JP7804602B2 - Cylinder lock protection device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cylinder lock protection device that includes a casing with a mechanical key insertion hole for inserting a mechanical key into the cylinder lock, a shutter plate arranged in the casing that can operate between a closed position that closes the mechanical key insertion hole and an open position that opens the mechanical key insertion hole, an operation restriction mechanism that can switch between a restricted state that restricts the shutter plate to the closed position and a released state that allows the shutter plate to operate from the closed position to the open position, and a release mechanism that can switch the operation restriction mechanism from the restricted state to the released state.

The above-mentioned cylinder lock protection device is known to include a push-button-shaped operating member supported on the casing so that it can move between a protruding position where its tip protrudes outside the casing through a through-hole in the outer wall of the casing and a depressed position where it is depressed a predetermined amount from the protruding position, and an interlocking drive mechanism that drives the shutter plate from the open position to the closed position in conjunction with the operating member being pressed from the protruding position to the depressed position (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 listed below).

In these conventional devices, to move the shutter plate from the open position toward the closed position, all that is required is to push in the operating member, the tip of which protrudes from the outer surface of the casing, while the shutter plate is in the open position. This eliminates the need to provide an arc-shaped opening in the casing through which the protrusion of the shutter plate can be inserted, which increases the design freedom of the casing. Furthermore, since it is only necessary to consider the seal between the outer periphery of the operating member and the casing, this also has the advantage of being dustproof and waterproof.

Patent No. 6187908 Patent No. 4100928

In the conventional device of Patent Document 1, the shutter plate moves toward the closed position in conjunction with the operating member for closing the shutter plate being pushed into the pushed-in position, and the operating member is configured to return from the pushed-in position to the extended position due to the biasing force of the return spring in response to the operation restriction mechanism being switched to the restricted state. In the conventional device of Patent Document 2, the operation restriction mechanism, which has entered the restricted state in conjunction with the operating member being pushed into the pushed-in position, is switched to the released state by the release mechanism, and the shutter plate moves from the closed position to the open position, due to the biasing force of the return spring.

However, in the conventional devices of Patent Documents 1 and 2, there is a small annular clearance between the operating member for closing the shutter plate and the through-hole in the outer wall of the casing through which it passes. Therefore, in areas with a lot of dust, for example, fine foreign matter (such as sand or dust) may become clogged in this clearance, hindering the operating member from returning from the pushed-in position to the extended position. In this case, the device of Patent Document 2 has the disadvantage that the shutter plate cannot be maintained in an open state if the operating member remains in the pushed-in position. Furthermore, in the device of Patent Document 1, even if the shutter plate can be maintained in an open state, the shutter plate cannot be closed if the operating member remains in the pushed-in position, which makes it easy for a third party to tamper with the cylinder lock.

The present invention was made in light of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a cylinder lock protection device that can solve the above-mentioned problems of conventional devices.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a cylinder lock protection device comprising: a casing having a mechanical key insertion hole for inserting a mechanical key into a cylinder lock; a shutter plate disposed in the casing and operable between a closed position that closes the mechanical key insertion hole and an open position that opens the mechanical key insertion hole; an operation restriction mechanism that can switch between a restricted state that restricts the shutter plate to the closed position and a released state that allows the shutter plate to operate from the closed position to the open position; and a release mechanism that can switch the operation restriction mechanism from the restricted state to the released state, wherein the protection device is provided with a through hole in the outer wall of the casing. The device includes an operating member supported on the casing so as to be movable between a protruding position where its tip protrudes outward from the casing through a through hole and a depressed position where it is depressed a predetermined amount from the protruding position, a return spring that biases the operating member toward the protruding position, and an interlocking drive mechanism that drives the shutter plate from the open position to the closed position in conjunction with the operating member being pressed from the protruding position to the depressed position. The first feature of this device is that the operating member has an engaging portion on the outer surface of its tip that is exposed outside the casing when in the depressed position that can be engaged with an object or a finger to pull the operating member back from the depressed position to the protruding position.

In addition to the first feature, the present invention has a second feature in which the engaged portion is a locking groove that extends circumferentially over the entire outer circumferential surface of the tip portion of the operating member, or over a partial area.

In addition to the first feature, the present invention has a third feature in that the engaged portion is a locking protrusion or locking step that extends circumferentially over the entire outer circumferential surface of the tip of the operating member or over a partial area.

According to a first feature of the present invention, a cylinder lock protection device includes an operating member supported on the casing so as to be movable between a protruding position where its tip protrudes outside the casing through a through-hole in the outer wall of the casing and a pushed-in position where it is pushed in a predetermined amount from the protruding position, a return spring that biases the operating member toward the protruding position, and an interlocking drive mechanism that drives the shutter plate from the open position to the closed position in conjunction with the operating member being pushed from the protruding position to the pushed-in position. In this device, the operating member has an engaging portion on the outer surface of the tip that is exposed outside the casing when in the pushed-in position that can be engaged with an object or a finger to pull the operating member back from the pushed-in position to the protruding position.

