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(11) | EP 1 052 351 A3 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Motor vehicle assembly |
| (57) Locks are known comprising a locking cylinder, a sleeve and a housing. The sleeve
is freely rotatable in the housing. The cylinder includes a number of locking plates.
When a correct key has been inserted, the locking plates are retained within the cylinder
and the cylinder will rotate relative to the sleeve and housing to release a latch.
When an incorrect key has been inserted, at least one of the plates extends into the
sleeve to drive the sleeve relative to the housing. The presence of camming surfaces
will cause the sleeve or means carried by and driven by the sleeve to be displaced
axially with respect to the housing. Such movement causes the latch mechanism to be
isolated from the cylinder, and so rotation of the cylinder by the incorrect key no
longer causes actuation of the latch mechanism. However, should a part of the cylinder
break, the latch mechanism may no longer be isolated from the latch when an incorrect
key is inserted. Once such a break has occur inserting any key into the keyway and
rotating the cylinder will cause the latch to be actuated. An improved sleeve assembly
8' is disclosed in which such breakage of the shaft is accommodated such that even
if the shaft becomes broken the cylinder and the latch are declutched from one another. |