Length-adjustable knob lock cylinder

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a locking cylinder according to the generic term of claim 1.

[0002] A locking cylinder of the type described above is described in DE 103 02 887 B4. The locking cylinder described therein has a cylinder core on a side, particularly on the outside of the door, which is rotationally locked by pin tumblers in a known manner. The cylinder core has a keyway for inserting a key. The locking pins are aligned by inserting the appropriate key so that the cylinder core can be rotated. The tip of the key engages a locking element via a coupling, which, in the engaged state, can be rotated by the key to open a door lock. The coupling forms a slide that sits in a cavity on the end face of a drive shaft. The drive shaft is rotationally fixed to the locking element. The other, free end of the drive shaft protrudes from the cylinder housing on the side opposite the cylinder core and carries an operating knob.The operating knob can be attached to the drive shaft at various distances from the locking element at its free end. The drive shaft extends through a cavity in a housing end piece, which is attached to a main housing part at a variable distance from the locking element. The drive shaft is axially secured by a retaining ring that connects it to the housing end piece.

[0003] DE 202006 007 234 U1 describes a motor unit for an electric lock. A motor-operated lock is previously known from BO 2009 / 061144 A2. DE 19854454 A1 describes a locking cylinder with operating knobs in which a motor is arranged. The locking cylinder is engaged by a groove. An electronically programmable locking system with a lock and a key is previously known from DE 19603320 A1. EP 1 574 643 A1 describes a modular electromechanical locking cylinder.

[0004] The invention is based on the objective of improving the aforementioned locking cylinder.

[0005] The problem is solved by the invention specified in the claims. Claim 1 provides, firstly and essentially, that the locking cylinder has a coupling that can be brought into a clutch position by an electromechanical drive, with which the drive shaft with the locking element can be brought into a rotationally fixed state. In the uncoupled state, the drive shaft can rotate freely relative to the locking element. The electromechanical drive is preferably an electric motor with a reduction gear. The output shaft of the reduction gear drives a control cam. The control cam can be an axial wedge cam. The control cam runs concentrically around the axis of rotation of the output shaft of the reduction gear. An actuating pin is supported axially on the control cam and is acted against the control cam by means of a return spring.A clutch spring, supported against the actuating pin, couples the actuating pin to a clutch body. This clutch body is guided axially within a clutch housing. The locking element forms corresponding clutch recesses into which the clutch body engages to create a rotationally fixed coupling between the locking element and the drive shaft. If the clutch projections of the clutch body are not aligned with the clutch recesses of the locking element because the latter is twisted, the actuating pin can still be moved by the electromechanical drive. While the clutch body is not moved into the engaged position, the clutch spring is tensioned. As soon as the clutch projections are aligned with the clutch recesses by turning one of the two rotary knobs, the clutch body, driven by the clutch spring, engages in the clutch recess.It may be provided that a main housing part has an end face with two adjacent openings. These openings may be designed as bores. In this case, they are completely closed openings. One of the openings forms the bearing cavity for the drive shaft. This may be a through bore with an opening on each of two sides. One opening faces the end face, and the other faces a housing recess in which the locking element is mounted. The second opening surrounds a blind bore. This is a mounting cavity in which a mounting pin of the housing end piece sits. The mounting pin of the housing end piece may have a plurality of bores extending transversely to the direction of the mounting pin.A fastening element, in particular a fastening screw, can be inserted through these bores. The fastening element intersects the fastening cavity and the fastening pin. The fastening element can be inserted into either of the adjacent fastening bores. This defines the penetration depth of the fastening pin in the fastening cavity. The penetration depth defines the axial distance between the housing end piece and the locking element. The fastening cavity can also be designed differently. It can be open at the edges. The axial restraint of the drive shaft to the housing is preferably achieved by means of restraints that secure the drive shaft to the main housing part. The drive shaft can be rotated relative to the main housing part, but cannot be axially displaced relative to it.The bearing eye formed by the housing end piece can preferably be freely displaced axially over the drive shaft. The drive shaft is thus supported in the main housing part, since the bearing cavity formed by the main housing part has a correspondingly large axial length. The locking cylinder according to the invention is preferably a double locking cylinder. The drive shaft, which may be formed in one or more parts, extends through two aligned bearing cavities of the main housing part and bearing eyes of the end pieces corresponding to the end faces of the main housing part, and projects out of the bearing eyes of the housing end pieces with its two free ends pointing away from each other. An actuating knob is mounted on each free end of the drive shaft. Both actuating knobs can be attached to the drive shaft at different distances from the locking element.A fastening screw is preferably used for this purpose, which is screwed into one of several axially arranged fastening openings on the drive shaft. The locking cylinder is preferably an electromechanically actuated locking cylinder. The locking cylinder has an inner knob and an outer knob. An antenna is arranged in the outer knob, which can establish wireless communication with an identification medium. This identification medium can be a transponder bearing an individual identifier. It transmits this individual identifier wirelessly via the antenna to a control circuit, which is preferably located in the inner part of the drive shaft. This control electronics check whether the identification code grants access authorization. If so, the drive shaft is coupled to the clutch. Power is supplied by a battery, which is preferably located in the inner knob.To initiate wireless communication between the control circuit and a transponder via the antenna, an activation signal is required. This is achieved by pressing a button associated with the operating knob. To activate the button, a switch located in the circumferential section of the operating knob's handle cap must be moved slightly against the restoring force of a spring. Both the inner and outer operating knobs each have a handle cap. Pressing the button on the outer knob establishes wireless contact with the transponder. Pressing an optional button on the inner knob simply engages the coupling. Generally, rotating the electric motor by a specific angle is sufficient for this. The coupling position is maintained for a certain period of time.