As a result, if small foreign objects (such as sand or dust) become clogged in the clearance between the operating member for closing the shutter plate and the through-hole in the outer wall of the casing, preventing the operating member from returning from the pushed-in position to the extended position, the operating member can be easily pulled out to the extended position by engaging the engaging portion on the outer surface of the tip of the operating member with another object or a finger, thereby avoiding the problem of the operating member remaining in the pushed-in position with a simple structure.

Furthermore, according to the second feature of the present invention, the engaged portion is a locking groove that extends over the entire circumferential area or a partial area of the outer peripheral surface of the tip of the operating member. Therefore, when providing the engaged portion, it is sufficient to simply form a locking groove on the outer peripheral surface of the tip of the operating member, which is easy to process. Furthermore, because there is no need to provide an engaged portion on the tip surface of the operating member, there is no risk that the engaged portion will interfere with pushing operability.

Furthermore, according to the third feature of the present invention, the engaged portion is a locking protrusion or locking step that extends circumferentially over the entire or partial area of the outer peripheral surface of the tip of the operating member. Therefore, when providing the engaged portion, it is sufficient to simply form the locking protrusion or locking step on the outer peripheral surface of the tip of the operating member, which is easy to process. Furthermore, because there is no need to provide an engaged portion on the tip surface of the operating member, there is no risk that the engaged portion will interfere with pushing operability.

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view showing a first embodiment of a protection device for a cylinder lock according to the present invention; Perspective view of mechanical and magnetic keys Exploded perspective view of the protection device FIG. 1 is a front view of a protection device with a cover member omitted; 5 in FIG. 4 FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the relative arrangement of the shutter plate, the operating member, the operation restriction mechanism, and the release mechanism when the operation restriction mechanism is in a restricted state and the shutter plate is locked in the closed position. A perspective view of a slide member 7 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 6 when the operation restriction mechanism is switched to the restriction release state by the release mechanism. 7 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 6 when the shutter plate is rotated to the open position. 7 is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 6 when the shutter plate is moved from the open position to the closed position in conjunction with the operation of pressing the operating member to the pressed position. 11A and 11B are enlarged cross-sectional views of the main part showing the casing penetration part of the operating member, in particular, FIG. 11A is a cross-sectional view taken along line 11A-11A in FIG. 9, and FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 11B-11B in FIG. 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the operating member according to the second embodiment, corresponding to FIG. 11 , showing a casing penetration portion thereof; 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a casing-penetrating portion of an operating member according to a third embodiment, the cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 11 ;

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 11. In Figure 1, a protection device 13 is attached to the cylinder body 12 of a cylinder lock 11 used in a vehicle, such as a motorcycle, to enable switching of the switching mode of an ignition switch and switching between locked and unlocked states of the steering.

In Figure 2, the mechanical key 14 used to unlock the cylinder lock 11 has a key plate 15 and a synthetic resin grip 16 attached to one end of the key plate 15, with a magnetic key 17 rotatably supported on the grip 16 on the side opposite the key plate 15.

The key body 18 of the magnetic key 17 is made of synthetic resin and is supported by the grip 16 via a shaft 19, allowing it to rotate between a stored position folded toward the grip 16 and an upright position protruding from the grip 16 toward the side opposite the key plate 15, as shown in Figure 2.

One side of the key body 18 is formed with a square recess 20, a circular protrusion 21 located in the center of the recess 20, and four storage recesses 22 located within the recess 20 around the circular protrusion 21. The magnet key 17 is constructed by fitting and adhering a cover member 25, which has a circular hole 24 in its center that fits the circular protrusion 21, to the recesses 20, with magnets 23 housed in three selected of the four storage recesses 22. Furthermore, the magnet 23 is housed in the storage recesses 22 with either its north or south pole facing the outer end of the storage recesses 22.

Referring also to Figures 3 to 5, the protection device 13 comprises a casing 28 that covers one end of the cylinder body 12 and has a mechanical key insertion hole 27 for inserting the mechanical key 14 into the cylinder lock 11, and a shutter plate 29 arranged in the casing 28 that can be operated between a closed position that closes the mechanical key insertion hole 27 and an open position that opens the mechanical key insertion hole 27.

The casing 28 consists of a body 30 to which the cylinder body 12 is connected, and a cover member 31 fastened to the body 30 so as to cover the body 30 from the side opposite the cylinder body 12. The cover member 31 functions as the outer wall of the casing 28 that faces the occupant, and its front surface serves as the operation surface. The casing 28 is provided with a shutter plate 29 that can rotate in the rotation direction 32 indicated by the arrow in Figure 4 between a closed position (position shown in Figure 4) that closes the mechanical key insertion hole 27 and an open position that opens the mechanical key insertion hole 27. The shutter plate 29 is positioned between the body 30 and the cover member 31.

The cover member 31 covers the body 30 by fitting over a portion of the body 30 opposite the cylinder lock 11, and is shaped like a roughly rectangular bowl that is elongated in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the mechanical key insertion hole 27.

A first boss portion 31a is formed in the widthwise center of one longitudinal end of the cover member 31, and second and third boss portions 31b, 31c are integrally formed on both middle sides near the other longitudinal end of the cover member 31. Meanwhile, first to third support portions 30a, 30b, 30c are integrally formed on the outer periphery of the body 30, against which the first to third boss portions 31a, 31b, 31c abut. A screw member 33 (see Figure 3) is inserted into the first to third support portions 30a to 30c from the cylinder lock 11 side and threaded into the first to third boss portions 31a to 31c, thereby fastening the cover member 31 to the body 30.

