阅读说明：本技术 钥匙复制机器 (Key duplicating machine ) 是由 恩里科·托默 乔治·波尔 大卫·雷布利 马西莫·比安基 于 2018-04-23 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种用于复制扁平钥匙的机器(3)。这种机器包括：夹具(11),其用于夹持至少一个待复制的原钥匙(5)；读取组件(1),其用于读取扁平钥匙(5)的切口；和至少一个切割工具(7),其用于在钥匙坯上复制所述切口。根据本发明的机器的特征在于,其包括：支撑件(20),其承载触探器元件(21),该触探器元件可相对于所述支撑件(20)沿第一参考方向(Y)移动。该机器还包括弹性装置(25)和位置传感器(8),该弹性装置介于支撑件(20)和触探器元件(21)之间,位置传感器被配置为检测触探器元件(21)相对于支撑件(20)的位置或沿着所述第一参考方向(Y)的位置变化。根据本发明,所述支撑件(20)和所述夹具11中的一个,优选所述夹具(11),可至少沿着正交于所述第一参考方向(Y)的第二参考方向(X)移动。(The invention relates to a machine (3) for duplicating flat keys. Such a machine comprises: a clamp (11) for holding at least one original key (5) to be duplicated; a reading assembly (1) for reading the cut of a flat key (5); and at least one cutting tool (7) for reproducing said cut in the key blank. The machine according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises: a support (20) carrying a feeler element (21) movable with respect to said support (20) along a first reference direction (Y). The machine further comprises elastic means (25) interposed between the support (20) and the feeler element (21), and a position sensor (8) configured to detect the position of the feeler element (21) with respect to the support (20) or the variation of the position along said first reference direction (Y). According to the invention, one of said support (20) and said clamp (11), preferably said clamp (11), is movable at least along a second reference direction (X) orthogonal to said first reference direction (Y).)

1. A machine (3) for duplicating keys, wherein said machine (3) comprises:

-a clamp (11) configured to clamp at least one flat key (5) to be duplicated, wherein said clamp (11) defines a resting plane (200) for said key (5);

-a reading assembly (1) for reading a cut (6) of the key (5);

-a cutting tool (7) for reproducing said cut on a key blank,

characterized in that said reading assembly (1) comprises:

-a support (20) carrying a feeler element (21), wherein said feeler element (21) is movable with respect to said support (20) along a first reference direction (Y) parallel to said resting plane (200), said feeler element (21) comprising a reading end (23), said reading end (23) contacting said original key (5) at said incision;

-elastic means (25) interposed between said support (20) and said feeler element (21), wherein said elastic means (25) push said feeler element (21) away from said support (20) so that said reading end (23) is in contact with said cut-out (6);

-a position sensor (8) configured to detect the position of the feeler element (21) with respect to the support (20) or a change of position along the first reference direction (Y), the position sensor (8) being electrically connected to a control unit (CPU) of the machine (3),

wherein a component selected from the support (20) and the clamp (11) is movable at least along a second reference direction (X) orthogonal to the first reference direction (Y) and parallel to the resting plane (200), and wherein, during the movement of the component along the second direction (X), the reading end (23) is always in contact with the cut so as to follow the shape of the cut, and the position sensor (8) continuously detects the position variation along the first reference direction (Y) determined by the shape of the cut (6).

2. Machine (3) according to claim 1, wherein the reading end (23) comprises a reading edge (23A), the profile of the reading edge (23A) corresponding in curvature and shape to the profile of the cutting tool (7).

3. Machine (3) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said assembly (1) comprises at least one guide pin (51) integral with a part selected from said support (20) and said feeler element (21), and a longitudinal cavity (52), said longitudinal cavity (52) being defined in another part selected from said support (20) and said feeler element (21), wherein said at least one guide pin (51) is slidingly inserted in said at least one longitudinal cavity (52).

4. Machine (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said assembly (1) comprises a pair of longitudinal cavities (52), said pair of longitudinal cavities (52) being defined in a body (201) of said support (20), and a pair of pins (51), said pair of pins (51) being integral with said feeler element (21), each pin (51) of said pair of pins (51) being slidingly inserted into one of said longitudinal cavities (52), wherein said pins (51) are arranged on opposite sides with respect to said reading end (23) of said feeler element (21).

