Lock Having Magnets Incorporated In Rotary Tumblers

Abstract

The present invention disclosed a lock comprising rotary tumblers each having a magnet and provided rotatably inside a main body of the lock, said tumblers being permitted to rotate to a given position through operation of magnets incorporated in a key, and a locking or unlocking mechanism operating in relation to said rotary tumblers.

Description

The present invention relates to a lock having magnets incorporated in rotary tumblers.

In the magnetically operated lock of the conventional type, magnets having different polarity are incorporated inside the lock, and unlocking is easily effected by positioning the magnet of the key at the place corresponding to that of the magnet of the lock. The lock of this type is not practical due to the defect that the positions and polarity of the magnets incorporated inside the lock are readily searched from the outside, which leads to picking and unloading.

An object of the present invention made in view of the defect set forth hereinabove is to provide a lock of a simple structure comprising rotatable tumblers having magnets incorporated therein and serving to prevent the polarity of the magnets from being searched from the outside, and permitting a large number of different fellow keys to be applied to the identical lock.

In the accompanying drawings showing preferred embodiments of a lock made according to the present invention,

FIGS. 1 and 2 are illustrations of an operative principle of magnet, exemplified in two modes;

FIGS. 3 through 5 show an embodiment of a lock of the cylinder type, in which FIG. 3 is a perspective view of respective components, and FIGS. 4 and 5 are longitudinal sectional views of a main body of the lock in the locked situation and in the unlocked situation, respectively;

FIGS. 6 through 11 are illustrations of a padlock, in which FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the padlock, and FIGS. 7 through 9 are sectional views taken along lines VII-- VII, VIII-- VIII, and IX-- IX of FIG. 6 in the unlocked situation, respectively; and

FIGS. 10 and 11 are same sectional views as in FIGS. 7 and 8, but shown in the locked situation.

Description will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

For a better understanding of the idea of the present invention, the basic principle of magnet used in the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Two examples are shown, of different arrangements of the magnets.

In FIG. 1, A.sub.1 and A.sub.2 are permanent magnets of disc shape, each bearing the north pole and the south pole at each semicircular portion and rotatably carried by shafts B.sub.1 and B.sub.2 extending therethrough and supported by bearings C and C. Said two magnets, in the drawing, are arranged vertically in circumferentially confronting relation with the ends of each magnet facing the respective bearings C and C and at a distance permitting the magnetomative forces to be exerted upon each other.

In this arrangement, the south pole of the upwardly located magnet A.sub.1 and the north pole of the downwardly located magnet A.sub.2 attract each other to remain in the situation shown in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 2, two permanent magnets of a disc shape, each bearing the north pole and the south pole on a semicircular portion and carried by the shafts B.sub.1 or B.sub.2, respectively, are arranged horizontally coaxially with one another facing each other and at a distance permitting magnetic force act between the confronting magnets. Rotary shafts B.sub.1 and B.sub.2 extending through the axis of each magnet are coupled at D so as to permit each magnet to rotate independently. In such an arrangement, magnetic force interacts between the opposed poles, the north and south poles, of the confronting magnets, so that the north and south poles of the left-hand side magnet A.sub.1 attract the opposed poles of other magnet A.sub.2, thereby maintaining the situation of FIG. 2.

If one of magnets A.sub.1 and A.sub.2, either in FIG. 1 or in FIG. 2, is rotated in a direction shown by the solid arrow mark, the other magnet in either drawing rotates in the direction of the dotted arrow mark. The number of rotations of the pair of magnets is equal; for example, if one of magnets rotates one revolution, the other magnet rotates one revolution.

The arrangement of magnets in the first example (in FIG. 1) is adapted for a lock of the cylinder type shown in FIGS. 3 through 5, and the arrangement of magnets in the second example is adapted for the padlock shown in FIGS. 6 through 11.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, numeral 1 is a knob projecting inside or outside a door, which includes therein a cylinder 3 fixedly supported to the knob and a rotatable member 6 turned with a key inserted thereinto to operate a locking system 5.