The mechanical key insertion hole 27 consists of a circular internal hole 34 provided in the body 30 so as to communicate with the cylinder lock 11, and a circular external hole 35 provided in the cover member 31 corresponding to the internal hole 34. The shutter plate 29 is positioned between the internal hole 34 and the external hole 35 to close the mechanical key insertion hole 27.

A ring-shaped indicator sheet 36 is attached to the outer surface of the cover member 31, and this indicator sheet 36 indicates multiple rotation positions of the mechanical key 14 inserted into the mechanical key insertion hole 27 at intervals around the mechanical key insertion hole 27.

The casing 28 supports an operating member 41 that can be pressed in a direction parallel to the insertion direction of the mechanical key 14 into the mechanical key insertion hole 27. The cover member 31 of the casing 28 has a through hole 42 with an axis parallel to the mechanical key insertion hole 27, which is positioned diagonally above the mechanical key insertion hole 27 when the casing 28 is attached to the cylinder body 12 of the cylinder lock 11. The body 30 of the casing 28 is integrally formed with a support cylinder portion 43 that is coaxial with the through hole 42, and has an arc-shaped hole 44 that faces approximately half of the outer periphery of the support cylinder portion 43 on the mechanical key insertion hole 27 side.

In this embodiment, the operating member 41 is formed in a roughly cylindrical rod shape, and one end 411 (i.e., the tip) of this operating member 41 protrudes from the outer surface of the casing 28 at least when the shutter plate 29 is in the open position. In this embodiment, the one end 411 of the operating member 41 protrudes from the outer surface of the cover member 31 of the casing 28 regardless of the rotational position of the shutter plate 29.

One end 411 of the operating member 41 movably passes through the through-hole 42 of the cover member 31 via a small annular gap and protrudes from the outer surface of the cover member 31, while the other end 412 (i.e., the base) of the operating member 41 is slidably fitted into the support cylinder 43. Furthermore, a pressing portion 45 disposed in the arc hole 44 is integrally connected to the other end 412 of the operating member 41 via a connecting arm 46 disposed in an axially extending slit 47 provided in the support cylinder 43, and the operating member 41 is supported by the casing 28 so as not to be able to rotate around its axis.

The operating member 41 is supported by the casing 28 so as to be movable between a protruding position 41A (see Figures 9 and 11(A)), where one end 411 (i.e., the tip) protrudes from the outer surface of the cover member 31, and a pushed-in position 41B (see Figures 10 and 11(B)), where it is pushed in a predetermined amount from the protruding position 41A.

A coil-shaped first spring 48 is compressed between the other end 412 of the operating member 41 and the body 30. The operating member 41 is biased by the spring force of the first spring 48 in a direction that causes one end 411 of the operating member 41 to protrude from the cover member 31. The protruding position 41A is the limit of movement of the operating member 41 in the spring biasing direction of the first spring 48, and as can be seen in Figure 11 (A), this protruding position 41A is restricted by the pressing portion 45 abutting against the inner surface of the cover member 31. The first spring 48 functions as a return spring for the operating member 41, specifically biasing it toward the protruding position 41A (i.e., in the return direction).

The operating member 41 has a locking groove 41g on the outer surface of the one end 411 (i.e., tip) exposed outside the casing 28 when in the pushed-in position 41B. This locking groove 41g serves as an engaging portion that can engage with another object or the user's fingers to pull the operating member 41 back to the extended position 41A if the operating member 41 fails to return from the pushed-in position 41B. Here, "another object" refers to any object other than the operating member 41 that can be held in the user's hand and used for the above-mentioned pull-back operation, including, for example, a tapered tool T (more specifically, a screwdriver, key holder, etc.) or a string-like member.

In this embodiment, this locking groove 41g is configured as an annular groove extending around the entire outer periphery of one end 411 (tip) of the operating member 41, but it may also be configured as a groove extending over a partial circumferential area of the outer periphery of the one end 411 (tip).

Thus, as will be described later, by providing this locking groove 411, if the operating member 41 fails to return from the pushed-in position 41B to the extended position 41A, the operating member 41 can be returned to the extended position 41A by engaging the locking groove 41g with an object (i.e., the instrument T or the string-like member) or the user's finger and pulling the operating member 41 in the extended direction.

Furthermore, a sliding support portion 49 protrudes from the surface of the body 30 facing the back surface of the cover member 31, allowing the shutter plate 29 to slide against it as it rotates. The sliding support portion 49 is formed so that a portion of the sliding support portion 49 is positioned above and below the internal hole 34 when the casing 28 is attached to the cylinder body 12.

The shutter plate 29 is integrally formed with a flat lid portion 29a that is positioned between the internal hole 34 and the external hole 35 to close the mechanical key insertion hole 27 and slides against the sliding support portion 49, a support arm portion 29b that extends from the lid plate portion 29a toward the operating member 41, and a protrusion 29c that protrudes from the lid plate portion 29a on the side opposite the support arm portion 29b.

