Locks – Special application – For control and machine elements
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-07
2002-09-03
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 3661)
Locks
Special application
For control and machine elements
C070S278200, C070S278300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06442985
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The entire contents of a Patent Application No. TOKUGANHEI 11-165699 with a filing date of Jun. 11, 1999 in Japan, and those of a Patent Application No. TOKUGANHEI 11-165653 with a filing date of Jun. 11, 1999 in Japan are hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a lock apparatus and lock system, and more particularly to a lock apparatus and a lock system capable of preferably using both an electronic key and a mechanical key.
According to consideration of the inventors of the present invention, there is a steering lock apparatus as shown in
FIGS. 9
,
10
.
In
FIG. 9
, reference numeral
40
denotes a key cylinder and reference numeral
41
denotes a cylinder casing.
Reference numeral
42
denotes a key cylinder lock solenoid which engages or disengages a stopper
43
with/from an engaging groove
44
in the key cylinder
40
to lock and unlock a rotation of the key cylinder
40
.
A slider hole
46
is provided in a lower portion of the key cylinder
40
such that it goes through a key insertion hole
45
. A slider
47
is disposed in the slider hole
46
freely slidably in a direction perpendicular to the key insertion hole
45
.
A switch lever
49
is swingably supported by a pin
50
on a bottom portion of a housing
48
and an end of the switch lever
49
is urged upward by a spring
51
. As a result, the slider
47
is pushed up by the end so that a top end of the slider
47
is protruded into the key insertion hole
45
.
Further, a key presence/absence detecting switch
52
is disposed on the bottom portion of the housing
48
so that an actuating element
53
opposes the other end of the switch lever
49
.
If an insertion portion
55
of the electronic key
54
is inserted into the key insertion hole
45
, the slider is moved downward. Consequently, pressing of the switch lever
49
by the other end of the actuating element
53
is released, so that the, key presence/absence detecting switch
52
is turned ON.
The electronic key
54
incorporates a circuit chip
56
which memorizes a predetermined identity code (ID).
An annular antenna coil
57
is fit around an end portion of the housing
48
.
With the above described structure, when the insertion portion
55
of the electronic key
54
is inserted into the key insertion hole
45
so that the key presence/absence detecting switch
52
is turned ON, the control unit shown in
FIG. 10
carries out transmission and reception of electronic signal between the antenna coil
57
and circuit chip
56
through electric wave so as to verify ID of the electronic key
54
with that memorized in the control unit
60
. Then, only when the IDs coincide with each other, a lock release signal is dispatched from the control unit
60
to the key cylinder lock solenoid
42
so as to release the lock on the key cylinder
40
. At the same time, a driving permission signal is sent to a driving control unit
61
of an engine so as to enable startup of the engine.
That is, the steering lock apparatus enables a rotation of the key cylinder
40
only when the IDs coincide, so as to turn ON the ignition switch
62
(starter switch is actuated). Consequently, the driving permission signal is sent to the driving control unit
61
so as to enable startup of the engine. Thus, even when other key than the electronic key
54
is used, not only a rotation of the key cylinder but also startup of the engine is prevented thereby contributing to preventing a car from being stolen.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
However, according to the above consideration, because the key cylinder
40
cannot be rotated by a key other than the specific electronic key
54
, when a supply of power to an electronic circuit is disabled when the battery goes dead for example, the steering lock cannot be released. In such a case, it is very inconvenient to secure the steering operation and move a car to a desired place.
Accordingly, the present invention intends to provide a lock apparatus and lock system which enable the key cylinder to be rotated using the mechanical key when a supply of electric power to the electronic circuit is disabled, for example when the battery goes dead, and namely, which enables to release a lock thereon so that it is capable of releasing the lock quickly and securely when the release of the lock is required at an emergency or the like.
To achieve the above object, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lock apparatus capable of being locked and unlocked by an electronic key and a mechanical key, comprising: a cylinder casing; a sleeve disposed rotatably inside the cylinder casing; a key cylinder disposed rotatably inside the sleeve and having a mechanical key insertion hole in which the mechanical key can be inserted; a tumbler disposed in the key cylinder; a key cylinder lock actuator locking and unlocking a rotation of the sleeve with respect to the cylinder casing; a control unit disposed on the side of the key cylinder and carrying out transmission and reception of an electronic signal so as to perform ID verification between the control unit and a circuit chip disposed on the side of the electronic key and generating an electronic signal; and a key cylinder operating portion capable of rotating the key cylinder when the ID of the control unit and the ID of the electronic key coincide with each other as a result of the ID verification. Usually, the tumbler is connected to the sleeve so as to lock a rotation of the key cylinder with respect to the sleeve, and when the mechanical key is inserted into the mechanical key insertion hole of the key cylinder so that the mechanical key engages the tumbler, the connection thereof with the sleeve is released so as to enable the rotation of the key cylinder with respect to the sleeve. The control unit, when the ID of the control unit and the ID of the electronic key coincide with each other as a result of the ID verification, sends a lock release signal to the key cylinder lock actuator so as to release the lock on the rotation of the sleeve with respect to the cylinder casing. When, as a result of the ID verification, the ID of the control unit and the ID of the electronic key coincide with each other and the rotation of the sleeve with respect to the cylinder casing is released and also when the tumbler engages the sleeve, the key cylinder is rotable with the sleeve by operating the key cylinder operating portion.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lock system capable of being locked and unlocked by an electronic key and a mechanical key, comprising: an electronic key having a circuit chip generating an electronic signal relating to the ID of a key; a mechanical key having a key plate portion in which a key groove is formed; a cylinder casing, a sleeve disposed rotatably inside the cylinder casing; a key cylinder disposed rotatably inside the sleeve and having a mechanical key insertion hole in which the mechanical key can be inserted; a tumbler disposed in the key cylinder; a key cylinder lock actuator locking and unlocking a rotation of the sleeve with respect to the cylinder casing; a control unit disposed on the side of the key cylinder and carrying out transmission and reception of an electronic signal so as to perform ID verification between the control unit and a circuit chip generating an electronic signal and disposed on the side of the electronic key; and a key cylinder operating portion capable of rotating the key cylinder when the ID of the control unit and the ID of the electronic key coincide with each other as a result of the ID verification. Usually, the tumbler is connected to the sleeve so as to lock a rotation of the key cylinder with respect to the sleeve and when the mechanical key is inserted into the mechanical key insertion hole of the key cylinder so that the mechanical key engages the tumbler, the connection thereof with the sleeve is released so as to enable the rotation of the key cylinder with respect to the sleeve. T
Chiba Shigeo
Tamura Masaki
Tsukano Tetsuyuki
Watanuki Yoshio
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Marc-Coleman Marthe Y.
McDermott & Will & Emery
Nissan Motor Co,. Ltd.
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