Mechanical key management node

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of mechanical key management nodes, it is related to intelligent security technology field, the node includes mechanical lock, lock female, card fixture and driving mechanism, lock female is located at lock cylinder end and is equipped with first card-embedded part, card fixture is equipped with the second card-embedded part matched with first card-embedded part, by driving mechanism drive card fixture moves, make second card-embedded part and the first card-embedded part in locking position form or cancel mechanical interlock, the utility model fuses mechanical lock high reliability and electric control technology, realized the key mandatory physical mistake management, only after authorization driving mechanism cancels interlock, allow lock cylinder to rotate to the locking angle that key can be pulled out, the management loophole of key mistake return, abuse is fundamentally eliminated in the application, with the impact resistance of mechanical structure, environmental resistance advantage and the convenience of intelligent control, traceability, especially applicable to shared economy, high security asset management and other fields needing to strengthen physical key control.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of mechanical lock technology, specifically to a mechanical key management node. Background Technology

[0002] Pin tumbler locks are the most classic and widely used lock structure, commonly found in filing cabinets, post office lockers, and other similar applications. This type of lock relies on the interaction between precision-machined pin tumbler components and a unique toothed key. The lock cylinder contains multiple sets of corresponding upper and lower pins. Under the action of springs, the lower pins partially enter the keyhole channel of the lock cylinder. When the correct key is inserted, the key teeth lift each lower pin to a specific height, aligning the contact interface between all the upper and lower pins with the boundary line between the lock cylinder and the lock housing. At this point, the mechanical constraint between the lock cylinder and the lock housing is released, allowing the lock cylinder to rotate freely. Once the lock cylinder rotates from its initial locking angle, the internal pin channels become misaligned, preventing the lower pins from returning to their initial state before key insertion. The key is then mechanically stuck inside the lock cylinder and cannot be removed.

[0003] In modern asset and access control, centralized and intelligent key management is crucial. While traditional pure RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) key management systems can achieve electronic recording and access verification, their reliability has significant shortcomings. First, RFID tags themselves are typically composed of a plastic shell and an internal chip antenna, making them weak in resistance to pressure, impact, high temperatures, and electromagnetic interference. They are prone to failure in harsh industrial environments or under intentional damage. Second, pure RFID key management systems rely too heavily on software-level "soft verification." Even if a user returns an incorrect RFID key card to the wrong node, although the system can issue a warning at the software level, it cannot physically prevent this erroneous operation. The key card can still be forcibly placed in any slot, which may lead to subsequent users taking the wrong key or discrepancies between the system record and the actual location of the key, causing management chaos and security vulnerabilities.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a solution that can provide a mandatory physical error prevention mechanism to ensure that the use and return of keys must follow the correct physical location, thereby eliminating the possibility of misoperation at the source. Utility Model Content

[0005] This invention provides a mechanical key management node, which, based on the mandatory physical error prevention advantage of the mechanical structure, eliminates the management chaos that may occur in existing RFID key management systems.

[0006] To achieve these objectives and other advantages of this utility model, a mechanical key management node is provided, including a mechanical lock. The mechanical lock includes a lock shell and a lock cylinder rotatably disposed within the lock shell. One end of the lock cylinder has a lock hole. The node further includes: a lock nut, which protrudes from the end of the lock cylinder away from the lock hole. The lock nut has a first locking part. When the lock cylinder rotates relative to the lock shell from a locked angle to an open angle, the first locking part rotates with the lock nut to the locked position; a locking member, which has a second locking part that matches the first locking part. The second locking part abuts against the first locking part in the locked position to prevent the lock cylinder from rotating; and a drive mechanism, whose actuating part is connected to the locking member for driving the locking member to move, so that the second locking part and the first locking part in the locked position form or release an obstructing relationship.