Furthermore, a pressure-receiving portion 50 is integrally connected to the support arm portion 29b, and this pressure-receiving portion 50 is positioned in the arc hole 44 so as to face the pressing portion 45, which is integrally connected to the other end of the operating member 41, in the circumferential direction of the operating member 41.

A support hole 51 is provided at the tip of the support arm 29b, through which the operating member 41 is inserted, and the shutter plate 29 is pivotally supported by the operating member 41, allowing it to rotate between the closed position and the open position.

A second spring 52, which is a torsion spring that surrounds the operating member 41, is provided between the support cylinder portion 43 of the body 30 of the casing 28 and the shutter plate 29. One end of this second spring 52 engages with a slit-shaped engagement hole 53 provided in the support cylinder portion 43, and the other end of the second spring 52 engages with the pressure-receiving portion 50 that is integrally connected to the support arm portion 29b of the shutter plate 29. The spring force of the second spring 52 urges the shutter plate 29 to rotate toward the open position.

Referring also to Figure 6, the protection device 13 is equipped with an operation restriction mechanism 55 that can switch between a restricted state that restricts the shutter plate 29 to the closed position and a released state that allows the shutter plate 29 to operate from the closed position to the open position. This operation restriction mechanism 55 is composed of the protrusion 29c integral with the shutter plate 29, a restriction member 56 that can engage with the protrusion 29c from the open position side, and a coil-shaped third spring 57 that is compressed between the body 30 of the casing 28 and the restriction member 56.

The restricting member 56 is positioned on the opposite side of the mechanical key insertion hole 27 from the operating member 41. It is integrally formed with a shaft portion 56a extending longitudinally in a direction parallel to the axial direction of the mechanical key insertion hole 27, a connecting arm portion 56b extending from the end of the shaft portion 56a facing the cover member 31 toward the mechanical key insertion hole 27, a disk portion 56c having an axis parallel to the shaft portion 56a and connected to the tip of the connecting arm portion 56b, a restricting protrusion 56d protruding from the disk portion 56c toward the mechanical key insertion hole 27 and capable of engaging with the protrusion 29c of the shutter plate 29 from the open position, and a first engaging protrusion 56e protruding in a direction different from the restricting protrusion 56d from the end of the shaft portion 56a opposite the cover member 31.

This regulating member 56 is supported by the body 39 of the casing 28 and is capable of moving in a direction parallel to the movement direction of the operating member 41 between a regulating position in which the regulating protrusion 56d abuts against the protrusion 29c of the shutter plate 29, which is in the closed position, to regulate the shutter plate 29 to the closed position, and a regulating release position in which the regulating protrusion 56d is released from abutment against the protrusion 29c, allowing the shutter plate 29 to move from the closed position to the open position. The third spring 57 exerts a spring force that urges the regulating member 56 toward the regulating position.

A slide support hole 58 with a rectangular cross section and a bottom is located below the mechanical key insertion hole 27 when the casing 28 is attached to the cylinder body 12. The slide support hole 58 opens facing the back surface of the cover member 31 and is provided in the body 30 so as to extend in a direction along the axis of the mechanical key insertion hole 27. A rectangular insertion hole 60 corresponding to the slide support hole 58 is provided in the cover member 31. In addition, a guide hole 59 for guiding movement of the restricting member 56 in a direction parallel to the axis of the mechanical key insertion hole 27 is provided in the body 30 by cutting out a portion of the sliding support portion 49 and connecting to the slide support hole 58.

Referring to Figure 3, a lid member 61 that closes the insertion hole 60 from the inside is rotatably supported on the back surface of the cover member 31 via a support shaft 62, and this lid member 61 is biased in the closing direction by a fourth spring 63.

The protection device 13 also includes a release mechanism 65 that can switch the operation restriction mechanism 55 from a restricted state to a non-restricted state, and part of this release mechanism 65 is composed of a magnetic lock 66 that is unlocked using the magnetic key 17.

The magnetic lock 66 is disposed in the body 30 of the casing 28 and includes a rotor 67 that is rotatably supported by the body 30 of the casing 28.

The rotor 67 is made of a non-magnetic material and integrally comprises a circular dish-shaped portion 67a, a flange portion 67b that projects radially outward from the open end of the dish-shaped portion 67a, a connecting arm portion 67c that extends outward from one circumferential point on the flange portion 67b, and a second engaging protrusion 67d that protrudes from the outer end of the connecting arm portion 67c on the same side as the dish-shaped portion 67a.

The body 30 of the casing 28 is provided with a fitting recess 68 into which the flange 67b and connecting arm 67c of the rotor 67 are rotatably fitted; a circular fitting hole 69 whose outer end opens into the fitting recess 68 and whose inner end opens on the side of the slide support hole 58 opposite the shutter plate 29 into which the dish-shaped portion 67a of the rotor 67 is rotatably fitted; and an elongated hole 70 whose outer end opens into the fitting recess 68 and whose inner end opens on the side of the slide support hole 58 opposite the shutter plate 29 so that the second engaging protrusion 67d can be inserted. The elongated hole 70 is formed in an arc shape centered on the rotation axis of the rotor 67 to allow rotation of the rotor 67 within the fitting recess 68 and fitting hole 69.

