In particular, a drive device for opening and closing a lock

Abstract

A drive device (1) for closing and opening a lock cylinder (2) comprising a body (6) and a control element (7), the drive device (1) comprising a drive assembly housed within a rotatable housing (3) including a drive motor and a gear transmission with an end gear (4) cooperating with a toothed ring (5) rotatably and coaxially fixed to the housing (3), the toothed ring (5) at least partially surrounding the body (6) of the cylinder (2) when the drive device (1) is mounted and including means for immovably fixing the toothed ring (5) to the body (6) of the cylinder (2), the housing (3) being rotatably and axially immovably bearing-mounted on the toothed ring (5) and including means for transmitting drive to the control element (7) of the cylinder (2).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention particularly provides a drive device for opening and closing a lock or the like that enables access to a protected area. In particular, this relates to so-called "smart locks" where opening or closing can be effected without direct contact with the lock of the authorized person.

Background Art

[0002] Known drive devices for opening and closing a lock that enables access to a protected area have a drive assembly for driving the lock, which is positioned within a housing having the shape of a sleeve and fixed by a cover from the outside and a base fixed to the lock on the other side. Within this base, the drive assembly elements are fixed or embedded. The drive assembly includes a current source, an electric motor, and a transmission gear assembly.

[0003] The current source is constituted by four cylindrical primary batteries (batteries) positioned parallel to its axis adjacent to the motor to energize the electric motor.

[0004] The drive from the electric motor is transmitted via a transmission gear assembly including gears to an element operable to control the lock.

[0005] While the base has an opening through which the lock control element passes, the other end of the element is coupled to the lock mechanism.

[0006] The sleeve constituting the housing of the drive device has teeth on its inside that cooperate with one of the gears of the transmission gear assembly of the drive assembly. The drive device is equipped with an electronic control unit that manages the drive assembly. The electronic control unit is powered by a battery housed within the housing. The electronic control unit can be controlled wirelessly via a wireless link by a computer program, preferably an application for a mobile device. The device does not require an external power source, which can be managed by a smartphone application.

[0007] The drive device is installed from the inside of the dwelling in all types of doors equipped with a modified profile cylinder (non-standard). The drive device thus constructed for opening and closing the lock is quite large due to the size of the power battery and the size of the remaining elements of the drive mechanism that must be housed within the device housing, and the drive device requires that the modified profile cylinder allow the base of the device to be suitably mounted thereto.

[0008] A drive device for a lock is known from Polish patent application P.336314. The drive device, mounted on a door including a joinery plate for electric and manual activation of a closing cylinder, has a drive shaft for transmitting rotational motion to the closing cylinder, a knob for manually rotating the drive shaft, and a gear motor positioned on the knob for electric rotation of the drive shaft. The drive shaft is fitted with a gear that does not rotate, which remains coupled to the knob and transmits rotational motion. The gear motor is connected to the furniture plate in a way that does not rotate and is connected with the gear powered by a clutch.

[0009] From German Patent Application No. 102014009826A1, a device for opening and closing access to a protected access area is known. The device has a cylindrical housing. The housing contains a base plate, a small motor, preferably a DC motor, an electric battery, a locking assembly, and a control unit. The locking element of the locking assembly is a bar with a ring movable by the electric motor and via a torsion spring that can transmit motion from the motor to the rod. The electric battery is for powering the control unit regardless of power supply from an external power line. The control unit is a management device via wireless connection.

[0010] A device for opening and closing a door lock is known from Polish Patent Application No. P.421767. The drive device includes a drive assembly comprising a current source, an electric motor, and a transmission gear assembly terminating at a gear positioned in a rotatable housing. The lock includes a body on which a lock control element is rotatably mounted. The housing is bearing-mounted within the lock body by the control element, to which it is connected so as not to move. The drive device includes a ring rotatably bearing-mounted in the housing, having teeth that cooperate with the gear of the drive assembly. The ring is coaxial with the rotatable housing and positioned so as not to move relative to the lock body. From the side of the lock, the ring has a projection that enters into a correspondingly formed opening in the lock housing.

