LOCKING DEVICE

Abstract

 The present invention relates to a locking device 1 comprising a rotatably arranged housing 2, a plunger 13 axially movable within the housing 2, a driver 9 rotatably arranged at a first end 18 of the housing 2, the end 18 directed towards the locking mechanism 4, to transfer motion from the housing 2 to the latch 6, a drive means 10 for moving the plunger 13, a transmission construction 12 presenting two optional modes; one for transfer motion from the housing 2 to the driver 9 and one preventing transfer of motion from the housing 2 to the driver 9. The transmission construction 12 comprises a central ball 17 and at least two outer balls 20 arranged in a recess 21 inside the end 18 of the housing 2 and movable inside the cavity 21 to and from ball accommodating cavities 22 depending on the optional mode.

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates generally to a locking device and more specifically to an improved barrel lock assembly which is reliable in function and easy to use.

Background art

[0002] In prior art, a bolt activating barrel lock cylinder, for example in a door to lock or unlock the door, includes a housing cylinder and a plug. The plug is the portion of the lock cylinder that accepts a key. The plug is provided with spring biased pins with different lengths that correspond to cuts in the key. When the correct key is inserted into the opening in the plug, the pins are moved into keyways in the cylinder by the key. When the key is inserted in a keyhole in the plug, all pins are aligned in height in the keyways. When the key is fully inserted and turned, the plug also turns. At the back of the plug is arranged a driver or follower which actuates the bolt in the lock, which lock or unlock the door.

[0003] Another known type of lock cylinder comprises a pair of generally cylindrically shaped lock body portions, one elongated and generally solid, the other generally hollow and short, and a means for axially locking the two portions together. The means includes a plurality of balls and a spring biased lock structure in one body portion which is axially moveable relative to the other body portion. The spring biased lock structure includes an axial extension that penetrates the first portion. The locking balls are provided in the first portion. The axial extension spreads the locking balls apart from each other through holes in the first portion into detents in the second portion and thereby locks the two portions together. To keep the two portions locked together, the first portion is turned clockwise whereby a notch is manipulated into a guide, and thereby preventing the axial extension from exit the first portion. When the first body portion is turned counterclockwise the notch is manipulated away from the guide and the spring force is removed, the axial extension retracts out from the first portion, the balls are forced out of the detents and thereby disconnecting the two body portions. This type of lock is only used to lock two structures together, such as a door or a hatch to a frame on a trailer, not to prevent unauthorized personal to open the door.

[0004] The drawback with locking devices that comprises an axial extension which manipulates two balls as described above, is that an axial extension does not have a smooth circumferential surface as a ball have. Therefore, the axial extension wears on the surface of the balls during time, and impair the functionality of the locking device, compared with a locking device where the axial extension is replaced with a third ball.

Summary of invention

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a locking device to prevent unauthorized personnel to open a door. A drive means with a plunger and a lock structure inside a lock holder activates a plurality of balls to connect the housing to a carrier. The locking device is of the key-less type meaning that the lock can be activated without using a key, still preventing unauthorized personnel from unlock a door to which the locking device is attached.

Brief description of drawings

[0006] The invention is now described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a door and a frame with a locking device according to the invention,

Fig. 2 shows a cut through of a locking device,

Fig. 3 shows a locking device and a driver,

Fig. 4 shows a first mode of the locking device,

Fig 5 shows a second mode of the locking device,

Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of a driver, and

Fig.7 shows a perspective view of a housing.

Description of embodiments

[0007] In the following, a detailed description of one embodiment of a locking device 1 is described with reference to the figures. With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, a housing 2 is rotatably arranged in a lock holder 3, preferably a lock cylinder. The lock holder 3 supports a locking device 1 and is adapted to manipulate a locking mechanism 4 in a door 5. The locking mechanism 4 includes a latch 6 which engages or disengages with a striking plate 7 in a door frame 8. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to door locks, but can be used in all kinds of locks, such as padlocks, cabin locks, window locks and similar. Also it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to doors, but can also be used with windows, lids, drawers and similar.

[0008] The locking device 1 includes the housing 2, a driver 9 rotatably arranged at a first end 18 of the housing 2, directed towards the locking mechanism 4 with the latch 6, to transfer motion to the latch 6 engaging or disengaging the striking plate 7, and a drive means 10, for example a motor or a solenoid. The drive means 10 can be driven by electricity delivered from an energy source such as a super capacitor, a battery or other energy sources 11 in a holder H arranged at the other end 19 of the housing 2. The holder H may be arranged with a switch S, an authorization swich which activates the drive means 10. The locking device 1 further includes a transmission construction 12 for transfer motion to and from the housing 2 to the driver 9.