[0007] Preferably, the lock nut is a column coaxial with the lock cylinder, the outer peripheral wall of the lock nut is concave in an arc to form the first locking part, the locking member is a rotatable column with its axis parallel to the lock cylinder axis, the outer peripheral wall of the locking member is provided with a protrusion matching the first locking part as the second locking part, and the actuating part of the driving mechanism is connected to one end of the locking member.

[0008] Preferably, the driving mechanism is a rotary motor, the rotor of which is connected to the end of the fastener. When the first locking part is in the locked position, the rotary motor drives the second locking part to rotate into or out of the first locking part to form or release the blocking relationship.

[0009] Preferably, it also includes a front housing fixed to the outer periphery of the mechanical lock and a rear housing fixed to the outer periphery of the drive mechanism fixing part, wherein the front housing and the rear housing are detachably connected.

[0010] Preferably, a torsion spring is provided inside the front housing, with its two ends connected to the inner wall of the front housing and the outer wall of the lock cylinder, respectively. The torsion spring is in its maximum storage state when the lock cylinder is in the locking angle.

[0011] Preferably, the inner wall of the front housing is provided with a plurality of guide grooves along the axial direction, and the outer wall of the rear housing protrudes to form a plurality of guide strips. The guide grooves correspond one-to-one with the guide strips and are shaped to match. The outer wall of the rear housing is provided with a plurality of male snap fasteners circumferentially at the rear of the guide strips, and the outer wall of the front housing is provided with a plurality of female snap fasteners that are inserted and fixed to the male snap fasteners.

[0012] Preferably, it also includes a controller and an RFID identification module. The controller is electrically connected to the RFID identification module and the drive mechanism. When the RFID identification module verifies the data, it sends an open signal to the drive mechanism, causing the second locking part to release its obstruction relationship with the first locking part.

[0013] This utility model has at least the following beneficial effects: First, this utility model has the advantage of forced physical error prevention based on mechanical structure. Utilizing the working principle of the cylindrical mechanical lock itself, when the lock cylinder is in the opening angle, the key cannot be pulled out due to the misalignment of the pins. The drive mechanism controls the rotation of the locking device, so that its first locking part abuts against the first locking part on the lock nut, thereby forcibly locking the lock nut and the lock cylinder fixed thereto at the opening angle, and the key cannot be pulled out.

[0014] Secondly, this utility model significantly improves the environmental tolerance and physical reliability of the key management node. This application is composed of a mechanical cylindrical lock and a lock nut made of metal. Compared with traditional RFID nodes that rely on PC plastic shells and internal chip antennas, its mechanical strength, explosion-proof, wear resistance and high temperature resistance are particularly outstanding. It can better resist the impact of external forces, wear and the effects of harsh environments, and ensure long-term stable operation in harsh scenarios such as industrial and outdoor environments. This high reliability makes the node particularly suitable for fields with strict requirements on the robustness of equipment.

[0015] Third, this utility model innovatively integrates mechatronics intelligent control with mechanical coercion. The controller precisely controls the rotation of the motor-driven fastener based on the RFID verification result to determine whether to release the obstruction of the lock nut. The final execution result of all electronic commands is reflected in the hard control of the physical state of the mechanical key, forming a double insurance of "electronic authorization and mechanical execution", which combines the convenience of intelligent management with the absolute reliability of mechanical constraints.

[0016] Other advantages, objectives and features of this invention will be partly apparent from the following description, and partly understood by those skilled in the art through study and practice of this invention. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall device in one technical solution of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a disassembly diagram of the device in one technical solution of this utility model; Figure 3 These are front and back views of the device in one technical solution of this utility model; Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of section A of the device in one technical solution of this utility model; Reference numerals: 1-Mechanical lock, 11-Lock housing, 12-Lock cylinder, 10-Lock hole, 2-Lock nut, 20-First locking part, 3-Locking part, 31-Second locking part, 4-Rotary motor, 5-Front housing, 51-Rear housing, 50-Guide groove, 510-Guide strip, 6-Mr. latch, 61-Mother. latch, 7-Controller, 8-Torsion spring. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that those skilled in the art can implement it based on the description.