[0006] After this time has elapsed, the connection between the locking element and the drive shaft is disengaged. The motor then rotates back. Instead of a mechanical push button, a proximity switch, in particular a capacitive proximity switch, can also be provided. In the variant described above, the drive shaft consists of two individual shafts rigidly coupled to each other. However, it is also possible for one drive shaft associated with the inner knob to be permanently coupled to the locking element, and only the drive shaft associated with the outer operating knob to be actively coupled to the locking element electromechanically. The two end pieces, and in particular the housing end piece associated with the outer knob, can be made of a hardened metal, especially steel. To fix the drive shaft to the main housing part, the drive shaft can have a circumferential groove into which the end section of a threaded shank of a fastening screw engages.This preferably refers to the fastening screw with which the housing end piece is attached to the main housing part. In a preferred embodiment, the clutch is directly activated when the push button associated with the inner knob is pressed. However, it is also possible that pressing the inner push button first establishes contact with a transponder. The clutch is only activated if a transponder with access authorization is near the cylinder. For this purpose, an additional antenna can be provided in the inner knob on the inside of the door.

[0007] In the simplest case, the transponder can be a passive chip. This can be attached to a key with a locking blade, allowing the key to operate mechanical locks. However, the lock can also be actively operated by a transmitter. This is a handheld transmitter that sends a unique identifier to the lock cylinder. When the lock cylinder receives a valid identifier, the coupling closes. Alternatively, an electric motor can open the lock or turn the lock cylinder. The corresponding transponder key with remote control can have several buttons. These buttons allow the lock cylinder to be operated remotely. In this version, the lock cylinder can also be operated manually, for example, via a push button. It is also possible to design the lock cylinder without a push button, so that it can only be operated remotely.

[0008] An embodiment of the invention is explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings. These show: Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a double-knob cylinder, Fig. 2 a longitudinal section through the locking cylinder, where the two operating knobs 6, 7 and the end pieces 2 assume their minimum axial distance to the locking element 3, Fig. 3 a section along the line III - III in Fig. 2 Fig. 4 a representation according to Fig. 2 , wherein the two actuating knobs 6, 7 and the end pieces 2 each have their maximum axial distance to the locking element 3, Fig. 5 a section along the line V - V in Fig. 3 enlarged in the uncoupled position, Fig. 6 a representation according to Fig. 5 , wherein the actuating pin 19 is moved into the coupling position, but not the coupling body 15, since the locking element 3 is rotated, Fig. 7 a representation according to Fig. 6 in the clutch position, Fig. 8 a perspective enlarged sectional view with omitted operating knobs and Fig. 9 a perspective view of the cut housing main part 1.

