Anti-impressioning cylinder lock
The anti-impressioning lock cylinder uses coding pins with a sliding zone to thwart impressioning techniques by thrusting pins towards driver pins, enhancing security by complicating the guessing of key codes, thus preventing unauthorized access.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- TALLERES DE ESCORIAZA SA
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-20
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-24
AI Technical Summary
Existing lock cylinders are vulnerable to impressioning techniques, allowing burglars to silently open secure locks using devices like 'Topolino' that facilitate cloning the key code without material deposition, posing a significant security threat.
The anti-impressioning lock cylinder features coding pins with a sliding zone that progressively decreases in diameter from the head to the tip, ensuring that when a key without cuts is inserted, the pins are thrust towards the driver pins, making it impossible to deduce their length, thus preventing impressioning.
The design enhances security by requiring burglars to identify both the position and length of the coding pins, significantly complicating the process of guessing the correct key code, thereby providing improved resistance to impressioning attacks.
Smart Images
Figure IMGAF001_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to lock cylinders resistant to forced entry by means of the technique known as "impressioning technique", or anti-impressioning lock cylinders.PRIOR ART
[0002] Nowadays, the use of impressioning techniques to open locks is known. These impressioning techniques, also known as key impressioning, wax impressioning techniques, etc., consist of using a blank key whose coding is cancelled, on which a layer of resin, wax, or other material that is easily deformable or removable by abrasion is deposited. The impressioning of said blank key is carried out by inserting it into a lock cylinder, and continuously moving the key in an alternating clockwise and counterclockwise rotation. This movement causes the heads of the coding pins to abut against the layer of material deposited on the blank key, deforming or abrading it until the thickness of the key in front of each of the coding pins corresponds to that of a valid key for the lock cylinder. At this point, the key impressioning has been made and the lock can be opened.
[0003] These impressioning techniques allow very secure locks to be opened silently, which is why they have recently become popular among burglars. This has recently been exacerbated by the marketing of devices such as the so-called "Topolino", which allow the impressioning technique to be used to clone a lock key without the need to deposit a layer of material to impression the key code. These devices do not require any skills to carry out the impressioning technique, and therefore pose a threat to the security of locks.
[0004] WO2024062505A1 describes a forced entry resistant lock cylinder comprising a stator within which a rotor having a longitudinal channel through which a key is inserted rotates. The lock cylinder has coding pins and driver pins facing each other which slide within rotor and stator ducts arranged perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotor. At least one of the coding pins has an axially symmetrical shape and, at its end that abuts against the front of the respective driver pin, comprises a disc-shaped head which has a larger diameter than the portion of the coding pin next to said head. Said coding pin has a frustoconical-shaped ring following its head, such that when trying to turn the key in the lock cylinder, the edge of the inner part of the duct in which said coding pin slides abuts against said frustoconical-shaped ring, producing a thrust of the coding pin towards its respective driver pin and towards the bottom of the duct in which it is arranged.
[0005] When using an impressioning technique on the lock cylinder, initially, by continuously moving the key in an alternating clockwise and counterclockwise rotation, the coding pin is impressioned, i.e. the material deposited on the blank key is deformed. This deformation occurs until the coding pin is arranged in such a position that its frustoconical-shaped ring is arranged at the interface between the rotor and the stator, at which point, when a rotational movement of the key is applied, the edge of the inner part of the duct in which the coding pin slides abuts against the frustoconical-shaped ring, producing a thrust of the pin towards the respective driver pin, at which point, the coding pin is no longer impressioned.
[0006] The coding pins of a lock cylinder can have a predetermined number of different discrete lengths, each of which corresponds to a predetermined depth level of the respective cut of the key. Thus, in the lock cylinder of WO2024062505A1, once a sufficient number of alternating clockwise and counterclockwise rotational movements of the key have been performed such that the at least one coding pin having the frustoconical-shaped ring is no longer impressioned, it is relatively easy to obtain the correct key code. Said code will correspond to the code already impressioned on the blank key, where, in those positions where there are coding pins with a frustoconical-shaped ring, the respective cut on the key is only one level deeper. For this reason, obtaining the correct code is relatively easy.DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The object of the invention is to provide an anti-impressioning lock cylinder, as defined in the claims.
