JP2001020573A - Safety lock - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a safety lock requiring no replacement of a key for each stand even if the key of the safety lock is lost. SOLUTION: A safety lock comprises a cylinder 1, a plug 3, and at least one rotating body 9 and one plunger 7. The plug 3 is formed rotatable in the cylinder 1 between a locked state and an unlocked state. When it is in the locked state the rotating body 9 can be displaced radially in a recessed part where the plug 3 meets the cylinder between an outer lock position and an inner unlock position. At the outer lock position, the rotating body 9 extends across a shearing surface separating the plug 3 from the cylinder, and holds the plug 3 in lock state. At the inner unlock position, the rotating body is located substantially in the recessed part of the plug 3, and the plunger 7 is allowed to move axially in the plug 3 between a first position and a second position. At the first position, the rotating body 9 is held at the lock position and, at the second position, the rotating body 9 is moved from the lock position inward to the unlock position. Thus, the plug 3 is rotated from the lock state to the unlock state.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic safety lock, and more particularly to an electronically activated cylinder lock and a poker machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In business such as a casino, a cylinder lock operated by a number of keys is used. Conventional cylinder locks generally have a rotating plug housed in a non-rotating cylinder fixed to the lock body. The plug is releasably locked by a locking pin, and the plug is biased by a spring and extends across the shear plane between the plug and the cylinder.

[0003] The locking pin is energized by a coded key, but when the key is inserted into the plug, the ends of the locking pin are aligned in a shear plane, which causes the plug to be disengaged. It is rotated to release engagement with a locking mechanism such as a cam. When the key is removed after returning the plug to the locked position, the locking pin is released and the plug does not rotate any further.

[0004]

A disadvantage of the cylinder lock described above is that once the key is lost, security cannot be guaranteed unless all the locks used are locked. When a game machine has many game consoles, such as a casino, it is necessary to change the lock for each machine, resulting in high costs.

An object of the present invention in view of the current state of the prior art is to provide a security lock which does not require replacing the key for each machine even if the key is lost in the security lock.

[0006]

For this purpose, the safety lock according to the invention has a cylinder, a plug, at least one rotating body and a plunger; the plug is locked and unlocked in the cylinder. In the locked state, the rotator is radially displaceable between an outer locked position and an inner unlocked position in the associated recess of the plug and the cylinder. Yes; in the outer locked position, the rotating body extends across the shear plane separating the plug and the cylinder to hold the plug in lock; in the inner unlocked position, the rotating body Substantially within the recess of the plug, the plunger is axially movable within the plug between a first position and a second position;
In the first position, the rotating body is held in the locked position;
In the second position, the rotator moves inward from the locked position to the unlocked position, whereby the plug rotates from the locked state to the unlocked state. Things.

The plunger is preferably operated by a solenoid against the bias of a spring. Further, the rotating body is biased to the outer locking position by a magnet.

[0008]

1 and 2, a cylinder 1 has a nut 2
Is fixed to the doors of houses. A plug 3 extends in the axial direction of the cylinder 1 and engages with a cam end 4 of another locking mechanism. A solenoid 6 is provided on a holding bush 5 behind the cam end 4.
This solenoid can be remotely controlled by a suitable personal identification means (not shown) such as a code reader.

A plunger 7 provided in the plug 3 is slidable in the axial direction, and is urged to one end by a spring 8 and to the other end by a solenoid 6.
The balls 9, 9A are plugs and recesses 10, 11 in the cylinder.
Has been received within. These balls are radially displaceable between an outer locked position and an inner unlocked position shown in FIG. In the outer locking position, these balls extend across the shear plane 10A between the plug and the cylinder. In the unlocked position shown in FIG. 2, the lower ball 9A completely enters the recess 10 of the plug.
It has detached from the shear plane.

In the state shown in FIG. 1, the solenoid is not excited, and the spring 8 presses the plunger 7 to the right. This places the end 7A of the plunger in the recess 10 of the plug and places the ball in the outer locking position across the shear plane. In this state, the rotation of the plug 3 is prevented.

When the solenoid is excited as shown in FIG. 2, the plunger 7 is moved to the left against the bias of the spring 8, and the recess 7B after the end 7A is associated with the recess of the plug. , Forming a space into which the ball can enter. Ball is magnet 1
Desirably, it is initially held in an outer position by 2.
However, the shape of the recesses 10, 11 is designed such that the ball rolls inward and is completely positioned within the recess of the plug and the recess of the plunger so that the plug is free to rotate.

Next, when the plug returns to the locked position shown in FIG. 1, the ball moves outward again by the attraction of the magnet, and when the solenoid is de-energized, the plunger returns to the right.
Such a structure allows the user to have a mechanical sensing point to return the plug to the locked position before removing the key. There is also no need for a mechanical connection to turn off the plunger. Thus, the solenoid used may be small and of low power. There is no mechanical force other than the spring 8 opposing the axial movement of the plunger.

