Abstract: A lock and key combination includes a cylinder rotatably disposed within a shell and a sidebar within the cylinder and movable between a locked position preventing rotation of the cylinder and an unlocked position allowing rotation of the cylinder. A slider is mounted within the cylinder for movement between a first position blocking movement of sidebar from the locked position and a second position not blocking movement of said sidebar. A key has a blade configured to be inserted into a keyway of the cylinder and includes a slider-actuating element mounted within the blade for movement with respect to the blade. As the blade is inserted into the keyway, a cam element within the keyway moves the slider-actuating element to a position engaging the slider so that further movement of the key moves the slider from the first position to the second position.

Abstract: A cylinder lock includes a side bar assembly comprising a binding bar and a testing bar and code pins, each comprising a key projection, a code hole, and binding features. Partial rotation of the cylinder causes the binding bar to engage the binding features of the code pins to prevent axial movement of the pins. If the code holes of the code pins are aligned with code points of the testing bar, the testing bar is able to move inwardly with the binding bar and out of the slot so as to permit the cylinder to rotate within the bore. If one or more code holes is not aligned with a code point of the testing bar, the code point will contact the body of the code pin and thereby be prevented from moving radially inwardly out of a locking slot, thus blocking rotation of the cylinder.

Abstract: A lock and key combination includes a cylinder rotatably disposed within a shell and a sidebar within the cylinder and movable between a locked position preventing rotation of the cylinder and an unlocked position allowing rotation of the cylinder. A slider is mounted within the cylinder for movement between a first position blocking movement of sidebar from the locked position and a second position not blocking movement of said sidebar. A key has a blade configured to be inserted into a keyway of the cylinder and includes a slider-actuating element mounted within the blade for movement with respect to the blade. As the blade is inserted into the keyway, a cam element within the keyway moves the slider-actuating element to a position engaging the slider so that further movement of the key moves the slider from the first position to the second position.

Abstract: A cylinder lock with a rotating tumbler pin, a sidebar, and a slider has a keyway with a ward projection into the center of the bitting area of a key blade received by the keyway. The tip of each rotating tumbler pin seats on the bitting surfaces remaining to the sides of this center ward of the key, and the tumbler pins that are engaged by the bitting on the side of the key blade do not seat on more than half of the width of the blade. Half the pin width is removed from each tumbler pin near the tip thereof. The key has a bitted section at which one or more bittings are formed and a non-bitted section bitting that is devoid of bitting. The bittings extend at a constant depth to an edge of the key blade.

Abstract: A cylinder lock with a rotating tumbler pin, a sidebar, and a slider has a keyway with a ward projection into the center of the bitting area of a key blade received by the keyway. The tip of each rotating tumbler pin seats on the bitting surfaces remaining to the sides of this center ward of the key, and the tumbler pins that are engaged by the bitting on the side of the key blade do not seat on more than half of the width of the blade. Half the pin width is removed from each tumbler pin near the tip thereof. The key has a bitted section at which one or more bittings are formed and a non-bitted section bitting that is devoid of bitting. The bittings extend at a constant depth to an edge of the key blade.

Abstract: A key with one or more movable elements that slide within the blade of a substantially flat key for operating a lock includes a blade configured to be inserted into a keyway of a lock and including contour features formed on an outer surface of the blade that mate with corresponding contour features of the keyway. The key includes at least one movable element disposed within a recess formed in the blade and including a contour surface exposed to the exterior of the key blade. The contour surface may include external contour features that correspond in shape to at least a portion of the contour features of the keyway. The movable element may be movable within the recess, when it engages a blocking member within the keyway, and after such movement, the element will engage a locking element within the lock.