[0008] The anti-impressioning lock cylinder of the invention comprises a stator and a rotor configured to rotate in a stator bore. The rotor comprises a longitudinal channel along which are arranged a plurality of coding pins facing a plurality of respective driver pins which can slide loosely within rotor and stator ducts which are arranged perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotor. The longitudinal channel is configured for the insertion of a key comprising a key blade with a plurality of cuts arranged in the longitudinal direction of the key and forming a code. The coding pins comprise a tip configured to cooperate with the respective cut and a head facing the respective driver pin, such that at least one coding pin comprises a sliding zone between its head and its tip whose diameter progressively decreases from the end of said sliding zone closest to the head towards the opposite end. The sliding zone of the at least one coding pin is arranged in such a position that, when a key blade without cuts is inserted into the lock cylinder and an attempt is made to rotate the rotor, said sliding zone abuts against the edge of the end of the respective rotor duct, resulting in a thrust of said at least one coding pin towards the respective driver pin and towards the bottom of the respective stator duct.
[0009] In the anti-impressioning lock cylinder of the invention, when a key blade without cuts is inserted therein and an attempt is made to rotate the rotor, the at least one coding pin with a sliding zone is pushed towards its respective driver pin, so that it cannot be impressioned. Thereby, a burglar trying to open the lock cylinder of the invention by means of an impressioning technique will not be able to deduce the length of said rotor pin with sliding zone, since any of the discrete lengths of the coding pins of said cylinder would be possible, unlike in the prior art, thus providing an anti-impressioning lock cylinder with improved security.
[0010] These and other advantages and features of the invention will become apparent in view of the figures and the detailed description of the invention.DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] Figure 1 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the anti-impressioning lock cylinder 1 according to the invention. Figure 2 shows the cross-sectional view of the anti-impressioning lock cylinder of figure 1 with a blank key on which a material has been deposited, which is equivalent to a key without cuts. Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the I-I plane of figure 2 in which the key has been rotated by a few degrees. Figure 4 shows a first embodiment of the coding pins with sliding zone for an anti-impressioning lock cylinder 1 according to the invention. Figure 5 shows a second embodiment of the coding pins with sliding zone for an anti-impressioning lock cylinder 1 according to the invention. DETAILED DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The anti-impressioning lock cylinder of the invention comprises a stator 2 and a rotor 3 configured to rotate in a bore of the stator 2. The rotor 3 comprises a longitudinal channel 4 along which are arranged a plurality of coding pins 5 facing a plurality of respective driver pins 6 which can slide loosely within rotor ducts 7 and stator ducts 8 which are arranged perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of the rotor 3. The longitudinal channel 4 is configured for the insertion of a key comprising a key blade with a plurality of cuts arranged in the longitudinal direction of the key and forming a code. The coding pins 5 comprise a tip 51 configured to cooperate with the respective cut and a head 52 facing the respective driver pin 6, such that at least one coding pin 5' comprises a sliding zone 53 between its head 52 and its tip 51 whose diameter progressively decreases from the end of said sliding zone closest to the head 531 towards the opposite end. The sliding zone 53 of the at least one coding pin 5' is arranged in such a position that, when a key blade 91 without cuts is inserted into the lock cylinder 1 and an attempt is made to rotate the rotor 3, said sliding zone 53 abuts against the edge of the end of the respective rotor duct 7, resulting in a thrust of said at least one coding pin 5' towards the respective driver pin 6 and towards the bottom of the respective stator duct 8.
