Profiled key for cylinder locks

Abstract

A key for use in a cylinder lock with a rotatable key plug having a profiled keyway. The key comprises an elongated, substantially flay key blade ( 120; 120 ′) having a longitudinal profile groove ( 122; 122 ′) extending along at least a portion of the length of the key blade. The groove has an undercut portion ( 129 ) adjacent to a ridge portion ( 128, 128 ′), the outside of which forms part of a side surface ( 123; 123 ′) of the key blade. The undercut portion ( 129; 129 ′) of the groove is expanded, at its innermost part adjacent to and inside said ridge portion, into a longitudinally extending pocket ( 135; 135 ′).

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. The A key for use in a cylinder lock with a rotatable key plug having a profiled key way, said key comprising:
 an elongated, substantially flat one piece key blade ( 120 ) having a longitudinal profile groove ( 122 ) extending along at least a portion of the length of the flat one piece key blade (120), with an inner wall surface ( 124 ) of said groove being substantially parallel to a an external side wall surface ( 123 ) of said flat key blade, 
 said longitudinal profile groove ( 122 ) having, at a lower part thereof, an undercut portion ( 129 ) adjacent to and inside a ridge portion ( 128 ) of the flat one piece key blade (120), the outside of said ridge portion (128) forming a part of said external side wall surface ( 123 ) of the flat one piece key blade (120), 
 said external side wall surface (123) at the a lower part of said flat one piece key blade (120) lying substantially in the same plane as a an upper side wall surface (1123′) of the flat one piece key blade (120) at an upper part thereof, above said longitudinal profile groove (122), 
 said longitudinal profile groove ( 122 ) defining, at an upper part thereof, a smallest opening width (w), as seen perpendicularly to said external side wall surface ( 123 ) of said lower portion of said flat one piece key blade (120), between an upper wall surface (160) and said ridge portion ( 128 ), and 
 the inside of said ridge portion facing (128) being opposite said inner wall surface (124) of said longitudinal profile groove (122), wherein: 
 said undercut portion (129) of said longitudinal profile groove extends downwardly substantially in a vertical direction (VD) in parallel to the upper side wall surface (1123′) and the external side wall surface (123) of the flat one piece key blade (120),  
 said undercut portion ( 129 ) of said longitudinal profile groove ( 122 ), at its an innermost part inside said ridge portion ( 128 ), is extended further, substantially in a the same direction as said vertical direction in parallel to said upper and lower side surfaces ( 123 ) of the key blade ( 120 ), (VD) into a longitudinal, substantially uniformly wide pocket ( 135 ) having a uniform width with opposite inner and outer substantially parallel lateral wall surface portions ( 132 ,  133 ) and wherein said inner wall surface (124) of said longitudinal profile groove (122) adjoins the inner lateral wall surface portion (132) of said pocket (135) and said inner lateral wall surface (132) of said pocket (135) extends downwardly to a lowermost transverse end wall surface ( 134 ), which is substantially flat or slightly curved, and which is substantially parallel to a lower lowermost edge portion wall surface ( 127 ) of the key blade and which faces upwardly in a direction in a central plane (A) of the key blade opposite to said vertical direction (VD) towards said upper wall surface of said longitudinal profile groove ( 122 ) with said opposite lateral wall surface portions ( 132 ,  133 ) of said pocket ( 135 ) being substantially parallel to said upper side wall surface (1123″) and lower the external side surfaces wall surface ( 123 ) of the flat one piece key blade ( 120 ). 
 
     
     
       2. The key as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the a vertical dimension (h) of said ridge portion ( 128 ) is greater than the distance (d) between said lowermost transverse end wall surface ( 134 ) and said lower lowermost edge wall surface ( 127 ) of the flat one piece key blade (120). 
     
     
       3. The key as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said pocket ( 135 ) has a substantially rectangular cross-section. 
     
     
       4. The key as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said inner wall ( 124 ) surface (124′) of said longitudinal profile groove ( 122 ) (122′) merges with one of said opposite lateral walls wall surface portions ( 132 ,  133 ) (132′) of said pocket. 
     