Abstract: A lock and key combination includes a cylinder rotatably disposed within a shell and a sidebar within the cylinder and movable between a locked position preventing rotation of the cylinder and an unlocked position allowing rotation of the cylinder. A slider is mounted within the cylinder for movement between a first position blocking movement of sidebar from the locked position and a second position not blocking movement of said sidebar. A key has a blade configured to be inserted into a keyway of the cylinder and includes a slider-actuating element mounted within the blade for movement with respect to the blade. As the blade is inserted into the keyway, a cam element within the keyway moves the slider-actuating element to a position engaging the slider so that further movement of the key moves the slider from the first position to the second position.

Abstract: An electromechanical lock includes a spring-biased cylinder plug return mechanism for automatically rotating the rotatable plug to a home position after the plug has been rotated from the home position and thereafter released. In one embodiment, the cylinder plug return mechanism comprises a torsional spring coupled to the plug, In a second embodiment, the cylinder plug return mechanism comprises a slider that is coupled to the plug so that rotation of the plug moves the slider, thereby increasing the potential energy in a return spring, and when the plug is released, the increase potential energy is released by moving the slider, and the coupling between the slider and the plug causes the plug to rotate back to a home position.

Abstract: An electronic small format interchangeable core (“SFIC”) lock is configured so that core locking features are electronically controlled, and keys can be electronically programmed to operate either as a normal user key able to open the lock or as a control key able to open the lock and to remove the SFIC cores. The same key will operate as a normal access key or as a control key, depending on how the key is programmed.

Abstract: An electromechanical cylinder lock includes an outer lock shell and a rotatable lock barrel located therein which is controlled by dual locking features. A side bar or fence selectively blocks and permits rotation of the barrel with respect to the shell in response to insertion of a key into a keyway in the barrel. A slider bar is movable between a blocking position in which the side bar is prevented from permitting rotation of the barrel, and an unblocking position in which the side bar permits rotation of the barrel. Alternately, a blocking mechanism is provided to block motion of tumbler pins in the cylinder lock. A shape memory alloy actuator, such as a wire made of nitinol, disposed in the barrel is activated by an electric current in response to determination by an electronic control device whether an attempt to open the lock is authorized. Thermal interlock protection from external heating of the lock is also provided.

Abstract: An electromechanical lock includes a spring-biased cylinder plug return mechanism for automatically rotating the rotatable plug to a home position after the plug has been rotated from the home position and thereafter released. In one embodiment, the cylinder plug return mechanism comprises a torsional spring coupled to the plug, In a second embodiment, the cylinder plug return mechanism comprises a slider that is coupled to the plug so that rotation of the plug moves the slider, thereby increasing the potential energy in a return spring, and when the plug is released, the increase potential energy is released by moving the slider, and the coupling between the slider and the plug causes the plug to rotate back to a home position.

Abstract: An electronic small format interchangeable core (“SFIC”) lock is configured so that core locking features are electronically controlled, and keys can be electronically programmed to operate either as a normal user key able to open the lock or as a control key able to open the lock and to remove the SFIC cores. The same key will operate as a normal access key or as a control key, depending on how the key is programmed.

Abstract: A tumbler pin lock includes an auxiliary locking mechanism including an auxiliary locking pin to provide enhance locking in addition to the locking provided by the tumbler pins so that the lock remains locked even if the tumblers are picked or bumped into their unlocked positions.

Abstract: An electromechanical cylinder lock includes an outer lock shell and a rotatable lock barrel located therein which is controlled by dual locking features. A side bar or fence selectively blocks and permits rotation of the barrel with respect to the shell in response to insertion of a key into a keyway in the barrel. A slider bar is movable between a blocking position in which the side bar is prevented from permitting rotation of the barrel, and an unblocking position in which the side bar permits rotation of the barrel. Alternately, a blocking mechanism is provided to block motion of tumbler pins in the cylinder lock. A shape memory alloy actuator, such as a wire made of nitinol, disposed in the barrel is activated by an electric current in response to determination by an electronic control device whether an attempt to open the lock is authorized. Thermal interlock protection from external heating of the lock is also provided.