The fitting recess 68 has an integral support protrusion 71a that fits into the dish-shaped portion 67a of the rotor 67 to support the rotation of the rotor 67. The fitting recess 68 is closed by a lid member 71 that is fastened to the body 30 with a screw member 72, and an O-ring 73 is interposed between the base of the support protrusion 71a and the rotor 67.

Multiple pins 74 (e.g., three pins) made of magnets are slidably fitted to the tip of the support protrusion 71a, allowing them to move between positions where they engage with three of the four locking recesses 75 provided on the inner surface of the closed end of the dish-shaped portion 67a of the rotor 67 and where they disengage. Each pin 74 is resiliently biased in the direction of engagement with the rotor 67 by an individually corresponding fifth spring 76 (see Figure 3), which is a coil spring.

When the magnetic key 17 is placed facing the outer surface of the closed end of the dish-shaped portion 67a of the rotor 67, the three pins 74 are fitted into the locking recess 75 so that they are positioned corresponding to the three magnets 23 of the magnetic key 17. Furthermore, the pins 74 are positioned so that the same pole as the pole of the magnet 23 on the magnetic key 17 facing the magnetic lock 66 is positioned on the inner end of the locking recess 75. By placing a regular magnetic key 17 facing the outer surface of the closed end of the dish-shaped portion 67a of the rotor 67, the pins 74 can be moved against the elastic force of the fifth spring 76 to disengage from the rotor 67, thereby allowing the rotor 67 to rotate.

A slide member 78 is slidably housed in the slide support hole 58 of the body 30 of the casing 28. The slide member 78 moves together with the key body 18 of the magnetic key 17 as the key body 18 is inserted into the insertion hole 60 of the casing 28. The release mechanism 65 is composed of the magnetic lock 66, the slide member 78, a movable engagement member 79 housed in the slide member 78, and a sixth coil spring 80 provided between the slide member 78 and the movable engagement member 79.

7, the slide member 78 includes a first side wall portion 78a that slides against the side of the slide support hole 58 facing the shutter plate 29, a second side wall portion 78b that slides against the side of the slide support hole 58 opposite the shutter plate 29 and faces the first side wall portion 78a, a first connecting wall portion 78c that connects the first and second side wall portions 78a, 78b at one end of the longitudinal direction in the cross-sectional shape of the slide support hole 58, and a second connecting wall portion 78d that connects the first and second side wall portions 78a, 78b at the other end of the longitudinal direction in the cross-sectional shape of the slide support hole 58. The slide member 78 is integrally formed with a second connecting wall 78d that connects the first side wall 78a, the second side wall 78b, the first connecting wall 78c, and the second connecting wall 78d at the inner end of the slide support hole 58, and a bottomed magnetic key insertion hole 81 having a substantially rectangular cross section is formed in the slide member 78 for inserting the key body 18 of the magnetic key 17 through the insertion hole 60 of the cover member 31 after opening the lid member 71.

The tip of the key body 18 inserted into the magnetic key insertion hole 81 abuts against the end wall portion 78e, and by pushing the key body 18, the slide member 78 slides within the slide support hole 58. Furthermore, a seventh coil spring 82 is compressed between the first and second connecting walls 78c, 78d of the slide member 78 and the closed end of the slide support hole 58, and the slide member 78 is spring-biased toward the cover member 31.

A window 83 is formed in the second side wall portion 78b of the slide member 78, allowing the magnetic key 17 inserted into the magnetic key insertion hole 81 to face the magnetic lock 66. The slide member 78 moves together with the magnetic key 17 as the key body 18 is inserted, bringing the magnetic key 17 into opposition to the outer surface of the closed end of the rotor 67 of the magnetic lock 66. This not only enables the magnetic key 17 to be inserted up to the unlock position, which unlocks the magnetic lock 66, but also allows the key body 18 to be moved from the unlock position to the pressed-in position by further pushing it in.

The second connecting wall portion 78d of the slide member 78 has an accommodation hole 84 into which the first engagement protrusion 56e integral with the regulating member 56 and the second engagement protrusion 67d integral with the rotor 67 can project from both sides. The accommodation hole 84 opens toward the side of the slide support hole 58 facing the shutter plate 29 and the side opposite the shutter plate 29, while closing both ends of the slide support hole 58 in the extension direction. The movable engagement member 79 and the sixth spring 80 are accommodated within the accommodation hole 84.

When the magnetic lock 66 is in the locked state, the movable engagement member 79 is held by the slide member 78 by engaging with the second engagement protrusion 67d of the rotor 67 while its movement is restricted by the rotor 67. The sixth spring 80 is provided between the slide member 78 and the movable engagement member 79 so as to exert a resilient force that presses the movable engagement member 79 in a direction that rotates the rotor 67 in response to movement of the slide member 78 toward the pushed-in position. The spring load of this sixth spring 80 is set greater than the spring load of the third spring 58.

The movable engaging member 79 is integrally formed with a movable engaging member main portion 79a that is generally C-shaped and opens toward the connecting arm portion 67c of the rotor 67 and has an engaging groove 85 that engages with the second engaging protrusion 67d of the rotor 67, and a third engaging protrusion 79b that protrudes from the movable engaging member main portion 79a and engages with the first engaging protrusion 56e of the restricting member 56 from the cover member 31 side. In addition, a circular receiving recess 86 is formed in the movable engaging member main portion 79a to receive the end of the sixth spring 80 on the movable engaging member 79 side.

