Determining a position of a deadbolt used to lock and unlock a door is disclosed. An electromechanical lock can include a deadbolt that can retract or extend along a linear path as the door is to be locked and unlocked. A sensor such as an accelerometer can rotate along a non-linear path as the deadbolt moves along a linear path. The accelerometer can determine a gravity vector that can be indicative of a position of the accelerometer along the non-linear path. A controller can then determine a position of the deadbolt based on the gravity vector.

A locking device that includes: a locking element, movable between a locked position and an unlocked position and being forced to its locked position, a pin, and an actuator of the pin, the pin being configured to move the locking element from the locked position to the unlocked position when the actuator is actuated by changing the shape of a shape memory element. The pin is movable between: an extended position, in which it moves the locking element from its locked position to its unlocked position, and a retracted position, in which it releases the movement of the locking element to its locked position.

When an emergency situation such as a fire occurs, a rescuee trapped in a room is embarrassed or loses judgment, and thereby a situation of forgetting how to release the locking device, repeating an erroneous operation, or the like occurs. Therefore, when a situation such as a fire occurs, a front door, which is a most effective evacuation path, cannot be used, and thereby in most cases of fire, deaths in front of the door are frequently reported. The present invention is made to improve the above-described problems, and relates to a fire safety door lock of which a lock state is automatically released by automatically operating, as illustrated in the drawing below, a spring composed of a shape memory alloy connected to a locking bar of the digital door lock when being operated, and which is capable of being opened independently without being affected by other circuits.

A tamper-resistant lock assembly comprising a plate having a slot for receiving a key, the slot extending through the plate from an opening in a front face thereof to an exit in an opposing rear face thereof, the opening having a first profile and the exit having a second, different profile, the key comprising a shaft having a bit extending therefrom, the bit being formed of a shape memory material and being pre-configured such that its cross-sectional shape in its temporary form matches the first profile and the bit can be inserted through the slot via the opening and, upon application of a predetermined external stimulus, returns to a permanent form in which its cross-sectional shape matches the second profile and the bit can be retracted from the slot via the exit.

Certain aspects of the technology disclosed herein include an apparatus and method for a extending a deadbolt. The electromechanical lock can include a deadbolt extending device disposed between a main housing and a deadbolt. The deadbolt extension device can be used to adapt the electromechanical lock to doors of various sizes. The deadbolt extension device can include another electrical connection and another attachment mechanism for the deadbolt. The another electrical connection can be configured to electrically connect the deadbolt with the main housing. The another attachment mechanism can be configured to attach the deadbolt a pre-defined distance apart from the main housing.

Mechanically or electromechanically positioning a deadbolt used to lock or unlock a door is disclosed. An electromechanical lock can include a deadbolt to be positioned to lock or unlock a door. The deadbolt can be mechanically positioned based on the rotation of a paddle of the electromechanical lock or electromechanically positioned via a motor being turned on to position the deadbolt. A disengagement mechanism can disengage an engagement cog from a worm gear hub of a gear train of the motor upon the mechanical positioning, but remain engaged upon the electromechanical positioning.

Disclosed are embodiments of a tapered bolt receiver for a door lock to accommodate misalignment, between a deadbolt mounted to a door, and an opposing jamb. The tapered bolt receiver can be configured to accommodate misalignment for a deadbolt having a non-tapered bolt, such as for an electromechanical smart lock having a battery stored within a battery compartment that is integrated with an enhanced bolt. Also disclosed are embodiments of a deadbolt plate pivot assembly that is pivotably mountable to a corresponding deadbolt assembly to define a plate pivot system, to accommodate a beveled door edge. An illustrative embodiment of the deadbolt plate pivot assembly includes opposing plate that captures a hinge assembly, which can include plastic plate hinges, which serve to locate the deadbolt plate pivot assembly with respect to a corresponding bolt housing, and can provide a spring force and/or constant torque when mounted to a beveled door.

Mechanically or electromechanically positioning a deadbolt used to lock or unlock a door is disclosed. An electromechanical lock can include a deadbolt to be positioned to lock or unlock a door. The deadbolt can be mechanically positioned based on the rotation of a paddle of the electromechanical lock or electromechanically positioned via a motor being turned on to position the deadbolt. A disengagement mechanism can disengage an engagement cog from a worm gear hub of a gear train of the motor upon the mechanical positioning, but remain engaged upon the electromechanical positioning.

The present invention is inherent to a swing-type Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuator (10) comprising a stationary frame (11) and a swingable part (12) that are coupled by means of a pivot (13) allowing the swing of the swingable part (12), two SMA wires (14, 14) being engaged to two connecting elements (15, 15) present respectively on a left and right portion of the swingable part (12) and vertically separated from the pivot (13), such that the activation of one of the SMA wires (14, 14) causes the swing of the swingable part (12) in either the clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.

A lockable latching device includes a body defining a cavity and a plunger disposed within a cavity defined in the body. The plunger is translatable with respect to the body between an open position and a closed position. The lockable latching device also includes an annular rotator configured for rotating the plunger about a central longitudinal axis, and an annular latch transitionable between an unlocked state and a locked state. The lockable latching device further includes first and second elements. The lockable latching device also includes a force transmission mechanism operably connected to the first element, the second element, and the annular latch, with the force transmission mechanism configured to transition the annular latch from the unlocked state to the locked state in response to a first activation signal, and to transition the annular latch from the locked state to the unlocked state in response to a second activation signal.