     
       5. The key as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the a vertical dimension (h) of said ridge portion ( 128 ), measured in said plane of said lower external side wall surface (123) and upper side wall surface ( 123 ) (1123′) of the flat one piece key blade ( 120 ), is more than half of the said smallest opening width (w) of said longitudinal profile groove ( 122 ) adjacent to said external side wall surface ( 123 ), said smallest opening width (w) being measured as a perpendicular projection onto said inner wall surface ( 124 ) of said longitudinal profile groove ( 122 ). 
     
     
       6. The key as defined in  claim 5 , wherein said vertical dimension (h) of said ridge portion ( 128 ) is equal to or greater than said smallest opening width (w). 
     
     
       7. The key as defined in  claim 1 , constituting wherein the flat one piece key blade (120) is formed from a key blank with a continuous upper edge portion configured so as to permit coded recesses to be cut therein. 
     
     
       8. The key as defined in  claim 1 , having coded recesses ( 102 a . . .  102 e) cut into said ridge portion ( 128 ), so as to form a side code on the flat one piece key blade (120), said side code recesses being configured to cooperate with at least one side tumbler ( 105 ) in an associated lock. 
     
     
       9. The key as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said side code recesses ( 102 a . . .  102 e) forming a side code constitute a wave-like, longitudinal code pattern. 
     
     
       10. The key as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said side code recesses ( 102 a . . .  102 e) are cut into the whole material thickness of said ridge portion ( 128 ), so that the side code recesses reach all the way from the outside external side wall surface ( 123 ) of said ridge portion ( 128 ) into said longitudinal pocket ( 135 ) of the undercut profile groove ( 122 ). 
     
     
       11. The key as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said side code recesses ( 102 a . . .  102 e) are cut from an upper edge of the ridge portion ( 128 ) down to various levels between said upper edge and the a lowermost part of said longitudinally extending pocket ( 135 ). 
     
     
       12. The key as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said side code recesses ( 102 a . . .  102 e) form concavities with lower bottom portions located at a number of different levels, each representing a code. 
     
     
       13. The key as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said different levels also include an uppermost level at the upper edge ( 1021 ) of said ridge portion ( 128 ). 
     
     
       14. The key as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the number of different levels is at least three. 
     
     
       15. The key as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the inner wall surface ( 124 ) of said longitudinal profile groove and the adjoining longitudinal pocket ( 135 ) are is located at a depth distance from said external side wall surface ( 123 ) of the flat one piece key blade ( 120 ) which is greater than half the thickness of said flat one piece key blade ( 120 ). 
     
     
       16. The key as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said substantially flat one piece key blade ( 120 ″) has an upper and lower portions ( 151 ″,  150 ″), each portion (151″) having an undercut groove ( 122 ″) portion with said an innermost longitudinal pocket ( 135 ″) (1354), such that the key is symmetrical and can be inserted either way into an associated keyway of said cylinder lock. 
     
     
       17. The A key for use in a cylinder lock with a rotatable key plug having a profiled key way, said key comprising:
 an elongated, substantially flat one piece key blade ( 120 ) having a longitudinal profile groove ( 122 ) extending along at least a portion of the length of the flat one piece key blade (120), with an inner wall surface ( 124 ) of said longitudinal profile groove (122) being substantially parallel to a to an external side wall surface ( 123 ) of said flat key blade, 
 said longitudinal profile groove ( 122 ) having, at a lower part thereof, an undercut portion ( 129 ) adjacent to and inside a ridge portion ( 128 ) of the flat one piece key blade (120), the outside of said ridge portion forming a part of said external side wall surface ( 123 ) of the flat one piece key blade (120), 
 said external side wall surface (123) at the a lower part of said flat one piece key blade (120) lying substantially in the same plane as a side an upper sidewall surface (1123′) of the flat one piece key blade (120) at an upper part thereof, above said longitudinal profile groove (122), 
 said longitudinal profile groove ( 122 ) defining, at an upper part thereof, a smallest opening width (w) as seen perpendicularly to said external side wall surface ( 123 ) of said lower portion of said flat one piece key blade (120), between an upper wall surface (160) and said ridge portion ( 128 ), and 
 the inside of said ridge portion facing (128) being opposite said inner wall surface (124) of said longitudinal profile groove (122), wherein: 
 said undercut portion (129) of said longitudinal profile groove extends downwardly substantially in a vertical direction (VD) in parallel to the upper side wall surface (1123′) and the external side wall surface (123) of the flat one piece key blade (120),  
 said undercut portion ( 129 ) of said longitudinal profile groove ( 122 ), at its an innermost part inside said ridge portion ( 128 ), is extended further, substantially in a the same direction as said vertical direction in parallel to said upper and lower side surfaces ( 123 ) of the key blade ( 120 ), (VD) into a longitudinal, substantially bulbous wide longitudinal widened pocket ( 135 ) having a larger lateral width relative to than a narrowest part of the longitudinal undercut portion (129) of the profile groove ( 122 ), said bulbous wide widened pocket ( 135 ) being formed by opposite inner and outer lateral wall surface portions ( 132 ,  133 ), and said inner wall surface (124) of said longitudinal profile groove (122) adjoins, by way of a continuously downwardly extending wall surface portion (136), said inner lateral wall surface portion (132) of the pocket (135) and the inner lateral wall surface portion (132) of the pocket (135) extends continuously further downwardly to a lowermost transverse end wall surface (134), wherein the highest point of said inner lateral wall surface portion (132) is located below the lowest point of said inner wall surface (124) of said longitudinally profile groove (122), and a the lowermost transverse end wall surface ( 134 ) which is slightly curved and faces upwardly in a direction in a central plane (A) of the key blade opposite to said vertical direction (VD) towards said upper wall surface of said longitudinal profile groove ( 122 ). 
 
