Pivotable key with reinforced position latching for actuating a lock

p0001The present invention relates to a key usable for example for the actuation of the motor vehicle locks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

p0002There are key having one end secured to a clevis mounted between two cheeks of 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 pushbutton is mounted in the yoke to be integral in rotation thereof and to slide between a screed blocking extended position in which the pusher has tabs received in slots of the housing are positioned to correspond to each of its positions, and a depressed position to release the pivoting of the clevis in which the lugs are disengaged from the notches. 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 blocking position.

p0003Such a key is for example known from <patcit id="pcit0001" dnum="EP1526232A1"><text>EP1 526 232 A1</text></patcit>Which discloses a wrench according to the preamble of claim 1.

p0004The housing is generally made of plastic material while the pusher is it made of metal. It is common that the housing comprises, opposite the yoke a passage orifice of a keychain ring.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

p0005It was found that keeping key position might lose its effectiveness over time because of the pivotal forces exerted on the key or the case when the key is locked in the extended position. So when the ignition key output is engaged in a lock and the key chain ring is heavily loaded, the lugs of the push exert significant constraints against the walls of the notches tend to subdue causing flare notches which promotes the exhaust cams.

p0006To remedy this problem, it could be envisaged to increase the size of the contact surfaces to better distribute the stresses. It would, however, resulted an increase in the size of housing. Another solution would have been to increase the stiffness of the spring to prevent sudden escape of lugs from the notches but it would have made the operation more difficult push.

p0007An object of the invention to provide a locking means of the cap in place, which is more reliable yet simple.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

p0008To this end, there is provided, according to the invention, a key having one end secured to a clevis mounted in a casing for rotation between a retracted position of the key in the housing and an extended position of the key, and a pusher control mounted in the yoke to be integral in rotation thereof and to slide between a screed blocking extended position in which the pusher has at least one stud received in a notch of a housing part and a depressed position release the pivoting of the clevis in which the lug escapes the notch, a spring being interposed between the case and the control pushbutton to resiliently bias the cap towards the extended position and the control pushbutton to its locking position, characterized in that the notch is formed in a ring insert in the housing part and in that the ring has a greater hardness to the housing.

p0009By ring is meant any piece provided with an aperture enabling it to accommodate the pusher. Thus, the ring is mechanically more resistant than the housing and can be performed in such a resistant material as that which is manufactured in the pusher. The locking yoke is thus particularly strong and little subject to wear.

p0010In a first particular embodiment, the ring is force-fitted in a recess of the housing part.

p0011In a second particular embodiment, the housing part is molded onto the ring.

p0012In a third particular embodiment, the housing part comprises at least a portion which has been deformed to hold the ring in position.

p0013Preferably the ring comprises means for its immobilisation in rotation relative to the housing part, said means comprising a non-circular outer contour and preferably at least one protuberance projecting outwardly to bear against a housing surface.

p0014The non-circular outline may extend over all or part of the thickness of the ring. The protuberances can simultaneously enjoy a lever arm effect and to have a relatively large surface area to distribute the stresses that will carry the ring on the housing when the latter is urged to rotate relative to the key.

p0015Other characteristics and advantages will emerge on reading the following description of a particular embodiment non-limiting of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

p0016Reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:<ul><li>the <figref idrefs="f0001">figure 1</figref> is a perspective and exploded view of a key according to the invention,</li><li>the <figref idrefs="f0001">2</figref> is a perspective view of a portion of the key housing, this housing portion being provided with a ring according to the invention,</li></ul><ul><li>the <figref idrefs="f0002">3</figref> is a partial perspective view of a first variant embodiment of the ring,</li><li>the <figref idrefs="f0002">4</figref> is a partial perspective view of the housing part equipped with a second variant of the ring.</li></ul>

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

p0017The 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 (door, trunk, ...) and the steering column, as well as the actuation of the ignition switch.

p0018With reference to <figref idrefs="f0001">Figures 1 and 2</figref>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 an extended 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 doors of the motor vehicle. The electronic control module can also be configured to activate and deactivate an alarm, turn on and off the vehicle headlights ...

p0019The receptacle 4 and the cover 5 are here made of a thermoplastic material, by injection.

p0020The cover 5 has a lumen 27 having a central axis 11 which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the key 1 and which is coincident with the pivot axis of the key 1.