5. Machine (3) according to claim 3 or 4, wherein said position sensor (8) is integral with said support (20) and detects the position of a guide pin (51) within a longitudinal cavity (52) or a change of position along said first direction (Y), said guide pin (51) being slidingly inserted in said longitudinal cavity (52).

6. Machine (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the assembly (1) comprises end-of-travel means establishing a maximum stroke for displacing the feeler element (21) with respect to the support (20).

7. The machine (3) of claim 6, wherein the end-of-process means comprises:

-a plurality of first cavities (57) defined in the body (201) of the support (20), each of said first cavities (57) comprising at least one threaded section;

-a plurality of second cavities (58) passing through the body (210) of the feeler element (21), wherein each of the second cavities (58) is axially aligned with a respective one of the first cavities (57);

-a plurality of large head screws (61), wherein each screw (61) passes through one of said second through cavities (58) and is screwed into said threaded section of a respective one of said first cavities (57), said feeler element (21) occupying a position between that of said support (20) and that occupied by the large head (610) of said screw (61).

8. Machine (3) according to claim 7, wherein the first cavity (57) comprises a first outermost section having a larger diameter than the innermost section and a second innermost section, which is threaded for tightening one of the screws (61) of the end-of-process device, and wherein the elastic means comprise a plurality of springs, each of which is inserted into the outermost section of one of the first cavities (57), each spring comprising a first end acting against a surface of the support (20) and a second end opposite the first end acting against a surface of the feeler element (21).

9. Machine (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the support (20) comprises a first body (201) and a second body (202), the second body (202) carrying an operating unit (201-21) consisting of the first body (201) and the feeler element (21), wherein the operating unit (201-21) is rotatable with respect to the second body (202) about an axis of rotation (501) between a first position and a second predetermined position, wherein the direction of displacement of the feeler element (21) with respect to the support (20) is parallel to the first reference direction (Y) when the operating unit (201-21) occupies the first predetermined position, and the direction of displacement of the feeler element (21) with respect to the support (20) is not parallel to the first reference direction when the operating unit (201-21) occupies the second predetermined position (Y).

10. Machine (3) according to claim 9, wherein the direction of displacement of the feeler element (21) is parallel to the second reference direction (X) when the unit (201-21) occupies the second predetermined position.

11. Machine (3) according to claim 9 or 10, wherein said rotation axis (501) is orthogonal to said first reference direction (Y) and to said second reference direction (X).

12. Machine (3) according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein said assembly comprises gripping means accessible by an operator to rotate said operating unit (201-21) between said predetermined positions, said gripping means being integral with said first body (201) of said support (20) and/or with said feeler element (21).

13. Machine (3) according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein said assembly (1) comprises elastic safety means interposed between said first body (201) and said second body (202) so as to maintain said operating units (201-21) at the respective predetermined positions reached when rotating about said rotation axis (501).

14. Machine (3) according to claim 13, wherein said elastic safety means comprise at least one spring (251), said spring (251) having a first end connected to a first pin (73), said first pin (73) being integral with said second body (202) at a lower surface (95) of said second body (202), said spring (251) comprising a second end connected to a second pin (75), said second pin (75) being integral with said first body (201) at a lower surface (224) of said first body (201), a lower surface (224) of said first body (201) being close to said surface of said second body (202) from which said first pin (73) protrudes, wherein said first pin (73) remains in a fixed position, and wherein when said operating unit (201-21) reaches one of two predetermined positions, the second pin (75) occupies a position such that the elastic force exerted by the spring (251) tends to keep the operating unit (201-21) itself in the reached position.

15. Machine (3) according to any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein said assembly comprises a further sensor (9), said further sensor (9) being mounted on said second body (202) to detect the correct arrival of said operating unit (201-21) at said second predetermined position.

16. Machine (3) according to any one of claims 9 to 15, wherein said second body (202) defines a seat (80) for positioning said position sensor (8).

