Electronic lock with manual combination override

In an electronic lock with a manual combination override, including a dial operated plurality of tumbler wheels having gates to receive a fence member of a bolt operating lever when the manual combination is dialed, and an electronic means for generating a lock opening signal when a second combination is entered into said electronic means, the improvement comprising the provision of:

• said bold operating lever being provided with one end pivotally connected to said bolt and an opposite free end with a nose portion to be engaged by a dial-operated cam for a release movement of the bolt;
• a separate fence for engaging said gates and means for movably mounting it relative to said lever;
• and means for holding said fence immovable relative to said lever until said electronic means generates a lock opening signal wherein the means for holding said fence immovable relative to said bolt operating lever comprises:
• a control plate connected to said fence for common pivotal movement relative to said lever;
• an electrically operated solenoid having an armature member normally biased outwardly of a solenoid body and being electrically operated by said lock opening signal to cause movement of said armature inwardly of said body;
• and
• solenoid mounting means for mounting said solenoid to normally place said armature in a position to block pivotal movement of said control plate relative to said lever until said armature is moved inwardly relative to said solenoid body;
• whereby said fence and bolt operating lever move as a unit in the manual combination opening of the lock and said bolt operating lever is released from said fence for opening said lock when the electronic combination means is employed.

In an electronic lock with a manual combination override, including a dial operated plurality of tumbler wheels having gates to receive a fence member of a bolt operating lever when the manual combination is dialed, and an electronic means for generating a lock opening signal when a second combination is entered into said electronic means, the improvement comprising the provision of:

• said bolt operating lever being provided with one end pivotally connected to said bolt and an opposite free end with a nose portion to be engaged by a dial-operated cam for a release movement of the bolt;
• a separate fence for engaging said gates and means for movably mounting it relative to said lever wherein said fence is provided as part of a fence-spindle assembly of a fence and spindle for pivotally mounting the fence relative to the bolt operating lever;
• and means for holding said fence immovable relative to said lever until said electronic means generates a lock opening signal wherein said means for holding said fence immovable relating to said lever comprises:
• a control plate having a hex head orifice for joining with said spindle of said fence-spindle assembly;
• a lock-slot on said control plate;
• and
• a solenoid attached to said bolt operating lever by a mounting means for securing said solenoid on said lever, said solenoid having a solenoid armature with a head tab;
• whereby the control plate is normally held in an immovable position through the retention of said solenoid armature head tab in said lockslot and said fence and bolt operating lever move as a unit in the manual combination opening of the lock and upon generation of said electronic signal, said armature releases said head tab from said lock-slot enabling independent rotation of said lever, relative to said plate and fence, and said bolt operating lever is released from said fence for opening said lock when the electronic combination means is employed.

In an electronic lock with a manual combination override, including a dial operated plurality of tumbler wheels having gates to receive a fence member of a bolt operating lever when the manual combination is dialed, and an electronic means for generating a lock opening signal when a second combination is entered into said electronic means, where the electronic signal generating means comprises:

• a series of thin film pressure sensitive switches arranged in circular pattern on a circuit component mounting board;
• a circuit component mounting board which has a circuit means to generate an electrical signal which activates and engageably withdraws a connecting means which insertably holds a control plate in a unitary position with a bolt operating lever and a fence;
• an electrical combination contacting means for contacting said pressure sensitive switches in a combination pattern to generate said signal;
• whereby upon the rotational and axial movement of said dial, the pressure switches are contacted in a prescribed combination pattern which will engageably join said nose portion of a bolt lever with said cam disc by the withdrawal of said control gate connecting means for insertably holding said control plate, subsequent to this engagement the further rotation of said dial will open said lock, the improvement comprising the provision of:
• said bolt operating lever being provided with one end pivotally connected to said bolt and an opposite free end with a nose portion to be engaged by a dial-operated cam for a release movement of the bolt;
• a separate fence for engaging said gates and means for movably mounting it relative to said lever;
• means for holding said fence immovable relative to said lever until said electronic means generates a lock opening signal;
• and
• where the input of said electronic combination pattern comprises:
• a key;
• a series of key seats;
• a series of pressure sensitive switches mounted on the reverse side of a circuit component mounting board whereupon there are a series of pressure sensitive switches arranged in a circular pattern which upon contact in a specific pattern will generate an electronic signal causing the lock to open;
• a circuit logic means for inputting and retaining a combination pattern for said circular series of pressure switches;
• whereby the key seats are arranged with a reciprocal pressure sensitive switch upon the entry of the key into the key seat and the turning of the key in one direction and subsequent contacting of said switches in a predetermined pattern allows the changing of said combination pattern by turning the key in the opposite direction and then pressing said pressure sensitive switches in an order which will then encode the combination for the circular pattern series of pressure sensitive switches on the circuit component mounting board;
• whereby said fence and bolt operating lever move as a unit in the manual combination opening of the lock and said bolt operating lever is released from said fence for opening said lock when the electronic combination means is employed.

