Actuator with fixed cap

Abstract

The present invention relates to an actuator (100, 200) comprising a housing (110, 210) and an actuator (114, 214) at least partially disposed within the housing (110, 210), wherein the housing (110, 210) has access portions (122, 222) to the actuator (114, 214) on its front side (118, 218), and is provided with caps (116, 216) that close the access portions (122, 222) to the actuator (114, 214) in a closed position, and is provided with a locking mechanism (140, 240) to fix the caps (116, 216) from the closed position against improper displacement or removal of the caps (116, 216), and the locking mechanism (140, 240) is provided from the closed position The present invention relates to an actuator (100, 200) comprising at least one locking element (142, 242) that is displaceable between a locked position for reliably preventing the displacement or removal of the caps (116, 216) and an unlocked position for allowing the displacement or removal of the caps (116, 216) from a closed position, wherein the locking element (142, 242) is at least one locking magnet (148, 248) that displaces the locking element (142, 242) from the locked position to the unlocked position by magnetic interaction between the locking magnet (148, 248) and at least one unlocking magnet (160, 260) of the corresponding key unit (102, 202).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an actuating device, comprising a housing and an actuating element arranged at least partially in the housing, wherein the housing has an access portion to the actuating element on a front side, and a cap that closes the access portion to the actuating element in a closed position is provided. In particular, the actuating device may be a lock, for example a rotary lock. The present invention further relates to a system provided with such an actuating device.

[0002] Based on the prior art, a rotary lock which has a lock core rotatably assembled in a lock housing, and a key can be mounted to the lock core from the front side of the lock to actuate the lock core, is known.

[0003] Furthermore, based on the prior art, a cover cap for a lock for protecting such a rotary lock against dust and moisture is also known.

[0004] In many cases, keys for rotary locks have very simple key profiles, and therefore do not provide good protection against unauthorized actuation. The use of complex and elaborate key profiles that provide higher protection is disadvantageous when high torque has to be transmitted by the key. Depending on the place of use, the requirements imposed on protection against vandalism are also increased.

[0005] Against this background, the object underlying the present invention is to provide an actuating device with improved protection against unauthorized actuation and / or improved protection against vandalism.

[0006] The aforementioned object is solved by an actuator, according to the present invention, comprising a housing and an actuator element at least partially disposed within the housing, wherein the housing has an access portion to the actuator element on its front side, and is provided with a cap that closes the access portion to the actuator element in a closed position, and is provided with a locking mechanism to fix the cap against unauthorized displacement or removal of the cap from the closed position, the locking mechanism comprising at least one locking element that is displaceable between a locked position for reliably preventing displacement or removal of the cap from the closed position and an unlocked position for allowing displacement or removal of the cap from the closed position, the locking element comprising at least one locking magnet, the locking magnet being displaced from the locked position to the unlocked position by magnetic interaction between the locking magnet and at least one unlocking magnet of a corresponding key unit.

[0007] By providing a locking mechanism to secure the cap, access to the actuating element is blocked, thereby preventing unauthorized operation of the actuating element. In this way, better protection against operation can be achieved regardless of the design of the actuating element or the key provided for it.

[0008] The use of a locking mechanism that can be unlocked by the interaction of locking magnets on one or more locking elements with corresponding unlocking magnets on each key unit also has the advantage of achieving access security as needed. This is because the number of locking elements and locking magnets, and thus the number of possible combinations, can be adapted to the required security level. Furthermore, this design allows for configurations with a smooth outer surface, particularly on the cap, which reduces potential attack points against vandalism.

[0009] The actuation element is preferably a mechanical actuation element, such as a lock core. However, the actuation element may also be an electromechanical actuation element, such as a switch or button. Alternatively, the actuation element may be an electronic actuation element, such as a proximity sensor.

[0010] The actuation mechanism may be a lock, particularly a rotary lock, such as a sash lock. Therefore, the housing may be a lock housing, and the actuation element, at least partially located within this housing, may be a lock core.

[0011] The operating element, in particular the lock core, may have or be driven a closing element, such as a closing tongue, at the end opposite the front side of the housing.

[0012] In particular, the actuation element may be rotatably assembled within the housing. In this case, the actuation element may be actuated by rotating the actuation element itself. Preferably, the actuation element has an actuation contour for torque-transmission assembly of the key.

[0013] The actuating element is at least partially located within the housing. In particular, the actuating element may be partially or completely located within the housing. Preferably, the actuating element is protected by the housing.

[0014] The housing has an access point to the actuation element on its front side. For this purpose, the housing may have an opening on its front side through which access to the actuation element inside the housing is possible, or the actuation element may extend outside the housing, thereby allowing access to the actuation element from outside the housing.