[0013] The anti-impressioning cylinder 1 of the invention is configured to be used with a flat key. The key comprises in its key blade a plurality of cuts which are configured to cooperate with the respective coding pins 5 and the respective driver pins 6. The coding pins 5 and the driver pins 6 are pushed by springs 10 towards the longitudinal channel 4. When a valid key is fully inserted into the lock cylinder 1, the end of each coding pin 5 facing the respective driver pin 6 is arranged in alignment with the contour of the rotor 3 allowing the rotor 3 to rotate. The coding pins 5 of the lock cylinder 1 may have a predetermined number of different discrete lengths, each of which corresponds to a predetermined depth level of the respective cut in the key. Thus, the cut with the maximum depth level corresponds to the coding pin 5 with the longest length, while the cut with the minimum depth level corresponds to the coding pin 5 with the shortest length.
[0014] When the so-called impressioning techniques are used to open the lock cylinder 1, instead of using a valid key for the lock cylinder 1, a key blade 91 which has the cuts at the maximum depth level is used, or a key blade 91 with through holes at the positions of the cuts, on which a layer of resin, wax, or other material that is easily deformable or removable by abrasion is deposited, such that, once the material is deposited, the cuts are at the minimum depth level, the resulting blade after such deposition of material being equivalent to a key blade without cuts. The "Topolino" tool, however, uses a key blade 91 on which it is not necessary to deposit any material, but incorporates a plurality of pin lifters which are initially arranged in a position corresponding to that of the cuts when they are at their minimum depth level, and which, as the impressioning is carried out, move until they are positioned at the depth level corresponding to the key code. In order to carry out the impressioning, it is necessary to perform a sufficient number of alternating clockwise and counterclockwise key rotation movements, so that the material deposited on the key blade 91 is deformed or removed, or the pin lifters are moved to a position corresponding to the code of a valid key, thus opening the lock.
[0015] Therefore, in the context of the invention it is considered that a key blade 91 without cuts is equivalent to any of the key blades suitable to be used in the impressioning techniques known in the prior art.
[0016] Figures 1 and 2 show a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the anti-impressioning lock cylinder 1 according to the invention, without any key inserted, and wherein a key blade 91 without cuts has been inserted respectively. The key blade 91 without cuts of figure 2 is a key blade with a plurality of cuts 92 in the positions corresponding to the coding pins 5 of the lock cylinder 1 whose depth level is the maximum depth level, and on which a deformable material 11 has been deposited, which, for all purposes, is equivalent to a key blade 91 without cuts. As shown in figure 3, once said key blade 91 without cuts is inserted into the lock cylinder 1, when a clockwise or counterclockwise rotational movement of the key blade 91 is performed, the sliding zone 53 of the at least one coding pin 5' abuts against the edge of the end of the respective rotor duct 7, resulting in a thrust of said coding pin 5' towards the respective driver pin 6 and towards the bottom of the respective stator duct 8, in such a way that the coding pin 5' with the sliding zone 53 is not impressioned on the key blade 91. In this way, if a burglar tries to open the lock cylinder 1 of the invention by means of an impressioning technique, he will not be able to deduce the length of the rotor pin 5' with sliding zone 53, since any of the discrete lengths for the coding pins 5 of said lock cylinder 1 would be possible. In this way, a more secure anti-impressioning lock cylinder is obtained than those known in the prior art, given that in order to guess the correct key code, in addition to having to identify the position in which the coding pin 5' is arranged in the lock cylinder 1, it is also necessary to identify the length of the latter.
[0017] In one embodiment of the lock cylinder 1 of the invention, at least two coding pins 5' comprise sliding zones 53 which are the same, the distance D from the end of the sliding zone closest to the head 531 to the tip 51 being the same on said coding pins 5'. Thus, if a burglar tries to open the lock cylinder 1 of the invention by means of an impressioning technique, he will not be able to deduce the length of any of the coding pins 5' with sliding zone 53, as these do not get impressioned.