The cylinder 3 is formed of a nonmagnetic material with a longitudinally elongated appearance, and has rotary tumblers 7.sub.1, 7.sub.2, 7.sub.3 and 7.sub.4 connected at 8 thereto and independently rotatably and at a certain space from each other at the inside and in the longitudinal direction. Said rotary tumblers each have permanent magnets 9.sub.1, 9.sub.2, 9.sub.3 and 9.sub.4 of cylindrical or columnar shape, each embedded therein coaxially and with a plane end surface. Each of the magnets 9.sub.1, 9.sub.2, 9.sub.3 and 9.sub.4 incorporated in the rotary tumblers bears, in the position shown in FIG. 4, the north pole at the left-hand semicircular portion and the south pole at the right-hand semicircular portion, so that magnetic force interacts between adjacent magnets to maintain the polar disposition and the arrangement of tumblers, as shown in FIG. 4.

The rotary tumblers have cutout portions or flat portions 7.sub.1 ', 7.sub.2 ', 7.sub.3 ' and 7.sub.4 ' formed circumferentially and in the longitudinal direction thereof. It is noted that each cutout portion is differently positioned in relation to the line l (FIG. 3) connecting the north pole and the south pole of magnet. In detail, the cutout portion or flat portion 7.sub.1 ' is formed at an angle of 0.degree. in relation to the line l; the cutout portion 7.sub.2 ' is formed at an angle of 90.degree., the cutout portion 7.sub.3 ' is formed at an angle of 180.degree.; and the cutout portion 7.sub.4 ' is formed at an angle of 135.degree. in relation to the line l. Needless to say, the cutout portion may be formed at a desired angle in relation to the line l other than those exemplified herein.

The rotatable member 6 is rotatably positioned in cylinder 3 against axial motion, and is formed of a nonmagnetic material with a columnar shape. The rotatable member 6 has a keyhole 6a provided in a longitudinal direction at the inside thereof, and recesses or depressions 6.sub.1, 6.sub.2, 6.sub.3 and 6.sub.4 each having an arch portion conforming to the circumference of a tumbler for receiving one-fourth of the circumference thereof, and provided at a distance similar to that between adjacent tumblers, so that of each tumbler fits into a corresponding recess or depression of the rotatable member 6 in the locked situation, as shown in FIG. 4. In this situation, the rotatable member 6 is checked from rotation in any direction. The rotatable member 6 is provided at one end with a projection 6b connected with the desired locking system 5.

The key is formed of a nonmagnetic material with a square columnar configuration and has permanent magnets 4.sub.1, 4.sub.2, 4.sub.3 and 4.sub. 4 embedded therein in a longitudinal direction and at a distance similar to that between adjacent rotary tumblers, in other words, at a position corresponding to each of recesses of the rotatable member 6, when the key is inserted. Each of the permanent magnets bears the north pole and the south pole at each semicircular portion. The polar disposition of each of magnets 4.sub.1, 4.sub.2, 4.sub.3, and 4.sub.4 depends upon that of the corresponding magnet 9.sub.1, 9.sub.2, 9.sub.3 or 9.sub.4 of the tumblers. The action of magnets between the key 4 and the rotary tumblers 7.sub.1, 7.sub.2, 7.sub.3 and 7.sub.4 will be described below.

Since the rotary tumbler 7.sub.1 is provided with the cutout portion 7.sub.1 ' at the side of the north pole of the columnar shape of magnet 9.sub.1, the permanent magnet 4.sub.1 of the key 4 must locate the south pole upwardly, in order to confront said cutout portion 7.sub.1 ' with the recess 6.sub.1 of the rotatable member 6, at the time of unlocking. In such magnetic disposition, the permanent magnet 4.sub.1 of the key 4 attracts the north pole of the permanent magnet g.sub.1 of the rotary tumbler 7.sub.1, and repels the south pole thereof to turn the rotary tumbler 7.sub.1 anticlockwisely by 90.degree., thereby disengaging the circumference thereof from the recess or depression 6.sub.1 of the rotatable member 6, and confronting the cutout portion 7.sub.1 ' therewith. In the similar manner, poles of other magnets 4.sub.2, 4.sub.3, 4.sub.4 of the key 4 are disposed to take the polar disposition of the magnets of the respective rotary tumblers 7.sub.2, 7.sub.3 and 7.sub.4 into account.

Locking or unlocking is effected as follows.