[0015] The access portion for the actuation element is, in particular, an access portion that enables the actuation element to be actuated. If the actuation element has an actuation side for its actuation, the access portion is, in particular, an access portion for the actuation side of the actuation element. For example, if the actuation element has an actuation contour for assembling a corresponding key, the access portion makes it possible to assemble the corresponding key.

[0016] The actuator further includes a cap that closes the access portion to the actuator element in a closed position. In particular, the access portion is closed in such a way that the actuator element cannot be operated. To this end, when the cap is in the closed position, it can cover, for example, the portion of the actuator accessible through the access portion, either completely or partially, and at least to the extent that the actuator element cannot be operated, for example, by a key.

[0017] In particular, the cap may be designed to rest on the housing, especially on the front side of the housing. For this purpose, the cap may have a dwelling, in particular for partially housing the housing, and in particular for housing a flange of the housing that is positioned to surround the access portion of the operating element.

[0018] The operating device includes a locking mechanism for securing the cap against improper displacement or removal from the closed position.

[0019] The locking mechanism comprises one or more locking elements that are displaceable between a locked position, which reliably prevents the cap from being displaced or removed from the locked position, and an unlocked position, which allows the cap to be displaced or removed from the locked position. Therefore, in the unlocked position of the locking elements, the cap can be removed or displaced so that it no longer obstructs access to the operating element. After the cap has been removed or displaced, the operating element can be reactivated, respectively.

[0020] One or more locking elements may be located in particular on the cap, for example, in the area of ​​the cap's housing that partially accommodates the housing when the cap is placed on the housing. In particular, the cap may be provided with multiple locking elements arranged circumferentially around the housing of the cap.

[0021] In the locked position, one or more locking elements preferably engage from the undercut of the closed position of the housing from the rear, thus preventing the cap from being displaced or removed from the closed position.

[0022] One or more locking elements each have at least one locking magnet, and each of these locking magnets has a locking magnet for displacing the locking element from a locked position to an unlocked position through a magnetic interaction between the locking magnet and at least one unlocking magnet of the corresponding key unit. By selecting the number of locking elements or locking magnets, the number of possible codings for the key unit can be set. With N locking elements, each having one locking magnet, the magnetic north or south pole of the locking magnet is selectively oriented toward the unlocking magnet, and the unlocking magnet is oriented accordingly, for example, up to 2 for the key unit N This allows for different coding methods.

[0023] The aforementioned objectives are further solved by a system, according to the present invention, comprising the aforementioned actuator or embodiment thereof, and a corresponding key unit, the key unit having an unlocking magnet corresponding to a locking magnet.

[0024] In particular, the corresponding release magnets are positioned and aligned such that when the key unit is in a predetermined configuration relative to the actuator, the release magnets interact with the corresponding lock magnets, and thus one or more lock elements reach the unlocked position.

[0025] In particular, the key unit may be designed to be placed on the cap, and preferably to rest on the cap. Therefore, the key unit may preferably be mountable on the cap. This allows for easy positioning of the key unit relative to the cap, so that one or more release magnets of the key unit are positioned relative to one or more locking magnets, so that one or more locking elements are displaced to the unlocked position. The key unit and the cap preferably have corresponding contours that are preferably asymmetrical, so that the key unit can only be mounted on the cap in one predetermined orientation. This facilitates accurate positioning of the key unit relative to the cap.

[0026] Different embodiments of the actuator and system are described below, so that each embodiment can be applied independently to the actuator and system. Furthermore, the individual embodiments may be combined with each other as needed.

[0027] In one embodiment, the locking mechanism comprises a number of locking elements that are displaceable between a locked position for reliably preventing displacement or removal of the cap from the locked position and an unlocked position for allowing displacement or removal of the cap from the locked position. Each of these number of locking elements is provided with at least one locking magnet, and the magnetic interaction between this locking magnet and at least one unlocking magnet of the corresponding key unit causes each locking element to displace from the locked position to the unlocked position. The number of locking elements allows the cap to be held more securely in the locked position. Furthermore, the number of locking elements allows for more combinations for encoding the key unit.

[0028] In one embodiment, the locking element comprises a pivot arm, which is assembled to be rotatable about the axis of the locking element and is rotatable from a locked position to an unlocked position. The locking magnet is preferably positioned on the pivot arm at a distance from the axis of the locking element.

[0029] By providing a pivot arm that is assembled rotatably about a locking element axis and can turn between a locking position and an unlocking position, a locking element that is reliably guided between the locking position and the unlocking position is provided, whereby tilting of the locking element can be reliably prevented even when a force is applied due to unfavorable environmental influences or vandalism.

[0030] The locking magnet is preferably arranged on the pivot arm at a distance from the locking element axis. In particular, the center point of the locking magnet or the central axis of the locking magnet extending through the north pole and the south pole of the locking magnet is preferably arranged at a distance from the locking element axis.