[0011] From Polish Patent Application No. P.421765, a drive device for opening and closing a lock that allows access to a protected area is known, the device comprising, within a housing, a transmission gear assembly, at least one electrical energy source in the protective housing, and a drive motor that transmits drive to a lock mechanism control element rotatable by the transmission gear assembly. The lock comprises a body on which the control element is rotatably mounted. The drive device is provided with a base fixed to the lock, on which the following elements, namely the transmission gear assembly, at least one electrical energy source, and the drive motor, are mounted in a fixed manner. The lock mechanism control element is mounted on a gear which is one of the wheels of the transmission gear assembly, and the housing has the form of a sleeve bearing-mounted on the base and has teeth inside that mesh with the gear of the transmission gear assembly, on which the lock mechanism element is mounted. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0012] The aim of the present invention is to develop a novel drive device for closing and opening locks with a simple configuration, which can be applied to existing door locks without the need to modify their configuration in particular, and can provide a new type of solution. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] According to the present invention, the drive device is intended to close and open a lock that has a cylinder and allows access to a protected area. The drive device includes a drive motor and a drive assembly housed in a rotatable housing that includes a gear transmission with a clutch and an end gear cooperating with a toothed ring. The drive device is intended to cooperate with a rotatable control element positioned within the body of the lock cylinder. After the drive device is fixed to the lock cylinder, the housing includes means for fixing the toothed ring to the body of the cylinder so as not to move, with the toothed ring at least partially surrounding the body of the cylinder on the opposite side of the housing, while the housing is rotatably and axially bearing-mounted to the toothed ring and includes means for transmitting drive to the control element of the cylinder.

[0014] Preferably, the toothed ring is coupled only to the cylinder body.

[0015] Similarly preferably, the toothed ring has a mounting portion on the opposite side of the housing, which includes a mounting hole comprising at least one threaded mounting hole extending radially in the mounting portion of the toothed ring, in which a fixing screw is positioned, and the mounting portion of the toothed ring at least partially surrounds the end portion of the cylinder body.

[0016] Similarly preferably, the toothed ring has a mounting portion on the opposite side of the housing having a cross-sectional shape substantially at least partially enclosing the end portion of the cylinder body, the mounting portion including at least one transverse opening that is partially radially cut and extends perpendicular to a plane containing the longitudinal axis of the toothed ring, the transverse opening in the cut portion being a through hole, which in the solid portion of the mounting portion of the toothed ring is threaded and receives a tightening screw therein.

[0017] Similarly, preferably, the toothed portion of the toothed ring and the mounting portion of the ring are removable.

[0018] More preferably, the toothed portion of the toothed ring and the mounting portion of the ring are connected by at least one connecting screw.

[0019] Preferably, the removable mounting portion of the toothed ring is on the opposite side of the housing and has a cross-sectional shape that at least partially surrounds the end portion of the cylinder body, the removable mounting portion is partially radially cut and includes at least one transverse opening that extends perpendicularly to a plane containing the longitudinal axis of the toothed ring through the cut portion of the removable mounting portion of the toothed ring, the transverse opening in one of the cut portions is threaded and a tightening screw is inserted therein.

[0020] More preferably, the means for transmitting drive from the drive device to the control element of the cylinder comprises a radially extending slot made in the housing of the drive device and a drive unit located at the terminal end of the control element of the cylinder from the side of the drive device, which enters into a slot in the housing that is rotatable after the drive device is mounted on the cylinder.

[0021] More preferably, the drive unit located at the terminal end of the cylinder's control element on the drive device side constitutes at least a portion of the key for the cylinder.

[0022] Similarly, preferably, the drive unit located at the terminal end of the cylinder control element from the drive device side has a non-circular cross-sectional shape.

