Key and key blanks operable in vertically and horizontally oriented keyways

A key for a lock, the key comprising:

• a key blade having a top edge, a bottom edge, a first side surface, and an opposed second side surface,
• wherein the first side surface comprises one or more side bittings configured to elevate and rotate one or more tumbler pins of a horizontal lock,
• wherein the blade is divided into three segments between the top edge and the bottom edge, the segments comprising:
• (i) a first segment encompassed by a first envelope defined by the top edge of the key blade, a first side boundary, a second side boundary, and a lower boundary, wherein the first side boundary and the second side boundary of the first envelope have a first thickness therebetween, and the first side boundary and the second side boundary of the first envelope are equidistant from a centerline extending through the blade from the top edge of the blade to the bottom edge of the blade;
• (ii) a second segment encompassed by a second envelope defined by an upper boundary contiguous with the lower boundary of the first segment, a first side boundary, a second side boundary, and a lower boundary, wherein the first side boundary and the second side boundary of the second envelope have a second thickness therebetween, the first side boundary and the second side boundary of the second envelope are equidistant from the centerline, and the second thickness is greater than the first thickness;
• and
• (iii) a third segment encompassed by a third envelope defined by an upper boundary contiguous with the lower boundary of the second segment, a first side boundary, a second side boundary, and the bottom edge of the key blade, wherein the first side boundary and the second side boundary of the third envelope have a third thickness therebetween, and wherein the distance from the centerline to the second side boundary of the third envelope is equal to the distance from the centerline to the second side boundary of the second envelope, and the third thickness is greater than the first thickness and the second thickness.

A lock system comprising:

• A a vertical cylinder lock comprising:
• 1. A housing;
• 2. A cylinder rotatably disposed within the housing;
• 3. A vertically-oriented keyway within the cylinder, wherein the vertically-oriented keyway has a height and a width that is less than the height, and wherein the vertically-oriented keyway is configured to receive a key blade having a first edge, a second edge, a first side surface, and an opposed second side surface defining a cross sectional shape of the key blade, wherein the cross sectional shape of a key blade that the vertically oriented keyway is configured to receive is divided into three blade segments between the first edge and the second edge, the segments comprising:
• (i) a first blade segment encompassed by a first envelope defined by the first edge of the key blade, a first side boundary contacting a portion of the first side surface of the key blade, a second side boundary contacting a portion of the second side surface of the key blade, and a lower boundary, wherein the first side boundary and the second side boundary of the first envelope have a first thickness therebetween, wherein and the first side boundary and the second side boundary of the first envelope are equidistant from a centerline extending through the key blade from the first edge of the key blade to the second edge of the key blade;
• (ii) a second blade segment encompassed by a second envelope defined by an upper boundary contiguous with the lower boundary of the first segment, a first side boundary contacting a portion of the first side surface of the key blade, a second side boundary contacting a portion of the second side surface of the key blade, and a lower boundary, wherein the first side boundary and the second side boundary of the second envelope have a second thickness therebetween, wherein the first side boundary and the second side boundary of the second envelope are equidistant from the centerline, and wherein the second thickness is greater than the first thickness;
• and
• (iii) a third blade segment encompassed by a third envelope defined by an upper boundary contiguous with the lower boundary of the second segment, a first side boundary contacting a portion of the first side surface of the key blade, a second side boundary contacting a portion of the second side surface of the key blade, and the second edge of the key blade, wherein the first side boundary and the second side boundary of the third envelope have a third thickness therebetween, wherein the distance from the centerline to the second side boundary of the third envelope is equal to the distance from the centerline to the second side boundary of the second envelope, and wherein the third thickness is greater than the first thickness and the second thickness,
• and wherein the vertically-oriented keyway is divided into first, second, and third keyway segments along its height, wherein the first keyway segment corresponds to the first blade segment, the second keyway segment corresponds to the second blade segment, and the third keyway segment corresponds to the third blade segment;
• and
• 4 at least one twisting tumbler pin oriented within the cylinder so as to be parallel to the height of the vertically-oriented keyway and configured to be elevated and rotated by a complementary bitting formed on a first edge of a key inserted into the keyway;
• B a horizontal cylinder lock comprising:
• 1 a housing;
• 2 a cylinder rotatably disposed within the housing;
• 3 a horizontally-oriented keyway within the cylinder, wherein the horizontally-oriented keyway has a height and a width that is greater than the height, and wherein the horizontally-oriented keyway is configured to receive a key blade having a first edge, a second edge, a first side surface, and an opposed second side surface defining a cross sectional shape of the key blade that is divided into the same first blade segment, second blade segment, and third blade segment as the cross sectional shape of the key blade the vertically-oriented keyway of the vertical cylinder lock is configured to receive,
• and wherein the horizontally-oriented keyway is divided into first, second, and third keyway segments along its width, wherein the second keyway segment corresponds to the second blade segment and the third keyway segment corresponds to the third blade segment;
• 4 at least one twisting tumbler pin oriented within the cylinder so as to be parallel to the height of the keyway and configured to be elevated and rotated by a complementary bitting formed on a first side surface of a key inserted into the keyway, and wherein the tumbler pin of the horizontal cylinder lock is primarily aligned with the third keyway segment of the horizontally-oriented keyway;
• and
• C a key with a blade having a first edge, a second edge, a first side surface, and an opposed second side surface defining a cross sectional shape such that the key can be inserted into both the vertically-oriented keyway of the vertical cylinder lock and the horizontally-oriented keyway of the horizontal cylinder lock, wherein the cross sectional shape of the key is defined by at least one blade segment corresponding to the third keyway segment of the vertically-oriented keyway of the vertical cylinder lock and the third keyway segment of the horizontally-oriented keyway of the horizontal cylinder lock, and wherein the key has at least a bitting formed on the first side surface of the key and configured to elevate and rotate the at least one tumbler pin of the horizontal cylinder lock.