[0031] The locking magnet arranged on the pivot arm at a distance from the locking element axis generates a lever action on the pivot arm via magnetic interaction with the locking magnet, whereby the pivot arm can be turned, in particular between the locking position and the unlocking position.

[0032] The locking magnet is preferably arranged at a distance from the locking element axis such that the locking magnet is completely located outside the locking element axis. As a result, the lever arm becomes longer. However, as long as the center point or the central axis of the locking magnet is located at a distance from the locking element axis, it is also possible for the locking element axis to extend through a region lateral to the locking magnet.

[0033] The pivot arm is preferably made of a non-ferromagnetic material, in particular aluminum or plastic, so that the magnetic interaction between the locking magnet and the unlocking magnet of the corresponding key unit is not weakened as far as possible or is not weakened at all.

[0034] In one embodiment, in the unlocked position of at least one locking element, the cap may be removable from the housing or displaceable to a removable release position or a release position that opens up access to the operating element. In the case of multiple locking elements, when each of these multiple locking elements is in its unlocked position, the cap may preferably be removable from the housing or displaceable to a removable release position or a release position that opens up access to the operating element.

[0035] If the cap is removable, it may be removed by hand, in particular, from the housing, thereby freeing access to the actuation element. After removing the cap, the user may then actuate the actuation element, for example, by a suitable key. The cap may be directly removable in the unlocked position of one or more locking elements. Alternatively, the cap may remain securely held in the housing, for example, in the pre-release position, and may be displaced to a released position, for example, by rotating the cap, which can then be removed.

[0036] The ability to remove the cap in the unlocked position of one or more locking elements or in the open position of the cap allows for a simple and space-saving design of the actuator.

[0037] The cap may be displaceable to a release position that releases access to the actuating element. For example, the cap may be swiveled so as not to obstruct access to the actuating element. Alternatively, the cap may be rotated to position it so as to release access to the actuating element. In this way, access to the actuating element can be released without the cap having to be removed from the actuating device. This prevents the cap from being lost.

[0038] In one embodiment, the cap is displaceable to a pre-release position when at least one locking element is unlocked, and from this pre-release position, the cap is displaceable to a released position. This allows for controlled displacement to the released position by hand. In the case of a cap that is removable in the released position, this design can also prevent the cap from being unintentionally lost, because the cap must first be displaced from the pre-release position to the released position before it can be removed. For example, the cap may be rotatable from the pre-release position to the released position.

[0039] In one embodiment, a spring element is provided that displaces the cap to a pre-release position and / or the released position when at least one locking element is in the unlocked position. Thus, when one or more locking elements reach the unlocked position, the cap is subjected to a spring load by the spring element and displaced to the pre-release position or the released position. This makes it easier to operate the actuator. Furthermore, the user receives visual and / or tactile feedback when the locking elements are unlocked. In addition, this prevents one or more locking elements from unintentionally returning to the locked position.

[0040] The spring element may be a spring, such as a coil spring, or an elastic element that expands in the unlocked position of at least one locking element, causing the cap to move from and / or to the open position.

[0041] One or more locking elements may prevent the cap from being removed in the pre-release position and / or the released position. In particular, one or more locking elements may engage from the back with a retaining undercut in the pre-release position and / or the released position. This prevents the cap from being lost in the pre-release position and / or the released position.

[0042] In one embodiment, the cap has a recess having a recessed contour for inserting a key corresponding to the operating contour of the actuating element. In the closed position of the cap, the recessed contour is aligned with the operating contour so as to prevent the key from being attached to the operating contour of the actuating element. Furthermore, in the unlocked position of at least one locking element, the recessed contour is aligned with or can be aligned with the operating contour so as to allow the key to be attached to the operating contour through the recess. In this way, access to the actuating element can be released without the cap having to be removed from the access area. This allows for a particularly compact and robust design of the actuating device.

[0043] The recessed contour may correspond, for example, to the circumferential contour of the actuation contour, or to example, to the circumferential contour of a key to be used to actuate the actuation contour, such as a socket key. In the released position, the cap is positioned in particular so that the key can be attached to the actuation contour through the recess.

[0044] In one embodiment, the cap and housing have corresponding positive locking elements that, in the closed position of the cap, prevent the recess contour from aligning with the working contour, for example, preventing rotation of the cap. For example, as corresponding positive locking elements, the cap and housing may have corresponding pins and housings, and the engagement of these two in the closed position prevents the recess contour from aligning with the working contour. In this way, the access portion to the working element is reliably closed in the closed position.

