Key Control: One Key Opens Both Door and Cabinet Locks

Feb. 3, 2014
With Olympus Lock’s extensive line of SFIC cabinet locks and accessories, your customers can do more with fewer keys.

Using the same key for both door locking hardware and office furniture can significantly reduce the number of keys on a key ring as well as the amount of keys needed for normal business operation.

Incorporating the Small Format Interchangeable Core (SFIC) lock mechanism provides end users the convenience of changing out the key bitting by replacing the core without having to disassemble the locking mechanism. This capability has made the Best/Falcon style keyways and cores popular throughout North America. Today, most lock manufacturers include small format interchangeable cores as part of their product lines.

The lock bodies accommodate SFIC or equivalent small format interchangeable cores produced by Arrow, Best, Falcon, KSP, Sargent and Schlage to name a few. In addition, SFIC furniture lock bodies are compatible with mechanical high security and key control locking mechanisms including Arrow Pointe, CX5, Kaba Peaks, Keymark, Sargent XC, etc. For electromechanical access control, these lock bodies can be equipped with the Medeco Nexgen XT or CyberLock SFIC cores.

Olympus Lock, Inc. offers a wide array of furniture locks and lock bodies using the Best style keyways and SFIC cores. These include cam, deadbolt, latch, plunger, showcase, file cabinet, mailbox and drawer locks.

Incorporating a small format core into a furniture lock body in general requires increasing the barrel diameter of the lock to accommodate the larger size of the core. For example, the Olympus 720LM/DM Series SFIC cam lock fits into a 1-5/32” diameter mounting hole. 720 Series Cam Locks have a 1-13/32" barrel length and include three cams.

The Olympus Lock B7 standard dimension cam lock requires a ¾" diameter mounting hole because the B7 has seven pin chambers and the cylinder length is available only as 1-13/16", the same as the 720 Series. The B7 cam lock is rekeyable by removing the cylinder retainer clip.

The advantage of the B7 Cam Lock is it fits the standard Double "D" cutout. The disadvantage of the B7 Cam Lock is the lock must be ordered with a specific keyway. A limited number of keyways are available (A, B, E, F, G, J, K, L and R). This can require a significantly greater amount of stock whereas 720 IC Series cam locks accommodate the cores' keyway.

Olympus 721DR (door)/ 721DW (drawer) Series SFIC furniture deadbolt locks have a ¾” bolt throw, providing a higher level of security for cabinet doors and drawers. Similar to the BEST 3L series, this lock installs with four mounting holes in two barrel length sizes: 1-1/4" and 1-3/8". The longer barrel is for cabinetry with thicker construction. Standard locks are non-handed. Optional key-retaining functions are available and field reversible. The lock bodies are handed and they are not field reversible.

For a higher level of security, Olympus Lock created the 950IC Series dead latching drawer lock. This shim proof drawer lock incorporates a secondary deadlocking latch. As the lock enters the locked condition, the deadlatch is engaged, deadlocking the latch bolt so that it cannot be shimmed. This eliminates the possibility of bypassing the locking mechanism and gaining access to contents in the drawer.

725 Series SFIC surface mounted lock bodies are available with a rim deadbolt (725RD), rim latch (725RL), mortise deadbolt (725MD), mortise latch (725ML) or spring loaded square bolt. The rim configuration locks have the locking mechanism behind the mounting plate. The mortise configuration locks have the locking mechanism in front of the mounting plate.

These “BEST-style” cabinet lock bodies can retrofit the BEST 5L Series locks. The spring loaded square bolt lock body is designed as an enclosure lock for NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) Traffic Control Boxes. This lock body installs with two mounting holes in four positions: LH, RH, VH and IH. The standard barrel length is 1-1/16”. The VH drawer lock model is available in two barrel length sizes: 1-1/16” and 1-3/8". Optional key-retaining functions are available. The lock bodies are handed and they are not field reversible.

For showcases, Olympus lock bodies include those that are attached to the cabinet and those that operate on the sliding doors. 722S and 722S-TBM (Through-Bolt Mounting) Series SFIC plunger locks are designed for wood, Plexiglas or metal bypassing doors, mainly installed for showcase applications. These half-inch throw lock bodies can retrofit the BEST 2S Series. They are available key removable in locked or unlocked positions or configured as key-retaining.  They come with the matching strike 725-PA plastic actuator.

The 729R Series ratchet-type lock body is used on bypassing wood or glass sliding showcase doors. The standard strap size is ¼ inch. Two additional strap sizes are available. Yhe 729RS-2 accommodates up to 3/8” thick doors. The adjustable 729RS-3 strap fits up to 5/8” thick doors. 729R Series locks retrofit the BEST 3S.

To create a flush lock front with the office furniture, Olympus Lock offers a variety of plastic spacers, which are placed between the lock body and the rear of the door or drawer. Each spacer is specifically manufactured to the different lock models. In addition to the spacers, through-bolt mounting plates are mounted onto the face of the door or drawer and through-bolted onto the lock body.

To add locking capability onto frameless office furniture, the Adjustable Frameless Drawer Strike, part 12-4-ZP, provides a locking point when there is no frame between drawers. This 0.074" thick zinc plated steel strike has an approximate 3" by 0.282" cutout to accommodate most cam, deadbolt and latch bolt locks. The Adjustable Frameless Drawer Strike is mounted onto the cabinet side wall providing a locking point when no other locking points are available. To mount this drawer strike, a 0.190" diameter hole and one-inch slot are built into the mounting edge on the right side of the strike cutout.

All SFIC lock bodies are available in the US26D finish. Consult the factory for other finish options.

The Olympus SFIC lock bodies are designed to accommodate five, six, and seven pin cores. Due to their design, the 723 and 728 locks do not require core spacers for five or six pin cores. Spacers are recommended for use with five or 6 pin cores in all other SFIC lock bodies, but are not required except for the 720 cam lock. The 720 cam lock requires the use of one 725-1 spacer if a 6-pin core is being or used two 725-1 spacers of a 5-pin core is being used. The use of the spacer(s) is required for assembly purposes.

In addition to the SFIC configuration, Olympus Lock manufactures removable core cabinetry lock bodies for Corbin Russwin, Schlage Large Format Interchangeable Core (LFIC), Sargent and Medeco/Yale as well as small and conventional pin tumbler cabinet, drawer and specialty locks.

For more information, contact your local locksmith distributor or Olympus Lock, Inc., 18424 Highway 99, Lynnwood, WA 98037. Telephone: 206-362-3290. Web Site: www.olympus-lock.com