[0019] It should be understood that terms such as “having,” “comprising,” and “including” as used herein do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other elements or combinations thereof.

[0020] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the experimental methods described in the following embodiments are conventional methods, and the components described are commercially available unless otherwise specified. In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly stated and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "setting" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connection or setting, detachable connection or setting, or integral connection or setting. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances. The terms "lateral," "longitudinal," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description. They do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

[0021] like Figure 1-4 As shown, the technical solution of this application provides a mechanical key management node, including a mechanical lock 1. The mechanical lock 1 includes a lock shell 11 and a lock cylinder 12 rotatably disposed within the lock shell 11. One end of the lock cylinder 12 has a lock hole 10. The device also includes: a lock nut 2, which protrudes from one end of the lock cylinder 12 away from the lock hole 10. The lock nut 2 is provided with a first locking part 20. When the lock cylinder 12 rotates relative to the lock shell 11 from the locked angle to the unlocked angle, the first locking part 20 rotates with the lock nut 2 to the locked position; a locking member 3, which is provided with a second locking part 31 that matches the first locking part 20. The second locking part 31 abuts against the first locking part 20 in the locked position to prevent the lock cylinder 12 from rotating; and a driving mechanism, whose actuating part is connected to the locking member 3, for driving the locking member 3 to move, so that the second locking part 31 and the first locking part 20 in the locked position form or release the blocking relationship.

[0022] In this technical solution, such as Figure 1As shown, the mechanical lock 1 is a classic cylindrical pin tumbler lock structure, with its lock cylinder 12 rotatably mounted inside the lock housing 11. When the correct key is inserted into the keyhole 10, the key's teeth lift the lower pin inside the lock cylinder 12 to a specific height, aligning its interface with the upper pin with the shear line between the lock cylinder 12 and the lock housing 11. This releases the rotational constraint between the lock housing 11 and the lock cylinder 12. At this point, the key can be rotated to rotate the lock cylinder 12 from the locking angle to the opening angle. During this process, the lock nut 2, fixed to the tail end of the lock cylinder 12, rotates synchronously with the lock cylinder 12, and its first locking part 20 reaches the predetermined locking position. The locking element 3 is driven by the actuating part of the drive mechanism, and its second locking part 31 can move to abut against the first locking part 20 in the locking position, thereby forming mechanical interference and preventing the lock nut 2 and the lock cylinder 12 from rotating back to the locking angle. The working principle of this structure is to achieve physical key management through precise control of the mechanical locking state by the electronically controlled drive mechanism.

[0023] In this technical solution, the specific form of the first locking part 20 is not limited to one type. For example, it can be an arc-shaped groove, a radial through hole, or a protruding locking block machined on the outer peripheral wall of the lock nut 2. The locking part 3 that matches the first locking part 20 has a second locking part 31 that can form an insertion, snap, or abutment relationship with the groove, hole, or locking block. The actuating part of the driving mechanism is connected to the locking part 3 and is used to drive its movement. The driving mechanism is also not limited to a specific type. For example, the first locking part 20 is a groove on the lock nut, and the driving mechanism can be a linear motor. Its push rod acts as an actuating part to directly push the locking part 3 to make linear movement, so that the second locking part 31 inserts into or exits the first locking part 20. The driving mechanism can also be a rotary motor, and the locking part 3 is a column with a protruding structure. The protruding structure serves as the second locking part 31. The rotation of the locking part 3 is controlled by the driving mechanism, thereby realizing the locking and disengagement of the second locking part 31 from the first locking part 20.