Abstract: An electromechanical cylinder lock includes an outer lock shell and a rotatable lock barrel located therein which is controlled by dual locking features. A side bar or fence selectively blocks and permits rotation of the barrel with respect to the shell in response to insertion of a key into a keyway in the barrel. A slider bar is movable between a blocking position in which the side bar is prevented from permitting rotation of the barrel, and an unblocking position in which the side bar permits rotation of the barrel. Alternately, a blocking mechanism is provided to block motion of tumbler pins in the cylinder lock. A shape memory alloy actuator, such as a wire made of nitinol, disposed in the barrel is activated by an electric current in response to determination by an electronic control device whether an attempt to open the lock is authorized. Thermal interlock protection from external heating of the lock is also provided.

Abstract: The present application relates to lock assemblies that provide a secondary coupling point, utilizing an anti-rotation pin or extended tailpiece leg or other method, which rotationally couples the tailpiece to the cylinder plug, thereby preventing rotation of the tailpiece independently of the cylinder plug. Therefore, a tailpiece within a bolt cam or other actuator used to withdraw a bolt or unlock a lockset cannot be rotated after the tailpiece connector connecting the tailpiece to the cylinder plug has been forcibly removed, severed, or destroyed.

Abstract: A hierarchical lock system includes a first cylinder lock having a cylindrical plug, rotatable, reciprocating tumbler pins, a slider disposed within the plug and a side bar that cooperates with the cylinder plug, the slider, and the tumbler pins to control rotation of the lock. A second cylindrical lock includes a cylindrical plug, reciprocating tumbler pins, a slider, and a side bar that cooperates with the cylindrical plug and the slider. A first key is configured to open both the first and second locks by elevating and rotating the tumbler pins, and moving the slider to an unlocked position with respect to the side bar. A second key is able to open only the second cylindrical locks by elevating but not rotating the tumbler pins and by moving the slider to an unlocked position with respect to the side bar.

Abstract: A lock system includes keys, key blanks, keyways, and lock cylinders, and the keys or key blanks have opposite sides formed with grooves for cooperating with a conforming keyway. More particularly, the sides of the key or key blank have a portion grooved for registration, another portion grooved for top-level hierarchical master keying, and two other portions, one on each side of the blade, for further master key variations and different combinations. One of the two further sections being curvilinear and the other rectangular or angular cuts. The conforming keyway of the lock includes ridges and grooves corresponding to the grooves and ridges, respectively, of the key or key blank. Instruments other than keys or key blanks may be used to enter the grooves and ridges of the keyway to operate the lock without the use of a precisely configured key.

Abstract: An electromechanical cylinder lock includes an outer lock shell and a rotatable lock barrel located therein which is controlled by dual locking features. A side bar or fence selectively blocks and permits rotation of the barrel with respect to the shell in response to insertion of a key into a keyway in the barrel. A slider bar is movable between a blocking position in which the side bar is prevented from permitting rotation of the barrel, and an unblocking position in which the side bar permits rotation of the barrel. Alternately, a blocking mechanism is provided to block motion of tumbler pins in the cylinder lock. A shape memory alloy actuator, such as a wire made of nitinol, disposed in the barrel is activated by an electric current in response to determination by an electronic control device whether an attempt to open the lock is authorized. Thermal interlock protection from external heating of the lock is also provided.

Abstract: An electromechanical cylinder lock includes an outer lock shell and a rotatable lock barrel located therein which is controlled by dual locking features. A side bar or fence selectively blocks and permits rotation of the barrel with respect to the shell in response to insertion of a key into a keyway in the barrel. A slider bar is movable between a blocking position in which the side bar is prevented from permitting rotation of the barrel, and an unblocking position in which the side bar permits rotation of the barrel. Alternately, a blocking mechanism is provided to block motion of tumbler pins in the cylinder lock. A shape memory alloy actuator, such as a wire made of NITINOL disposed in the barrel is activated by an electric current in response to determination by an electronic control device whether an attempt to open the lock is authorized. Thermal interlock protection from external heating of the lock is also provided.