A cylinder lock and key system, comprising one or more cylinder lock and key combinations, where at least one cylinder lock and key combination forms a matching pair, including:
- a key blank comprising:
- a grip portion, serving to facilitate:
- insertion of a substantially flat key blade in a forward direction and withdrawal of the substantially flat key blade in a backward direction along a longitudinal axis (A), and
- turning the substantially flat key blade so that it rotates around said longitudinal axis, and
- a substantially flat key blade, which:
- extends from said grip portion along said longitudinal axis (A),
- includes, as seen in the forward direction, a connecting portion adjoining to said grip portion, a major longitudinal bitting portion to be provided with a row of coded cuts, and a free tip portion,
- has a cross-sectional profile which is substantially confined within a rectangle (R) having a height (h) being at least 2.5 times greater than a width (w) thereof,
- said cross-sectional profile including:
- a lower relatively wide part having a maximum width being substantially the same as or slightly less than the width of said rectangle, the maximum width being 75% to 100% of the width of the rectangle,
- an upper relatively narrow part being narrower than said lower part,
- and an interconnecting part extending between said lower and upper parts,
- wherein said connecting portion of the substantially flat key blade is provided with a first selectable abutment surface facing in said forward direction, and
- wherein said first abutment surface is formed as a forward end surface of a longitudinal rib portion:
- being located at a lateral side of said upper relatively narrow part of the substantially flat key blade at a vertical level lying within a vertical range of said bitting portion of the substantially flat key blade,
- extending in parallel to the longitudinal axis (A) of the substantially flat key blade,
- being confined longitudinally to said connecting portion of the substantially flat key blade,
- being confined also within the contour of or slightly laterally outside said rectangle (R) with a possible lateral extension exceeding the width of the rectangle by at most 25%, and
- having a selectable length, measured from said grip portion to said forward end surface, being any desired fraction of the length of said connecting portion,
- whereby the location of said forward end surface of the longitudinal rib portion, forming the first abutment surface on the key, is selectable along the whole length of said connecting portion;
- and wherein an upper part of said major longitudinal portion of the substantial flat key blade is provided with a row of coded cuts so as to form a coded key;
- and a cylinder lock, comprising:
- a housing having a cylindrical bore, and
- a key plug with a cylindrical body portion, being journaled in said cylindrical bore, and an adjoining radially widened portion having a larger radius than said cylindrical portion,
- with a longitudinal keyway extending from a front end portion to a back end portion of the key plug,
- said longitudinal keyway having a specific cross-sectional profile corresponding to the cross-sectional profile of the substantially flat key blade of the coded key, so that the coded key fits slidingly in said longitudinal keyway,
- there being a row of central locking pins which are vertically movable in vertical bores in said cylindrical body portion in a central plane of the key plug, and
- said locking pins cooperating with said coded cuts of the coded key,
- wherein:
- the coded key is insertable in said forward direction into a releasing position in the keyway of the key plug, where it enables releasing of the lock by turning the coded key around said longitudinal axis (A) and causing a corresponding rotary motion of the key plug, and
- the cylinder lock and key in each said matching pair are provided with mutually cooperating first and second abutment surfaces facing in opposite directions along said longitudinal axis, and wherein:
- the first abutment surface is formed by said forward end surface of said longitudinal rib portion of the substantially flat key blade, said forward end surface being located at a desired position along said connecting portion of the substantially flat key blade,
- the second abutment surface is formed by a matching front end surface located at said front end portion of the key plug, and
- the longitudinal length of said longitudinal rib portion of said substantially flat key blade and the longitudinal position of said matching front end surface at the key plug are selected so that, in each said matching pair, said forward end surface of said longitudinal rib portion and said matching front end surface at the key plug will make contact with each other when the key reaches said releasing position in the key plug.