[0045] In one embodiment, the key unit and the cap are adapted to each other so that, in the unlocked position of at least one locking element, the cap can be removed or displaced to the released or pre-release position by the operation of the key unit. In particular, the key unit and the cap may have corresponding positive locking elements so that, when the key unit and the cap are engaged with each other, the cap can be removed or displaced to the released or pre-release position by operating the key unit. In this way, the cap can be properly removed or displaced by the key unit, thereby making it easier to operate the actuator.

[0046] Additionally or alternatively, locking and / or unlocking magnets may be used to generate a sufficient magnetic attraction between the key unit and the cap when the key unit is placed on the cap, thereby allowing the cap to be removed or displaced by activating the key unit.

[0047] In one embodiment, the key unit has a recess for inserting a key. In this way, the key can be placed on the actuating element without having to remove the key unit in order to actuate the actuating element. If the cap has a recess, the recess provided in the key unit is preferably arranged so that the key can be placed on the actuating element through the recess provided in the key unit and the recess provided in the cap when the key unit is placed on the cap.

[0048] In one embodiment, the system further includes a key corresponding to the actuation element, such as a socket key. The key may be designed as a separate unit from the key unit. Alternatively, the key and the key unit may be designed as an integrated unit or connected to each other. In this way, the key unit and the key are constrained by each other.

[0049] Further features and advantages of the actuator and system are described below in the following description of the embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0050] [Figure 1A] This figure shows a first exemplary embodiment of an actuator and system in which the locking element is in the closed position. [Figure 1B] This figure shows a first exemplary embodiment of an actuator and system in which the locking element is in the closed position. [Figure 1C] This figure shows a first exemplary embodiment of an actuator and system in which the locking element is in the closed position. [Figure 1D] This figure shows a first exemplary embodiment of an actuator and system in which the locking element is in the closed position. [Figure 2A] This diagram shows an exemplary embodiment based on Figures 1A to 1C, where the locking element is in the unlocked position. [Figure 2B] This diagram shows an exemplary embodiment based on Figures 1A to 1C, where the locking element is in the unlocked position. [Figure 3A] This figure shows an exemplary embodiment based on Figures 1A to 1C, with the cap removed. [Figure 3B] This figure shows an exemplary embodiment based on Figures 1A to 1C, with the cap removed. [Figure 4A] This figure shows a second exemplary embodiment of an actuator and system in which the locking element is in the closed position. [Figure 4B] This figure shows a second exemplary embodiment of an actuator and system in which the locking element is in the closed position. [Figure 4C] This figure shows a second exemplary embodiment of an actuator and system in which the locking element is in the closed position. [Figure 5A] This figure shows an exemplary embodiment based on Figures 4A to 4C, where the locking element is in the unlocked position and the cap is in the pre-release position. [Figure 5B]This figure shows an exemplary embodiment based on Figures 4A to 4C, where the locking element is in the unlocked position and the cap is in the pre-release position. [Figure 5C] This figure shows an exemplary embodiment based on Figures 4A to 4C, where the locking element is in the unlocked position and the cap is in the pre-release position. [Figure 6A] This figure shows an exemplary embodiment based on Figures 4A to 4C, where the locking element is in the unlocked position and the cap is in the open position. [Figure 6B] This figure shows an exemplary embodiment based on Figures 4A to 4C, where the locking element is in the unlocked position and the cap is in the open position. [Figure 6C] This figure shows an exemplary embodiment based on Figures 4A to 4C, where the locking element is in the unlocked position and the cap is in the open position. [Figure 7] This figure shows an exemplary embodiment based on Figures 4A to 4C, where the locking element is in the unlocked position, the cap is in the open position, and the key is inserted.

[0051] Figures 1A to 1D show a first exemplary embodiment of the actuator and system. Figure 1A shows a perspective view of the actuator 100 and the key unit 102 corresponding to the actuator 100, which together form a system 104. Figure 1B shows a cross-sectional view of the actuator 100 and the key unit 102 viewed from the side, corresponding to the cross-sectional plane indicated as "Ib" in Figure 1C. Figure 1C shows a cross-sectional view viewed from below, corresponding to the cross-sectional plane indicated as "Ic" in Figure 1B. Figure 1D shows a cross-sectional view of the key unit 102 viewed from below, corresponding to the cross-sectional plane indicated as "Id" in Figure 1B.

[0052] The actuator 100 is designed as a lock, specifically a rotary lock, and comprises a housing 110 in the form of a lock housing, an actuator element 114 in the form of a lock core positioned within a cylindrical hole 112 provided in the housing 110, and a cap 116 mounted on the housing 110.

[0053] The housing 110 has an opening 120 on its front side 118, which forms an access portion 122 to the actuation element 114. The actuation side 124 of the actuation element 114, located in the area of ​​the access portion 122, has an actuation contour 126, for example, a polygonal contour, for attaching a key, for example, a socket key. The actuation device 100 may be designed as a sash lock, for example, as shown in Figures 1A and 1B. For this purpose, at the end 128 of the actuation element 114 opposite to the actuation side 124, a closing tongue 130 is connected to the actuation element 114 so as not to rotate relative to it, and is screw-fastened, for example, as shown in Figure 1B. However, other embodiments of the lock 100 are also possible.