[0023] Preferably, the device is for a cylinder, and its body has, on the side of the toothed ring, an elongated and irregular shape in cross-section, and on the upper part, a circular shape which is combined with an elongated rectangular part with a rounded bottom.

[0024] Similarly, preferably, the toothed ring has a recess on its front-outward side relative to the housing of the drive device to which it is fixed, having a cross-sectional shape that matches the contour of the cylinder body.

[0025] Similarly preferably, the housing is mounted on the toothed ring in the sliding bearing.

[0026] Similarly preferably, the toothed portion of the ring is an internal toothed portion.

[0027] Even more preferably, the device is provided with an electronic control unit that is housed within the housing and manages the drive assembly.

[0028] More preferably, the electronic control unit is provided with a sensor that determines the angular position of the rotatable housing relative to the cylinder.

[0029] Even more preferably, the sensor is an accelerometer, i.e., a gravity sensor.

[0030] Similarly preferably, the electronic control unit is wirelessly controlled via a wireless link by a computer program, preferably an application for a mobile device.

[0031] More preferably, the electronic control unit is wirelessly controlled by a Bluetooth connection wireless link.

[0032] Similarly preferably, the electronic control unit is directly wirelessly controlled via a Bluetooth connection wireless link.

[0033] Similarly preferably, the electronic control unit is provided with sockets for supplying voltage and for data transfer.

[0034] Similarly preferably, the device is provided with an electrical energy source that is a primary or secondary battery.

[0035] Preferably, the device is positioned inside the entrance to the protected access area and on the opposite side of the key operating part of the cylinder.

[0036] The object of the present invention is shown in the embodiments of the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0037] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view from the side of a lock cylinder, showing a drive device for closing and opening the lock in a first embodiment of the present invention, with a fracture surface showing the control element of the cylinder. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view from the side of the housing, showing a drive device for closing and opening the lock in a first embodiment of the present invention, with a fracture surface showing the control element of the cylinder. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows a side perspective view of a toothed ring in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3a] Figure 3a shows a toothed ring in the first embodiment of the present invention in a cross-section along the longitudinal axis. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows a side perspective view of a toothed ring in a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4a] Figure 4a shows a toothed ring in a second embodiment of the present invention in a cross-section along the longitudinal axis. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows a toothed ring in a third embodiment of the present invention in a side perspective view. [Figure 5a] Figure 5a shows a fracture surface along line AA in Figure 5, illustrating the toothed ring in the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows a cross-section of the drive device along its longitudinal axis, illustrating a drive assembly mounted on a lock cylinder equipped with a cutting key that constitutes a control element. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0038] In embodiments of the present invention shown in Figures 1, 2, and 6, the lock includes a conventional shaped cylinder 2 mounted, for example, on a door, and the cylinder of the lock, which allows access to a protected area, includes a body 6 housing a control element 7 of the lock cylinder 2. The control element 7 of the lock cylinder 2 can rotate within the body 6 of the lock cylinder 2, but the control element 7 cannot move relative to the body 6 along the longitudinal axis of the body 6 of the lock cylinder 2.

[0039] Naturally, the lock cylinder 2 may be any locking element that allows access to the protected area, and may include the elements mentioned above.

[0040] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 6, in embodiments of the present invention, the drive device 1 for closing and opening the lock cylinder 2 includes a housing 3 that houses a drive assembly (not shown). In a first embodiment of the present invention, in the first embodiment shown in Figures 1, 2, and 6, the drive assembly includes at least a drive motor and a gear transmission with an end gear 4, the end element of the gear transmission of the drive assembly which cooperates with the toothed ring 5 including the internal teeth 9 so that when it rotates during the operation of the motor of the drive device 1, it rolls on the internal teeth 9 of the toothed ring 5 (as shown in Figures 2 and 6).

