CYLINDER LOCK

Abstract

A cylinder lock comprises a lock cylinder; a holder for receiving the lock cylinder; and a securing element, wherein the lock cylinder comprises a cylinder housing and a cylinder core that is rotatable about a cylinder axis in the cylinder housing and that has a keyway, wherein the securing element is axially fixedly held at the lock cylinder and has a blocking section, which contacts an abutment section of the holder in a blocking position, and a coupling section. The coupling section is accessible for a coupling actuation through the keyway and is rotationally fixedly couplable to the cylinder core by the coupling actuation. The blocking section is hereby then displaceable from the blocking position into a release position, in which the lock cylinder is released for a removal from the holder, by turning the cylinder core by means of an associated key.

Claims

1. A cylinder lock, comprising a lock cylinder; a holder for receiving the lock cylinder; and a securing element, wherein the lock cylinder has a cylinder housing and a cylinder core that is rotatable about a cylinder axis in the cylinder housing and that has a keyway; wherein the securing element is axially fixedly held at the lock cylinder and has a blocking section that, in a blocking position, contacts an abutment section of the holder to secure the lock cylinder against a removal from the holder; wherein the securing element further has a coupling section that is accessible through the keyway for a coupling actuation and that is rotationally fixedly couplable to the cylinder core by the coupling actuation; and wherein the blocking section of the securing element is displaceable from the blocking position into a release position, in which the lock cylinder is released for a removal from the holder, by turning the cylinder core by means of an associated key when the coupling section of the securing element is rotationally fixedly coupled to the cylinder core.

2. A cylinder lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the coupling section of the securing element is arranged in alignment with the keyway of the cylinder core.

3. A cylinder lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the coupling section of the securing element is configured to be moved away from the keyway by the coupling actuation.

4. A cylinder lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the coupling section of the securing element is configured to be rotationally fixedly coupled to the cylinder core in a stable manner due to the coupling actuation.

5. A cylinder lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the coupling section of the securing element is configured to be rotationally fixedly coupled to the cylinder core by an inelastic or bistable deformation of the coupling section due to the coupling actuation.

6. A cylinder lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cylinder core has a coupling recess, wherein the coupling section of the securing element is configured to be brought into a coupling engagement with the coupling recess of the cylinder core by the coupling actuation. A cylinder lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cylinder core has an entrainer section, wherein the coupling section of the securing element is rotationally fixedly couplable to the entrainer section of the cylinder core.

8. A cylinder lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the securing element is formed as a ring or a ring section.

9. A cylinder lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the securing element is axially fixedly held in a ring groove of the lock cylinder.

10. A cylinder lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the blocking section of the securing element is movable relative to at least one of the cylinder housing or the holder.

11. A cylinder lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the blocking section of the securing element is preloaded in the direction of the blocking position.

12. A cylinder lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the securing element has a support section with which the securing element is supported against a rotation relative to at least one of the cylinder housing or the holder.

13. A cylinder lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the securing element has an arcuate connection section, wherein the arcuate connection section at least partly surrounds the cylinder housing, and wherein the arcuate connection section is elastic.

14. A cylinder lock in accordance with claim 13, wherein the blocking section of the securing element projects laterally outwardly with respect to the arcuate shape of the connection section; and wherein the coupling section of the securing element projects radially inwardly from the arcuate connection section.

15. A cylinder lock in accordance with claim 1, wherein the holder has a lateral blocking recess into which the blocking section of the securing element projects.

16. A cylinder lock in accordance with claim 1, comprising a first associated key and a second associated key that are both configured to turn the cylinder core, wherein the length of the first key is selected such that the coupling section of the securing element is not actuable through a complete introduction of the first key into the keyway; and wherein the length of the second associated key is selected such that the coupling section of the securing element is actuable through a complete introduction of the second associated key into the keyway in order to rotationally fixedly couple the coupling section to the cylinder core.