[0054] The cap 116 is mounted on the housing 110 in a closed position, thereby closing off the access portion 122 to the operating element. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, this is achieved by the cap 116 covering the opening 120 of the housing. To this end, the cap 116 has an inner contour 132 that conforms to the outer contour of the housing 110, and this inner contour forms a accommodating portion 134 for the front side 118 of the housing 110, in particular for the flange 111 of the housing 110 surrounding the access portion 122.

[0055] To prevent unauthorized removal of the cap 116 from the closed position shown in Figure 1B, the actuator 100 further includes a locking mechanism 140. This locking mechanism 140 has a plurality of locking elements 142 arranged circumferentially on the cap 116, for example, 12 in the illustrated exemplary embodiment. Each of these locking elements 142 has a pivot arm 146 that is rotatably assembled about its respective locking element axis 144, and each locking magnet 148 is positioned on the pivot arm 146 at a distance from the locking element axis 144.

[0056] The swivel arm 146 and, consequently, the locking element 142, are rotatable between a locked position (see Figures 1B and 1C) and an unlocked position (see Figures 2A and 2B).

[0057] In the locked position, the swivel arm 146 engages inward with the housing 134 and also engages from the back with the closed undercut 150 provided on the housing 110, thereby reliably preventing the removal of the cap 116 from the closed position. The swivel arm 146 is held in the locked position by magnetic interaction between the lock magnet 148 and the housing 110, which in the illustrated example is made of steel. Alternatively, the housing 110, which holds the swivel arm in the locked position by magnetic interaction with the lock magnet 148, may be provided with a ferromagnetic element, such as a steel ring, facing the swivel arm 146. In this example, the housing 110 may be made of a non-ferromagnetic material, such as plastic.

[0058] In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the key unit 102 is in the form of a cover cap, which may be placed on a cap 116, and for this purpose has an inner contour 154 that forms a housing 156 for the cap 116, corresponding to the outer contour 152 of the cap 116.

[0059] The cap 116 and the key unit 102 have corresponding positive locking elements 158, 159 in the form of a protruding web 158 on the cap 116 and a corresponding recess 159 on the key unit 102, thereby ensuring that the key unit 102 can only be placed on the cap 116 in one predetermined orientation.

[0060] The key unit 102 further includes a number of unlocking magnets 160 corresponding to the number of locking magnets 148, and these unlocking magnets are arranged and aligned so that they magnetically interact with the locking magnets 148 when the key unit 102 is placed on the cap 116, thereby displacing the swivel arm 146 and, consequently, the locking element 142 to the unlocked position.

[0061] Figures 2A and 2B show a system 104 equipped with the actuator 100 and key unit 102 shown in Figures 1A and 1C, with Figure 2A showing a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 1B, and Figure 2B showing a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 1C.

[0062] In Figures 2A and 2B, the key unit 102 is mounted on the cap 116. The locking element 142 is correspondingly in the unlocked position shown in Figures 2A and 2B. All locking elements 142 are moved to the unlocked position, thereby allowing the cap 116 to be removed, only when the unlocking magnet 160 corresponds to the locking magnet 148, and especially when both are precisely aligned with respect to their magnetic north-south pole orientation. In this way, the cap 116, including the locking magnet 148, and the key unit 102 can be coded to each other. Thus, a high level of security is achieved by the numerous possible configurations of the locking and unlocking magnets.

[0063] In the unlocked position, the locking element 142 is no longer engaged with the undercut 150 in the closed position from the back, and as a result, the cap 116 is no longer fixed in the closed position by the locking element 142, and the cap 116 can be removed from the closed position. Figure 3A shows a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 2A with the cap 116 removed. Figure 3B shows a cross-sectional view of the cap 116 and the key unit 102 corresponding to the cross-sectional plane indicated as "IIIb" in Figure 3A.

[0064] By removing the cap 116, the access portion 122 to the actuation element 114 is released, allowing the user to attach a key, such as a socket key or, for example, a polygonal key, to the actuation element 114 and operate it.

[0065] Figures 4A to 4C show a second exemplary embodiment of the actuator and system. Figure 4A shows a perspective view of the actuator 200 and the corresponding key unit 202, which together form a system 204. Furthermore, the system 204 includes a key 206, in particular a socket key (see Figure 7). Figure 4B shows a side view of the actuator 200 and the key unit 202, corresponding to the cross-sectional plane indicated as "IVb" in Figure 4C. Figure 4C shows a bottom view of the actuator 200 and the key unit 202, corresponding to the cross-sectional plane indicated as "IVc" in Figure 4B.