[0009] Inside the housing 2 is arranged a plunger 13, see Fig. 5, with a free end 14 and is attached to the drive means 10, suitable at a second end 15 opposite the first end. The plunger 13 is axially displaceable between a position where the free end 14 of the plunger 13 is retracted in the housing 2, and a position where the free end 14 of the plunger 13 is close to the driver 9. The plunger 13 may have threads 16 by which it is translated between its positions by the drive means 10. The free end 14 is, in its front position, in contact with a spring biased ball 17.

[0010] The housing 2 comprises at the first end 18 the transmission construction 12 for connecting or disconnecting the housing 2 and the driver 9 in a turn-secured connection and at the second end 19 a space accommodating the drive means 10 for the plunger 13. One part of the transmission construction 12 comprises at least two circumferential balls 20 at the outer edge or boundary in a recess 21 of the housing 2 adjacent to the driver 9, and the second part of the transmission construction comprises ball accommodating cavities 22 inside the driver 9 and radially through holes 23 in the housing 2. The size of the ball accommodating cavities 22 is adapted to partly accommodate the balls 20, and the size of the through holes 23 is adapted to let the balls 20 partly pass through. Since the distance between the walls of the recess 21 in the housing 2 and the corresponding wall of the driver 9 provided with accommodating cavities 22 is small, the circumferential balls 20 only pass partly through the holes 23 when placed in the ball accommodating cavities 22. The number of ball accommodating cavities 22 and through holes 23 is equal to the number of balls 20.

[0011] Further, the transmission construction 12 comprises the spring biased central ball 17 between the circumferential balls 20 and placed in a bottom cavity 24 in the driver 9 provided with a resilient construction, such as a spring 25. The spring force pushes the central ball 17 out of the bottom cavity 24, through a central hole 26 arranged axially in the housing 2, against a seat 27 located in the housing 2. When the spring 25 is stretched the central ball 17 is placed in the seat 27 in the housing 2. When the spring 25 is compressed, by the movement of the plunger 13 pushing the central ball 17, the central ball 17 is placed in the bottom cavity 24 in the driver 9.

[0012] The transmission construction 12 provides two modes for transfer motion between the housing 2 and the driver 9. In the first mode, see Fig. 4, the plunger 13 is moved away from the position where its free end 14 is close to the driver 9, the ball 17, into the housing 2, the balls 20 are placed and held so that the central ball 17 is by the spring 25 pushed against the seat 27 in the housing 2 keeping the central ball 17 in a fixed and a middle, centre, position in the recess 21 and having the other, at least two, balls 20 placed radially around it, and the other balls 20 are each, by the central ball 17, pushed radially in the recess 21 at least partly into ball accommodating cavities 22 inside the driver 9 and being, by the central ball 17, held in contact with an inside 9a of the driver 9 so that motion from the housing 2 is transferred by all the balls 17,20 to the driver 9.

[0013] In the second mode, see Fig. 5, the plunger 13 is axially moved inside the housing 2 in direction towards the first end 18 of the housing 2, a free end 14 of the plunger 13 passes an opening 28 in the seat 27 and pushes the central ball 17 to move from the middle, centre, position, in a direction opposite to the force from the spring 25, into the bottom cavity 24 in which the spring 25 and the central ball 17 are placed, giving the other balls 20 space to move away from the ball accommodating cavities 22 and the contact between the other balls 20 and the inside of the driver 9 ceases, and the turn-secured connection is released. The other balls, the circumferential balls 20, leave their ball accommodating cavities 22 either by gravity, or when the housing 2 is turned in relation to the driver 9, forcing the balls 20 out of their accommodating cavities 22.

[0014] A sensor 29 may be provided in the housing 2 for detecting the amount of axially displacement of the plunger 13. The sensor 29 is communicating with the drive means 10 which stops the axial movement of the plunger 13 when the central ball 17 reaches the bottom cavity 24 in the driver 9 and the spring 25 is compressed. It also stops the axial movement of the plunger 13 when it moves in the opposite direction when the central ball 17 reaches the seat 27 in the housing and the spring 25 is fully stretched.

