US 12,234,672 B2
Bi-directional electronic lock device and method for setting up the same when mounted on a door
Yu Lin, Chiayi (TW); Pai-Hsiang Chuang, New Taipei (TW); Ruei-Jie Jeng, Chiayi County (TW); and Ding-Sian Cai, Chiayi County (TW)
Assigned to Tong Lung Metal Industry Co., Ltd., Chiayi County (TW)
Filed by Tong Lung Metal Industry Co., Ltd., Chiayi County (TW)
Filed on Jun. 30, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/854,246.
Claims priority of application No. 110142687 (TW), filed on Nov. 17, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0151642 A1, May 18, 2023
Int. Cl. E05B 63/04 (2006.01); E05B 47/00 (2006.01); E05B 63/00 (2006.01)
CPC E05B 63/04 (2013.01) [E05B 63/0017 (2013.01); E05B 2047/0069 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A bi-directional electronic lock device to be mounted on a door that is a left-handed door or a right-handed door, the bi-directional electronic lock device comprising:
a lock mechanism that includes a deadbolt, said lock mechanism being operable to switch between an unlocked state, in which said deadbolt is retracted into the door, and a locked state, in which said deadbolt is extended out of a side of the door, wherein the unlocked state is one of a left-side unlocked state and a right-side unlocked state; and
a control unit that includes
a position determining component that is driven by said lock mechanism to rotate,
a sensor that is disposed to have a positional relationship with said position determining component in one of three different positions in terms of the sensor's contact, or the lack thereof, with the position determining component, and that is configured to generate a specific sensing signal for each of the three positions,
a direction determining module that is configured, when activated, to actuate said lock mechanism to switch to one of the left-side unlocked state and the right-side unlocked state while driving said position determining component, to receive a sequence of sensing signals from said sensor, and to generate a directional signal based on the sequence of sensing signals, and
a control module that is configured to, in response to receipt of the directional signal, setting said lock mechanism, based on the directional signal, to one of a left setting, in which said lock mechanism is operable to switch between the left-side unlocked state and the locked state, and a right setting, in which said lock mechanism is operable to switch between the right-side unlocked state and the locked state;
wherein said position determining component has a central axis, and a plurality of reference parts which include at least two proximal reference parts that are spaced apart from each other and at least two distal reference parts that are spaced apart from each other, and said at least two proximal reference parts and said at least two distal reference parts are disposed around the central axis;
wherein said sensor is disposed to interact with said at least two proximal reference parts and said at least two distal reference parts of said position determining component in one of the three different positions; and
wherein said direction determining module stores a first table that lists a number of possible sequences of sensing signals which are associated with the left setting and a second table that lists a number of possible sequences of sensing signals which are associated with the right setting, and determines whether the sequence of sensing signals indicates that the bi-directional electronic lock device is to be set to the left setting or indicates that the bi-directional electronic lock device is to be set to the right setting based on the sequence of sensing signals and the content of the first table and the second table.