Lock portion with solid-state actuator
AssigneeUTC Fire & Security Americas Corporation, Inc.
InventorDirk L. Bellamy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electronic lock includes a rotatable core movable within an outer body. The rotatable core includes an actuator configured to move a tumbler blocking member into or out of interfering engagement with one or more tumblers. In an unlocked state, the actuator moves the tumbler blocking member so that a movable locking member in the rotatable core that engages the outer body can be moved into the rotatable core. In a locked state, the actuator positions the tumbler blocking member to prevent the one or more tumblers from retracting and thereby retain the locking member in a channel of the outer body.
Claims18
An electronic lock, comprising:
- an outer body having a bore and configured to be mounted to an object;
- a rotatable core comprising a plug rotatably positioned within the bore and movable relative to the bore in an unlocking direction during a normal unlocking operation;
- and
- a solid-state actuator positioned in the plug and configured to resist movement of a locking member during a non-normal unlocking operation, said solid-state actuator having a first position and a second position, wherein the solid-state actuator is in the first position when the electronic lock is locked and in the second position when the electronic lock is unlocked, wherein the solid-state actuator generates electrical power in response to the non-normal unlocking operation and the generated electrical power is shunted back to the solid-state actuator such that the solid-state actuator is biased toward the first position.
A lock comprising:
- a locking member;
- a special-purpose piezo ceramic actuator preventing movement of the locking member when the special-purpose piezo ceramic actuator is not receiving a voltage from a power source;
- a voltage multiplier circuit coupled with the special-purpose piezo ceramic actuator, wherein the voltage multiplier circuit is configured to boost a voltage received from a key associated with the lock and to apply the boosted voltage to the special-purpose piezo ceramic actuator such that the special-purpose piezo ceramic actuator enables movement of the locking member, wherein the voltage multiplier circuit is a high voltage tandem flyback circuit boosting the voltage from the power supply to at least 1000 volts;
- and
- a tamper circuit, coupled with the special-purpose piezo ceramic actuator, that shunts electrical power produced by an externally induced motion of the special-purpose piezo ceramic actuator to the special-purpose piezo ceramic actuator.
A system comprising:
- a key comprising:
- a power supply;
- a first voltage multiplier circuit coupled with the power supply and configured to boost a voltage from the power supply to a first boosted voltage of at least 100 volts;
- and
- a flange electrically coupled with the first voltage multiplier circuit and configured to electrically couple with a contact pin and provide the first boosted voltage from the first voltage multiplier circuit to the contact pin;
- and an electronic lock comprising:
- the contact pin configured to electrically couple with the flange of the key and receive the first boosted voltage from the key;
- a locking member;
- a solid-state actuator preventing movement of the locking member when the solid-state actuator is not receiving the first boosted voltage from the contact pin;
- and
- a second voltage multiplier circuit coupled with the solid-state actuator, wherein the second voltage multiplier circuit is configured to boost the first boosted voltage received from the flange of the key to a second boosted voltage and to apply said second boosted voltage to the solid-state actuator such that the solid-state actuator enables movement of the locking member, wherein the second voltage multiplier circuit is a high voltage tandem flyback circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.