[0066] The actuator 200 is also designed as a lock, specifically a rotary lock, and comprises a housing 210 in the form of a lock housing, an actuator element 214 in the form of a lock core positioned within a cylindrical hole 212 provided in the housing 210, and a cap 216 mounted on the housing 210.

[0067] The housing 210 has an opening 220 on its front side 218, which forms an access portion 222 to the actuation element 214. On the actuation side 224 of the actuation element 214, located in the area of ​​the access portion 222, the actuation element has an actuation contour 226, such as a bit contour or a double bit contour, for attaching the key 206. The actuation device 200 may be designed as a sash lock, for example, as shown in Figures 4A and 4B. For this purpose, at the end 228 of the actuation element 214 opposite to the actuation side 224, a closing tongue 230 is connected to the actuation element 214 so as not to rotate relative to it, and is screw-fastened, for example, as shown in Figure 4B. However, other designs of the lock 200 are also possible.

[0068] The cap 216 has a recess 270 with a recess contour 272 that is fitted to the outer geometry of the working contour 226 and the key 206, thereby allowing the key 206 to be inserted through the recess 270 and the key contour 208 of the key 206 to be fitted to the working contour 226.

[0069] In Figures 4A to 4C, the cap 216 is placed on the housing 210 in a closed position. For this purpose, the cap 216 has an inner contour 232 that conforms to the outer contour of the housing 210, and this inner contour forms a accommodating portion 234 for the front side 218 of the housing 210, in particular for the flange 211 of the housing 210 surrounding the access portion 222.

[0070] In the closed position, the cap 216 blocks the access portion 222 to the actuation element. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, this is achieved by a recess 270 in the cap 216 that is rotatable relative to the actuation contour 226, so that the key 206 cannot be attached to the actuation contour 226 through the recess 270.

[0071] To prevent improper displacement of the cap 216 from the closed position shown in Figures 4A to 4C, the actuator 200 further includes a locking mechanism 240. This locking mechanism 240 has a plurality of locking elements 242 arranged circumferentially on the cap 216, for example, 12 in the illustrated exemplary embodiment. Each of these locking elements 242 has a pivot arm 246 that is rotatably assembled about its respective locking element axis 244, and each locking magnet 248 is positioned on the pivot arm 246 at a distance from the locking element axis 244.

[0072] The swivel arm 246 and, consequently, the locking element 242, are rotatable between a locked position (see Figures 4B and 4C) and an unlocked position (see Figures 5A and 5B). The swivel arm 246 is held in the locked position by magnetic interaction between the locking magnet 248 and the housing 210, which in the illustrated example is made of steel. Alternatively, the housing 210, which holds the swivel arm in the locked position by magnetic interaction with the locking magnet 248, may be provided with a ferromagnetic element, such as a steel ring, facing the swivel arm 246. In this example, the housing 210 may be made of a non-ferromagnetic material, such as plastic.

[0073] Furthermore, the locking mechanism 240 includes corresponding positive locking elements 274, 276 provided on the cap 216 and the housing 210, which in the illustrated exemplary embodiment take the form of a pin 274 on the cap 216 and a corresponding housing 276 on the housing 210. The positive locking elements 274, 276 are securely engaged with each other in the closed position, preventing the cap 216 from rotating relative to the housing 210.

[0074] In the locked position, the swivel arm 246 engages inward with the housing 234 and also engages from the back with the closed position undercut 250 provided on the housing 210, thereby reliably preventing the cap 216 from being displaced from the closed position. In particular, the swivel arm 246, which engages from the back with the closed position undercut 250, prevents the cap 216 from being lifted out of the housing 210, and consequently, prevents the engagement of the positive lock elements 274 and 276 from being released.

[0075] In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the key unit 202 is designed as a slip-on cap, similar to the cap 116 in Figures 1A-1C, and this slip-on cap may be placed on the cap 216. For this purpose, it has an inner contour 254 that forms a housing 256 for the cap 216, corresponding to the outer contour 252 of the cap 216. The outer contour 252 of the cap 252 has a raised portion 253, and the inner contour 254 of the key unit 202 has a corresponding raised portion housing 255. The precise alignment of the key unit 202 with respect to the cap 216 is predetermined by the raised portion 253 and the corresponding raised portion housing 255.

[0076] Furthermore, the cap 216 has a recess 278 for inserting the key 206.

[0077] The key unit 202 has a number of unlocking magnets 260 corresponding to the number of locking magnets 248, and these unlocking magnets are arranged and aligned so that they magnetically interact with the locking magnets 248 when the key unit 202 is placed on the cap 216 in a predetermined orientation, thereby moving the swivel arm 246 and, consequently, the locking element 242 to the unlocked position.