17. A securing element for axially fixing a lock cylinder extending along a cylinder axis in a holder, said securing element comprising: an arcuate connection section for axially fixedly connecting the securing element to the lock cylinder; a blocking section for blocking a relative axial movement between the lock cylinder and the holder, said blocking section projecting away laterally outwardly with respect to the arcuate shape of the connection section; and a coupling section projecting radially inwardly from the connection section.

18. A securing element in accordance with claim 17, wherein the coupling section is configured to be deformed in the axial direction with respect to the cylinder axis in an inelastic or a bistable manner.

19. A securing element in accordance with claim 17, wherein the securing element has a support section projecting outwardly away from the connection section substantially perpendicular to the cylinder axis.

20. A method of removing a lock cylinder of a cylinder lock from a holder, wherein the lock cylinder has a cylinder housing and a cylinder core that is rotatable about a cylinder axis in the cylinder housing and that has a keyway, wherein the lock cylinder is received in the holder and is secured against a removal from the holder by a securing element axially fixedly held at the lock cylinder, and wherein the securing element has a blocking section that, in a blocking position, contacts an abutment section of the holder, the method comprising the steps of: coupling a coupling section of the securing element in a rotationally fixedly manner to the cylinder core by a coupling actuation through the keyway; thereafter turning the cylinder core by means of an associated key and bringing the blocking section into a release position through the turning of the key; and removing the cylinder core from the holder.

Description

DRAWINGS

[0062] The invention will be described in the following purely by way of example with reference to an embodiment and to the drawings.

[0063] There are shown:

[0064] FIG. 1 is a perspective representation of a cylinder lock with a lock cylinder received in a holder;

[0065] FIGS. 2A and 2B are rear-side and front-side perspective exploded representations of essential components of the cylinder lock;

[0066] FIG. 3 is a side view of the lock cylinder of the cylinder lock;

[0067] FIGS. 4A to 4C are a perspective rear view, a perspective front view, and a rear view of the lock cylinder with the entrainer section released or removed;

[0068] FIGS. 5A and 5B include a rear view of a securing element for securing the lock cylinder in the holder, and a perspective view of components of the securing element;

[0069] FIG. 6 is a perspective side view of the holder;

[0070] FIG. 7 is a perspective rear view of the holder with the lock cylinder inserted; and

[0071] FIGS. 8A and 8B are respective side views of a first associated key and a second associated key.

DESCRIPTION

[0072] FIG. 1 shows a cylinder lock 11 that extends along a cylinder axis Z and that may be operated by means of a key 31 introduced through a key introduction opening 63 into a keyway 23 in order to turn a cylinder core 21 between a blocked position and an open position. The cylinder core 21 is in this respect inserted as part of a lock cylinder 13 (cf. FIGS. 2A to 4C) into a holder 15 that may, for example, be fixed in a door, in a flap or in another installation environment of a locking mechanism to be able to lock the door, the flap or the like by means of the cylinder lock 11 or to be able to release it for an opening. For this purpose, a lock insert 67 secured by means of a securing ring 65 extends out of the holder 15 at a side of the holder 15 axially opposite the key introduction opening 63 with respect to the cylinder axis Z, said lock insert 67 being rotationally fixedly coupled to the cylinder core 21 and, for example, being able to be provided to enable or to block an actuation of a locking mechanism, such as of a handle of a door or of a flap, in dependence on the rotational position of the cylinder core 21.

[0073] As the exploded representations of FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate, the lock cylinder 13 may be inserted through a reception opening 48 into the holder 15 in an axial manner with respect to the cylinder axis Z. The lock cylinder 13 has a cylinder housing 19 in which a cylinder core 21 is received rotatably about a cylinder axis B. In this respect, the cylinder housing 19 comprises a substantially hollow cylindrical core reception section 53 for receiving the cylinder core 21; and a flange section 55 projecting away from the core reception section 53 in a radial manner with respect to the cylinder axis Z. Furthermore, the lock cylinder 13 may have tumblers, not shown, that block a rotation about the cylinder axis Z in a blocked position of the cylinder core 21, but that may be sorted by an introduction of the key 31 into the keyway 23 such that a turning of the cylinder core 21 into an open position may take place. An opening of the cylinder lock 11 is therefore only possible by means of the associated key 31.