17. Machine (3) according to claim 16, wherein the second body (202) defines a through hole (86) between the seat (80) and a lateral face (93) of the second body (202), the axis of rotation (501) of the operating unit (201-21) is defined at the side face (93) of the second body (202), the through hole (86) being defined so as to be axially aligned with a longitudinal cavity (52) when the operating unit (201-21) occupies the first predetermined position, the longitudinal cavity (52) being defined through the first body (201), and a guide pin (51) integral with said feeler element (21) is slidingly inserted in said longitudinal cavity (52), the sensor (8) detects the position or change in position of the guide pin (51) sliding in the longitudinal cavity (52).

18. Machine (3) according to claim 17, wherein the position sensor (8) is of the linear potentiometer type and comprises a sensor body (81) and a movable rod (82), the sensor body (81) being housed inside the seat (80), the movable rod (82) being slidingly inserted in the through hole (86), the rod comprising an end portion (821), the end portion (821) of the rod being in contact with an end portion (511) of the guide pin (51) when the operating unit (201-21) occupies the first predetermined position.

19. Machine (3) according to claim 17, wherein said position sensor (8) is of the optical type and comprises a body housed in said seat (80), which generates a light beam passing through said through hole (86) and intercepts an end (511) of said guide pin (51) when said operating unit (201, 21) occupies said first predetermined position.

20. Machine (3) according to any one of claims 9 to 19, wherein the two bodies (201, 202) of the support (20) are configured to define a passage (40), the passage (40) being for a rotation axis of a cutting tool (7) of a key duplication machine, the passage (40) being defined between a side surface (93) of the second body (202) and a side surface (222) of the first body (201) facing each other, and at the rotation axis (501), wherein each of the side surfaces (93, 222) defines a respective concave recess (41, 42), such that when the operating unit (201-21) occupies the first predetermined position, the two recesses (41, 42) face each other and define a segment of the passage (40), the first body (201) and the feeler element (21) each comprising an innermost surface (233, 214) -said innermost surfaces (233, 214) face said side surface (93) of said second body (202) when said operating unit (201-21) occupies said second predetermined position, and wherein each innermost surface (233, 214) defines a further recess (43A, 43B), said further recesses (43A, 43B) facing said recesses (41) defined by said side surface (23) of said second body (202) when said operating unit (201-21) occupies said second predetermined position.

Technical Field

The present invention is in the field of machines and/or devices for duplicating keys. In particular, the present invention relates to a key duplication machine that includes an assembly for reading flat key cuts.

Background

Flat keys, commonly used in locks and lock cylinders (cylinder), generally include a head portion and a torso portion (barrel). The trunk portion has a recess that substantially defines a profile compatible with a lock/cylinder associated with the key. Along at least one side thereof, the torso portion instead includes a series of notches/engravings extending through the entire thickness of the key. This notch/engraved shape defines the "cut" or "code" of the key.

As is known, the duplication of keys is carried out by duplicating machines that duplicate cuts on key blanks (blank keys). More specifically, mechanical key duplicating machines and electronic key duplicating machines are known.

In a mechanical key duplicating machine, a pair of clamps are provided to respectively fix an original key to be duplicated and a key blank to be shaped from the original key, thereby obtaining a duplicated key. A mechanical duplicating machine also includes a fixed mechanical feeler (fixed mechanical blade) for detecting cuts of a key to be duplicated and a cutting tool for duplicating cuts on a key blank. The two clamps are usually mounted on a common base, movable in two orthogonal directions, the common base being usually moved directly by the operator via a lever. The copying on the key blank takes place while the base is moved, the base exactly copying the cuts of the key to be copied. More precisely, the operator acts on the base to keep the key to be copied in contact with the feeler element, and the contact point moves as a whole along the cut. During this "tracking" action, the movement of the base is transferred to the key blank, which is thus processed by the cutting tool in a manner corresponding to the cut. The key blank remains in a fixed position relative to the base.