[0078] Figures 5A to 5C show a system 204 equipped with an actuator 200 and a key unit 202 based on Figures 4A to 4C. Figure 5A shows a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 4B, Figure 5B shows a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 4C, and Figure 5C shows a top view with a partially hidden contour (dashed line). The cross-sectional plane of Figure 5A is indicated as "Va" in Figures 5B and 5C, and the cross-sectional plane of Figure 5B is indicated as "Vb" in Figure 5A.

[0079] In Figures 5A to 5C, the key unit 202 is mounted on the cap 216. The locking element 242 is correspondingly in the unlocked position shown in Figures 5A to 5C. All locking elements 242 can be displaced to the unlocked position, and the cap 216 can be displaced from the closed position, only when the unlocking magnet 260 corresponds to the locking magnet 248, and especially when both are precisely aligned with respect to their magnetic north-south pole orientations. In this way, the cap 216, including the locking magnet 248, and the key unit 202 can be coded to each other. Thus, a high level of security is achieved by the numerous possible configurations of the locking and unlocking magnets.

[0080] In the unlocked position, the locking element 242 is no longer engaged with the undercut 250 in the closed position from the back, and as a result, the cap 216 is no longer fixed in the closed position by the locking element 242. A spring element 280, positioned between the housing 210 and the cap 216 and designed as a coil spring in the illustrated exemplary embodiment, displaces the cap 216 from the closed position (Figure 4B) to the pre-release position (Figure 5A) where the engagement of the positive locking elements 274 and 276 is released, thereby allowing the cap 216 to rotate relative to the housing 210.

[0081] A spacer 243, provided on the cap 216 and acting as a stopper for the locking element 242 in the unlocked position, ensures that the locking element 242 continues to engage inward within the housing 234 of the cap 216, even in the unlocked position, to the extent that it engages from the rear side with a fixing undercut 251 provided on the housing in the pre-release position, thereby ensuring that the cap 216 remains held in the housing and is not lost. As shown in Figure 5C, the recess 270 having the recess contour 272 continues to rotate relative to the operating contour 226 such that, in the pre-release position, the access portion 222 for the operating element 214 for the key 206 remains closed.

[0082] However, in the pre-release position, the cap 216 can be displaced to the released position by rotating the cap 216. In particular, the cap 216 may be displaced to the released position by activating the key unit 202 in the pre-release position. The force transmission between the key unit 202 and the cap 216 required for rotation occurs, in particular, through the positive engagement formed by the protrusion 253 of the cap 216 and the protrusion housing 255 of the key unit 202. Therefore, the protrusion 253 and the protrusion housing 255 form a corresponding positive locking element, thereby allowing the cap 216 to be rotated by activating the key unit 202. Furthermore, if sufficiently strong locking magnets 248 and unlocking magnets 260 are used, the magnetic attraction between the magnets may be sufficient to transmit rotation from the key unit 202 to the cap 216. In this case, the positive locking element may be omitted.

[0083] Figures 6A and 6B show cross-sectional views of the system 200 with the cap 216 in the open position, corresponding to Figures 5A and 5B. Figure 6C further shows a top view of the system 200 with the cap 216 in the open position, corresponding to Figure 5C. Figure 6C also shows several hidden contours (dashed lines). The cross-sectional plane of Figure 6A is indicated as "VIa" in Figures 6B and 6C, and the cross-sectional plane of Figure 6B is indicated as "VIb" in Figure 6A.

[0084] In the released position, the recess 270 having the recess contour 272 is aligned with the actuation contour 226 (see Figure 6C), thereby releasing the access portion 222 for the key 206. The key 206, having the key contour 208, is then mounted to the actuation contour 226 through the recess 278 of the key unit 202 and the recess 270 of the cap 216, allowing the key 206 to be actuated. Figure 7 shows a cross-sectional view corresponding to Figure 6A, in which the key 206 is mounted to the actuation contour 226 by the key contour 208. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 100, 200 Actuator 102, 202 key units 104, 204 Systems 110, 210 Housing 111, 211 Housing guard 112, 212 holes 114, 214 Actuating elements 116, 216 caps 118, 218 Front side of the housing 120, 220 aperture 122, 222 Access section 124, 224 Operating side 126, 226 Operating contour 128, 228 End opposite the operating side 130, 230 closed tongue flap 132, 232 Inner contour of the cap 134, 234 Cap storage compartment 140, 240 locking mechanism 142, 242 lock elements 144, 244 Lock element axis lines 146, 246 Swivel Arms 148, 248 Locking Magnets Undercut at 150, 250 occlusion position 152, 252 Outer contour of the cap 154, 254 Key unit inner contour 156, 256 Key unit housing 158, 159 Positive locking elements 160, 260 unlocking magnets 206 keys 208 Key Contours 243 Spacer 251 Undercut for fixing 253 The raised part of the cap 255 Key unit raised section housing 270 cap recess 272 Recessed contour 274, 276 Positive locking elements 278 Key unit recesses 280 spring elements