[0018] In the embodiment shown in figures 1 and 2, the lock cylinder 1 comprises two coding pins 5' each comprising a sliding zone 53, both sliding zones 53 being the same, and such that the distance D from the end of the sliding zone closest to the head 531 of each coding pin 5' to the respective tip 51 is the same in both coding pins 5'. The remaining coding pins 5 do not have such a sliding zone 53 incorporated. The coding pins 5' with sliding zone 53 are specifically the coding pins 5' arranged in the third and fifth positions of the lock cylinder 1, the positions of said coding pins being numbered starting from the front side of the lock cylinder 1 where the key is inserted.
[0019] In other embodiments of the lock cylinder 1, the number of coding pins 5' comprising a sliding zone 53 may be different. In such other embodiments, the sliding zones 53 of all code pins 5' comprising such a sliding zone 53 are the same, the distance D from the end of the sliding zone closest to the head 531 of each coding pin 5' to the respective tip 51 being the same for all of them. Thus, the more coding pins 5' have incorporated said sliding zone 53, the greater the security of the lock cylinder 1 against an impressioning attack of said lock cylinder 1.
[0020] In one embodiment of the lock cylinder 1 of the invention, the coding pins 5' have an axially symmetrical shape. That is to say, the two parts resulting from dividing the coding pin 5' by a plane containing the axis of said coding pin 5 are symmetrical with respect to each other.
[0021] Figures 4 and 5 show a first and a second embodiment of the coding pins 5' of a lock cylinder 1 according to the invention, wherein a plurality of coding pins 5' with different lengths are observed in each of them. In both figures, it can be seen that the distance D from the end of the sliding zone closest to the head 531 to the tip 51 is the same for all the coding pins 5', irrespective of the length of each of said coding pins 5'. Thus, if a burglar tries to open the lock cylinder 1 of the invention by means of an impressioning technique, the sliding zone 53 of said coding pins 5' abuts simultaneously against the edge of the end of the respective rotor duct 7, resulting in a thrust of all coding pins 5' with sliding zone 53 towards the respective driver pin 6 and towards the bottom of the respective stator duct 8.
[0022] In one embodiment of the lock cylinder 1, the sliding zone 53 has a frustoconical shape. In another embodiment, the sliding zone 53 has a frustoconical shape with a concave curved profile.
[0023] In one embodiment of the lock cylinder 1, the tip 51 of the coding pin 5' is conical in shape. In another embodiment, said tip 51 of the coding pin 5' has a frustoconical shape. In another embodiment of the lock cylinder 1, the tip 51 of the coding pin 5' has a dome or half-sphere shape.
[0024] The coding pins 5' shown in figures 4 and 5 have the sliding zone 53 with a frustoconical shape with a concave curved profile, and their tip 51 has a frustoconical shape.
[0025] In one embodiment of the lock cylinder 1, the maximum diameter of the sliding zone 53 corresponds to the maximum diameter of the head 52.
[0026] In both the coding pins 5' shown in figure 4 and figure 5 the maximum diameter of the sliding zone 53, which corresponds to the diameter at the end of the sliding zone closest to the head 531, is equal to the maximum diameter of the head 52.
[0027] In one embodiment of the lock cylinder 1, the head 52 comprises at least two annular shoulders 521 whose diameter corresponds to the maximum diameter of the head 52, and an annular groove 522 having a diameter smaller than said maximum diameter arranged between both annular shoulders 521.
[0028] The coding pins 5' shown in figures 4 and 5 comprise two, three, or four annular shoulders 521 whose diameter corresponds to the maximum diameter of the head 52, having an annular groove 522 between each two annular shoulders 521, the diameter of said annular grooves 522 being smaller than said maximum diameter.
[0029] In one embodiment of the lock cylinder 1, the at least one coding pin 5' comprises a frustoconical-shaped part 54 between the sliding zone 53 and the tip 51, such that the minimum diameter of said frustoconical-shaped part 54 corresponds to the minimum diameter of the sliding zone 53.