In an electronic key duplicating machine, there is also provided software which manages the duplication operation after the cut reading (usually performed by means of an optical reading system). An example of an electronic machine is described in patent application WO 2015/010936. The electronic machine comprises a structure carrying a first support on which a clamp is mounted, movable in two orthogonal directions, the clamp being adapted to hold, when independent, a key and a key blank to be duplicated. The machine also includes an optical reader that detects the cuts of the key to be reproduced and a cutting tool for reproducing the cuts on the key blank. The optical reader and the cutting tool are mounted on a second support secured to the structure of the machine. The machine described in WO2015/010936 further comprises an electronic control unit that controls the movement of the first support, the rotation of the cutting tool and the operation of the optical reader. The key to be duplicated is initially clamped in a clamp mounted on a first support. The first support is then moved so that the optical reader can detect the cut of the key. The signals generated by the optical sensor are transmitted to the control unit for storage and processing by the software storing the incision. At the end of the reading, the key to be copied will be replaced by the key blank. In response to the activation command, the control unit activates the cutter and moves the first support such that the cutter performs a previously stored cut on the key blank.

Generally, with respect to mechanical duplicating machines, the electronic machine described in WO2015/010936 provides the same clamp for reading the key to be duplicated and the subsequent processing of the key blank. This solution makes the machine more compact, or in the same space, it allows the installation of additional operating assemblies for duplicating different types of keys, for example of the laser type.

The electronic machine described in WO2015/010936, while showing certain advantages over mechanical machines, has certain limitations in terms of the use of optical sensors. First, such sensors have proven to be a critical aspect in terms of ultimate implementation costs. Furthermore, the reading of the cut is strongly influenced by the possible presence of dirt, surface residues or grease. In fact, the presence of surface residues, such as shavings, filings or metal powders, locally modifies the profile of the cut. In a subsequent replication step, the control unit moves the key blank relative to the cutting tool on the basis of "changed" cuts detected by the optical sensor which do not correspond to the real cuts of the original key. This obviously results in the duplicated key not being functionally identical to the original key. In this type of machine, it is therefore necessary to have a continuous careful control of the conditions of the cut surface to ensure accurate reading and limit waste. This aspect has a negative impact on the operating time and on the productivity of the replication machine as a whole.

It is therefore desirable to provide a technical solution capable of overcoming the above limitations, which is distinguished from the machines described in WO2015/010936 and more generally the key duplication machine zone which uses optical systems to read the original key cuts.

In view of this need, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an electronic machine for duplicating keys that overcomes the above-mentioned drawbacks. Within this aim, a first object of the invention is to provide a key duplicating machine which allows precise and reliable reading of the cuts of the key to be duplicated. Another object related to the previous one is to provide a key duplicating machine in which the reading of the cuts of the key is not affected by the dust, grease and/or debris that may be present in the cuts themselves. Another object of the present invention is to provide a key duplicating machine which allows a high productivity and therefore a reduction of the dead time. Another, and also important, object of the present invention is to provide an assembly for reading key cuts that is reliable and easy to manufacture at competitive costs.

SUMMARY

The specified technical purpose is substantially achieved by a key duplication machine comprising: a clamp configured to clamp (block) at least one original key to be copied; a reading assembly for reading the cut of the original key; and a cutting tool for replicating the cut on the key blank. The reproduction machine according to the invention is characterized in that the reading assembly comprises a support carrying a feeler element movable with respect to the support along a first reference direction; the feeler element includes a reading end that contacts the original key at the incision.

The reading assembly further comprises:

-elastic means interposed between the support and the feeler element; the resilient means urging the feeler element away from the support;

-a position sensor configured to detect a position or change in position of the feeler element with respect to the support; the position sensor is electrically connected to a control unit of the machine.

According to the invention, one of the support and the clamp is movable at least along a second reference direction orthogonal to the first reference direction.

The machine according to the invention allows a higher precision in duplicating keys, precisely by means of the structure of the reading assembly based on the use of a mechanical feeler element which directly contacts the key cut due to the thrust exerted by the elastic means. The resilient means ensures that the reading end of the feeler element is in stable contact against the cut of the key. In particular, for a relative movement (along the second reference direction) extending between the gripper and the support, the reading end travels along the cut, determining a corresponding movement of the feeler-device element along the first reference direction. This movement is detected by the position sensor. Advantageously, the electrical signal provided by the sensor to the control unit is not affected by the surface condition of the incision. Furthermore, the travel of the reading end along the cut-out results in a scraping action which eliminates any possible dust or debris present in the cut-out itself.