[0041] The toothed ring 5 is coaxially and rotatably mounted to the housing 3 of the drive device 1 for closing and opening the lock. The toothed ring 5 includes means for at least partially surrounding the body 6 of the cylinder 2 after the toothed ring 2 has been mounted on the lock, and for enabling the fixed mounting of the toothed ring 5 to the body 6 of the lock cylinder 2.

[0042] In Figures 3 and 3a, a means for attaching the toothed ring 5 to the body 6 of the lock cylinder 2 is shown in the first embodiment. For this purpose, the toothed ring 5 has a mounting portion 51 on the opposite side of the housing 3, which includes three threaded mounting holes 52 extending radially in the mounting portion 51 of the toothed ring 5. The mounting holes 52 are through holes into which fixing screws 53 are inserted. When the drive device 1 is attached to the lock cylinder 2, the mounting portion 51 of the toothed ring 5 partially surrounds the end portion of the body 6 of the cylinder 2, while leaving the bottom portion of the body 6 of the lock cylinder 2 unsurrounded. For this purpose, the toothed ring 5 has a recess 10 on its front-outward side relative to the housing 3 of the drive device 1 to which it is attached, having a cross-sectional shape with the contour of the body 6 of the cylinder 2, as shown in Figure 3.

[0043] While the drive device 1 is being attached to the lock cylinder 2, the recess 10 in the mounting portion 51 of the toothed ring 5 is slid over the end section of the cylinder body 6. At this time, the exit of the mounting hole 52 is positioned above the cylinder body 6 in its axial direction. Next, the fixing screws 53 are tightened so that their pointed ends "bite" into the cylinder body 6 to some extent, which results in effective fastening of the drive device 1 to the cylinder body 6. In the embodiments shown in Figures 3 and 3a, the fixing screws 53 are headless bolts so that they are not visible when the drive device 1 is attached to the cylinder body 6.

[0044] Figures 4 and 4a show means for securing the toothed ring 5 to the body 6 of the lock cylinder 2 in a second embodiment. For this purpose, the toothed ring 5 has a mounting portion 51 on the side opposite to the housing 3, having a cross-sectional shape that at least partially surrounds the end portion of the body 6 of the cylinder 2. The mounting portion 51 is partially cut radially and includes at least one transverse opening 54 extending perpendicular to a plane containing the longitudinal axis of the toothed ring 5, the transverse opening 54 being a through hole in the cut portion, and the solid portion of the mounting portion 51 of the toothed ring 5 is threaded and receives a tightening screw 55.

[0045] The toothed ring 5 has a recess 10 on its front outer side relative to the housing 3 of the drive device 1 to which it is fixed, having a cross-sectional shape that matches the contour of the body 6 of the cylinder 2, as shown in Figure 4.

[0046] During the installation of the drive device 1 onto the lock cylinder 2, the recess 10 in the mounting portion 51 of the toothed ring 5 is slid over the end section of the cylinder body 6 of the cylinder 2. At this time, the tightening screw 55 is inserted into the transverse opening 54 from its threadless side and tightened. This causes the radially cut mounting portion 51 of the toothed ring 5 to be tightened, and thus the toothed ring 5 to the cylinder body 6 of the cylinder 2 to be effectively secured.

[0047] Figures 5 and 5a show means for securing the toothed ring 5 to the body 6 of the lock cylinder 2 in a third embodiment. For this purpose, the toothed ring 5 has a mounting portion 51 on the opposite side of the housing 3, the mounting portion having a cross-sectional shape that substantially at least partially surrounds the end portion of the body 6 of the cylinder 2. The mounting portion 51 is removable from the portion of the toothed ring 5 that has teeth 9, and this may also be constructed as described in a first embodiment of the present invention and shown in Figures 3 and 3a, or as described in a second embodiment of the present invention and shown in Figures 4 and 4a. In this embodiment of the present invention, the portion of the toothed ring 5 having teeth 9 and the mounting portion 51 of the ring 5 are joined by two connecting screws 56, the removable mounting portion 51 is partially cut radially and includes at least one transverse opening 54 extending perpendicularly to a plane containing the longitudinal axis of the toothed ring 5 through the cut portion of the removable mounting portion 51 of the toothed ring 5, the transverse opening 54 in one of the cut portions is threaded and receives a fastening screw 55.

