Locking device and key
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Tokai Rika Denki Seisakusho
InventorsTakumi Tamezane, Toshiharu Katagiri
Life of this patent
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Abstract
There is disclosed a key required to have a reduced mechanical strength. When an authentic key is inserted into the keyway in a locking device, only a plunger member starts to move from a standby position toward an operative position. When the plunger member is pushed to the operative position, an operating lever located in the locked position swings to the unlocked position. The operating lever unlocks a locking mechanism that is in a locked state. When an inauthentic key is inserted in the keyway, the plunger member and sleeve member move together to the operative position. The operating lever in the locked position does not swing. Thus, the operating lever maintains the body portion of the locking mechanism locked.
Claims16
A locking device comprising:
- a case member having an internal space extending in an axial direction;
- a sleeve member disposed within and supported by the case member and axially movable in the axial direction;
- a plunger member disposed inside the sleeve member and supported by the sleeve member so as to be movable in the axial direction between a given standby position and a given operative position;
- a keyway formed inside the plunger member so as to extend in the axial direction, and a key being insertable therein from the axial direction outside of the plunger member when the plunger member is in the standby position;
- and
- an operation-selecting unit that, when an authentic key is inserted in the keyway and the plunger member moves axially from the standby position to the operative position together with the authentic key in the case member but the sleeve member does not move axially relative to the case member, operates a key-operated mechanism, and that, when an inauthentic key is inserted in the keyway and the plunger member moves axially relative to the case member from the standby position to the operative position together with the inauthentic key and the sleeve member, maintains the key-operated mechanism in an inoperative state.
A locking device comprising:
- a case member having an internal space extending in an axial direction;
- a sleeve member disposed inside the case member and supported by the case member so as to be movable between a given standby position and a given operative position in the axial direction;
- a plunger member disposed inside the sleeve member so as to be movable in the axial direction, and supported by the case member via the sleeve member so as to be movable between the standby position and the operative position in the axial direction;
- a keyway which is formed inside the plunger member, extends in the axial direction, and a key being insertable therein from the axial direction outside of the plunger member when the plunger member is in the standby position;
- a key-judging unit that, when an inauthentic key is inserted in the keyway, connects the sleeve member with the plunger member such that the sleeve member and the plunger member move together in the axial direction, and that, when an authentic key is inserted in the keyway, disconnects the sleeve member from the plunger member such that the sleeve member and the plunger member move in the axial direction away from one another;
- and
- an interlocking unit that, when an authentic key is inserted in the keyway and the plunger member is moved together with the authentic key into the operative position while the sleeve member disconnected from the plunger member by the key-judging unit is left in the standby position, operates a key-operated mechanism, and that, when an inauthentic key is inserted in the keyway and the sleeve member and the plunger member connected together by the key-judging unit are moved into the operative position together with the inauthentic key, maintains the key-operated mechanism in an inoperative state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.