[0030] The coding pins 5' shown in figures 4 and 5 comprise a frustoconical-shaped part 54 between their sliding zone 53 and their tip 51, such that the minimum diameter of the frustoconical-shaped part 54 corresponds to the minimum diameter of the sliding zone 53.
[0031] In one embodiment of the lock cylinder 1, the maximum diameter of said frustoconical-shaped part 54 corresponds to the maximum diameter of the tip 51.
[0032] The coding pins 5' shown in figure 4 have a frustoconical-shaped part 54 whose maximum diameter corresponds to the maximum diameter of the tip 51.
[0033] In one embodiment of the lock cylinder 1, the at least one coding pin 5' comprises a cylindrical-shaped part between the sliding zone 53 and the frustoconical-shaped part 54 whose diameter corresponds to the minimum diameter of the sliding zone 53.
[0034] In one embodiment of the lock cylinder 1, the at least one coding pin 5' comprises a cylindrical-shaped part 56 between the frustoconical-shaped part 54 and the tip 51 whose diameter corresponds to the maximum diameter of the tip 51.
[0035] Both the coding pins of figures 4 and 5 comprise a cylindrical-shaped part 56 between the frustoconical-shaped part 54 and the tip 51 whose diameter corresponds to the maximum diameter of the tip 51.
[0036] In one embodiment of the lock cylinder 1, the maximum diameter of the frustoconical-shaped part 54 corresponds to the diameter of the cylindrical-shaped part 56.
[0037] In the first embodiment of the coding pins 5' shown in figure 4, the maximum diameter of the frustoconical-shaped part 54 corresponds to the diameter of the cylindrical-shaped part 56.
[0038] In one embodiment of the lock cylinder 1, the maximum diameter of the frustoconical-shaped part 54 is larger than the diameter of the cylindrical-shaped part 56, the at least one coding pin 5' comprising a transition zone 57 between the frustoconical-shaped zone 54 and the cylindrical-shaped zone 56, and the rotor duct 7 comprising a first section 71 close to the longitudinal channel 4, a second section 72 having a diameter larger than that of the first section 71, and a transition section 73 between the first section 71 and the second section 72 configured to abut against the transition zone 57 of the at least one coding pin 5'.
[0039] In the second embodiment of the coding pins 5', shown in figure 5, the maximum diameter of the frustoconical-shaped part 54 is larger than the diameter of the cylindrical-shaped part 56, and they comprise a transition zone 57 between the frustoconical-shaped zone 54 and the cylindrical-shaped zone 56. The pins 5' of the embodiment of the lock cylinder 1 shown in figures 1 and 2 correspond to the pins shown in figure 5. Thus, the rotor duct 7 of the lock cylinder 1 shown in said figures comprises a first section 71 close to the longitudinal channel 4, a second section 72 having a diameter larger than that of the first section 71, and a transition section 73 between the first section 71 and the second section 72 configured to abut against the transition zone 57 of the coding pins 5'.
[0040] In one embodiment of the lock cylinder 1, the transition section 73 of the rotor duct 7 has a frustoconical shape. Thus, the transition section 73 of the rotor ducts 7 of the lock cylinder 1 shown in figures 1 and 2 has a frustoconical shape.
[0041] In one embodiment of the lock cylinder 1, the at least one coding pin 5' comprises a cylindrical-shaped part between the sliding zone 53 and the tip 51, such that the diameter of said cylindrical-shaped part corresponds to the minimum diameter of the sliding zone 53.
