ENERGY EFFICIENT MULTI-STABLE LOCK CYLINDER

摘要

Some embodiments include a lock cylinder comprising: a plug assembly having a front portion and a back portion; a housing shell within which the plug assembly is rotatably disposed, wherein the housing shell includes a notch; wherein the back portion of the plug assembly comprises: a locking pin that is movably disposed, and wherein the locking pin is configured to prevent a rotation of the plug assembly when the locking pin is engaged in the notch and prevented from retracting by a multi-stable mechanism; and the multi-stable mechanism having at least two stable configurations corresponding to respectively to a locked state and an unlocked state, wherein the multi-stable mechanism can maintain the stable configurations without consuming energy; wherein, at a first stable configuration, the multi-stable mechanism prevents the locking pin from retracting, and, at a second stable configuration, the multi-stable mechanism enables the locking pin to retract.

主权项

1. A lock cylinder comprising:
a plug assembly including a plug body, wherein the plug assembly has a front portion and a back portion and wherein the front portion has an antenna; and a housing shell including an interior surface defining an interior void in which the plug assembly is rotatably disposed, wherein the interior surface includes a notch; wherein the back portion of the plug assembly comprises:
a rotor having at least two stable rotational configurations corresponding respectively to a locked state and an unlocked state of the lock cylinder, wherein the rotor is able to maintain each of the rotational stable configurations without consuming energy;a locking pin that is movably disposed in a pin hole in the plug body, and wherein, when the locking pin is engaged in the notch and the locking pin is prevented from shifting away from the notch by the rotor, the locking pin prevents a rotation of the plug assembly with respect to the housing shell;wherein, at a first stable configuration of the rotor, a long radius span of the rotor under the locking pin prevents the locking pin from shifting away from the notch, and, at a second stable configuration of the rotor, a short radius span of the rotor under the locking pin enables the locking pin to shift away from the notch;a driver mechanically coupled to the rotor to turn the rotor; andan electronic circuitry to control the driver based on wireless signal received through the antenna.