[0048] The body 6 of the lock cylinder 2, to which the control element 7 is mounted and which is operable to close and open the lock, has a non-circular and irregular shape in its cross-section from the side of the drive device 1, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. In the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, this is the shape of a commercially available conventional shaped cylinder, which in its cross-section at the top (when mounted on a door) has a substantially rectangular shape, with one side rounded at the bottom and having a circular shape combined with a substantially rectangular shape whose width is smaller than the diameter of the circle at the top. Naturally, this embodiment does not preclude the possibility of using the drive device 1 for closing and opening the lock to allow access to a protected area in other types of locks, including cylinders with different body shapes.

[0049] As shown in Figure 6, the housing 3 is bearing-mounted on the toothed ring 5 in a sliding bearing. Naturally, in other embodiments of the present invention, the housing 3 may be bearing-mounted on the toothed ring 5 in any manner known in the art, for example, in a ball bearing, needle bearing or roller bearing.

[0050] In all embodiments of the present invention shown in Figures 2, 3a, 4a, 5a, and 6, the toothed ring 5 is provided with internal teeth 9, but naturally, it is possible to use a toothed ring 5 with external teeth 9 in the configuration of the drive device 1 according to the present invention.

[0051] In particular, the drive device 1, which closes and opens a lock that allows access to a protected area, is provided with an electronic control unit (not shown) housed within the housing 3 and which manages the drive assembly within the housing 3, including a sensor (not shown) which is an accelerometer for determining the angular position of the rotatable housing 3 relative to the lock cylinder 2.

[0052] In the presented embodiments of the present invention, in particular, the drive device 1 for closing and opening a lock that allows access to a protected area is controlled wirelessly by a control unit via a wireless link, such as Bluetooth, by a computer program, preferably an application for a mobile device, particularly a smartphone.

[0053] The electronic control unit is provided with an electrical socket (not shown) located on a rotatable part of the housing for supplying voltage and for data transfer 3.

[0054] The drive device 1 is provided with an energy source, which is a primary or secondary battery (not shown).

[0055] The drive device 1 is located inside the entrance to the protected access area and opposite the key-controlled portion of the lock cylinder 2.

Claims

1. A drive device (1) for opening and closing a lock that has a cylinder (2) and allows access to a protected area, The drive device (1) comprises a drive assembly housed in a rotatable housing (3), The drive assembly comprises at least a drive motor and a gear transmission having a clutch, which has a toothed ring (5) and an end gear (4) that cooperates with the teeth (9). The drive device (1) can cooperate with a rotatable control element (7) located within the body (6) of the cylinder (2), The toothed ring (5) has a mounting portion (51), After the drive device (1) is fixed to the body (6) of the cylinder (2), the mounting portion (51) of the toothed ring (5) at least partially surrounds the body (6) of the cylinder (2) from the opposite side of the housing (3), and has means for fixing the toothed ring (5) to the body (6) of the cylinder (2) so as not to move. The housing (3) is rotatably mounted on the toothed ring (5) by a bearing so as not to move in the axial direction, and the drive device (1) has means for transmitting drive to the control element (7) of the cylinder (2).

2. The drive device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the toothed ring (5) is attached to the main body (6) of the cylinder (2).

3. The drive device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the housing (3) is bearing-mounted only by the toothed ring (5).

4. The mounting portion (51) of the toothed ring (5) has at least one threaded mounting hole (52) that extends radially in the mounting portion (51) of the toothed ring (5) and receives a fixing screw (53). The drive device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the mounting portion (51) of the toothed ring (5) at least partially surrounds the end portion of the main body (6) of the cylinder (2).