[0009] The locking cylinder shown in the drawings is an electromechanically operated double-knob locking cylinder. It consists of a central housing main part 1 (see figure). Fig. 9 ), which has two aligned bearing cavities 36, each containing a drive shaft 4, 5. The drive shaft is a hollow shaft. The two drive shafts 4, The five components are connected to each other in the central area of ​​the main housing part. There, the main housing part 1 has a recess in which a locking element 3 for actuating a door lock can be rotated around the drive shafts. 4, 5 is mounted. The two rigidly coupled drive shafts can be connected using an electromechanically actuated clutch.4, 5 are brought into a rotationally fixed connection with the locking element 3.

[0010] The main housing part 1 consists of a single, manufactured component. It has a hinged symmetry with respect to the section plane in Fig. 9 , which is the longitudinal median plane. The bearing cavity 36 has an opening 36' that runs along a circular plan. The fastening cavity 8 arranged in the profile section has a rim 8' that runs along an oval.

[0011] On the two free ends of the drive shafts 4, 5, Each of the drive shafts, which protrude from the main housing part 1 in a direction away from each other, has an actuating knob 6, 7. The free ends of the drive shafts 4,The 5 have screw-in openings 22 spaced 5 mm apart axially. A fastening screw 14, which is inserted into a fastening screw opening 39 of the core 30 of the actuating knob 6, 7, can optionally be screwed into one of the screw-in openings 22. This allows the axial distance of each actuating knob 6, 7 to the locking element 3 to be adjusted (see figure). Fig. 2 and 4 ).

[0012] The drive shafts 4, 5 are mounted for rotation in the two mutually aligned bearing cavities 36. The axial restraint of the drive shafts 4, 5 is also provided there. For axial restraint, the drive shaft 4 has a circumferential groove 27 into which the end section 10' of a fastening screw 10 engages.

[0013] A housing end piece 2 can be attached to the main housing part 1 at a variable distance from the locking element 3 using the fastening screw 10. The housing end piece 2 has a bearing eye 37 through which the drive shaft 4, 5 passes. The housing end piece 2 thus forms the end face of the overall housing. The housing end piece 2 is preferably made of a hardened metal, in particular steel, and thus forms a drill guard. The mounting recess 8 is located in the profile section of the main housing part 1. This is designed as a blind hole and is enclosed all around, just like the bearing recess 36. The mounting recess has an elongated shape. A mounting pin 9 of the housing end piece 2 is inserted into this mounting recess 8. The mounting pin 9 has several parallel mounting holes 11 oriented transversely to the extent of the mounting pin 9.The fastening screw 10 mentioned above can optionally be inserted through one of the fastening holes 11. This allows the distance between the housing end piece 2 and the locking element 3 to be adjusted. The fastening screw 10 not only intersects the fastening pin 9, but also the fastening recess 8.

[0014] The previously described lock cylinder can be easily attached to doors of varying thicknesses. With the operating knobs 6, 7 unscrewed, the main housing part 2, with end pieces 2 screwed to its ends, can be inserted into an interior door lock mounted on a door. The axial distance of the end pieces 2 from the strike plate 3 is first set by selecting a specific mounting hole 11, through which the mounting screw 10 passes. After inserting the lock cylinder into the opening of the door leaf, the two mounting knobs 6 are mounted on both sides and attached to the respective drive shafts 4, 5 at the optimal distance from the strike plate 3. For installation, it is sufficient to remove only one knob 6. The knob 6, along with its plastic core, is removed from the drive shaft 4. After removing the handle cap, the mounting screw 14 is loosened.The plastic core can then be pulled off the drive shaft 4.

