Lock plug including modular cartridges
AssigneeSchlage Lock Company LLC
InventorsJason Curtis Clifford, Evan Earl Evans
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An exemplary locking cartridge includes a generally cylindrical housing, first and second plates, and a sliding member. The plates are rotatable with respect to the housing, and at least one of the plates is movable in the axial direction of the housing. The housing and the movable plate include cam surfaces that interact to cause the movable plate to move toward the other plate when the movable plate is rotated. The sliding member is slidingly coupled to one of the plates and operable in a blocked state in which the sliding member resists axial motion of the movable plate, and an unblocked state in which the sliding member does not resist axial motion of the movable plate.
Claims20
A system, comprising:
- a cartridge including:
- a generally cylindrical housing including a first cam surface;
- a first plate positioned at least partially within the housing and including a first plate passage and a second cam surface, wherein the first and second cam surfaces are configured to cause axial displacement of the first plate with respect to the housing in response to angular displacement of the first plate with respect to the housing;
- a second plate including a second plate passage generally aligned with the first plate passage;
- and
- a sliding member slidingly coupled to one of the first plate and the second plate and operable in a blocked state wherein the sliding member resists axial motion of the first plate and an unblocked state wherein the sliding member does not resist axial motion of the first plate.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a cartridge including a housing, a fixed plate, a movable plate, and a sliding member;
- wherein the fixed plate has a fixed axial position within the housing, is rotatable with respect to the housing, and includes a first radial passage;
- wherein the movable plate has a variable axial position within the housing, is rotatable with respect to the housing, and includes a second radial passage;
- wherein one of the housing and the movable plate includes a first protrusion, the other of the housing and the movable plate includes a first recess configured to receive the first protrusion, the first protrusion and the first recess are configured to urge the movable plate toward the fixed plate upon rotation of the movable plate;
- wherein the sliding member includes a first portion of a first geometry, is slidingly coupled to one of the fixed plate and the movable plate, and the other of the fixed plate and the movable plate includes a second portion of a second geometry;
- wherein one of the first geometry and the second geometry comprises a second protrusion, the other of the first geometry and the second geometry comprises a second recess configured to receive the second protrusion;
- and
- wherein the sliding member is operable in a first radial position in which the second protrusion is not aligned with the second recess and axial movement of the movable plate is prevented, and a second vertical position in which the second protrusion is aligned with the second recess and axial movement of the movable plate is not prevented.
A method, comprising:
- forming a lock plug assembly comprising a faceplate and a plurality of cartridges, each cartridge including a housing, a first disc which is rotatable with respect to the housing, a second disc configured to move axially toward the first disc when the second disc is rotated with respect to the housing, and a slider operable to selectably prevent and allow axial movement of the second disc, the forming including mounting the cartridges to the faceplate by:
- aligning a first passageway formed in the first disc and a second passageway formed in the second disc with a third passageway formed in the faceplate;
- and
- passing a rod coupled to the faceplate through a first hole formed in the first disc and a second hole formed in the second disc.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.