When the key 4 is inserted into the keyhole 6a of the rotatable member 6 to locate each of the magnets 4.sub.1, 4.sub.2, 4.sub.3, 4.sub.4, in place, as shown in FIG. 4 (it is assumed that, at the time of insertion of the key, magnets 4.sub.1, 4.sub.2, 4.sub.3 and 4.sub.4 of the key do not exert magnetic force upon other magnets 9.sub.1, 9.sub.2, 9.sub.3 and 9.sub.4 of the rotary tumblers), the rotary tumbler 7.sub.1 at the leftmost side turns anticlockwisely by 90.degree. at an angle, as set forth in the foregoing passage. The rotation of the tumbler 7.sub.1 causes the adjacent rotary tumbler 7.sub.2 to rotate clockwisely by 90.degree. at an angle, from the position of FIG. 4. (It is noted that the distance between centers of magnets 4.sub.1 and 9.sub.1 of the key and the rotary tumbler is smaller than that between axes of magnets 9.sub.1 and 9.sub.2 of adjacent rotary tumblers, in order to increase interaction of magnetic force between magnets 4.sub.1 and 9.sub.1. Relation between other magnets of the key and the rotary tumblers is similar.) In the rotary tumbler 7.sub.2, the north pole and the south pole of magnet 4.sub.2 of the key 4 repells and attracts the south pole and the north pole of magnet 9.sub.2 of the rotary tumbler to cause a further clockwise turn of the rotary tumbler 7.sub.2 by 90.degree. at an angle, thereby causing the cutout portion 7.sub.2 ' to register with the recess of the rotatable member 6, after a clockwise rotation of 180.degree. from the position of FIG. 4. In the rotary tumbler 7.sub.3 having the cutout portion 7.sub.3 ' at the side of the south pole, the south pole of magnet 9.sub.3 is attracted by the north pole of magnet 4.sub.3 of the key to locate the cutout portion 7.sub.3 ' face to face with the recess 6.sub.3. The rightmostly positioned rotary tumbler 7.sub.4 also undergoes interaction of magnetic force to turn clockwisely by 135.degree. at an angle, thereby facing the cutout portion 7.sub.4 ' with the recess 6.sub.4, as shown in FIG. 5. It is obvious that circumferential engagement of each tumbler 7.sub.1, 7.sub.2, 7.sub.3, or 7.sub.4 with each of the recesses 6.sub.1, 6.sub.2, 6.sub.3 and 6.sub.4 of the rotatable member 6 is released at this time to permit rotation of the rotatable member. Accordingly, the rotatable member 6 is allowed free rotation upon turning of the key 4 to operate the locking system 5, whereby the lock is released.

When the key 4 is withdrawn from the keyhole 6a, rotatable tumblers 7.sub.1, 7.sub.2, 7.sub.3 and 7.sub.4 each undergo the magnetic force of the adjacent permanent magnets to rotate to fit the circumferential portions thereof into respective recesses 6.sub.1, 6.sub.2, 6.sub.3 and 6.sub.4 of the rotatable member 6, thereby closing the lock. In this case, the rotary tumblers are not always restored to their initial positions as shown in FIG. 4.

This is interpreted as follows.

Irrespective of the magnetic force of the magnets of the key exerted upon the respective tumblers, the north pole of the rotary tumbler 7.sub.1 at the leftmost side is attracted by the south pole of the adjacent rotary tumbler 7.sub.2 to turn the rotary tumbler 7.sub.1 anticlockwisely by 90.degree.. In the rotary tumbler 7.sub.3, the south pole of this 9.sub.3 is attracted by the north pole of the rotary tumbler 7.sub.2 to turn the rotary tumbler 7.sub.3 clockwisely by 90.degree.. Rotation of the rotary tumbler 7.sub.3 causes the rotary tumbler 7.sub.4 to turn clockwisely by 45.degree.. Thus, all the rotary tumblers are put in stable situation.

Another embodiment of lock according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 through 11 wherein a padlock is shown.

Numeral 10 is the main body of a padlock formed of a nonmagnetic material and having a hollow portion 10a, at one side of which rotary tumblers 11.sub.1, 11.sub.2, 11.sub.3 of cylindrical or columnar shape are independently rotatably in the sidewall of the main body in a vertical arrangement with a desired space between them. Said rotary tumblers 11.sub.1, 11.sub.2 and 11.sub.3 have permanent magnets 13.sub.1, 13.sub.2 and 13.sub.3 incorporated therein and are provided with cavities 11.sub.1 ', 11.sub.2 ' and 11.sub.3 ' opening to the circumference thereof. The permanent magnets 13.sub.1, 13.sub.2 and 13.sub.3 are of a cylindrical or columnar shape and bear the south pole and the north pole, as in the former example.