[0015] The housing 2 is arranged with a flange 30 associated with the ball accommodating cavities 22 in which the balls 20 are located, and the driver 9 is arranged with a corresponding track 31 into which track the flange fits. The two parts, the housing 2 and the driver 9, is rotationally attached to each other by the track 31 and the flange 30.

[0016] The housing 2 and the driver 9 may also be loosely fit to each other, and the two parts 2, 9 are held in place by the lock mechanism 4 when the locking device 1 is inserted into the lock mechanism 4.
The present invention is not delimited to the above description or what is shown in the drawings and can be modified in several ways according to the invented idea stated in the attached claims. An embodiment with two outer balls has been described. It will be appreciated that more than two outer balls, such as three or four outer balls, are provided. In that case, the outer balls are preferably provided with regular intervals around the central ball and a corresponding recess is provided for each of the outer balls.

Claims

1. A locking device (1) comprising

a rotatably arranged housing (2),

a plunger (13) axially movable within the housing (2),

a driver (9) rotatably arranged at a first end (18) of the housing (2), the first end (18) directed towards a locking mechanism (4), to transfer motion from the housing (2) to a latch (6),

a drive means (10) for moving the plunger (13),

a transmission construction (12) presenting two optional modes; one for transfer motion from the housing (2) to the driver (9) and one preventing transfer of motion from the housing (2) to the driver (9),

characterised in that,

the transmission construction (12) comprises a central ball (17) and at least two outer balls (20) arranged in a recess (21) inside the first end (18) of the housing (2) and movable inside the recess (21) to and from ball accommodating cavities (22) and a seat (27) depending on an optional mode

so that

when in a mode for transferring motion from the housing (2) to the driver (9):

the plunger (13) is moved away from the first end (18), into the housing (2),

the balls (17,20) are placed and held so that

the central ball (17) is by a resilient construction (25) pushed against the seat (27) in the recess (21) keeping the central ball (17) in a fixed and a middle, centre, position in the recess (21) and having the outer balls (20) placed radially outside it, and

each of the outer balls (20) is each, by the first ball (17), pushed radially in the recess (21) at least partly into ball accommodating cavities (22) inside the driver (9) and being, by the central ball (17), held in contact with an inside (9a) of the driver (9) so that motion from the housing (2) is transferred by all the balls (17,20) to the driver (9)

and when in a mode preventing transfer of motion from the housing (2) to the driver (9):
the plunger (13) is axially moved inside the housing (2) in direction to the first end (18) of the housing (2), a front portion (14) of the plunger (13) passes an opening (28) in the seat (27) and pushes the central ball (17) to move from the middle, centre, position, in a direction opposite to the force from the resilient construction (25), into a bottom cavity (24) in which the resilient construction (25) and the central ball (17) are placed, giving the outer balls (20) space to move away from the ball accommodating cavities (22) and the contact between the outer balls (20) and the inside of the driver (9a) ceases.

2. A locking device (1) according to claim 1 where the drive means (10) comprises a motor.

3. A locking device (1) according to claim 1 where the drive means (10) comprises a solenoid.

4. A locking device (1) according to claim 2 or 3 where the drive means (10) is electrical and is attached to/driven by an energy source (11).

5. A locking device (1) according to claim 2 or 3 where the energy source (11) is a battery or a super capacitor.

6. A locking device (1) according to claim 2 - 5 where the drive means (10) is activated by a switch (S).

7. A locking device (1) according to claim 6 where the switch (S) is an authorization switch.

8. A locking device (1) according to any of claims1-3 where the housing (2) has a hole (26) axially placed inside the end (18) forming a part of the recess (21) for keeping and directing the first ball (17) to and from the seat (27) and the bottom cavity (24).

9. A locking device (1) according to any of claims1-4 where the housing (2) has through holes (23) radially placed inside the end (18) of the housing (2) forming parts of the recess (21) for keeping and directing the outer balls (20) to and from a ball accommodating cavity (22) inside the driver (9).

10. A locking device (1) according to any of claims 1-5 where the plunger (13) has a thread (16) and is rotatable by the drive means (10) for moving in direction to and from the end (18) of the housing (2).

11. A locking device (1) according to any of claims1-6 comprising a sensor (29) used for controlling the movement of the plunger (13) so that the plunger movement is stopped when the first ball (17) is in place in the bottom cavity (24).

Drawing