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US 11,913,249 B2Granted
Modular and interchangeable lock plug
AssigneeSchlage Lock Company LLC
InventorsJames Nye, Brian E. Walls
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An exemplary lock apparatus includes a housing and a plug assembly rotatably mounted in the housing. The plug assembly includes a tumbler assembly operable to selectively prevent rotation of the plug assembly relative to the housing and a retention mechanism operable to selectively prevent removal of the plug assembly from the housing. A system including the lock apparatus may include a change key configured to actuate the tumbler assembly without actuating the retention mechanism and/or a control key configured to actuate both the tumbler assembly and the retention mechanism.
Claims13
A system, comprising:
- a modular plug assembly, comprising:
- a plug extending along a longitudinal axis and defining a proximal direction and an opposite distal direction, wherein a proximal end portion of the plug defines a faceplate, wherein a plug body extends distally from the faceplate, and wherein the plug body is cylindrical and has a circular footprint;
- a sidebar mounted to the plug body for movement between an outer position and an inner position, wherein the sidebar in the outer position projects beyond the circular footprint;
- a tumbler mounted to the plug body for movement between a blocking position in which the tumbler retains the sidebar in the outer position, and an unblocking position in which the tumbler does not retain the sidebar in the outer position;
- and
- a retention mechanism mounted in a distal end portion of the plug and having a retaining state in which a portion of the retention mechanism projects beyond the circular footprint, and the retention mechanism having a releasing state in which the portion of the retention mechanism is received within the circular footprint;
- and
- wherein the retention mechanism comprises a first plate, a second plate, and a spring interposed between the first plate and the second plate and biasing the first plate and the second plate in opposite directions.
5 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a housing defining a cylindrical chamber;
- and
- a plug assembly rotatably mounted in the chamber for rotation relative to the housing between a home position and a rotated position, the plug assembly comprising:
- a plug extending along a rotational axis and including a plug body that interfaces with an inner surface of the housing at a cylindrical shear line;
- a tumbler assembly movably mounted in the plug, the tumbler assembly having a blocking state in which a portion of the tumbler assembly crosses the cylindrical shear line and prevents rotation of the plug assembly from the home position, the tumbler assembly having an unblocking state in which the tumbler assembly does not prevent rotation of the plug assembly from the home position;
- and
- a retention mechanism movably mounted in the plug and having a retaining state in which the retention mechanism prevents axial movement of the plug assembly relative to the housing without preventing rotation of the plug assembly relative to the housing, the retention mechanism having a releasing state in which the retention mechanism does not prevent axial movement of the plug assembly relative to the housing;
- and
- wherein the retention mechanism comprises a first plate biased in a first direction toward a first retaining position, and a second plate biased in a second direction toward a second retaining position, and wherein the first direction is different from the second direction.
6 more elements
A modular plug assembly, comprising:
- a plug comprising a faceplate and a plug body extending distally from the faceplate, wherein the plug body has a circular footprint;
- a sidebar mounted to the plug body for movement between an inner position and an outer position, wherein a portion of the sidebar projects beyond the circular footprint when the sidebar is in the outer position;
- a tumbler mounted to the plug body for movement between a locking position and an unlocking position, wherein the tumbler in the locking position retains the sidebar in the outer position, wherein the tumbler in the unlocking position does not prevent movement of the sidebar from the outer position to the inner position, and wherein the tumbler is inoperable to project beyond the circular footprint;
- and
- a retention mechanism mounted to the plug body for movement between a retaining state in which a portion of the retention mechanism projects beyond the circular footprint, and a releasing state in which the portion of the retention mechanism is received within the circular footprint;
- and
- wherein the retention mechanism comprises a first plate biased in a first direction, and a second plate biased in a second direction different from the first direction.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.