Patent attributes
A lock cylinder is provided adapted to be installed in a lock comprising a lock bolt for driving the lock bolt. Said lock cylinder comprises a cylinder housing, and a revolving plug comprising a rotor element adapted to rotate with respect to the cylinder housing about a rotation axis within a rotation support, and a driving tooth for the lock bolt comprising an engage portion adapted to engage the lock bolt, said driving tooth being rotatable about the rotation axis together with the rotor element and being coupled to the rotor element in such a way the operative distance between the engage portion of the driving tooth and the rotation axis varies, while rotating about the rotation axis, as a function of the rotation angle of the rotor element with respect to the cylinder housing. When the lock cylinder is installed in the lock, said operative distance has one among a plurality of first values when the rotation angle of the rotor element belongs to a first angular interval corresponding to a position of the engage portion of the driving tooth that is proximal to the lock bolt; and said operative distance has one among a plurality of second values when the rotation angle belongs to a second angular interval corresponding to a position of the engage portion of the driving tooth that is distal to the lock bolt, each of said first values being higher than each of said second values. When the lock cylinder is installed in the lock, the lock cylinder is located below the lock bolt along a first direction substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis. the driving tooth is slidingly housed within a seat which is radially provided in the rotor element and which defines at least one side opening of the rotor element perpendicular to the rotation axis. The driving tooth is provided with at least one engage element which protrudes from a side opening along a direction parallel to the rotation axis, and adapted to slidingly engage guide profiles provided on the rotation support, said guide profiles defining for said at least one engage element an overall guide profile having an eccentric shape arranged to support from below along said first direction said at least one engage element when the rotation angle of the rotor element belongs to both the first angular interval and to the second angular interval, said overall guide profile being adapted to cause said variation of the operative distance as a function of the rotation angle of the rotor element with respect to the cylinder housing.