     
     
       18. The key as defined in  claim 17 , wherein the a vertical dimension (h) of said ridge portion ( 128 ) is greater than the distance (d) between said lowermost transverse end wall surface ( 134 ) and said lower a lowermost edge wall surface ( 127 ) of the flat one piece key blade (120). 
     
     
       19. The key as defined in  claim 17 , wherein at least one of said opposite lateral wall surface portions ( 132 ,  133 ) is curved. 
     
     
       20. The key as defined in  claim 17 , wherein said lowermost transverse end wall ( 134 ′,  134 ″) of said pocket ( 135 ) is curved with a radius being more than half of the width of said pocket, said width being measured transversely to said side surface ( 123 ) of said key blade ( 120 ). 
     
     
       21. The key as defined in  claim 17 , wherein said inner wall ( 124 ) surface of said longitudinal profile groove ( 122 ) merges with one of said opposite lateral walls wall surface portions ( 132 ,  133 ) (1323) of said pocket. 
     
     
       22. The key as defined in  claim 17 , wherein the a vertical dimension (h) of said ridge portion ( 128 ), measured in said plane of said lower external side wall surface (123) and said upper side wall surface ( 123 ) (1123′) of the flat one piece key blade ( 120 ), is more than half of the said smallest opening width (w) of said longitudinal profile groove ( 122 ) adjacent to said external side wall surface ( 123 ), said smallest opening width (w) being measured as a perpendicular projection onto said inner wall surface ( 124 ) of said longitudinal profile groove ( 122 ). 
     
     
       23. The key as defined in claim  15  17, wherein said a vertical dimension (h) of said ridge portion ( 128 ) is equal to or greater than said smallest opening width (w). 
     
     
       24. The key as defined in  claim 17 , constituting wherein the flat one piece key blade (120) is formed from a key blank with a continuous upper edge portion configured so as to permit coded recesses to be cut therein. 
     
     
       25. The key as defined in  claim 17 , having coded recesses ( 102 a . . .  102 e) cut into said ridge portion ( 128 ), so as to form a side code on the flat one piece key blade (120), said side code recesses being configured to cooperate with at least one side tumbler ( 105 ) in an associated lock. 
     
     
       26. The key as defined in  claim 25 , wherein said side code recesses ( 102 a . . .  102 e) forming a side code constitute a wave-like, longitudinal code pattern. 
     
     
       27. The key as defined in  claim 25 , wherein said side code recesses ( 102 a . . .  102 e) are cut into the whole material thickness of said ridge portion ( 128 ), so that the side code recesses reach all the way from the outside external side wall surface ( 123 ) of said ridge portion ( 128 ) into said longitudinal pocket ( 135 ) of the undercut profile groove ( 122 ). 
     
     
       28. The key as defined in  claim 25 , wherein said side code recesses ( 102 a . . .  102 e) are cut from an upper edge of the ridge portion ( 128 ) down to various levels between said upper edge and the a lowermost part of said longitudinally extending pocket ( 135 ). 
     