When the key body 18 of the genuine magnetic key 17 is inserted and pushed into the magnetic key insertion hole 81 of the slide member 78, the magnetic lock 66 is unlocked in the unlocked position, allowing the rotor 67 to rotate. When the slide member 78 is further pushed in from the unlocked position together with the key body 18, the pressing force caused by the movement of the slide member 78 is transmitted to the connecting arm 67c of the rotor 67 via the sixth spring 80 and the movable engaging member 79. As shown in Figure 8, the movable engaging member 79 moves and When the rotor 67 rotates, the third engagement protrusion 79b of the movable engagement member 79 engages with the first engagement protrusion 56e of the regulating member 56, which is biased toward the regulating position by the third spring 57, forcibly driving the regulating member 56 to the unrestricted position. As shown in FIG. 9, the engagement of the regulating protrusion 56d with the protrusion 29c of the shutter plate 29 is released, so the restriction of the shutter plate 29 to the closed position by the regulating member 56 is released, and the shutter plate 29 moves to the open position due to the spring biasing force of the second spring 52.

The protection device 13 also has an interlocking drive mechanism 88 provided between the operating member 41 and the shutter plate 29. When the shutter plate 29 is in the open position, this interlocking drive mechanism 88 presses the operating member 41, which is in the protruding position 41A, in a direction parallel to the insertion direction of the mechanical key 14 into the mechanical key insertion hole 27 from the protruding position 41A to a pressed-in position 41B, where it is pressed in a predetermined amount, thereby driving the shutter plate 29 from the open position to the closed position in conjunction with the pressing operation.

In this embodiment, the interlocking drive mechanism 88 is composed of a pressure cam surface 89 formed on the pressure portion 45 integrally formed on the operating member 41 so as to face the other end side of the operating member 41 (the side opposite the cover member 31), and a pressure-receiving cam surface 90 formed on the pressure-receiving portion 50 integrally formed on the shutter plate 29 so as to face the pressure cam surface 89.

The pressure cam surface 89 is formed in a spiral shape so that it is positioned on one end side (cover member 31 side) of the operating member 41 as the shutter plate 29 moves toward the closed position in the rotation direction 32. The pressure-receiving cam surface 90 is also formed in a spiral shape corresponding to the pressure cam surface 89. When the shutter plate 29 is in the open position, the pressure cam surface 89 and the pressure-receiving cam surface 90 abut or closely face each other, as shown in Figure 9.

In this type of interlocking drive mechanism 88, when the operating member 41 is pressed while the shutter plate 29 is in the open position, as shown in Figure 10, the pressing force from the pressing cam surface 89 acts on the pressure-receiving cam surface 50, causing the shutter plate 29 to rotate toward the closed position.

When the shutter plate 29 rotates from the open position to the closed position, the protrusion 29c of the shutter plate 29 climbs over the restricting protrusion 56d of the restricting member 56, which is biased by the third spring 57 toward the restricting position. To facilitate this climbing action, an inclined surface 91 is formed on at least the open position side of the surface of the restricting protrusion 56d facing the cover member 31 in the rotation direction 32, which slopes away from the cover member 31 as it moves toward the open position. Furthermore, an inclined surface 92, corresponding to the inclined surface 91, is formed on the surface of the protrusion 29c facing the opposite side from the cover member 31, which slopes away from the cover member 31 as it moves toward the open position.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the operating member 41, which can be pressed in a direction parallel to the insertion direction of the mechanical key 14 into the mechanical key insertion hole 27, is supported on the casing 28 so that one end 411 (i.e., the tip) of the operating member 41 protrudes from the outer surface of the cover member 31 of the casing 28 at least when the shutter plate 29 is in the open position, regardless of the operating position of the shutter plate 29 in this embodiment. An interlocking drive mechanism 88 is provided between the operating member 41 and the shutter plate 29, which drives the shutter plate 29 from the open position to the closed position in conjunction with the pressing of the operating member 41.

As a result, when the shutter plate 29, which is in the open position, is moved toward the closed position, it is only necessary to push in the operating member 41, one end 411 of which protrudes from the outer surface of the casing 28. This eliminates the need to provide an arc-shaped opening in the casing 28 as in the past, increasing the design freedom for the casing 28. Furthermore, since it is only necessary to consider the seal between the outer periphery of the operating member 41 and the casing 28, it also has advantages in terms of dustproofing and waterproofing.

In addition, in the first embodiment, the shutter plate 29 is pivotally supported by the operating member 41 so that it can rotate between the closed position and the open position, allowing the shutter plate 29 and operating member 41 to be arranged together in a compact manner. Furthermore, the operation restriction mechanism 55 is switchable between a restricted state that restricts the shutter plate 29 to the closed position and a released state that allows the shutter plate 29 to operate from the closed position to the open position. Part of the release mechanism 65 that switches from the restricted state to the released state is comprised of a magnetic lock 66 that is unlocked by the magnetic key 17, allowing the release mechanism 65 to be made compact.