[0074] The holder 15 is configured to peripherally surround the lock cylinder 13 or the cylinder housing 17 and, in the exemplary embodiment shown here, has a holder core reception section 57 and a holder flange section 59 in a manner reflecting the shape of the cylinder housing 19. In this respect, the lock cylinder 13 may be rotationally fixedly held in the holder 15 by the flange section 55 projecting radially away from the core reception section 53 and by the holder flange section 57. Furthermore, the holder 15 has a cap 61 that is shown in FIG. 1 and that covers the cylinder housing 19 in the direction of the key introduction opening 63. It must be noted that the holder 15 may generally have any desired shape and may in particular also form part of a larger installation environment of the lock cylinder 13.

[0075] Since the holder 15 peripherally surrounds the lock cylinder 13, the latter may at most be axially removed from the holder 15 through the reception opening 48. Consequently, it is necessary to fix the lock cylinder 13 axially in the holder in order to secure the lock cylinder 13 against unauthorized removal attempts. For this purpose, a securing element 17 is provided that is axially fixedly held at the lock cylinder 13 or at the cylinder housing 19. This securing element 17 in this respect has an arcuate connection section 49 that is formed by a ring section 39 and that is connectable to the cylinder housing 19 at a ring groove 41. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the securing element 17 may optionally have an additional stabilizing element 37. In this respect, the ring groove 41 is formed by an end section of the core reception section 53 that is at the rear side or that is axially opposite the key introduction opening 63 with respect to the cylinder axis Z and that extends beyond the flange section 55 and has an extent in the radial direction that is reduced with respect to the remaining part of the core reception section 53.

[0076] Furthermore, at a rear side axially opposite the key introduction opening 63, the cylinder core 21 has an entrainer section 35 that is formed by an entrainment element 36 that is formed separately from the remainder of the cylinder core 21 and that is rotationally fixedly connected to the remaining part of the cylinder core 21 in the assembled state of the cylinder lock 11 (cf. in particular also FIG. 3). In this respect, the entrainment element 36, on the one hand, forms a rear-side boundary of the ring groove 41 to axially fixedly hold the securing element 17 and, on the other hand, serves to transmit a turning of the cylinder core 21 to the lock insert 67. The cylinder core 21 and the entrainment element 36 have mutually corresponding fastening openings 71 to be able to fixedly screw the entrainment element 36 and the cylinder core 21 to one another.

[0077] The securing element 17 has a blocking section 25 that projects laterally from the connection section 49, the blocking section 25 projecting laterally beyond the flange section 35 of the cylinder housing 19 in a blocking position B shown in the Figures and contacting an abutment section 27 formed by the holder 15 (cf. in particular FIGS. 1 and 7 and FIG. 4C). For this purpose, the holder core reception section 57 has a lower blocking recess 50 through which the blocking section 25 of the securing element 17 projects in the direction of the holder flange section 59 and into a lateral fastening recess 51 formed at the holder flange section 59. In this respect, the boundary of this lateral fastening recess 51 formed by the holder flange section 59 forms the abutment section 27 which the blocking section 25 contacts in an axially effective manner. Since the securing element 17 is axially fixedly held in the ring groove 41 at the lock cylinder 13 and engages behind the abutment section 27 in the explained manner, the lock cylinder 13 may be secured in the holder 15 in a reliable manner and in particular with respect to unauthorized removal or break-open attempts.

[0078] It may thus be achieved by the securing element 17 or its blocking section 25 that the lock cylinder 13 received in the holder 15 is reliably secured against an unauthorized removal. However, to enable the authorized user to remove the lock cylinder 13 from the holder 15 and, for example, to replace it with another lock cylinder that is actuable by means of another key, the securing element 17 has a coupling section 29 that projects radially inwardly from the connection section 49 (cf. in particular FIGS. 2A, 4A, 4C and 5A and 5B).