In an electronic lock with a manual combination override, including a dial operated plurality of tumbler wheels having gates to receive a fence member of a bolt operating lever when the manual combination is dialed, and an electronic means for generating a lock opening signal when a second combination is entered into said electronic means, the improvement comprising the provision of:

• said bolt operating lever being provided with one end pivotally connected to said bolt and an opposite free end with a nose portion to be engaged by a dial-operated cam for a release movement of the bolt;
• a separate fence for engaging said gates and means for movably mounting it relative to said lever;
• means for holding said fence immovable relative to said lever until said electronic means generates a lock opening signal whereby said fence and bolt operating lever move as a unit in the manual combination opening of the lock and said bolt operating lever is released from said fence for opening said lock when the electronic combination means is employed;
• and
• an electronic overload thermal activated safety means locking system for preventing the release of the lock bolt due to the tampering or by an electrical surge by means of a heat activatable safety fuse, a bias ring and a means for maintaining the bolt in a locked position.

In an electronic lock with a manual combination override, including a dial operated plurality of tumbler wheels having gates to receive a fence member of a bolt operating lever when the manual combination is dialed, and an electronic means is generating a lock opening signal when a second combination is entered into said electronic means, the improvement comprising the provision of:

• said bolt operating lever being provided with one end pivotally connected to said bolt and an opposite free end with a nose portion to be engaged by a dial-operated cam for a release movement of the bolt;
• a separate fence for engaging said gates and means for movably mounting it relative to said lever,
• means for holding said fence immovable relative to said lever until said electronic means generates a lock opening signal;
• and
• a power source contained within the housing of said electronic lock;
• whereby said fence and bolt operating lever move as a unit in the manual combination opening of the lock and said bolt operating lever is released from said fence for opening said lock when the electronic combination means is employed.

In a lock with a manual combination capability to override the misfunction of an electronic lock provision, including a dial operated plurality of tumbler wheels having gates to receive a member of a bolt operating assembly when the manual combination is dialed and upon operation of the electronic means which generates a lock opening signal when a second combination is entered into said electronic means for generating a lock opening signal, the improvement comprising:

• the provision of said bolt operating lever being provided with one end pivotally connected to said bolt and an opposite free end with a nose portion to be engaged by a dial operated cam for a releasing movement of the bolt;
• a separate fence and spindle of a fence-spindle assembly for movably mounting on said lever;
• a control plate movably engaged to said fence-spindle assembly and mounted to said bolt operating lever;
• a self-contained power source for maintaining the electronic capabilities of the lock during failure of the main power source and for use independent of said main power source;
• whereby said fence, bolt operating lever, and control plate move as a unit in the manual combination mode and said bolt operating lever released from said fence for opening said lock when said electronic combination mode causes the electronic means for generating a lock opening signal to generate said signal causing the lock to open.

A kit for retrofitting a dial operated combination lock with an electronic lock with a manual combination override, wherein the kit comprises:

• a means for mounting said lock shaft for both rotational and axial displacement including a biasing means for biasing said shaft in an axial direction toward said dial;
• contacting means for contacting the electronic means for generating an opening signal for installation on said shaft opposite to said dial for exerting a force to enable the contacting means to make contact in each of a plurality of distinct, unique locations within said lock when said shaft is displaced axially into a housing which the manual combination lock was housed and will house the electronic lock kit;
• at each of a plurality of distinct rotational orientations of said shaft an orientation means to ensure proper angular displacement of said contacting means;
• a release means rotationally opening said lock axially attached to said lock bolt at a first end and a nose portion at a second end, said releasing means engaging said contacting means on said shaft;
• a control plate which engagingly mates and joins with said release means;
• a fence and transverse spindle of a fence-spindle assembly for movably mounting on said release means;
• wherein in said release means, said fence-spindle assembly, and said control plate can act relative to each other or as a unit;
• component mounting board means for installation within said lock housing behind and parallel to said contacting means, including pressure sensitive switching means for generating electronic signals arrayed at such distinct locations for making one of a plurality of distinct, unique electrical connections when contacted by said contacting means when said shaft is axially displaced into said lock housing at said distinct angular orientation;
• an electronic logic means for detecting that a given subset of connections to said switches has been made in a predetermined, sequential order corresponding to an opening lock electronic combination;
• a signal generating means for generating an electrical signal when an electronic combination is entered by means of the contacting means through axial contacting;
• a power source means for bringing power to said circuits to be contained within said housing;
• a set of tumbler and associated gates which will be mounted around the circumference of said shaft in a concentric manner, said tumblers will cooperatively rotate with said contacting means on said shaft enabling the concurrent meshing of said contacting means and said releasing means upon input of a manual combination;
• said release means, fence-spindle assembly and control plate move as a unit upon the input of said electronic combination by axially displacing said shaft in a predetermined orientation prescribed order which generates an electrical signal which opens said lock, and the rotation of said shaft by use of said dial which will orient said tumblers in a pattern to enable the entry of a fence member into the tumbler gates, which will release said release means resulting in an opening of the lock in a manual mode.