Numeral 14 is a rod moving slidably in a vertical direction, when respective cavities 11.sub.1 ', 11.sub.2 ' and 11.sub.3 ' of the rotary tumblers are directed in the same direction, for example downwardly in FIG. 6, and having extensions 14.sub.1, 14.sub.2 and 14.sub.3 formed integral therewith for engaging with or disengaging from these cavities. Said rod 14 is provided in its lower portion with a slot 15 having a length similar to the sliding distance of the rod 14 and is connected at its upper end with one end of a T-shaped connecting lever 19. Numeral 16 is a projection extending from the main body and fitted into the slot 15. Said T-shaped connecting lever 19 is pivoted at 20 swingeably to the main body 10 of the lock and engaged at one end with a fitting plate 17 through a slot provided therein. Said fitting plate 17 is pressed by a spring 21 to engage with a portion 18a of a shackle 18 in the locked situation.

Numeral 22 is a pushbutton provided at the inside of the main body and in a position corresponding to other end of the T-shaped connecting lever 19 and having a spring 23 interposed between the main body 10 and the pushbutton 22. Numeral 24 is a key, which is inserted into the side portion of the main body of the lock and formed of a nonmagnetic material with a rod shape and having permanent magnets 24.sub.1, 24.sub.2 and 24.sub.3 having a cylindrical or columnar shape similar to that of the cylindrical or columnar magnet of the rotary tumbler and incorporated therein in an arrangement corresponding to that of magnets 18.sub.1, 18.sub.2 and 18.sub.3 of rotary tumblers 11.sub.1, 11.sub.2 and 11.sub.3, as shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 11 shows a polar disposition of magnets 13.sub.1, 13.sub.2 and 13.sub.3 of the rotary tumblers in the locked situation. The magnet of each rotary tumbler bears the north pole upwardly and the south pole downwardly, so that magnets of adjacent rotary tumblers may repel and attract each other. Said rotary tumblers 11.sub.1, 11.sub.2 and 11.sub.3 have a part of their circumferential portions contacting with extensions 14.sub.1, 14.sub.2 and 14.sub.3 of the rod 14, with cavities 11.sub.1 ', 11.sub.2 ' and 11.sub.3 ' located at a different position, so that the rod 14 is checked from its upward motion to maintain the locked situation.

The lock is released by turning rotary tumblers 11.sub.1, 11.sub.2 and 11.sub.3 to position cavities 11.sub.1 ', 11.sub.2 ' and 11.sub.3 ' downwardly, so that the rod can move upwardly to fit the respective extensions into these cavities. In detail, it is necessary to rotate the uppermost rotary tumbler 11.sub.1 anticlockwisely by 90.degree., the intermediately positioned rotary tumbler 11.sub.2 clockwisely by 90.degree. and the lowermost rotary tumbler 11.sub.3 anticlockwisely by 45.degree., respectively. Such rotation of the respective rotary tumblers 11.sub.1, 11.sub.2 and 11.sub.3 is effected by the key 24 having magnets 24.sub.1, 24.sub.2 and 24.sub.3, whose polar disposition is shown in FIG. 9. For example, between magnet 13.sub.1 of the rotary tumbler 11.sub.1, of which the north pole and the south pole are located upwardly and downwardly, respectively, and magnet 24.sub.1 of the key 24 with the south pole at the left-hand side and the north pole at the right-hand side, magnet 13.sub.1 of the rotary tumbler 11.sub.1 is, at its north and south poles, subject to repelling and attracting of the south pole and the north pole of magnet 24.sub.1 to rotate the rotary tumbler 11.sub.1 anticlockwisely by 90.degree. at an angle, thereby locating the cavity 11.sub.1 ' of said rotary tumbler 11.sub.1 downwardly. Similarly, other rotary tumblers 11.sub.2 and 11.sub.3 are turned clockwisely or anticlockwisely to position the respective cavities 11.sub.2 ', 11.sub.3 ' downwardly.

In such a situation of the rotary tumblers 11.sub.1, 11.sub.2 and 11.sub.3 with cavities 11.sub.1 ', 11.sub.2 ' and 11.sub.3 ' positioned downwardly, as shown in FIG. 7, the pushbutton is pressed inwardly to move the connecting lever 19 and the rod 14 in the direction of the arrow. The movement of the connecting lever 19 and the rod 14 causes the fitting plate 17 to move in the direction of the arrow to disengage the tapered portion from the portion 18a of the shackle 18, whereby the shackle 18 is released and the lock is opened.

