Key and lock cylinder

An apparatus comprising:

• a plug assembly for a lock, the plug assembly including:
• a substantially cylindrical plug body comprising:
• a keyway extending along a longitudinal axis of the plug body;
• at least two slots extending from an outer surface of the plug body to the keyway, at least one of the slots being positioned on a first side of the keyway and at least one of the slots being positioned on a second side of the keyway;
• at least two blocking members in respective ones of the at least two slots, each blocking member including a blocking portion on a radially inward side of the blocking member and a cam portion on a radially outer side of the blocking member;
• a substantially cylindrical plug housing for receiving the plug body, the plug housing including an inner surface with at least one detent on each of opposite sides of the plug housing to receive the cam portion of a respective one of the blocking members, wherein the at least two blocking members are biased to position the cam portion thereof in the respective detent so the blocking portions are not located in the keyway when the plug body is in a first position relative to the plug housing, and wherein rotation of the plug body relative to the plug housing from the first position displaces the cam portions from the respective detent to move the at least two blocking members radially inwardly relative to the plug body and position the blocking portion of each blocking member in the keyway;
• wherein the plug assembly includes:
• an axial channel extending in the plug body opening in the keyway and at the outer surface;
• a sidebar positioned in the axial channel, the sidebar comprising an interference portion on a radially inner side of the sidebar, and a tapered portion on a radially outer side of the sidebar;
• and
• the plug housing including a groove, the tapered portion of the sidebar being biased into the groove with the plug body in the first position, wherein the groove is sized so that rotation of the plug body positions the blocking portions of the blocking members in the keyway before the tapered portion of the sidebar is displaced from the groove to move the sidebar into the keyway.

An apparatus comprising:

• a plug assembly for a lock, the plug assembly including:
• a substantially cylindrical plug body comprising:
• a keyway extending along a longitudinal axis of the plug body;
• at least two slots extending from an outer surface of the plug body to the keyway, at least one of the slots being positioned on a first side of the keyway and at least one of the slots being positioned on a second side of the keyway;
• at least two blocking members in respective ones of the at least two slots, each blocking member including a blocking portion on a radially inward side of the blocking member and a cam portion on a radially outer side of the blocking member;
• a substantially cylindrical plug housing for receiving the plug body, the plug housing including an inner surface with at least one detent on each of opposite sides of the plug housing to receive the cam portion of a respective one of the blocking members, wherein the at least two blocking members are biased to position the cam portion thereof in the respective detent so the blocking portions are not located in the keyway when the plug body is in a first position relative to the plug housing, and wherein rotation of the plug body relative to the plug housing from the first position displaces the cam portions from the respective detent to move the at least two blocking members radially inwardly relative to the plug body and position the blocking portion of each blocking member in the keyway, wherein each of the at least two blocking members includes a plate body, the plate body including a curved outer edge extending along the inner surface of the plug housing and the cam portion projects outwardly from the curved outer edge.

A system comprising:

• a plug assembly for a lock, the plug assembly including:
• a substantially cylindrical plug body comprising a keyway extending along a longitudinal axis of the plug body and at least first and second blocking members housed in the plug body on opposite sides of the keyway, each blocking member including a blocking portion on a radially inward side of the blocking member and a cam portion on a radially outer side of the blocking member;
• a substantially cylindrical plug housing for receiving the plug body, the plug housing including an inner surface with at least one detent on each of opposite sides of the plug housing to receive the cam portion of a respective one of the blocking members, wherein each of the first and second blocking members is biased to position the cam portion thereof in the respective detent so the blocking portions are not located in the keyway when the plug body is in a first position relative to the plug housing, and wherein rotation of the plug body relative to the plug housing from the first position displaces the cam portions of the first and second blocking members from the respective detents and displaces the blocking members radially inwardly relative to the plug body to position the blocking portion of each blocking member in the keyway;
• and
• a key for the lock, the key including a blade positionable in the keyway, wherein the key includes a first receptacle and a second receptacle along the blade that are sized and positioned relative to one another to receive respective ones of the blocking portions of the first and second blocking members when the blade is positioned in the keyway and the plug body is rotated relative to the plug housing from the first position, wherein the blocking portions overlap one another across a center vertical axis of the key when the blocking members are positioned in the keyway.

A system comprising:

• a plug assembly for a lock, the plug assembly including:
• a substantially cylindrical plug body comprising a keyway extending along a longitudinal axis of the plug body and at least first and second blocking members housed in the plug body on opposite sides of the keyway, each blocking member including a blocking portion on a radially inward side of the blocking member and a cam portion on a radially outer side of the blocking member;
• a substantially cylindrical plug housing for receiving the plug body, the plug housing including an inner surface with at least one detent on each of opposite sides of the plug housing to receive the cam portion of a respective one of the blocking members, wherein each of the first and second blocking members is biased to position the cam portion thereof in the respective detent so the blocking portions are not located in the keyway when the plug body is in a first position relative to the plug housing, and wherein rotation of the plug body relative to the plug housing from the first position displaces the cam portions of the first and second blocking members from the respective detents and displaces the blocking members radially inwardly relative to the plug body to position the blocking portion of each blocking member in the keyway;
• and
• a key for the lock, the key including a blade positionable in the keyway, wherein the key includes a first receptacle and a second receptacle along the blade that are sized and positioned relative to one another to receive respective ones of the blocking portions of the first and second blocking members when the blade is positioned in the keyway and the plug body is rotated relative to the plug housing from the first position, wherein the blocking portion of each blocking member extends along a majority of a height of the keyway when the blocking portion is positioned in the keyway.