Although not shown, the solenoid can be excited by a suitable personal identification means such as a card reader. Also, but not limited to, the plug can be rotated by inserting a non-coded key into the front surface 13. Therefore, the loss of such a key does not impair the security of the lock, and the loss of the identification card simply requires reprogramming the identification reader, rather than replacing individual lock keys as before. Is much cheaper.

In the second embodiment of the safety lock according to the present invention shown in FIG. 3, the main components are the same as those of the above embodiment, but a carbon impregnated rubber pad 14 is attached to the end 7C of the plunger 7. Have been. A circuit board 15 is incorporated within end cap 16 and is spaced from pad 14 as shown when the solenoid is energized and the lock is disengaged.

When the solenoid is de-energized and the lock is engaged, the plunger moves to the right by the bias of the spring 8 ', the pad 14 comes into surface contact with the circuit board 15, and the signal
7 to the encoder circuit 18. From this signal, the excited / non-excited state of the solenoid and the locked state can be known. The encoder circuit sends the lock status to the computer 19.

Preferably, an anti-tamper signal in the form of a continuous pulse is applied to the circuit board 15 by the encoder circuit 18. Thus, the lock state can be checked and confirmed at all times. When the state changes, the signal is input to the computer 19.

When it is necessary to apply a lock,
Preferably, a signal is generated by the computer 19 and sent to the solenoid 6 ′ via the encoder circuit 18.

The above-described safety lock is very advantageous when used in a group of game machines such as a poker machine and a pinball machine.

Conventionally, in a casino or the like provided with a number of poker machines, the safety lock is operated by a mechanical key. At present, there is no feedback of information indicating the lock state to the central monitor system. If you lose your key, you will need to replace it on all machines.

[0020]

According to the lock system of the present invention, locks of all frames are constantly monitored by a single encoder circuit. Even if the number of machines is large, central control is performed by the central computer, and the lock for each machine is controlled independently.

An appropriate electronic key can be used for the control by the central computer, and even if the key is lost, it is sufficient to reprogram the computer, and there is no need to replace the key for all units. .

In the present invention, it is not always necessary to use a ball for locking.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional side view showing a first embodiment of a safety lock according to the present invention in a locked state.

FIG. 2 is a sectional side view showing the plug in a rotatable state.

FIG. 3 is a sectional side view showing a second embodiment of the safety lock of the present invention incorporated in a computer security system such as a game console.

[Description of Signs] 1 cylinder 3 plug 4 cam 6 solenoid 7 plunger 8 spring 9 ball 10 recess 11 recess 12 magnet 14 pad 15 circuit board 18 encoder 19 computer

Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2C088 DA09 2E250 AA23 BB02 BB25 BB48 DD03 EE12 FF04 FF08 FF43 FF44

Claims (11)

[Claims] The invention comprises a cylinder, a plug, at least one rotating body and a plunger; wherein the plug is rotatable between a locked state and an unlocked state in the cylinder; In the state, the rotating body is radially displaceable in the associated recess of the plug and the cylinder between the outer locking position and the inner unlocking position; in the outer locking position, the rotating body is Extending across the shear plane separating the plug and the cylinder to hold the plug in lock; in the inner unlocked position, the rotating body is substantially within the recess of the plug, and The jar is axially movable within the plug between a first position and a second position; in the first position, the rotating body is held in the locked position; The rotator moves inward from the locked position to the unlocked position. Actuating the plug to rotate from the locked state to the unlocked state. 2. The safety lock according to claim 1, wherein said plunger is driven by a solenoid against the bias of a spring. 3. When the solenoid is not energized, the plunger moves to a first position by the bias of a spring; when the solenoid is energized, the plunger moves to a second position. The safety lock according to claim 2, characterized in that: 4. The recess has a shape that causes the plunger to move to a second position when the solenoid is energized; when the plug rotates from a locked state to an unlocked state in the cylinder. 4. The safety lock according to claim 3, wherein the rotator rotates inward to the unlocked position. 5. The rotating body is pulled outward to a locked position by magnet means in the cylinder when the plug rotates from the unlocked state to the locked state.
Safety lock as described in. 6. The safety lock according to claim 5, wherein two rotating bodies including steel balls are used. 7. The safety lock according to claim 6, wherein said solenoid is remotely operated by personal identification means. 8. The safety lock according to claim 7, wherein the solenoid is provided with a sensor means, and a lock state is signaled to an encoder circuit and a computer. 9. The sensor means includes a circuit board incorporated within an end cap of the solenoid, and when the solenoid is energized, a pad attached to the end of the plug connects a contact on the circuit board. 9. The safety lock of claim 8, wherein the bridge initiates a signal to the encoder circuit. 10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the encoder circuit applies an anti-tamper signal to the circuit board to constantly check and confirm whether any change in the locked state is signaled to the computer. Safety lock. 11. A game console including the safety lock according to claim 1.