[0015] According to the inventive design, the manufacture of the main housing part 1 is simplified. It is a substantially cylindrical body with a cylindrical base typical of a profile cylinder lock. The main housing part 1 forms two opposing end faces that lie in the same plane. The two end faces are parallel to each other and each has adjacent circular or rounded openings. One opening 36' forms the edge of the bearing cavity 36. An adjacent opening 8' forms the edge of the mounting cavity 8. The main housing part 1 can thus be manufactured from a correspondingly profiled extruded material. The opposing end faces are produced simply by cutting them to length. Only the aforementioned bores 36 and 8, as well as the recess for receiving the locking element 3, then need to be machined into the end faces.

[0016] The main electronic components are arranged in or lie within the outline of the drive shaft 4, 5, so that the lock cylinder can be inserted into the door opening with the operating knobs 6, 7 removed. Only the battery 28, which is located in a battery compartment 29 of the inner knob 7, is not integrated into the drive shaft 4, 5.

[0017] The door's exterior operating knob 6 has a core 30 made of an insulated material, in particular plastic. A handle cap 25 is fitted onto the core and is axially secured to the core by a thread 26. The outer wall of the outer handle cap 25 has several actuating projections 41 that interact with pushbuttons. Actuation of the pushbuttons causes a control circuit 23, located on the inside of the door in the drive shaft 5, to send a signal to a transponder via an antenna 24 situated in front of the end of the exterior drive shaft 4. The transponder sends an identification signal back to the antenna 24, which is evaluated by the control circuit 23. The antenna 24 is mounted on a circuit board 40, which is attached in front of the free end of the drive shaft 4.

[0018] The inner operating knob 7 also has a plastic core 30 with a cavity in which the free end of the drive shaft 5 is inserted. The battery compartment 29 is also covered by an axially fixed handle cap 25. A push button can also be provided here, which can be slightly repositioned. If the push button is pressed, or if the control circuit 23 detects that the transponder is authorized to open the door after the handle cap 25 of the outer knob 6 has been actuated, an electric motor 21 located in the drive shaft 5 is energized.

[0019] Instead of the pushbuttons described above, a proximity switch, in particular a capacitive proximity switch, can also be provided.

[0020] The electric motor 21 carries a control cam 20 on its output shaft, which has an axial pivot in the form of a thread-like ramp. This control cam 20, formed by the ramp, is scanned by the end of an actuating pin 19 mounted in a clutch housing 33. The actuating pin 19, which is axially displaceable against a return spring 17, has a groove 32 in which a disc 31 is supported, against which the return spring 17 acts.

[0021] The actuating pin 19 also has a second flange against which a clutch spring 18 is supported, which acts on a clutch body 15. The clutch body 15 is axially displaceable relative to the actuating pin 19 and is pressed against the disc 31 by the clutch spring 18.

[0022] The coupling body 15 has radially projecting coupling projections 15'. The coupling projections 15' of the coupling body 15 correspond to coupling recesses 16 of the locking element 3. The coupling recesses 16 are formed by the spaces between drive lugs 34. When the coupling body 15 is brought into the coupling recess 16 by rotating the motor 21 and the associated axial displacement of the actuating pin 19, the two drive shafts 4, 5 are rotationally fixed to the locking element 3 (see Figure 1). Fig. 7 If, in this state, one of the two operating knobs 6, 7 is turned, the locking element 3 is dragged along to operate a room door lock.

[0023] If, however, the actuating pin 19 is in a retracted position, the coupling body 15 is out of engagement with the drive lugs 34 (see figure). Fig. 5 If one of the actuating knobs 6, 7 is turned in this state, the locking element is not turned. If, when the actuating pin 19 is moved into the clutch position, the clutch body 15 is not in an alignment with the clutch recess 16, the clutch body 15 is not moved, but the clutch spring 18 is tensioned (see Figure 1). Fig. 6 If, in this state, one of the movement knobs 6, 7 is turned, the clutch body 15 rotates relative to the drive lug 34 until the clutch projections of the clutch body are aligned with the clutch recesses 16. The relaxing clutch spring 18 then moves the clutch body 15 into the engaged position (see figure). Fig. 7 ).

[0024] In variants not shown, the locking cylinder may only have an operating knob 6 that is electromechanically coupled to the locking element. This is preferably the outer knob. The inner knob may also be permanently rotatably connected to the locking element.

[0025] A magnetic drive can also be used instead of an electric motor. However, the motor is preferred.

