, etc.

[0082] Please refer to the reference. Figures 1 to 9 This application also proposes a lock 1000, which includes an unlocking / locking mechanism 200 and a Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100 as described in any of the above embodiments. The specific structure of the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100 is as described in the above embodiments. Since this lock 1000 adopts all the technical solutions of all the above embodiments, it has at least all the beneficial effects brought about by the technical solutions of the above embodiments, which will not be described in detail here. The lock 1000 also has a mounting hole 1001, in which the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder is mounted, and the output shaft 40 is connected to the unlocking / locking mechanism 200 for driving the unlocking / locking mechanism 200 to perform unlocking / locking operations.

[0083] It should be noted that when the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100 is applied to the lock 1000, the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100 typically only has the side with the Type-C interface 21 exposed on the outer surface of the lock 1000, for the operator to connect to external devices. In some examples, such as... Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the housing assembly 10 has an annular groove 113 recessed on its periphery. The housing assembly 10 also includes a sealing ring 14, which is embedded in the annular groove 113 and at least partially extends out of the annular groove 113. With this configuration, when the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100 is applied to the lock 1000, the sealing ring 14 abuts against the wall of the mounting hole 1001 of the lock 1000 to form a seal, which can prevent moisture and other substances from entering from the gap between the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder 100 and the lock 1000.

[0084] The above description is merely an optional embodiment of this application and does not limit the patent scope of this application. Any equivalent structural transformations made based on the inventive concept of this application and the contents of the specification and drawings of this application, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder, used in locks, characterized in that, The Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder includes a housing assembly, a lock cylinder module, an elastic element, and an output shaft; wherein... The housing assembly is provided with a mounting cavity and a connection hole and an operation hole respectively communicating with the mounting cavity; The lock cylinder module is installed in the mounting cavity. The lock cylinder module includes a Type-C interface, a control component, and a drive component. The Type-C interface is electrically connected to the control component and is exposed on the outer surface of the housing component through the connection hole to interface with external devices. The control component is electrically connected to the drive component to control the drive component to work after authorization. The output shaft is rotatably mounted in the mounting cavity and partially exposed on the outer surface of the housing assembly through the operating hole, so as to be connected to the locking and unlocking mechanism of the lock. The elastic element is installed between the drive assembly and the output shaft, so that the drive assembly drives the output shaft to rotate through the transmission action of the elastic element. When the rotation of the output shaft is restricted, the elastic element stores elastic potential energy through elastic deformation, so that when the rotation restriction of the output shaft is released, the elastic potential energy drives the output shaft to continue to complete the unfinished rotation.

2. The Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The drive assembly includes a drive component and a drive shaft. The drive component is fixedly installed in the mounting cavity and is connected to the drive shaft for transmission, so as to drive the drive shaft to rotate in a first direction or a second direction. The elastic element is installed between the drive component and the output shaft. Wherein, the first direction is opposite to the second direction.

3. The Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The elastic element includes a torsion spring, which includes a helical coil, a first elastic arm, and a second elastic arm. The first elastic arm and the second elastic arm are respectively connected to the two ends of the helical coil. The drive shaft is provided with a drive block, and the output shaft is provided with an abutment block. The drive shaft rotates along the first direction to drive the drive block to abut against the first spring arm, so that the second spring arm abuts against the abutment block. The drive shaft rotates along the second direction to drive the drive block to abut against the second spring arm, so that the first spring arm abuts against the abutment block.

4. The Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The first elastic arm and the second elastic arm are both located inside the spiral coil and are arranged adjacent to each other. The first elastic arm and the second elastic arm also extend along the axial direction of the spiral coil. The drive block is provided on the periphery of the drive shaft, and the output shaft is provided with a torsion spring groove on the side facing the drive shaft. The abutment block is provided on the bottom wall of the torsion spring groove. The torsion spring is at least partially sleeved on the periphery of the drive shaft and at least partially accommodated in the torsion spring groove. The drive block and the abutment block are both located inside the first spring arm and the second spring arm.

5. The Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting cavity is provided with a rotating mounting part, and the peripheral wall of the rotating mounting part is provided with a first limiting part. The output shaft is rotatably mounted on the rotating mounting part and is provided with a second limiting part that moves and abuts against the first limiting part to limit the range of rotation of the output shaft.

6. The Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The first limiting part protrudes from the peripheral wall of the rotating mounting part and extends along the circumferential direction of the rotating mounting part. The first limiting part also has an avoidance notch formed on the peripheral wall of the rotating mounting part. The output shaft includes a rotating body, which is rotatably mounted on the rotating mounting portion and abuts against the first limiting portion. The rotating body also has a second limiting portion protruding from it. The second limiting portion is accommodated in the clearance notch portion. The second limiting portion movably abuts against both ends of the first limiting portion to limit the range of rotation of the output shaft.

7. The Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The housing assembly includes a bottom shell and a cover plate. The bottom shell is provided with a mounting groove, and the cover plate is connected to the bottom shell and covers the mounting groove to enclose and form the mounting cavity. The bottom wall of the mounting groove is provided with the connection hole, and the cover plate is provided with the operation hole, so that the operation end of the output shaft can extend out and be connected to the locking and unlocking mechanism of the lock.

8. The Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The output shaft rotates relative to the locking / unlocking mechanism to have an unlocked state and a locked state. The lock cylinder module also includes a detection component, which is electrically connected to the control component. The detection component is used to detect whether the output shaft is in the unlocked state or the locked state.

9. The Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The bottom wall of the mounting slot is also provided with a transparent window, and the detection component includes a status indicator, which displays the detection result of the detection component through the transparent window.

10. A lock, characterized in that, The lock includes an unlocking / locking mechanism and a Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the lock further has a mounting hole, the Type-C self-driven electronic lock cylinder is mounted in the mounting hole, and the output shaft is drivenly connected to the unlocking / locking mechanism to drive the unlocking / locking mechanism to perform unlocking / locking operations.

11. The lock as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The housing assembly has an annular groove recessed on its periphery, and the housing assembly also includes a sealing ring, which is embedded in the annular groove and at least partially extends out of the annular groove.

Images