     
       29. The key as defined in  claim 25 , wherein said side code recesses ( 102 a . . .  102 e) form concavities with lower bottom portions located at a number of different levels, each representing a code. 
     
     
       30. The key as defined in  claim 28 , wherein said different levels also include an uppermost level at the upper edge ( 102 f) of said ridge portion ( 128 ). 
     
     
       31. The key as defined in  claim 28 , wherein the number of different levels is at least three. 
     
     
       32. The key as defined in  claim 17 , wherein the inner wall surface ( 124 ) of said longitudinal profile groove and the adjoining longitudinal pocket ( 135 ) are is located at a depth distance from said external side wall surface ( 123 ) of the flat one piece key blade ( 120 ) which is greater than half the thickness of said flat one piece key blade ( 120 ). 
     
     
       33. The key as defined in  claim 17 , wherein said substantially flat one piece key blade ( 120 ″) has an upper and lower portions ( 151 ″,  150 ″), each portion (151″) having an undercut groove ( 122 ″) with said innermost longitudinal pocket ( 135 ″) (1354), such that the key is symmetrical and can be inserted either way into an associated keyway of said cylinder lock. 
     
     
       34. The A key for use in a cylinder lock with a rotatable key plug having a profiled key way, said key comprising:
 an elongated, substantially flat one piece key blade ( 120 ) having a longitudinal profile groove ( 122 ) extending along at least a portion of the length of the flat one piece key blade (120), with an inner wall surface ( 124 ) of said groove being substantially parallel to a external side wall surface ( 123 ) of said flat key blade, 
 said longitudinal profile groove ( 122 ) having, at a lower part thereof, an undercut portion ( 129 ) adjacent to and inside a ridge portion ( 128 ) of the flat one piece key blade (120), the outside of said ridge portion forming a part of said external side wall surface ( 123 ) of the flat one piece key blade (120), 
 said external side wall surface (123) at the lower part of said flat one piece key blade (120) lying substantially in the same plane as a an upper side wall surface (1123′) of the flat one piece key blade (120) at an upper part thereof, above said longitudinal profile groove (122), 
 said longitudinal profile groove ( 122 ) defining, at an upper part thereof, a smallest opening width (w), as seen perpendicularly to said external side wall surface ( 123 ) of said lower portion of said flat one piece key blade (120), between an upper wall surface (160) and said ridge portion ( 128 ), and 
 the inside of said ridge portion facing (128) being opposite said inner wall surface (124) of said longitudinal profile groove (122), wherein: 
 said undercut portion (129) of said longitudinal profile groove extends downwardly substantially in a vertical direction (VD) in parallel to the upper side wall surface (1123′) and the external side wall surface (123) of the flat one piece key blade (120),  
 said undercut portion ( 129 ) of said longitudinal profile groove ( 122 ), at its an innermost part inside said ridge portion ( 128 ), is extended further, substantially in a the same direction as said vertical direction in parallel to said upper and lower side surfaces ( 123 ) of the key blade ( 120 ), (VD) into a longitudinal, substantially uniformly wide pocket ( 135 ) having being interrupted by at least one longitudinal recess (132a) formed in at least one of opposite inner and outer lateral wall surface portions ( 132 ,  133 ) and wherein said inner wall surface (1243) of said longitudinal profile groove (122) adjoins the inner lateral wall surface portion (1324), located opposite to said ridge portion and said inner lateral wall surface portion (1324) extends downwardly to a lowermost transverse end wall surface ( 134 ), said lowermost transverse end wall surface ( 134 ) being substantially flat or slightly curved and being substantially parallel to a lower lowermost edge portion wall surface ( 127 ) of the key blade and which faces upwardly in a direction being parallel to a central plane (A) of the key blade opposite to said vertical direction (VD) towards said upper wall surface of said longitudinal profile groove ( 122 ) with said opposite lateral wall surface portions ( 132 ,  133 ) of said pocket ( 135 ) being substantially parallel to said upper side wall surface (1123″) and lower the external side wall surfaces ( 123 ) of the flat one piece key blade ( 120 ). 
 
     
     
       35. The key as defined in  claim 34 , wherein the a vertical dimension (h) of said ridge portion ( 128 ) is greater than the distance (d) between said lowermost transverse end wall surface ( 134 ) and said lower lowermost edge wall surface ( 127 ) of the flat one piece key blade (120). 
     