p0021A ring 13 is received in a counterbore 14 formed in the cover 5 coaxially with the light 27 of the cover 5 of the housing 2. Notches 26 extending at 180 ° from each other are formed in the thickness of the ring 13 and open on an inner circumference of the ring 13 and on the face of the ring 13 facing the receptacle 4 (notches 26 have a height less than the thickness of the ring 13). The ring 13 has a non-circular outer circumference here provided with a flat portion 15 extending in contact with a flat face of the counterbore 14 to immobilize in rotation the ring 13 relative to the cover 5.

p0022The ring 14 is here made of metal, more particularly a zinc-based alloy incorporating particular aluminum, such as that marketed under the brand ZAMAK. The ring 13 is made by cutting, cold heading, cutting or stamping. The cover 5 is here molded onto the ring 13. The ring 13 thus has a greater hardness than that of the thermoplastic material constituting the casing 2. More generally, the ring 13 has a higher mechanical strength than the housing 2.

p0023The key 1 comprises a fixed end 6 in a generally designated screed 7 and received between two parallel cheeks of the housing at one end side of the recess 3 to pivot between the extended position and the retracted position of the key 1.

p0024The yoke 7 has two outer sides 8, 9 parallel and opposite to each other. The yoke 7 comprises a bore 10 having an axis coincident with the central axis 11 which is perpendicular to the outer faces 8, 9. The bore 10 has a circular cross section and opens onto the outer faces 8, 9.

p0025The 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.

p0026The 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.

p0027The 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 the light 27 of the last. Two lugs 24 are angularly offset with respect to one another of 170 ° protrude from the end portion 22 and are received in grooves 12 formed in a manner known per se in the housing 10 with a shaped bayonet to allow a sliding of the push pivot between a blocking position of the fork 7 and a pivoting of the release position of the yoke 7.

p0028In the locking position, two pins 25 projecting from the end portion 23 back from the end face thereof are engaged in the two notches 26.

p0029In 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.

p0030The 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.

p0031The 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 of the grooves 12, and thus to bring the yoke 7 in the extended position of the key 1.

p0032the control pushbutton 17 that in operation it will be appreciated 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.

p0033In the variant of the <figref idrefs="f0002">3</figref>, The notches 26 of the ring 13 have a height equal to the thickness of the ring 13 so that the notches 26 open on both faces of the ring 13, facilitating the manufacturing, including cutting stamping.

p0034The ring 13 has two lateral projections 28 which extend outwardly projecting from the ring 13 and which are each provided with a notch 29. The portion of the cover 5 receiving the ring 13 has a side surface extending opposite of at least one of the lateral projections 28 so that the lateral protuberance 28 abuts against that surface of the cover 5 opposing a relative pivoting of the ring 13 and the cover 5. the notches 29 each receive a pin 30 s' projecting from the inner surface of the cover 5. Each pin 30 has a head which projects from the ring 13 and which has been hot-deformed (flattened here) in order to press the ring 13 against the inner surface of lid 5 .

p0035Alternatively, the pins 30 may be press-fitted in the orifices of the ring 13.

p0036In the variant of the <figref idrefs="f0002">4</figref>, The ring 13 is forcibly inserted in the counterbore 14, the counterbore 14 having, perpendicular to the central axis 11, of smaller dimensions than the outer dimensions of the ring 13, the ring 13 being held in the counterbore by elastic deformation. To facilitate the forced insertion, are provided chamfers on the countersink and the ring 13.

p0037The ring 13 has peripheral barbs 31 adapted to cooperate with reliefs complementary shape 32 of the counterbore 14 to immobilize it rotationally relative to the lid 5. The barbs 31 extend here over a portion only of the thickness of the ring 13, the bottom side of the countersink 14, and symmetrically with respect to a diametral plane of the ring 13.

p0038In another variant, it is possible to fix the ring 13 to the cover 5 by welding by ultrasound, friction or induction, by gluing, or any other mode of attachment for immobilizing the ring 13 relative to the cover 5. The ring may have an outer surface with reliefs, such as knurling, to promote its retention position.

p0039The ring 13 can be secured in a countersink or directly on the bottom cover.

p0040Of 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.

p0041Alternatively, if one wishes 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.

p0042Furthermore, 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 °.

p0043In addition, the hinge member may be in one piece with the housing.

p0044It is possible to provide a single notch or more than two. The notches are made over a height less than a thickness of the ring or on the entire thickness of the ring to open out on both sides of the ring.

p0045The ring may be one or more portions be made of metal or any other mechanically stronger than the housing part to which it is fixed material.