Claims

1. Actuator (100, 200), - Housing (110, 210) and, - Actuating elements (114, 214) that are at least partially located within the housing (110, 210) and Equipped with, - The housing (110, 210) has access portions (122, 222) for the operating elements (114, 214) on the front side (118, 218), - Caps (116, 216) are provided to close the access portions (122, 222) to the operating elements (114, 214) in a closed position. In the actuator (100, 200), - A locking mechanism (140, 240) is provided to secure the caps (116, 216) against improper displacement or removal of the caps (116, 216) from the closed position. - The locking mechanism (140, 240) comprises at least one locking element (142, 242) that is displaceable between a locked position for reliably preventing the displacement or removal of the cap (116, 216) from the closed position and an unlocked position for allowing the displacement or removal of the cap (116, 216) from the closed position. - The locking element (142, 242) comprises at least one locking magnet (148, 248) that displaces the locking element (142, 242) from the locked position to the unlocked position by magnetic interaction between the locking magnet (148, 248) and at least one unlocking magnet (160, 260) of the corresponding key unit (102, 202). An actuator (100, 200) characterized by the above.

2. - The locking mechanism comprises a number of locking elements (142, 242) that are displaceable between a locked position for reliably preventing the displacement or removal of the caps (116, 216) from the closed position and an unlocked position for allowing the displacement or removal of the caps (116, 216) from the closed position. - Each of the aforementioned number of locking elements (142, 242) is a locking magnet (148, 248) that displaces each of the locking elements from the locked position to the unlocked position by magnetic interaction between the locking magnet (148, 248) and at least one unlocking magnet (160, 260) of the corresponding key unit (102, 202). The actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that

3. - The locking elements (142, 242) are equipped with swivel arms (146, 246), and the swivel arms (146, 246) are assembled to be rotatable about the axis of the locking elements (144, 244), and are rotatable from the locked position to the unlocked position. - The locking magnets (148, 248) are positioned on the swivel arm (146, 246) at a distance from the locking element axis (144, 244). The actuator according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that

4. The actuator according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, in the unlocked position of at least one locking element (142, 242), the cap (116, 216) is removable from the housing (110, 210), or is displaceable to a release position in which the cap (116, 216) is removable or to a release position in which the cap (116, 216) releases the access portion (122, 222) to the actuator element (114, 214).

5. The actuator according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, in the unlocked position of at least one locking element (142, 242), the cap (116, 216) is displaceable to the pre-release position, and from the pre-release position, the cap (116, 216) is displaceable to the release position.

6. The actuator according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a spring element (280) is provided in the unlocked position of at least one locking element (142, 242) to displace the cap (116, 216) to the pre-release position and / or the released position.

7. - The caps (116, 216) have a recess (270) with a recessed contour (272) for inserting a key (206) corresponding to the operating contour (126, 226) of the operating elements (114, 214). - In the closed position of the cap (116, 216), the recess contour (272) is aligned with the operating contour (126, 226) such that the attachment of the key (206) of the operating element (114, 214) to the operating contour (126, 226) is prevented. - In the unlocked position of at least one locking element (142, 242), the recess contour (272) is aligned with or alignable with the operating contour (126, 226) so that the key (206) can be attached to the operating contour (126, 226) through the recess (270). The actuator according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that

8. The actuator according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the caps (116, 216) and the housings (110, 210) have corresponding positive locking elements (274, 276) that prevent the recess contour (272) from aligning with the operating contour (126, 226) when the caps (116, 216) are closed.

9. The actuator according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the actuator (100, 200) is a lock, particularly a rotary lock.

10. The actuator according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the actuation elements (114, 214) are rotatably assembled within the housing (110, 210) and preferably have actuation contours (126, 226) for torque-transmission mounting of a key (206).

11. The system (104, 204) - An actuator (100, 200) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, - Corresponding key units (102, 202) and Equipped with, - The key unit (102, 202) has unlocking magnets (160, 260) corresponding to the locking magnets (148, 248). System (104, 204).

12. The system according to claim 11, characterized in that the key units (102, 202) can be placed on the caps (116, 216).

13. The system according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the key unit (102, 202) and the cap (116, 216) are fitted to each other so that, in the unlocked position of at least one locking element (124, 242), the cap (116, 216) can be removed by the operation of the key unit or displaced to the released position or pre-release position, and in particular has corresponding positive locking elements (253, 255).

14. The system according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the key unit (102, 202) has a recess (278) for inserting a key (206).

15. - The system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising a key (206) corresponding to the actuation elements (114, 214).

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