When the key 24 is removed to lock again, the north pole of magnet 13.sub.3 of the lowermost rotary tumbler 11.sub.3 and the south pole of magnet 13.sub.2 of the intermediately positioned rotary tumbler 11.sub.2 attract each other to turn rotary tumblers 11.sub.3 and 11.sub.2 clockwisely and anticlockwisely, respectively. Resultantly, magnet 13.sub.1 of the uppermost rotary tumbler 11.sub.1 is also attracted to turn the rotary tumbler 11.sub.1 clockwisely by 90.degree., whereby two poles of the magnet of each rotary tumbler are restored to the disposition as shown in FIG. 11, whereby the lock is closed.

In order to interact effectively magnets of the key and rotary tumblers, the distance between magnet of the rotary tumbler and that of the key must be smaller than that between adjacent two tumblers, as in the former embodiment.

With the structure of the lock of the present invention as disclosed hereinabove, it is impossible to search for the arrangement and polarity of magnets incorporated inside a lock. This will be understood more clearly from the following explanation.

For example, in the lock of the cylinder type as shown in FIG. 4, if one tries to search for, with a magnet, the pole of the magnet near the cutout portion 7.sub.1 ' of the rotary tumbler 7.sub.1, magnet 9.sub.1 of the rotary tumbler 7.sub.1 will exert magnetic force upon both the north pole and the south pole of the magnet used for spying, due to rotation of the rotary tumbler 7.sub.1, and the search fails. Safety is more completely assured by increasing the number of rotary tumblers. In the second embodiment, it is also impossible to search for the polarity of the magnets of the rotary tumblers, in order to locate the cavity downwardly, that is, at the unlocked position, for the same reason.

The lock of the present invention provides many advantages and the probability of picking a lock is completely eliminated since it is impossible to search for the polarity of the magnets, which has been often encountered in locks of the type incorporating magnets; a large number of different mating keys are applicable, since the rotational range of the rotary tumblers is determined in relation to the locking or unlocking mechanism; and the structure is simple.

Claims

I claim:

1. A magnetic lock comprising

a rotatable member made of nonmagnetic material and having a plurality of recesses spaced from one another longitudinally of its axis,

a plurality of rotary tumblers engageable, respectively, in said recess to prevent movement of said member,

each tumbler being slabbed off around a portion of its periphery so that, when it is rotated to a position where said slabbed off portion registers with the recess associated with the tumbler, the tumbler is disengaged from said associated recess,

a cylindrical magnet rotatably mounted in each tumbler, each magnet having opposite polar portions extending, respectively, part way around its periphery, and a key insertable in a hole in said member, said key having a plurality of magnets rotatably mounted therein and spaced longitudinally of the key for cooperation with the magnets mounted in said tumblers.

2. A magnetic lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnets in said key have the same spacing as the recesses in said member, whereby they register with the magnets in said tumbler when said key is in said hole.

3. A magnetic lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axis of the magnets in the tumblers are uniformly spaced from one another and the axes of the magnets in the key are uniformly spaced from one another but the distances between the axes of the magnets in the key and the magnets in the rotary tumblers is less than the distances between the axes of adjacent tumblers.

4. A magnetic lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnets in the tumblers have identical polar orientation about their respective axes but the magnets in the key have different polar orientations about their respective axes.

5. A magnetic lock as claimed in claim 4, wherein the slabs on the tumblers are differently oriented relative to one another.

6. A magnetic lock, comprising a first member; a second member movable with reference to said first member to and from a starting position, said members having adjacent surfaces and one of said surfaces being provided with a first socket; a magnetic locking element turnable in said first socket between at least one first position and at least one second position in which it respectively permits and prevents movement of said second member from starting position, said locking element normally assuming said second position and the other of said surfaces having a second socket which receives a portion of said locking element in said starting position of said second member while said locking element assumes said second position; and a key adapted to be applied to one of said members in at least one predetermined position and having magnet means arranged to effect angular displacement of said locking element to said first position in said predetermined position of the key.

7. A magnetic lock as defined in claim 6, wherein said first member is a cylinder and said second member is a plug rotatable in said cylinder to and from said starting position thereof, said one surface being the peripheral surface of said plug and said first socket extending radially inwardly from said peripheral surface.