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US 9,624,696 B2Granted
Lock plug including modular cartridges
AssigneeSchlage Lock Company LLC
InventorsJason Curtis Clifford, Evan Earl Evans
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An exemplary locking cartridge includes a generally cylindrical housing, first and second plates, and a sliding member. The plates are rotatable with respect to the housing, and at least one of the plates is movable in the axial direction of the housing. The housing and the movable plate include cam surfaces that interact to cause the movable plate to move toward the other plate when the movable plate is rotated. The sliding member is slidingly coupled to one of the plates and operable in a blocked state in which the sliding member resists axial motion of the movable plate, and an unblocked state in which the sliding member does not resist axial motion of the movable plate.
Claims19
A system, comprising:
- a shell comprising an inner surface, wherein the inner surface defines a plug chamber having a non-circular cross-section, wherein the plug chamber extends along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the longitudinal axis defines opposite axial directions;
- a plug assembly seated in the plug chamber, the plug assembly including a plurality of cartridges, each cartridge including:
- a generally cylindrical housing including a first cam surface, wherein the housing includes an outer surface having a non-circular outer perimeter, wherein the non-circular outer perimeter of the housing corresponds to the non-circular cross-section of the plug chamber, and wherein engagement between the outer surface of the housing and the inner surface of the shell prevents rotation of the housing with respect to the shell;
- a first plate positioned at least partially within the housing and including a first plate passage and a second cam surface, wherein the first and second cam surfaces are configured to cause axial displacement of the first plate along the longitudinal axis with respect to the housing in response to angular displacement of the first plate about the longitudinal axis with respect to the housing;
- a second plate including a second plate passage generally aligned with the first plate passage;
- and
- a sliding member slidingly coupled to one of the first plate and the second plate and operable in a blocked state wherein the sliding member resists axial motion of the first plate along the longitudinal axis and an unblocked state wherein the sliding member does not resist axial motion of the first plate along the longitudinal axis.
4 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a shell comprising a plug chamber having a non-circular cross-section, wherein the plug chamber extends along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the longitudinal axis defines opposite axial directions;
- and
- a plug assembly seated in the plug chamber, the plug assembly including a plurality of cartridges, each cartridge including a housing, a fixed plate, a movable plate, and a sliding member;
- wherein the housing has an outer perimeter corresponding to the non-circular cross-section of the plug chamber, wherein the outer perimeter and the non-circular cross-section are structured to prevent rotation of the housing with respect to the shell;
- wherein the fixed plate and the movable plate are axially offset from one another along the longitudinal axis;
- wherein the fixed plate has a fixed axial position along the longitudinal axis within the housing, is rotatable about the longitudinal axis with respect to the housing, and includes a first radial passage;
- wherein the movable plate has a variable axial position along the longitudinal axis within the housing, is rotatable about the longitudinal axis with respect to the housing, and includes a second radial passage;
- wherein one of the housing and the movable plate includes a first protrusion, the other of the housing and the movable plate includes a first recess configured to receive the first protrusion, the first protrusion and the first recess are configured to axially urge the movable plate along the longitudinal axis toward the fixed plate upon rotation of the movable plate about the longitudinal axis;
- wherein the sliding member includes a first portion of a first geometry, is slidingly coupled to one of the fixed plate and the movable plate, and the other of the fixed plate and the movable plate includes a second portion of a second geometry;
- wherein one of the first geometry and the second geometry comprises a second protrusion, the other of the first geometry and the second geometry comprises a second recess configured to receive the second protrusion;
- and
- wherein the sliding member is operable in a first radial position in which the second protrusion is not aligned with the second recess and axial movement of the movable plate along the longitudinal axis is prevented, and a second radial position in which the second protrusion is aligned with the second recess and axial movement of the movable plate along the longitudinal axis is not prevented.
9 more elements
A method, comprising:
- forming a lock plug assembly having a longitudinal axis, the lock plug assembly comprising a faceplate and a plurality of cartridges, each cartridge including a housing, a first disc which is rotatable about the longitudinal axis with respect to the housing, a second disc configured to move axially along the longitudinal axis toward the first disc when the second disc is rotated about the longitudinal axis with respect to the housing, and a slider operable to selectively prevent and allow axial movement of the second disc, the forming including mounting the cartridges to the faceplate by:
- aligning a first passageway formed in the first disc and a second passageway formed in the second disc with a third passageway formed in the faceplate;
- and
- passing a rod coupled to the faceplate through a first hole formed in the first disc and a second hole formed in the second disc, wherein the rod extends parallel to the longitudinal axis;
- and
- installing the lock plug assembly in a shell having a plug chamber, wherein installing the lock plug assembly includes sliding the lock plug assembly into the plug chamber, and wherein the plug chamber is configured to prevent rotation of the housings with respect to the shell.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.