In addition, in the first embodiment, when the shutter plate 29 is in the open position and the operating member 41 is in the extended position 41A (see Figure 9), and the operating member 41 is pushed to the pressed-in position 41B as shown in Figure 10, the shutter plate 29 moves in conjunction with this to the closed position as shown in Figure 6, and the operation restriction mechanism 55 is switched to the restricted state, and the operating member 41 automatically returns from the pressed-in position 41B to the extended position 41A due to the biasing force of the first spring 48.

However, there is a small annular clearance between the operating member 41 and the through-hole 42 in the cover member 31 (i.e., the outer wall of the casing) through which it passes. Therefore, in areas with a lot of dust, for example, fine foreign matter (such as sand or dust) may become clogged in this clearance, hindering the operating member 41 from returning from the pressed-in position 41B to the extended position 41A. In this case, even if the shutter plate 29 can be maintained in the open state, if the operating member 41 remains in the pressed-in position 41B, the shutter plate 29 cannot be closed by next pressing the operating member 41, which creates a problem in that it may be easy for a third party to launch an unauthorized attack on the cylinder lock 11.

In contrast, the operating member 41 of the first embodiment has a locking groove 41g on the outer surface of one end 411 (i.e., tip) exposed outside the casing 28 when in the pushed-in position 41B, which serves as an engaging portion that can be engaged with an object (for example, the aforementioned tool T such as a screwdriver or key holder, or a string-like member) or the user's fingers so that the operating member 41 can be pulled back to the extended position 41A if the operating member 41 fails to return from the pushed-in position 41B to the extended position 41A. Therefore, if the operating member 41 fails to return from the pushed-in position 41B to the extended position 41A, the operating member 41 can be pulled out to the extended position 40B by engaging the locking groove 41g with an object (for example, the aforementioned tool T or string-like member) or the user's fingers.

As a result, if small foreign objects become lodged in the clearance and prevent the operating member 41 from returning, the operating member 41 can be easily pulled out from the pushed-in position 41B to the protruding position 41A by hooking, for example, the tapered portion of the tool T as shown in Figure 11(B), or a string-like member (not shown), or by hooking a finger (not shown) around the engaged portion, i.e., the locking groove 41g, on the outer surface of one end 411 (i.e., the tip) of the operating member 41. This makes it possible to easily pull the operating member 41 out from the pushed-in position 41B to the protruding position 41A, thereby avoiding the above-mentioned problem of the operating member 41 remaining in the pushed-in position 41B and not returning, with a simple structure and operation.

Therefore, by pressing the operating member 41 as needed while the shutter plate 29 is maintained in the open position, the shutter plate 29 can be accurately closed, reliably preventing unauthorized attacks on the cylinder lock 11 by third parties.

Furthermore, the engaged portion for pulling back the operating member 41 is composed of a locking groove 41g provided on the outer peripheral surface of one end 411 (i.e., the tip) of the operating member 41. Therefore, when providing the engaged portion, it is sufficient to simply form the locking groove 41g on the outer peripheral surface of one end 411 (i.e., the tip) of the operating member 41, which allows for easy processing. Furthermore, because there is no need to provide an engaged portion on the tip surface of the operating member 41, there is no risk that the engaged portion will interfere with pushing operability.

Figure 12 also shows a second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, a locking protrusion 41t is provided on the outer peripheral surface of one end 411 (i.e., the tip) of the operating member 41, instead of the locking groove 41g of the first embodiment, and functions as an engaged portion for pulling back the operating member 41. In other words, if the returning movement of the operating member 41 is malfunctioning, the locking protrusion 41t, which serves as an engaged portion, can be engaged with another object (e.g., the tool T or a string-like member) or a finger, and the operating member 41 can be easily pulled out from the pushed-in position 41B to the extended position 41A.

The structure of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment except for the engaged portion, so each component of the second embodiment is simply given the same reference numeral as the corresponding component of the first embodiment, and further structural description will be omitted. Furthermore, the second embodiment can achieve essentially the same effects as the first embodiment.

Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the engaged portion for pulling back the operating member 41 is composed of a locking protrusion 41t provided on the outer peripheral surface of one end 411 (i.e., the tip) of the operating member 41. Therefore, when providing the engaged portion, it is sufficient to simply form the locking protrusion 41t on the outer peripheral surface of one end 411 (i.e., the tip) of the operating member 41, which allows for good workability.

In the second embodiment, the locking protrusion 41t serving as the engaged portion is configured as an annular protrusion extending around the entire outer peripheral surface of one end 411 (i.e., the tip) of the operating member 41, but the locking protrusion 41t may be provided only in a partial circumferential area of the outer peripheral surface of the one end 411.

Figure 13 also shows a third embodiment of the present invention. In this third embodiment, a locking step 41s is provided on the outer peripheral surface of one end 411 (i.e., the tip) of the operating member 41, instead of the locking groove 41g of the first embodiment, and functions as an engaged portion for pulling back the operating member 41. In other words, if the returning movement of the operating member 41 is malfunctioning, the locking step 41s, which serves as an engaged portion, can be engaged with another object (e.g., the tool T or a string-like member) or a finger, to easily pull the operating member 41 from the pushed-in position 41B to the extended position 41A.

