Key for operating a lock

The present invention relates to a key usable for example for the actuation of the motor vehicle locks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are key having one end secured to a clevis mounted in a housing for rotation about a pivot axis between a retracted position of the key in the housing and an extended position of the key. A control plunger is mounted in a housing of the clevis to be secured to the latter pivot and to slide between a holding position of the cap in the retracted position and a pivoted release position of the screed. A spring is interposed between the housing and the control slide for resiliently biasing the yoke in its extended position and the control pushbutton into its holding position. Such a key is for example known from US 2003/0000267 A1.

In these keys, the control pushbutton is pressed into the housing of the yoke. This interference fit creates deformations weakening parts thereof and requires the use of a relatively expensive tools.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide a means for mounting the pusher does not have the above stated drawbacks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

To this end, there is provided, according to the invention, a key having one end secured to a clevis mounted in a housing for rotation about a pivot axis between a retracted position of the key in the housing and an extended position of key, and a control pushbutton mounted in a housing of the cap to be secured in the pivoting thereof and to slide between a holding position of the yoke at least in the retracted position and a pivoted release position of the yoke, a spring being interposed between the housing and the control slide for resiliently biasing the yoke in the extended position of the key and the control pushbutton into its holding position, the control pushbutton including at least one stud received in a groove housing, the groove having an inlet section opening at one end on an outer face of the tread and opening at a second end into a terminal segment forming an angle therewith, the terminal segment extending along the pivot axis.

Thus, the terminal section accommodates the lug of the control slide in operation and allows its sliding between its holding position and its release position. The inlet portion allows to introduce the pin in the end portion without it being necessary to deform the control slide, the lug or clevis. The assembly is thus particularly simple and easy and does not cause excessive loading of parts.

According to a particular embodiment, the input section comprises near its first end a portion extending parallel to the pivot axis, and in the vicinity of its second end a portion extending in a circumferential direction of the housing .

The mounting of the push in the cap is particularly practical.

Preferably, the groove includes an additional segment extending axially to open out firstly into the terminal segment and secondly on an external face of the yoke opposite the outer face onto which opens the inlet section.

This simplifies the manufacture by casting of the cap during molding using a plunger entering the inlet section and a movable core penetrating through the additional section in the terminal portion.

Preferably, the control pushbutton has two studs and the housing comprises two grooves and preferably the studs form between them an angle smaller than 180 °.

The bearing force of the control button on the underfloor action of the spring is thus balanced while having limited overall dimensions of the drive pusher and the yoke.

According to a particular feature, the key comprises an articulation element of the yoke in the housing, the hinge element being interposed between the spring and the housing and comprising a fixed end mounted rotatably in the housing and an opposite end received pivotably in the housing receiving the control pushbutton.

This simplifies the mounting of the yoke in the housing.

Other characteristics and advantages will emerge on reading the following description of a particular embodiment non-limiting of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:<ul><li>Figure 1 is a perspective and exploded view of a key according to the invention,</li><li>Figures 2 and 3 are perspective views of a yoke for mounting the key,</li><li>Figure 4 is a perspective view of a control stem of the key,</li><li>Figure 5 is a bottom view of the control slide,</li><li>Figure 6 is a perspective view of a portion of the key housing, </li><li>Figures 7 to 9 are developed views of a groove formed in the housing of the cap receiving the control pushbutton.</li></ul>

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The key according to the invention is here described as a lock actuator such as a motor vehicle. In particular, the key is used for locking and unlocking of the doors (doors, the trunk, ...) of the ignition switch and steering column.

The key, generally designated 1, is mounted in a housing 2 for pivoting between a retracted position in a lateral recess 3 of the housing 2 and a position in which the key 1 extends to 180 ° relative to its retracted position. The housing 2 is here formed by a container 4 closed by a cover 5 and here contains a remote electronic module arranged in a manner known in itself for remotely actuating a centralized locking and unlocking device of the openings (doors, of the trunk) of the vehicle.

The key 1 comprises a fixed end 6 in a yoke generally designated 7 and mounted in an end of the side recess 3 to pivot between the extended position and the retracted position of the key 1.

The yoke 7 has two outer sides 8, 9 parallel and opposite to each other. The yoke 7 comprises a housing 10 having a central axis 11 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the key 1 and the outer faces 8, 9. The housing 10 has a circular cross section and opens onto the outer faces 8, 9.

Grooves 12 are formed in the housing 10. The grooves 12 are angularly offset relative to each other by an angle α equal to approximately 170 ° here. This less than 180 ° angular misalignment prevents a groove impinges on the yoke the region 7 devolved to the end 6 of the key 1 while having a relatively compact tread 7.

Each groove 12 comprises an inlet section 13 opening through an end portion 13.1 of the outer face 8 of the yoke 7 and an end portion 13.2 in an end portion 14 here blind.

The input section 13 has here an L-shape, that is to say the end portion 13.1 extending parallel to the central axis 11 and the end portion 13.2 extends along a circumference housing 10. the end portion 13.2 is here delimited laterally by a flank located on the side of the outer face 8, to simplify manufacture of the yoke 7 (this will be explained later).

The end portion 14 extends parallel to the central axis 11 and is located behind the end portion 13.1 with reference to the key of the direction of pivoting one of its retracted position to its extended position. The terminal section 14 has the side opposite to the end portion 13.2 a flank 28 which extends axially in the housing 10.