[0024] In this technical solution, when the system needs to lock the key, the drive mechanism drives the locking member 3 to move, causing the second locking part 31 to mechanically interlock with the first locking part 20 in the locked position. Since the lock cylinder 12 cannot rotate back to the initial locking angle, the key is forcibly retained in the keyhole 10 and cannot be removed. When authorized, the drive mechanism drives the locking member 3 to move in the opposite direction to release the obstruction between the first locking part 20 and the second locking part 31. The user can then rotate the key to turn the lock cylinder 12 and remove the key. This technical solution creatively combines the characteristics of traditional mechanical locks with electromechanical control, using a simple and reliable mechanical locking mechanism to achieve absolute physical error prevention, ensuring that the key can only be returned and locked normally at its unique matching node, greatly improving the reliability and security of key management.

[0025] In another technical solution, the lock nut 2 is a column coaxial with the lock cylinder 12. The outer peripheral wall of the lock nut 2 is concave to form the first locking part 20. The locking member 3 is a rotatable column with its axis parallel to the axis of the lock cylinder 12. The outer peripheral wall of the locking member 3 is provided with a protrusion that matches the first locking part 20 as the second locking part 31. The actuating part of the driving mechanism is connected to one end of the locking member 3. In this technical solution, the driving mechanism can be a rotary motor 4. Its rotor is directly connected to the end of the locking member 3 or formed by a transmission connection through gears or couplings. When the lock cylinder 12 rotates to the opening angle, driving the first locking part 20 on the lock nut 2 to rotate to the predetermined locking position, the rotary motor 4 receives a command to drive the locking member 3 to rotate around its own axis. The second locking part 31 protruding on the outer wall of the locking member 3 then screws into the concave first locking part 20 on the lock nut 2, thereby achieving a tight locking between the two. The locking mechanism mechanically prevents any rotational tendency of the lock nut 2 and the lock cylinder 12. When the key needs to be released, the drive structure receives a reverse rotation command and drives the locking member 3 to rotate in the opposite direction, so that the second locking part 31 on it is rotated out of the groove of the first locking part 20, thereby releasing the mechanical obstruction. Personnel can smoothly drive the lock cylinder 12 back to the locking angle with the key in the keyhole 10 before pulling the key out.

[0026] This technical solution features a compact structure, direct transmission, and precise action. By designing the movement of the clamp 3 as a rotational motion around an axis, it effectively utilizes space, making the overall structural layout more reasonable. It is especially suitable for scenarios with limited installation space and reduces the risk of failure caused by complex transmission. The rotating interlocking method of the protrusion and groove provides a large contact surface, uniform force distribution, and reliable and durable mechanical interlocking, effectively ensuring the long-term stability of the key management node under frequent operation.

[0027] In another technical solution, the drive mechanism is a rotary motor 4, whose rotor is connected to the end of the fastener 3. When the first locking part 20 is in the locked position, the rotary motor 4 drives the second locking part 31 to rotate into or out of the first locking part 20 to form or release the blocking relationship. The output motion of the rotary motor 4 is perfectly matched with the required rotational motion of the fastener 3, eliminating the need for an additional motion conversion mechanism, simplifying the transmission chain, improving transmission efficiency and response speed, and reducing the risk of failure caused by complex mechanical structures. The stator of the rotary motor 4 is fixed to the external structure, providing stable support for the entire drive mechanism and ensuring smooth and precise power output. In another technical solution, a front housing 5 fixed to the outer periphery of the mechanical lock 1 and a rear housing 51 fixed to the outer periphery of the drive mechanism fixing part are also included. The front housing 5 and the rear housing 51 are detachably connected. In this technical solution, the front housing 5 and the rear housing 51 together form a sealed and robust protective unit, which is used to house the lock nut 2, the fastener 3 and the actuating part of the drive mechanism. The front housing 5 is used to support and fix the mechanical lock 1, while the rear housing 51 provides an installation base for the drive mechanism. The two are assembled in a detachable manner, which greatly facilitates production assembly and subsequent maintenance. When it is necessary to inspect or replace internal components, it is only necessary to separate the front housing 5 and the rear housing 51 to directly operate on the core components such as the lock nut 2, the fastener 3 and the actuating part of the drive mechanism without damaging the overall structure. This significantly improves the maintainability and service life of the node. At the same time, the housing also provides effective physical protection and electromagnetic shielding for the internal precision mechanical and electrical control components, ensuring the stable operation of the node in various environments.