The structure of the third embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment except for the engaged portion, so each component of the third embodiment is simply given the same reference numeral as the corresponding component of the first embodiment, and further structural description will be omitted. Furthermore, the third embodiment can achieve essentially the same effects as the first embodiment.

Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the engaged portion for pulling back the operating member 41 is composed of a locking step 41s provided on the outer peripheral surface of one end 411 (i.e., the tip) of the operating member 41. Therefore, when providing the engaged portion, it is sufficient to simply form the locking step 41s on the outer peripheral surface of one end 411 (i.e., the tip) of the operating member 41, which allows for good workability.

In the third embodiment, the locking step 41s serving as the engaged portion is configured as an annular step extending around the entire outer periphery of one end 411 (i.e., the tip) of the operating member 41, but the locking step 41s may be provided only in a partial circumferential area of the outer periphery of the one end 411.

The above describes an embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims.

For example, part of the release mechanism could be constructed from a cylinder lock, or the release mechanism could be configured to include an actuator that is operated remotely.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, as in Patent Document 1, an example of a cylinder lock protection device was given in which the shutter plate 41 is operated toward the closed position in conjunction with the shutter plate closing operating member 41 being pushed to the pushed-in position 41B, and the operating member 41 is returned from the pushed-in position 41B to the extended position 41A by the biasing force of the first spring 48 in response to the operation restriction mechanism 55 being switched to the restricted state. However, the mechanism of this return movement is not limited to that in the above embodiment.

For example, as in Patent Document 2, the present invention may be applied to a protection device for a cylinder lock in which the operation restriction mechanism (7a, 2aa), which is in a restricted state when the operating member (5) is pushed into the pushed-in position, is switched to a released state by the release mechanism (6), and the shutter plate (2) moves from the closed position to the open position, causing the operating member (5) to return from the pushed-in position to the extended position by the biasing force of the return spring (4).

In addition, in the above embodiment, an engaged portion (e.g., locking groove 41g, locking protrusion 41t, locking step 41s) that can engage with an object (e.g., the tool T or string-like member) or a finger to pull back the operating member 41 if the operating member 41 fails to return from the pushed-in position 41B is provided on the outer peripheral surface of one end 411 (i.e., the tip) of the operating member 41. However, the location of the engaged portion on the operating member 41 is not limited to the embodiment. For example, an engaged portion that can engage with an object (e.g., the tool T or string-like member) or a finger to pull back the operating member 41 may be provided on the tip surface (i.e., the pressing surface) of the operating member 41. In this case, if the engaged portion is located particularly on or near the outer peripheral edge of the tip surface (pressing surface) of the operating member 41, there is no risk of the engaged portion getting in the way when pushing the operating member 41.

T....Tool 11 as other object...Cylinder lock 14...Mechanical key 17...Magnetic key 27...Mechanical key insertion hole 28...Casing 29...Shutter plate 31...Cover member 41 as the outer wall of the casing...Operation member 411...One end 41g, 41t, 41s as the tip of the operation member...Latching groove, locking protrusion, locking step portion 41A, 41B as the engaged portion...Protruding position, pushed-in position 42...Through hole 48...First spring 55 as the return spring...Operation restriction mechanism 65...Release mechanism 88...Interlocking drive mechanism 66...Magnetic lock

Claims (3)

A cylinder lock protection device comprising: a casing (28) having a mechanical key insertion hole (27) for inserting a mechanical key (14) into a cylinder lock (11); a shutter plate (29) disposed in the casing (28) and operable between a closed position that closes the mechanical key insertion hole (27) and an open position that opens the mechanical key insertion hole (27); an operation restriction mechanism (55) switchable between a restricted state that restricts the shutter plate (29) to the closed position and a released state that allows operation of the shutter plate (29) from the closed position to the open position; and a release mechanism (65) that can switch the operation restriction mechanism (55) in the restricted state to the released state,
an operating member (41) supported by the casing (28) so as to be movable between a protruding position (41A) where a tip portion (411) protrudes outward from the casing (28) through a through-hole (42) in an outer wall (31) of the casing (28) and a pushed-in position (41B) where the tip portion is pushed in a predetermined amount from the protruding position (41A); a return spring (48) that biases the operating member (41) toward the protruding position (41A); and an interlocking drive mechanism (88) that drives the shutter plate (29) from the open position to the closed position in association with the operating member (41) being pressed from the protruding position (41A) to the pushed-in position (41B),
A cylinder lock protection device characterized in that the operating member (41) has, on the outer surface of the tip (411) exposed outside the casing (28) when in the pushed-in position (41B), an engaging portion (41g, 41t, 41s) that can be engaged with an object (T) or a finger so as to pull the operating member (41) back from the pushed-in position (41B) to the protruding position (41A). The cylinder lock protection device described in claim 1, characterized in that the engaged portion is a locking groove (41g) extending over the entire circumferential area or a partial area of the outer peripheral surface of the tip portion (411) of the operating member (41). The cylinder lock protection device described in claim 1, characterized in that the engaged portion is a locking protrusion (41t) or a locking step (41s) extending circumferentially over the entire or partial area of the outer peripheral surface of the tip portion (411) of the operating member (41).