     
       36. The key as defined in  claim 34 , wherein at least one of said opposite lateral wall portions ( 132 ,  133 ) is curved. 
     
     
       37. The key as defined in  claim 34 , wherein said lowermost transverse end wall surface ( 134 ′,  134 ″) of said pocket ( 135 ) is curved with a radius being more than half of the width of said pocket, said width being measured transversely to said external side wall surface ( 123 ) of said flat one piece key blade ( 120 ). 
     
     
       38. The key as defined in  claim 34 , wherein at least one of said longitudinal recess recesses formed in at least one of the opposite lateral wall surface portions ( 132 ) and said lowermost transverse end wall surface ( 134 ) is provided with an irregular surface portion ( 132 c,  134 c). 
     
     
       39. The key as defined in  claim 34 , wherein said inner wall ( 124 ) surface (1243) of said longitudinal profile groove ( 122 ) merges with one of said opposite lateral walls wall surface portions ( 132 ,  133 ) (1324) of said pocket. 
     
     
       40. The key as defined in  claim 34 , wherein the a vertical dimension (h) of said ridge portion ( 128 ), measured in said plane of said lower external side wall surface (123) and the upper side wall surface ( 123 ) (1123′) of the flat one piece key blade ( 120 ), is more than half of the said smallest opening width (w) of said longitudinal profile groove ( 122 ) adjacent to said external side wall surface ( 123 ), said smallest opening width (w) being measured as a perpendicular projection onto said inner wall surface ( 124 ) of said longitudinal profile groove ( 122 ). 
     
     
       41. The key as defined in  claim 40 , wherein said vertical dimension (h) of said ridge portion ( 128 ) is equal to or greater than said smallest opening width (w). 
     
     
       42. The key as defined in  claim 34 , constituting wherein the flat one piece key blade (120) is formed from a key blank with a continuous upper edge portion configured so as to permit coded recesses to be cut therein. 
     
     
       43. The key as defined in  claim 34 , having coded recesses ( 102 a . . .  102 e) cut into said ridge portion ( 128 ), so as to form a side code on the flat one piece key blade (120), said side code recesses being configured to cooperate with at least one side tumbler ( 105 ) in an associated lock. 
     
     
       44. The key as defined in  claim 43 , wherein said side code recesses ( 102 a . . .  102 e) forming a side code constitute a wave-like, longitudinal code pattern. 
     
     
       45. The key as defined in  claim 43 , wherein said side code recesses ( 102 a . . .  102 e) are cut into the whole material thickness of said ridge portion ( 128 ), so that the side code recesses reach all the way from the outside external side wall surface ( 123 ) of said ridge portion ( 128 ) into said longitudinal pocket ( 135 ) of the undercut profile groove ( 122 ). 
     
     
       46. The key as defined in  claim 43 , wherein said side code recesses ( 102 a . . .  102 e) are cut from an upper edge of the ridge portion ( 128 ) down to various levels between said upper edge and the a lowermost part of said longitudinally extending pocket ( 135 ). 
     
     
       47. The key as defined in  claim 43 , wherein said side code recesses ( 102 a . . .  102 e) form concavities with lower bottom portions located at a number of different levels, each representing a code. 
     
     
       48. The key as defined in  claim 46 , wherein said different levels also include an uppermost level at the upper edge ( 102 f) of said ridge portion ( 128 ). 
     
     
       49. The key as defined in  claim 46 , wherein the number of different levels is at least three. 
     
     
       50. The key as defined in  claim 34 , wherein the inner wall surface ( 124 ) of said longitudinal profile groove and the adjoining longitudinal pocket ( 135 ) are is located at a depth distance from said external side wall surface ( 123 ) of the flat one piece key blade ( 120 ) which is greater than half the thickness of said flat one piece key blade ( 120 ). 
     
     
       51. The key as defined in  claim 34 , wherein said substantially flat one piece key blade ( 120 ″) has an upper and lower portions ( 151 ″,  150 ″), each portion (151″) having an undercut groove ( 122 ″) with said innermost longitudinal pocket ( 135 ″) (1354), such that the key is symmetrical and can be inserted either way into an associated keyway of said cylinder lock.