A lock

Abstract

A lock (100) comprising a plurality of buttons (111), each button (111) having an axis along which each of the buttons (111) may be axially pressed between an un-pressed position and a pressed position, a locking plate (120), an actuator (114) configured to drive the locking plate (120): a locking mechanism (122) having an unlocked and a plurality of locked states, the plurality of locked states corresponding to different selections of buttons (111) having been pressed into their pressed positions; and a latch (117); in which, when the locking mechanism (122) is in the unlocked state, the locking plate (120) can be driven by the actuator (114) from a locked position into an 10 unlocked position so as to disengage the latch (117) and unlocking the lock (100), but when the locking mechanism (122) is in one of the locked states, the locking mechanism (122) prevents the locking plate (120) being moved by the actuator (114): the lock (100) further comprising a decoupling mechanism (200) by means of which the actuator (114) can drive the locking plate (120), the decoupling mechanism (200) being arranged to decouple the actuator (114) from the locking plate (120), so as to reduce any feedback indicative of which of the unlocked states the locking mechanism (122) is in passing from the locking plate (120) to the actuator (114). In one example, the decoupling mechanism (200) comprises a driven member (201) driven for motion by the actuator (114), a first resilient member (202) connecting the driven member (201) with the locking plate (120) and a second resilient member (203) connecting the locking plate (120) to a fixed member fixed relative to a housing of the lock (100); and in which the first (202) and second (203) resilient members each have a spring constant, with the spring constant of the first resilient member (202) being greater than the spring constant of the second resilient member (203).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.