US 2011/0048084 A1Published application

Lock and key mechanism and method of use

AssigneeGMS Industries, Inc.

InventorMike Yueh-Ming Tong

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Abstract

A lock and key mechanism reduces exposure to lock picking by including an extension into a key slot to receive and conceal tapered end portions of key pins. The only portions of key pins exposed in a key slot are cylindrical portions that are difficult to move from a resting position. A key includes a beveled leading edge and a spring-loaded pin activation element at the leading edge of the key. As the key is inserted into the key slot, the spring-loaded pin activation element is compressed to permit entry into the key slot. As the pin activation element reaches a pin, an aperture in the extension allows the spring-loaded pin activation element to move toward the key pin and move the key pin from its resting position. In this activated position, the tapered end portion of the key pin is exposed for further activation by the beveled leading edge of the key. The process is repeated until the pin activation element engages and activates each successive key pin and allows full insertion of the key.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A lock mechanism comprising:

a cylinder housing having an aperture extending along a first axis of the cylinder housing and having a plurality of pin chambers in the cylinder housing aligned along the first axis and extending transverse to the first axis;
a cylinder plug positioned within the aperture and selectively rotatable therein about the first axis, the cylinder plug having a plurality of pin chambers aligned along the first axis and extending transverse to the first axis, the cylinder plug pin chambers being moved into alignment with corresponding ones of the cylinder housing pin chambers at which the lock mechanism is locked, the cylinder plug having a keyway passage extending along the first axis;
a key pin sized to slideably fit within each of the cylinder plug pin chambers, the key pins each having a selected length with at least some of the key pins having different lengths and having first and second end portions;
a driver pin sized to slideably fit within each of the cylinder housing pin chambers and extending into the corresponding ones of the cylinder plug pin chambers when the lock mechanism is locked, the driver pins abutting the first end portion of the respective key pin;
a spring sized to fit within each of the cylinder housing pin chambers and abut the respective driver pin to thereby resiliently urge the respective driver pin and the respective key pin toward the keyway passage;
an extension member extending at least partially into the keyway passage, the extension member forming a resting surface for the key pin second end, the key pins being in a resting position in abutment with the resting surface when the lock mechanism is locked;
and
a key having a size and shape to permit insertion into the keyway passage, the key having a first end for insertion into the keyway passage and a plurality of activation portions along a longitudinal axis of the key corresponding to a respective pin chamber when the key is fully inserted to thereby align the first end portions of the key pins and permit rotation of the cylinder plug by rotation of the key, the key having a sloped leading edge for engagement with the key pins and an activation element at the key first end proximate the leading edge and configured to sequentially engage the key pins as the key is inserted into the keyway passage to thereby move the key pin from its resting position in the pin chamber and thereby expose the second end portion of the key pin for engagement with the sloped leading edge of the key.

5 more elements

A key for activating a lock mechanism having a cylinder housing with an aperture and a plurality of sliding pin members having a terminal portion and a rotating member positioned within the aperture and selectively rotatable therein, the rotating member having a plurality of pin chambers aligned along a first axis and extending transverse to the first axis with at least a portion of the sliding pin members positioned therein, the cylinder plug having a keyway passage extending along the first axis and having a key entryway and an extension member extending at least partially into the keyway passage and positioned to block visibility of the pin member terminal portions from the key entryway, the key comprising:

a handle portion, operable by a user, to control operation of the key;
an elongated insertion portion having first and second ends with the first end being coupled to the handle portion and the second end having a size and shape to permit insertion into the keyway passage,
a pin positioning surface extending along a length of the elongated portion for positioning of the pin members;
and
an activation element at the key second end proximate the leading edge and positioned to sequentially engage each of the pin member terminal portions to thereby expose the terminal portion of the sliding pin members for engagement with the pin positioning surface of the key.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.