[0079] This coupling section 29 is in this respect arranged in alignment with the keyway 23 in the blocked position of the lock cylinder 13 or of its cylinder core 21 shown in the Figures and is actuable from the outside through the keyway 23 to establish a coupling engagement with the cylinder core 21 (cf. FIGS. 4A and 4C). Due to such a coupling actuation of the coupling section 29, the coupling section 29 of the securing element 17 may be rotationally fixedly connected to the cylinder core 21, whereupon the blocking section 25 may be able to be brought into a release position F by turning the cylinder core 21 by means of the associated key 31, said release position F being illustrated in FIG. 4C by an arrow that indicates the movement of the blocking section 25 to reach the release position F. This movement of the blocking section 25 extends approximately tangentially with respect to the cylinder axis Z. In the release position F of the blocking section 25, the lock cylinder 13 is released for a removal from the holder 15, wherein the blocking section 25 is moved out of the axial alignment of the abutment section 27 of the holder 15 (cf. FIGS. 2A and 7) and may in particular be arranged in alignment with the flange section 55 of the cylinder housing 19.

[0080] Due to this two-step transfer of the blocking section 25 into the release position F, a removal of the lock cylinder 13 from the holder 15 may solely take place by the authorized user since the associated key 31 is necessary in the second step to be able to turn the cylinder core 21. While the authorized user may thus cancel the securing of the lock cylinder 13 in the holder 15 from the outside and by means of two steps to be performed in an extremely simple and fast manner, the lock cylinder 13 is reliably secured by the securing element 17 with respect to unauthorized removal attempts.

[0081] To rotationally fixedly connect the coupling section 29 to the cylinder core 21, a coupling actuation may take place by means of an elongate tool, not shown, that is guidable through the keyway 23. In this respect, the coupling section 29 may be moved away from the keyway 23 by the tool or may be acted on by a force directed away from the keyway 23 and may thereby be stably deformed, whereby the coupling section 29 may be urged into a coupling recess 33 (cf. FIGS. 2B and 4B) formed at the entrainment element 36 and may be brought into a coupling engagement with the coupling recess 33. As a result of such a coupling actuation or force application on the coupling section 29, the coupling section 29 may be permanently deformed and may accordingly be permanently brought into a rotationally fixed coupling to the entrainment element 36 or the cylinder core 21. For example, the coupling section 29 may be inelastically bent by means of a tool guided through the keyway 23 or may snap over after overcoming a resistance in order to enter into a stable engagement, i.e. an independently maintained engagement, with the coupling recess 33.

[0082] As FIG. 4C in particular illustrates, a tool guided through the keyway 23 may be directly led onto the coupling section 29 and brought into contact with the coupling section 29 since the coupling section 39 is arranged in alignment with the keyway 23 in the blocked position of the cylinder core 21. A coupling actuation of the coupling section 29 may thus take place in a simple manner and without any knowledge of the design of the cylinder lock 11 so that users unfamiliar with this design may also easily perform the steps for removing the lock cylinder 13 from the holder 15.

[0083] Alternatively to a coupling actuation by means of a bar-like tool and a subsequent turning of the cylinder core 21 by means of the associated key 31, a second associated key 32 may also be provided that may be provided specifically for a removal of the lock cylinder 13 from the holder 15. As FIG. 8B shows, the second associated key 32 has an actuation prolongation 34 in comparison with the first associated key 31, illustrated again in FIG. 8A, so that the second associated key 32 is axially formed with a larger length than the first associated key 31. However, both the first associated key 31 and the second associated key 32 are configured to sort tumblers (e.g. pin tumblers) of the lock cylinder 13 to be able to turn the cylinder core 21.

[0084] The length of the second associated key 32 is selected by the actuation prolongation 34 such that the coupling section 29 may be actuated by introducing the second associated key 32 into the keyway 23 in order to rotationally fixedly couple the coupling section 29 to the cylinder core 21. Through an introduction of the second associated key 32, a force directed away from the keyway 23 may be transmitted to the coupling section 29 via the actuation prolongation 34 such that the coupling section 29 may be urged into the coupling recess 33. The blocking section 25 may then be moved directly into the release position F by turning the second associated key 32 introduced into the keyway 23. The actuation prolongation 34 may be arranged in the coupling recess 33 during a turning of the cylinder core 21.