A key for a horizontal cylinder lock that includes a housing, a cylinder rotatably disposed within the housing, and a horizontally-oriented keyway within the cylinder, wherein the horizontally-oriented keyway has a height and a width that is greater than the height, and wherein the horizontally-oriented keyway is configured to receive a key blade having a first edge, a second edge, a first side surface, and an opposed second side surface defining a cross sectional shape of the key blade, and wherein the cross-sectional shape of the key blade the horizontally-oriented keyway is configured to receive is divided into three blade segments between the first edge and the second edge, the segments comprising (i) a first blade segment encompassed by a first envelope defined by the first edge of the key blade, a first side boundary contacting a portion of the first side surface of the key blade, a second side boundary contacting a portion of the second side surface of the key blade, and a lower boundary, wherein the first side boundary and the second side boundary of the first envelope have a first thickness therebetween, wherein and the first side boundary and the second side boundary of the first envelope are equidistant from a centerline extending through the key blade from the first edge of the key blade to the second edge of the key blade, (ii) a second blade segment encompassed by a second envelope defined by an upper boundary contiguous with the lower boundary of the first segment, a first side boundary contacting a portion of the first side surface of the key blade, a second side boundary contacting a portion of the second side surface of the key blade, and a lower boundary, wherein the first side boundary and the second side boundary of the second envelope have a second thickness therebetween, wherein the first side boundary and the second side boundary of the second envelope are equidistant from the centerline, and wherein the second thickness is greater than the first thickness, and (iii) a third blade segment encompassed by a third envelope defined by an upper boundary contiguous with the lower boundary of the second segment, a first side boundary contacting a portion of the first side surface of the key blade, a second side boundary contacting a portion of the second side surface of the key blade, and the second edge of the key blade, wherein the first side boundary and the second side boundary of the third envelope have a third thickness therebetween, wherein the distance from the centerline to the second side boundary of the third envelope is equal to the distance from the centerline to the second side boundary of the second envelope, and wherein the third thickness is greater than the first thickness and the second thickness, and wherein the horizontally-oriented keyway is divided into first, second, and third keyway segments along its height, wherein the first keyway segment corresponds to the first blade segment, the second keyway segment corresponds to the second blade segment, and the third keyway segment corresponds to the third blade segment, and wherein the horizontal cylinder lock further includes at least one twisting tumbler pin oriented within the cylinder so as to be parallel to the height of the horizontally-oriented keyway and configured to be elevated and rotated by a complementary bitting formed on a first side of a key inserted into the keyway, wherein the key comprises:

