Electronic door locks having bi-directional overruning clutches and methods of using the same

An electronic door lock having a bi-directional overrunning clutch, comprising:

• a first locking mechanism, wherein the first locking mechanism drives an inner wheel through a first torque to rotate a rotatable shaft to operate a locking device on a door by a user from an outside;
• a second locking mechanism, wherein the second locking mechanism drives the inner wheel through the first torque to operate the locking device on the door by the user from an inside;
• a third locking mechanism, wherein the third locking mechanism drives an outer wheel rotatable coaxially around the rotatable shaft through a second torque to operate the locking device on the door by the user electronically;
• and
• the bi-directional overrunning clutch, an overrunning clutch mechanism comprises a magnetic face plate, a first embedded straight edge and a second embedded straight edge forming an acute angle on a first surface of the outer wheel, a magnetic pin attached magnetically and moveable on the magnetic face plate, and the inner wheel, wherein the inner wheel defines a plurality of notches equally spaced around an outer edge of the inner wheel, wherein when the outer wheel is rotating, one of the first and the second embedded straight edges presses the magnetic pin inward to engage the outer wheel with the inner wheel through one of the plurality of notches to drive the inner wheel to rotate along with the outer wheel, and when the inner wheel is rotating, one of the plurality of notches pushes the magnetic pin outward to disengage the inner wheel from the outer wheel and the outer wheel does not rotate along with the inner wheel and the rotatable shaft, and when the outer wheel rotates at the second torque, the inner wheel and the rotatable shaft rotate along with the outer wheel, and when the inner wheel rotates at the first torque, the outer wheel does not rotate along with the inner wheel and the rotatable shaft.

A method of operating an electronic door lock having a bi-directional overrunning clutch, comprising:

• installing, by a user, the electronic door lock having the bi-directional overrunning clutch on a door, wherein the electronic door lock comprises:
• a first locking mechanism to be operated from an outside of the door, a second locking mechanism to be operated from an inside of the door, and a third locking mechanism;
• operating, by the user, the first locking mechanism by providing a first torque to a rotatable shaft and an inner wheel fixedly attached to the rotatable shaft to turn the rotatable shaft in a first direction to unlock the electronic door lock, when the user opens the door from the outside;
• operating, by the user, the second locking mechanism by providing the first torque to the rotatable shaft and the inner wheel fixedly attached to the rotatable shaft to turn the rotatable shaft in the first direction to unlock the electronic door lock, when the user opens the door from the inside;
• and
• operating, by the user, the third locking mechanism when the user opens the door electronically through an electronic controller, wherein the electronic controller controls a second torque driving motor to provide a second torque to an outer wheel rotatable coaxially around the rotatable shaft, to engage the outer wheel with the inner wheel and to turn the rotatable shaft in a first direction to unlock the electronic door lock through an overrunning clutch mechanism, wherein the overrunning clutch mechanism comprises a magnetic face plate, a first embedded straight edge and a second embedded straight edge forming an acute angle on a first surface of the outer wheel, a magnetic pin attached magnetically and moveable on the magnetic face plate, and the inner wheel, wherein the inner wheel defines a plurality of notches equally spaced around an outer edge of the inner wheel, wherein when the outer wheel is rotating, one of the first and the second embedded straight edges presses the magnetic pin inward to engage the outer wheel with the inner wheel through one of the plurality of notches to drive the inner wheel to rotate along with the outer wheel, and when the inner wheel is rotating, one of the plurality of notches pushes the magnetic pin outward to disengage the inner wheel from the outer wheel and the outer wheel does not rotate along with the inner wheel and the rotatable shaft, and the electronic controller comprises a communication module, a user authentication module, and a lock control module, the user uses the communication module and the user authentication module to operate the electronic door lock through the lock control module to provide the second torque to the outer wheel through a third driving mechanism and a third transmission mechanism of the third locking mechanism, when the outer wheel is rotating at the second torque, the inner wheel and the rotatable shaft rotate along with the outer wheel in the same direction to retract the locking tongue and unlock the door.