[0085] In contrast, the first associated key 31 has a length that is selected such that the coupling section 29 is not actuable by the first associated key 31. While the second associated key 32 may therefore be specifically provided for the comfortable removal of the lock cylinder 13 from the holder 15, the first associated key 31 may serve for opening or blocking the cylinder lock 11 without a coupling of the coupling section 29 to the cylinder core 21 taking place during such a use of the cylinder lock 11.

[0086] However, to prevent an unwanted co-rotation of the coupling section 29 or of the securing element 17 prior to a coupling actuation of the coupling section 29 in the course of opening or blocking processes of the cylinder lock 11, the non-deformed coupling section 29 is arranged in a rotary cut-out 69 of the entrainment element 36 (cf. FIGS. 2B and 4B). The coupling section 29 may thereby extend radially inwardly between the keyway 23 and the entrainer section 35 from the connection section 49, wherein the cylinder core 21 and the entrainment element 36 may be rotated relative to the coupling section 29, and thus relative to the securing element 17, to operate the cylinder lock 11.

[0087] Furthermore, the securing element 17 has a support section 45 which projects laterally outwardly away from the connection section 49 perpendicular to the cylinder axis Z and with which the securing element 17 is supported with respect to a rotation relative to the cylinder housing 19 or the holder 15 (cf. FIGS. 5A and 5B). For this purpose, as is in particular visible from FIG. 6, the support section 45 contacts an inner side 51 of the holder flange section 59 that is arranged disposed opposite the lateral blocking recess 51 through which the blocking section 25 projects in the blocking position B.

[0088] In addition to the prevention of a co-rotation of the blocking element 17, the support section 45 also serves as an abutment to preload the blocking section 25 in the direction of the blocking position B. For this purpose, the securing element 17 is configured as a spring 43 and the connection section 49 may be placed onto the ring groove 41 of the cylinder housing 19 in a manner slightly outwardly preloaded in diameter. The connection section 49 may in particular be elastic for this purpose. During an assembly or for the insertion of the lock cylinder 13 into the holder 15, the securing element 17 may first be pressed together against the preload, wherein the blocking section 25 and the support section 45 may contact the inner walls of the holder 15 during the introduction of the lock cylinder 13 into the holder and may thereby keep the spring 43 under tension. The spring 43 may expand on a complete introduction of the lock cylinder 13, wherein the blocking section 25 projects through the lateral blocking recess 51, while the support section 45 holds the securing part 17 at the inner side 47 of the holder 15 opposite the blocking recess 51.

[0089] If the coupling section 29 is thereupon coupled to the cylinder core 21 and is taken along on a turning of the cylinder core 21, the expanded spring 43 may be inwardly tensioned again against the preload so that the blocking section 25 may be transferred into the release position F. In this respect, the connection section 49 may be arranged with clearance with respect to the ring groove 41 when the blocking section 25 is arranged in the blocking position B to enable a tensioning of the spring 43 during a movement of the blocking section 25 into the release position F. The blocking section 25 may thereby be arranged in alignment with the flange section 55 in the release position F to be able to remove the lock cylinder 13 from the holder 15. The blocking section 25 may in particular contact the support section 45 in the release position F.

[0090] The cylinder lock 11 explained by way of example here thus enables a secure and reliable fixing of the lock cylinder 13 in the holder 15 by means of the blocking section 25 of the securing element 17 to be able to counteract break-open attempts by a removal of the lock cylinder 13 from the holder 15. At the same time, the authorized user may, however, in a simple and fast manner selectively remove the lock cylinder 13 from the holder 15 and, for example, replace it. For example, after a removal of the lock cylinder 13, the user may insert a further lock cylinder into the holder 15 that may be actuable by means of another key 31, but not by means of the key 31 associated with the lock cylinder 21 originally present in the holder 15. The security of objects made accessible to changing users may in particular be increased by such a simple replacement of the lock cylinder 13 to be performed in a fast manner.