[0026] The double cylinder lock has the advantage of being axially adjustable in both directions to suit the specific conditions. The cylinder housing can be length-adjusted on both sides. Both operating knobs can be individually adjusted in terms of their distance from the locking element.

[0027] All disclosed features are (in themselves) essential to the invention. The disclosure of this application also incorporates in full the disclosure content of the associated / attached priority documents (copy of the prior application), also for the purpose of including features of these documents in the claims of the present application. The dependent claims, in their optionally subordinated form, characterize independent inventive developments of the prior art, in particular for the purpose of filing divisional applications on the basis of these claims.

Claims

1. Lock cylinder with a drive shaft (4, 5) which can be coupled to the locking member (3) by means of an electrically operable coupling(15), wherein the coupling has a coupling body (15), which can slide axially against a return spring (17), and can be moved into a coupling recess (16) by an electromechanical drive (20, 21), characterized in that the coupling body (15) is connected to an operating pin (19) by a coupling spring (18), which operating pin can be moved by a control cam (20) that can be moved by the electromotive drive.

2. Lock cylinder according to claim 1, characterized in that the electromechanical drive is an electric motor (21).

3. Lock cylinder according to any one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the electromechanical drive drives a control cam formed as a rotating wedge (20).

4. Lock cylinder according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the coupling body (15) is guided in a coupling housing (33) of the drive shaft (5) so as to able to slide longitudinally.

5. Lock cylinder according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lock cylinder is a double knob lock cylinder, wherein an operating knob (6, 7) is fastened to each of the free ends of two drive shafts (4, 5), which are arranged axially one behind the other, at a variable spacing from the locking member (3) and each of the two end faces, which face away from each other, of the main housing part (1) have a housing end piece (2), which is fastened to the main housing part (1) at a position in which it is variably spaced from the locking member (3).

6. Lock cylinder according to claim 5, characterized in that, within an operating knob (6), in particular within the outer operating knob (6), an antenna (24) is arranged for wireless communication with a data carrier carrying a key code.

7. Lock cylinder according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an electronic control switch (23) is inserted within the drive shaft (4, 5) and in particular in a part of the drive shaft (5) associated with the inner operating knob (7).

8. Lock cylinder according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that a handle cap (25) of the operating knob (6,7) forms the operating member (41) of an electric button, in order to activate the control switch (23) for wireless communication.

9. Lock cylinder according to claim 8, characterized in that the handle cap (25) covers a fastening opening (39), in which the fastening screw (14) is inserted.

10. Lock cylinder according to any one of claims 5 to 9, characterized in that the housing end piece (2) consists of a hardened metal and in particular of a hardened steel.

11. Lock cylinder according to any one of the preceding claims, with a main housing part (1), which rotatably supports a locking member (3) and a drive shaft (4, 5) for rotating the locking member (3), a housing end piece (2), which has a bearing eye (37) through which the drive shaft (4, 5) passes and is fastened to the main housing part (1) at a position in which it is variably spaced from the locking member (3) and with an operating knob (6,7), which is fastened to the free end of the drive shaft (4, 5) at a position in which it is variably spaced from the locking member (3), characterized in that the end face of the main housing part has two adjacent openings (8', 36'), of which one (36') is associated with the bearing recess (36) and the other (8') is associated with a fastening recess (8), in which fastening recess (8) a fastening pin (9) of the housing end piece (2) is inserted.

12. Lock cylinder according to claim 11, characterized in that the fastening pin (9) is held in the fastening opening (8) by means of a fastening element (10), in particular a screw, intersecting said pin and the fastening opening (8).

13. Lock cylinder according to claim 11 or 12, characterized by adjacent through-holes (11), which extend transversely to the extension of the fastening pin (9), for the passage of the fastening element (10).

14. Lock cylinder according to any one of claims 5 to 13, characterized in that the operating knob (6, 7) is fastened to the drive shaft (4, 5) with a fastening screw (14), wherein the shank of the fastening screw (14) is inserted into one of multiple holes (22) in the drive shaft (4, 5), which are positioned one behind the other in the axial direction.