The housing 10 of the yoke 7 accommodates a hinge member generally designated 16 and a control slide valve generally designated 17 between which extends a spring 18.

The hinge 16 has a cylindrical outer shape with a circular contour and element has one end 19 received in a cavity 20 of the end of the side recess 3 receiving the yoke 7 and an opposite end 21 pivotally received in the housing 10 of the cap 7. the end 19 of the articulation element 16 and the recess 20 have complementary shaped reliefs immobilising the articulation element 16 in rotation relative to the housing 2. the end 19 may thus for example comprise flats in contact with corresponding flat surfaces of the cavity 20 or an eccentric footprint receiving a corresponding relief projecting from the cavity 20. the end 21 has a substantially cylindrical outer shape with circular section.

The control pushbutton 17 has a circular cylindrical outer surface and has an end portion 22 received in the housing 10 and an end portion 23 projecting opposite the housing 10 and the cover 5 via a light this last. Two lugs 24 are angularly offset with respect to one another of 170 ° protrude from the end portion 22 and are received in the end portions 14 of the grooves 12 to slide between a pivoting of the locking position the yoke 7 and a pivoting of the release position of the yoke 7. in the locking position, two pins 25 projecting from the end portion 23 back from the end face thereof are engaged in two notches 26 formed in the vicinity of the light of the cover 5 of the casing 2 at 180 ° from each other. In the pivoting of the release position of the yoke 7, the control pushbutton 17 is pressed and the lugs 25 are disengaged from the notches 26.

The hinge 16 and the control pushbutton element 17 define a hinge axis and pivoting of the yoke 7 with respect to the housing 2. The hinge axis coincides with the central axis 11.

The spring 18 has ends immobilized in rotation in the hinge 16 and in the control pusher element 17. The actuating plunger 17 here comprises a slot 27 receiving the corresponding end of the spring 18 for securing this end by rotation relative to the pusher. The spring 18 is a helical spring arranged to work in compression so that it tends to return the actuating plunger 17 in its blocking position. In addition, when the cap 7 is in the retracted position, the spring 18 has a twist of at least 180 ° with respect to its rest state. The spring 18 is thus also arranged to operate in torsion so that it tends to maintain the lugs 24 bear against the flank 28 of the end portions 14, and thus to bring the yoke 7 in the extended position of the key 1.

It will be appreciated that in operation the control slide in its locking position as well as the maintenance of the yoke 7 in the extended position of the key 1 in the retracted position of the key 1. If the notches 26 are laterally delimited by parallel sides to the sliding direction, it is necessary to depress the actuating plunger 17 in its release position to bring the key 1 from its extended position to its retracted position or vice versa. In contrast, if one wants to bring the key 1 from its extended position to its retracted position without having to actuate the control pushbutton 17, the side notches 26 located on the side of the retracted position (i.e. the flank against which each pin 25 abuts when trying to bring the key 1 from its extended position to its retracted position) can be inclined to form by sliding on the pin 25 a shift cam of the actuating plunger 17 in its release position.

Mounting the key 1 into the housing 2 is achieved by introducing the yoke 7 equipped the key 1 into the end of the side recess 3 of the container 5 and with one hand, the hinge member 16 into the cavity 20 and the housing 10 and secondly the control pushbutton 17 in the housing 10 having the spring 18 interposed between the hinge member 16 and the control pushbutton 17. the introduction of the lugs 24 in the end portions 14 is made by previously rotating the drive pusher 17 relative to the housing 2 and the yoke 7 to engage the lugs 24 in the end portions 13.1 of the input sections 13. the pivoting direction is the same as that that allows the yoke 7 to move from the extended position to the retracted position: the pivot must be greater than 180 ° to exert a torsional preload on the spring 18. the actuating plunger 17 is then depressed to move the pusher command 17 in the end portion 13.2 of the input section 13. the spring 18 relaxing slightly twist (the twist must still be 180 ° with respect to its rest state) causes the pins 24 in the end portions 14 and relaxing compression brings the drive pusher 17 towards its locking position.

Note that the control pushbutton 17 can be removed by performing the inverse operations.

Note also that each groove 12 further comprises an additional section 15 opening at one end on the outer face 9 and the other end in the end portion 14 and in the end portion 13.2 so that the portion of end 13.2 comprises only a flank located on the side of the outer face 8. the additional section 15 has no function other than to facilitate the manufacture by molding of the yoke 7. When molding the yoke 7, the housing 10 is made by means of two coaxial movable cores whose ends are brought into contact. One of the rings includes external projecting tongues to form the end portions 13.1 and the other of the cores includes external projecting tongues to form the end portions 13.2 and end portions 14. Additional sections 15 allow the passage of the tongues forming the terminal portion 14 and end portions 13.2.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described and variant embodiments can be applied thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

In particular, although the groove has been shown with a J-shape, the groove may have a V-shape, the inlet section forming an acute angle with the blind end section.

Furthermore, the housing 2 can have other shapes than that shown and for example a cylindrical shape and the retracted and extended positions of the key may be angularly offset from each other by an angle of 180 ° and for example 90 ° or 120 °.

In addition, the hinge member may be in one piece with the housing.