• a blade having a first edge, a second edge, a first side surface, and an opposed second side surface defining a cross sectional shape such that the key can be inserted into the horizontally-oriented keyway of the horizontal cylinder lock,
• wherein the cross sectional shape of the key is defined by:
• (i) only one blade segment corresponding to the third keyway segment of the horizontally-oriented keyway of the horizontal cylinder lock and lacking any blade segment that corresponds to the first or second keyway segments of the horizontally-oriented keyway, or
• (ii) only two blade segments corresponding to the second and third keyway segments of the horizontally-oriented keyway of the horizontal cylinder lock and lacking any blade segment that corresponds to the first keyway segment of the horizontally-oriented keyway, and
• wherein the blade includes at least one bitting formed on the first side surface of the blade, and wherein the at least one bitting is configured to elevate and rotate the at least one tumbler pin of the horizontal cylinder lock.

A method for operating a horizontal cylinder lock, wherein the horizontal cylinder lock includes a housing, a cylinder rotatably disposed within the housing, and a horizontally-oriented keyway within the cylinder, wherein the horizontally-oriented keyway has a height and a width that is greater than the height, and wherein the horizontally-oriented keyway is configured to receive a key blade having a first edge, a second edge, a first side surface, and an opposed second side surface defining a cross sectional shape of the key blade, and wherein the cross-sectional shape of the key blade the horizontally-oriented keyway is configured to receive is divided into three blade segments between the first edge and the second edge, the segments comprising (i) a first blade segment encompassed by a first envelope defined by the first edge of the key blade, a first side boundary contacting a portion of the first side surface of the key blade, a second side boundary contacting a portion of the second side surface of the key blade, and a lower boundary, wherein the first side boundary and the second side boundary of the first envelope have a first thickness therebetween, wherein and the first side boundary and the second side boundary of the first envelope are equidistant from a centerline extending through the key blade from the first edge of the key blade to the second edge of the key blade, (ii) a second blade segment encompassed by a second envelope defined by an upper boundary contiguous with the lower boundary of the first segment, a first side boundary contacting a portion of the first side surface of the key blade, a second side boundary contacting a portion of the second side surface of the key blade, and a lower boundary, wherein the first side boundary and the second side boundary of the second envelope have a second thickness therebetween, wherein the first side boundary and the second side boundary of the second envelope are equidistant from the centerline, and wherein the second thickness is greater than the first thickness, and (iii) a third blade segment encompassed by a third envelope defined by an upper boundary contiguous with the lower boundary of the second segment, a first side boundary contacting a portion of the first side surface of the key blade, a second side boundary contacting a portion of the second side surface of the key blade, and the second edge of the key blade, wherein the first side boundary and the second side boundary of the third envelope have a third thickness therebetween, wherein the distance from the centerline to the second side boundary of the third envelope is equal to the distance from the centerline to the second side boundary of the second envelope, and wherein the third thickness is greater than the first thickness and the second thickness, and wherein the horizontally-oriented keyway is divided into first, second, and third keyway segments along its height, wherein the first keyway segment corresponds to the first blade segment, the second keyway segment corresponds to the second blade segment, and the third keyway segment corresponds to the third blade segment, and wherein the horizontal cylinder lock further includes at least one twisting tumbler pin oriented within the cylinder so as to be parallel to the height of the horizontally-oriented keyway and configured to be elevated and rotated by a complementary bitting formed on a first side of a key inserted into the keyway, wherein the method comprises:

• inserting a key blade into the horizontally-oriented keyway, wherein the key blade has a first edge, a second edge, a first side surface, and an opposed second side surface defining a cross sectional shape such that the key can be inserted into the horizontally-oriented keyway of the horizontal cylinder lock,
• wherein the cross sectional shape of the key is defined by:
• (iii) only one blade segment corresponding to the third keyway segment of the horizontally-oriented keyway of the horizontal cylinder lock and lacking any blade segment that corresponds to the first or second keyway segments of the horizontally-oriented keyway, or
• (iv) only two blade segments corresponding to the second and third keyway segments of the horizontally-oriented keyway of the horizontal cylinder lock and lacking any blade segment that corresponds to the first keyway segment of the horizontally-oriented keyway, and
• wherein the blade includes at least one bitting formed on the first side surface of the blade, and wherein the at least one bitting is configured to elevate and rotate the at least one tumbler pin of the horizontal cylinder lock, and
• wherein inserting the key blade into the horizontally-oriented keyway comprises inserting the segment of blade corresponding to the third keyway segment into the third segment of the keyway.