Claims
1. Anti-impressioning lock cylinder comprising a stator (2) and a rotor (3) configured to rotate in a bore of the stator (2), the rotor (3) comprising a longitudinal channel (4) along which are arranged a plurality of coding pins (5) facing a plurality of respective driver pins (6) which can slide loosely within rotor ducts (7) and stator ducts (8) which are arranged perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotor (3), the longitudinal channel (4) being configured for the insertion of a key comprising a key blade with a plurality of cuts arranged in the longitudinal direction of the key and forming a code, wherein the coding pins (5) comprise a tip (51) configured to cooperate with the respective cut and a head (52) facing the respective driver pin (6), such that at least one coding pin (5') comprises a sliding zone (53) between its head (52) and its tip (51) whose diameter progressively decreases from the end of said sliding zone closest to the head (531) towards the opposite end, characterised in that the sliding zone (53) of the at least one coding pin (5') is arranged in such a position that, when a key blade (91) without cuts is inserted into the lock cylinder (1) and an attempt is made to rotate the rotor (3), said sliding zone (53) abuts against the edge of the end of the respective rotor duct (7), resulting in a thrust of said at least one coding pin (5') towards the respective driver pin (6) and towards the bottom of the respective stator duct (8).
2. Anti-impressioning lock cylinder according to claim 1, wherein at least two coding pins (5') comprise sliding zones (53) which are the same, the distance (D) from the end of the sliding zone closest to the head (531) to the tip (51) being the same on said coding pins (5').
3. Anti-impressioning lock cylinder according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sliding zone (53) has a frustoconical shape or a frustoconical shape with a concave curved profile.
4. Anti-impressioning lock cylinder according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the tip (51) of the coding pin (5') is conical in shape.
5. Anti-impressioning lock cylinder according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the tip (51) of the coding pin (5') is dome-shaped.
6. Anti-impressioning lock cylinder according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the maximum diameter of the sliding zone (53) corresponds to the maximum diameter of the head (52).
7. Anti-impressioning lock cylinder according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the head (52) comprises at least two annular shoulders (521) whose diameter corresponds to the maximum diameter of the head (52), and an annular groove (522) having a diameter smaller than said maximum diameter arranged between both annular shoulders (521).
8. Anti-impressioning lock cylinder according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one coding pin (5') comprises a frustoconical-shaped part (54) between the sliding zone (53) and the tip (51), such that the minimum diameter of said frustoconical-shaped part (54) corresponds to the minimum diameter of the sliding zone (53).
9. Anti-impressioning lock cylinder according to claim 8, wherein the maximum diameter of said frustoconical-shaped part (54) corresponds to the maximum diameter of the tip (51).
10. Anti-impressioning lock cylinder according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the at least one coding pin (5') comprises a cylindrical-shaped part between the sliding zone (53) and the frustoconical-shaped zone (54) whose diameter corresponds to the minimum diameter of the sliding zone (53).
11. Anti-impressioning lock cylinder according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the at least one coding pin (5') comprises a cylindrical-shaped part (56) between the frustoconical-shaped zone (54) and the tip (51) whose diameter corresponds to the maximum diameter of the tip (51).
12. Anti-impressioning lock cylinder according to claim 11, wherein the maximum diameter of the frustoconical-shaped part (54) corresponds to the diameter of the cylindrical-shaped part (56).
13. Anti-impressioning lock cylinder according to claim 11, wherein the maximum diameter of the frustoconical-shaped part (54) is larger than the diameter of the cylindrical-shaped part (56), the at least one coding pin (5') comprising a transition zone (57) between the frustoconical-shaped zone (54) and the cylindrical-shaped zone (56), and the rotor duct (7) comprising a first section (71) close to the longitudinal channel (4), a second section (72) having a diameter larger than that of the first section (71), and a transition section (73) between the first section (71) and the second section (72) configured to abut against the transition zone (57) of the at least one coding pin (5').
14. Anti-impressioning lock cylinder according to claim 13, wherein the transition section (73) of the rotor duct (7) has a frustoconical shape.
15. Anti-impressioning lock cylinder according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the at least one coding pin (5') comprises a cylindrical-shaped part between the sliding zone (53) and the tip (51), such that the diameter of said cylindrical-shaped part corresponds to the minimum diameter of the sliding zone (53).