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US 5,289,709 AGranted
Pin tumblers and corresponding keys for cylinder locks
AssigneeMedeco Security Locks, Inc.
InventorPeter H. Field
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tumbler pin tip and key surface are configured so that when engaged, the tumbler pin tip fully and precisely seats in the key bitting, and thus is rotationally positioned at a predetermined location. The contacting surfaces are generally sloped from one edge of the tumbler (and key surface) to the other in tapered form and the sloping surface may be flat, concave, convex or a combination as disclosed.
Claims14
A method of rotating tumbler pins in tumbler pin bores of a cylinder lock by means of a configured key, the method comprising;
- providing a surface on a tip portion of a tumbler pin to slope generally from one side edge to the other side edge of the tumbler pin to provide a single slanted contact surface, forming a surface on the key which is generally complementary to the single slanted contact surface on the tip of the tumbler portion, contacting the surfaces by inserting the key in the lock and biasing one of the surfaces against the other so that the tumbler pin rotates until the complementary single slanted contact surfaces are in full contact with each other.
At least one tumbler pin and key for a cylinder lock, having improvements comprising;
- at least one tumbler pin tip surface shaped to slope from adjacent one side surface of the tumbler pin to adjacent an opposite side surface of the tumbler pin to provide a single slanting contact surface, and at least one key blade surface shaped substantially complementary to the tumbler pin tip so that when the key blade surface and tumbler pin tip are in initial partial contact, the bitted key surface will cause the tumbler pin tip single slanting contact surface to move into contact along the complementary shaped key surface, thereby causing the tumbler pin to rotate about its axis and be positioned to a proper unlocking position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.