[0028] In another technical solution, a torsion spring 8 is provided inside the front housing 5. The two ends of the torsion spring 8 are connected to the inner wall of the front housing 5 and the outer wall of the lock cylinder 12, respectively. When the lock cylinder 12 is at the locking angle, the torsion spring 8 is in its maximum stored state. In this technical solution, since in key management, when returning the key, the operator generally only inserts the key into the keyhole 10 and leaves, without turning the lock cylinder 12 to the preset opening angle, the locking fastener 3 cannot form a blocking relationship with the lock nut 2. Therefore, the torsion spring 8 provides a stable automatic reset torque for the lock cylinder 12. When the user takes out the key, the lock cylinder 12 is rotated from the opening angle to the locking angle. When the key is removed from the lock cylinder 10, the action will twist and compress the torsion spring 8, causing the energy stored in the torsion spring 8 to continuously increase. When the key is removed from the lock cylinder 10, the lower pin in the lock cylinder 12 returns to its original position, and the interface between the lower pin and the upper pin is misaligned, forming a rotational constraint between the lock cylinder 12 and the lock shell 11. The torsion spring 8 remains in its maximum stored state. When the key is returned by the user, after the key is inserted into the lock cylinder 10, the interface between the lower pin and the upper pin is aligned with the shear line between the lock cylinder 12 and the lock shell 11, thereby releasing the rotational constraint between the lock shell 11 and the lock cylinder 12. The torsion spring 8 immediately releases its stored elastic potential energy, driving the lock cylinder 12 to automatically, accurately and quickly rotate back to the preset opening angle.

[0029] In another technical solution, the inner wall of the front housing 5 is provided with several guide grooves 50 along the axial direction, and the outer wall of the rear housing 51 protrudes to form several guide strips 510. The guide grooves 50 and the guide strips 510 correspond one-to-one and match in shape. The outer wall of the rear housing 51 is provided with several male snap fasteners 6 circumferentially at the rear of the guide strips 510. The outer wall of the front housing 5 is provided with several female snap fasteners 61 that are inserted and fixed to the male snap fasteners 6. In this technical solution, the precise cooperation between the guide grooves 50 and the guide strips 510 ensures that the front housing 5 and the rear housing 51 are quickly and accurately aligned axially during assembly, preventing circumferential misalignment or skew between the two housings. After alignment, by applying axial thrust, the male snap fasteners 6 of the rear housing 51 and the corresponding female snap fasteners 61 engage elastically to complete the insertion and fixing. This connection method can achieve quick assembly and disassembly by hand without any tools, which greatly improves the production assembly efficiency and the convenience of on-site maintenance.

[0030] In another technical solution, a controller 7 and an RFID identification module are also included. The controller 7 is electrically connected to the RFID identification module and the drive mechanism. When the RFID identification module verifies the data, it sends an opening signal to the drive mechanism, causing the second locking part to release its obstruction of the first locking part 20. Figure 3 As shown, the controller 7 is installed at the lower part of the rear housing 51. The controller 7 is an embedded microcontroller unit (MCU), which, through its internally preset control logic program, is responsible for receiving external commands and sensor signals, performing logical judgments, and ultimately outputting precise control signals and drive currents to the drive mechanism to command it to perform corresponding actions. The RFID identification module is a non-contact automatic identification unit, including a card reader antenna and a decoding chip. The RFID identification module can be installed on the inner wall, outer wall, or outer panel of the front housing 5 or the rear housing 51, with its antenna sensing area facing outwards for easy card swiping. The RFID identification module establishes a data connection with the controller 7 through a standard serial communication interface, uploading the read RFID card identity ID data to the controller 7 in real time for authorization comparison and verification.

