Cylinder lock assembly

Claim 2

In a lock assembly including a cylinder portion, a barrel portion disposed on said cylinder portion for rotation relative to the latter, said barrel portion having a key slot extending generally the entire length thereof opening into an enlarged cavity therein adjacent the outboard end of said cylinder portion, and lock means on said barrel portion responsive to insertion in and withdrawal of a key from said key slot for selectively locking said barrel portion against rotation relative to said cylinder portion, the improvement comprising, a cover support member disposed in said cavity and including a base portion conforming generally to the configuration of the base of said cavity and an integral side wall portion extending generally parallel to the sides of said cavity, means on said wall portion defining an integral resiliently deformable edge section projecting outboard of the confines of said cavity, a cover member having a key aperture therein, said cover being disposed over said cavity with said key aperture in register with said key slot and in engagement on said edge section of said wall portion, and retainer means rigidly attached to said cylinder portion and slidably engaging said cover member thereby to retain the latter on said lock assembly, said retainer means forcibly urging said cover member against said edge section thereby to effect resilient deformation of the latter for generating a substantially weather tight seal between saiD retainer means and said cover member.

Claim 3

In a lock assembly including a cylinder portion, a barrel portion disposed on said cylinder portion for rotation relative to the latter, said barrel portion including a key slot extending generally the entire length thereof opening into an enlarged generally cylindrical cavity disposed adjacent the outboard end of said cylinder portion, and tumbler means on said barrel portion responsive to insertion in and withdrawal of a key from said key slot for selectively locking said barrel portion against rotation relative to said cylinder portion, the improvement comprising, a generally cup-shaped cover support member disposed in said cavity and including a base portion conforming to the configuration of the base of said cavity and an integral symmetrical wall portion extending generally parallel to the sides of said cavity, said wall portion projecting outboard beyond the confines of said cavity and being beveled at the distal end thereof to define a resiliently deformable edge section of said wall portion, a cover disc having a key aperture therein, said cover disc being disposed over said cavity with said key aperture in register with said key slot and in engagement on said wall portion edge section, and retainer means rigidly attached to said cylinder and slidably engaging said cover disc thereby to retain the latter on said lock assembly, said retainer means forcibly urging said cover disc against said edge section thereby to effect resilient deformation of the latter for generating a substantially weather tight seal between said retainer means and said cover disc.

Claim 4

In a lock assembly including a cylinder portion, a barrel portion disposed on said cylinder portion for rotation relative to the latter, said barrel portion including a key slot extending generally the entire length thereof opening into an enlarged generally cylindrical cavity disposed adjacent the outboard end of said cylinder portion, and tumbler means on said barrel portion responsive to insertion in and withdrawal of a key from said key slot for selectively locking said barrel portion against rotation relative to said cylinder portion, the improvement comprising, a generally cup-shaped cover support member disposed in said cavity and including a base portion conforming to the configuration of the base of said cavity and an integral symmetrical wall portion extending generally parallel to the sides of said cavity, said wall portion projecting outboard beyond the confines of said cavity and being beveled at the distal end thereof to define a resiliently deformable edge section of said wall portion, a cover disc having a key aperture therein, said cover disc being disposed over said cavity with said key aperture in register with said key slot and in engagement on said wall portion edge section, and retainer means rigidly attached to said cylinder and slidably engaging said cover disc thereby to retain the latter on said lock assembly, said retainer means forcibly urging said cover disc against said edge section thereby to effect resilient deformation of the latter for generating a substantially weather tight seal between said retainer means and said cover disc.

Claim 5

In a lock assembly including a cylinder portion, a barrel portion disposed on said cylinder portion for rotation relative to the latter, said barrel portion including a key slot extending generally the entire length thereof opening into an enlarged generally cylindrical cavity disposed adjacent the outboard end of said cylinder portion, and tumbler means on said barrel portion responsive to insertion in and withdrawal of a key from said key slot for selectively locking said barrel portIon against rotation relative to said cylinder portion, the improvement comprising, a generally cup-shaped plastic cover support member disposed in said cavity and including a base portion defining a segment of a circle and a pair of integral diametrically opposed side walls extending generally parallel to the sides of said cavity, each of said side walls projecting outboard beyond the confines of said cavity and being beveled at the distal end thereof to define a resiliently deformable edge section on each of said side walls, a cover disc having a key aperture therein, shutter means on said cover disc adapted to normally close said key aperture, said cover disc being disposed over said cavity in engagement on said side wall edge sections with said key aperture in register with said key slot and with said shutter means projecting into said cavity, and a retaining ring rigidly attached to said cylinder portion and slidably engaging said cover disc substantially in line contact thereby to retain the said cover disc on said lock assembly, said retaining ring forcibly urging said cover disc against each of said edge sections thereby to effect resilient deformation of the latter for generating a substantially weather tight seal between said retaining ring and said cover disc.

Claim 6

In a lock assembly including a cylinder portion, a barrel portion disposed on said cylinder portion for rotation relative to the latter, said barrel portion including a key slot extending generally the entire length thereof opening into an enlarged generally cylindrical cavity disposed adjacent the outboard end of said cylinder portion, and tumbler means on said barrel portion responsive to insertion in and withdrawal of a key from said key slot for selectively locking said barrel portIon against rotation relative to said cylinder portion, the improvement comprising, a generally cup-shaped plastic cover support member disposed in said cavity and including a base portion defining a segment of a circle and a pair of integral diametrically opposed side walls extending generally parallel to the sides of said cavity, each of said side walls projecting outboard beyond the confines of said cavity and being beveled at the distal end thereof to define a resiliently deformable edge section on each of said side walls, a cover disc having a key aperture therein, shutter means on said cover disc adapted to normally close said key aperture, said cover disc being disposed over said cavity in engagement on said side wall edge sections with said key aperture in register with said key slot and with said shutter means projecting into said cavity, and a retaining ring rigidly attached to said cylinder portion and slidably engaging said cover disc substantially in line contact thereby to retain the said cover disc on said lock assembly, said retaining ring forcibly urging said cover disc against each of said edge sections thereby to effect resilient deformation of the latter for generating a substantially weather tight seal between said retaining ring and said cover disc.

Claim 7

The improvement recited in claim 3 wherein said base portion includes an opposed pair of integral lips self-biased to form a generally flat surface outboard of said key slot for preventing the intrusion thereinto of foreign matter and adapted for separation along an interface aligned with said key slot upon insertion of a key through said cover disc key aperture and into said key slot.