5. The mounting portion (51) of the toothed ring (5) has a cross-sectional shape that substantially, at least partially surrounds the end portion of the main body (6) of the cylinder (2), The mounting portion (51) is partially cut radially and has at least one transverse opening (54) that extends perpendicularly to a plane containing the longitudinal axis of the toothed ring (5), The drive device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the transverse opening (54) in the cut portion of the mounting portion (51) is a through hole, and in the solid portion of the mounting portion (51) of the toothed ring (5), it is threaded and receives a tightening screw (55).

6. The drive device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the toothed ring (5) having the teeth (9) and the mounting portion (51) of the toothed ring (5) are removable.

7. The drive device (1) according to claim 6, wherein the portion of the toothed ring (5) having the teeth (9) and the mounting portion (51) of the toothed ring (5) are connected by at least one connecting screw (56).

8. The removable mounting portion (51) of the toothed ring (5) has a cross-sectional shape that at least partially surrounds the end portion of the main body (6) of the cylinder (2) on the opposite side of the housing (3), The removable mounting portion (51) is partially cut radially and includes at least one transverse opening (54) that extends perpendicularly to a plane containing the longitudinal axis of the toothed ring (5) through the cut portion of the removable mounting portion (51) of the toothed ring (5), The drive device (1) according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the transverse opening (54) in one of the cut portions is threaded and a fastening screw (55) is inserted therein.

9. The means for transmitting drive from the housing (3) to the control element (7) of the cylinder (2) includes a radially extending slot (81) in the housing (3), The control element (7) has a drive unit (71) located at the end of the control element (7) of the cylinder (2) from the side of the drive device (1), The drive unit (71) enters the slot (81) of the rotatable housing (3) when the drive device (1) is attached to the cylinder (2), as described in claim 1.

10. The drive device (1) according to claim 9, wherein the drive unit (71) constitutes at least a part of the key for the cylinder (2).

11. The drive device (1) according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the drive unit (71) and the slot (81) have a non-circular cross-sectional shape.

12. The drive device (1) is a cylinder (2), and its main body (6) is a cylinder (2) having an elongated and irregular shape in cross-section from the side of the toothed ring (5). The drive device (1) according to claim 1, wherein in the upper part, the main body (6) has a circular shape formed by combining a long rectangular portion (61) with a rounded bottom.

13. The drive device (1) according to claim 12, wherein the toothed ring (5) has a recess (10) on its front-outward side relative to the housing (3) of the drive device (1) to which it is fixed, having a cross-sectional shape of at least a portion of the contour of the body (6) of the cylinder (2).

14. The drive device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the housing (3) is bearing-mounted on the toothed ring (5) in a sliding bearing.

15. The drive device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the teeth (9) of the toothed ring (5) are internal teeth.

16. The drive device (1) according to claim 1, wherein an electronic control unit is provided which is housed in the housing (3) and which manages the drive assembly.

17. The drive device (1) according to claim 16, wherein the electronic control unit is provided with a sensor that determines the angular position of the rotatable housing (3) relative to the cylinder (2).

18. The drive device (1) according to claim 17, wherein the sensor is an accelerometer.

19. The drive device (1) according to claim 16, wherein the electronic control unit is wirelessly controlled by a computer program via a wireless link.

20. The drive device (1) according to claim 19, wherein the electronic control unit is wirelessly controlled via a Bluetooth wireless link.

21. The drive device (1) according to claim 16, wherein the electronic control unit is provided with sockets for supplying voltage and for data transfer.

22. The drive device (1) according to claim 1, wherein an electrical energy source, which is a primary or secondary battery, is provided.

23. The drive device (1) according to claim 1, located inside the entrance to a protected access area and on the opposite side of the key operating part of the cylinder (2).

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