[0031] For example, in applications such as car-sharing and hotel management, keys can be stored in this node. Users can only retrieve the keys after verification by the controller 7 using an authorized RFID card. The system records the user and time of retrieval simultaneously. This solution tightly integrates the physical management of traditional keys with modern identity authentication technology, providing an efficient, reliable, and mandatory solution for access control of various important assets.

[0032] The number of devices and processing scale described herein are for the purpose of simplifying the description of this utility model. Applications, modifications, and variations of this utility model will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0033] Although the embodiments of this utility model have been disclosed above, they are not limited to the applications listed in the specification and embodiments. They can be applied to various fields suitable for this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other modifications can be easily made. Therefore, without departing from the general concept defined by the claims and their equivalents, this utility model is not limited to the specific details and the illustrations shown and described herein.

Claims

1. A mechanical key management node, comprising a mechanical lock (1), the mechanical lock (1) comprising a lock housing (11) and a lock cylinder (12) rotatably disposed within the lock housing (11), wherein one end of the lock cylinder (12) is provided with a keyhole (10), characterized in that, Also includes: A lock nut (2) is provided at one end of the remote lock hole (10) of the lock cylinder (12). A first locking part (20) is provided on the lock nut (2). When the lock cylinder (12) rotates from the locking angle to the opening angle relative to the lock shell (11), the first locking part (20) rotates with the lock nut (2) to the locking position. The fastener (3) is provided with a second fastening part (31) that matches the first fastening part (20). The second fastening part (31) abuts against the first fastening part (20) in the locked position to prevent the lock cylinder (12) from rotating. The driving mechanism, whose actuating part is connected to the locking device (3), is used to drive the locking device (3) to move, so that the second locking part (31) and the first locking part (20) in the locked position form or release the blocking relationship.

2. The mechanical key management node as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The lock nut (2) is a column coaxial with the lock cylinder (12). The outer peripheral wall of the lock nut (2) is concave in an arc to form the first locking part (20). The locking part (3) is a rotatable column with its axis parallel to the axis of the lock cylinder (12). The outer peripheral wall of the locking part (3) is provided with a protrusion that matches the first locking part (20) as the second locking part (31). The actuating part of the driving mechanism is connected to one end of the locking part (3).

3. The mechanical key management node as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The driving mechanism is a rotary motor (4), whose rotor is connected to the end of the fastener (3). When the first locking part (20) is in the locked position, the rotary motor (4) drives the second locking part (31) to rotate into or out of the first locking part (20) to form or release the blocking relationship.

4. The mechanical key management node as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a front housing (5) fixed to the outer periphery of the mechanical lock (1) and a rear housing (51) fixed to the outer periphery of the drive mechanism fixing part, wherein the front housing (5) and the rear housing (51) are detachably connected.

5. The mechanical key management node as described in claim 4, characterized in that, A torsion spring (8) is provided inside the front housing (5). The two ends of the torsion spring (8) are connected to the inner wall of the front housing (5) and the outer wall of the lock cylinder (12), respectively. When the lock cylinder (12) is in the locking angle, the torsion spring (8) is in the maximum storage state.

6. The mechanical key management node as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The inner wall of the front housing (5) is provided with a plurality of guide grooves (50) along the axial direction, and the outer wall of the rear housing (51) protrudes outward to form a plurality of guide strips (510). The guide grooves (50) and the guide strips (510) correspond one-to-one and match in shape. The outer wall of the rear housing (51) is provided with a plurality of snap-fit ​​male heads (6) in the circumferential direction at the rear part of the guide strips (510), and the outer wall of the front housing (5) is provided with a plurality of snap-fit ​​female heads (61) that are inserted and fixed to the snap-fit ​​male heads (6).

7. The mechanical key management node as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a controller (7) and an RFID identification module. The controller (7) is electrically connected to the RFID identification module and the drive mechanism. When the RFID identification module passes the verification, it sends an opening signal to the drive mechanism, so that the second locking part (31) releases its blocking relationship with the first locking part (20).

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