EP1063374B1 - Key, specially for a motor vehicle, comprising a key blade and a gripping part - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to keys, in particular for a vehicle automobile, comprising a bit-forming part and a part of grip on which the bit portion is pivotally mounted between a position of use where it axially extends said part of gripping and a stowed position where it is retracted therein.

Retractable bit key structures have already been proposed. In this regard, for example, reference may be made to patents and patent applications DE 39 02 537, DE 42 26 579 and FR 2 640 670.

We can also refer to the patent application filed by the plaintiff under number 98 11202.

The gripping boxes of retractable bit keys are generally constituted by two half-shells which are closed one on the other.

The mechanism which resembles the bit elastically in its position extended by the actuation of a push button by a operator and which ensures the locking of said bit in its position retracted, is directly accessible to the operator if he opens the two half-shells of its grip box.

There is therefore a risk that the operator could damage this mechanism if, for one reason or another, it opens the housing gripping.

An object of the invention is to propose an insert key structure retractable which does not have this drawback.

Furthermore, the key structures with retractable insert known to this day require re-drawing most of the different components involved in the pivoting mechanism as soon as the shape outside of the gripping case is itself re-drawn

Another object of the invention is to overcome this other drawback.

To this end, the invention provides a key comprising a housing, a bit which includes an insert and a head portion which is mounted pivotable about an axis of said housing so that the bit can pivot between a position where it is retracted into the housing and a position of use where it came out with respect to said housing, as well as means forming a spring which ensures the elastic return of the bit in its extended position, under the effect of the actuation of a push button, characterized in that it includes a support piece including less part is juxtaposed at the head of the bit, means spring which ensure the elastic return of the bit forming part bearing at one end on said support piece and at their other end on the head bit, said head and said support part being inserted in a housing at the front of the housing, so that the support part is blocked in said housing, while the bit can pivot between its position retracted and its position extended.

• le logement à l'avant du boítier est ménagé dans une portion de celui-ci qui est d'une pièce ;
• la tête du panneton est une tête creuse dans laquelle sont reçus des moyens ressort et qui est fermée par la pièce support ;
• la pièce support comporte une paroi qui ferme la tète du panneton, ainsi qu'un bord qui est juxtaposé à ladite tête et dont la forme est complémentaire de celle de ladite tête de sorte que ledit bord contribue à guider la tête dans son pivotement ;
• la pièce formant support est de section en U et comporte une deuxième paroi qui s'étend parallèlement à la première, de l'autre côté de la tête du panneton ;
• les moyens ressort dans la tête creuse du panneton comportent un ressort hélicoïdal et/ou un ressort en spirale ;
• la clef comporte une pièce formant pivot, de forme générale cylindrique, qui s'étend dans la tête du panneton et à travers la pièce support ;
• la pièce formant pivot se termine par un bouton poussoir et un ressort hélicoidal, comprimé par ledit bouton poussoir, est reçu dans ladite pièce formant pivot ;
• la pièce support et la pièce formant pivot comportent l'une des encoches, l'autre des pattes complémentaires qui coopèrent ensemble pour rendre la pièce formant pivot et la tête du panneton solidaires en rotation pour bloquer la pièce formant pivot et le panneton lorsque celui-ci est dans sa position sortie ou dans sa position escamotée ;
• le bouton poussoir est une pièce indépendante de la pièce formant pivot, qui peut être individualisée pour chaque boítier.

The invention is advantageously supplemented by the following different characteristics, taken alone or in all their possible combinations:

• the housing at the front of the housing is formed in a portion thereof which is in one piece;
• the head of the bit is a hollow head in which spring means are received and which is closed by the support piece;
• the support piece comprises a wall which closes the head of the bit, as well as an edge which is juxtaposed with said head and whose shape is complementary to that of said head so that said edge contributes to guiding the head in its pivoting;
• the support piece is of U-shaped cross-section and has a second wall which extends parallel to the first, on the other side of the head of the bit;
• the spring means in the hollow head of the bit comprise a helical spring and / or a spiral spring;
• the key comprises a part forming a pivot, of generally cylindrical shape, which extends in the head of the bit and through the support part;
• the pivot piece ends in a push button and a helical spring, compressed by said push button, is received in said pivot piece;
• the support piece and the pivot piece comprise one of the notches, the other of the complementary lugs which cooperate together to make the pivot piece and the head of the bit integral in rotation to block the pivot piece and the bit when the latter it is in its extended position or in its retracted position;
• the push button is a separate piece from the pivot piece, which can be individualized for each case.

• la figure 1 est une représentation schématique en perspective d'une clef conforme à un mode de réalisation possible de l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une représentation schématique en vue en coupe partielle de la clef de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 3 est une représentation schématique en vue de dessus de la clef des figures 1 et 2 ;
• la figure 4 est une représentation schématique en vue en perspective éclatée du bloc dans lequel est intégré le mécanisme de pivotement de l'insert ;
• la figure 5 est une représentation schématique en vue en perspective éclatée du même bloc, vu différemment ;
• la figure 6 et la figure 7 sont des représentations schématiques en perspective de deux variantes possibles pour des supports de pivot d'un bloc de mécanisme de pivotement d'une clef conforme à un mode de réalisation possible de l'invention.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description which follows. This description is purely illustrative and not limiting. It must be read in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:

• Figure 1 is a schematic perspective representation of a key according to a possible embodiment of the invention;
• Figure 2 is a schematic representation in partial sectional view of the key of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a schematic representation from above of the key of Figures 1 and 2;
• Figure 4 is a schematic representation in exploded perspective view of the block in which is integrated the pivot mechanism of the insert;
• Figure 5 is a schematic representation in exploded perspective view of the same block, seen differently;
• Figure 6 and Figure 7 are schematic perspective views of two possible variants for pivot supports of a pivot mechanism block of a key according to a possible embodiment of the invention.

The mechanical key which is illustrated in the figures has a part 1 forming a bit and a case 2.

Part 1 forming a bit comprises a flat metal insert 3 and a part 4 which constitutes the head of the insert and which is made of a material plastic and is overmolded on an end portion of said insert.

The housing 2 has a generally flat parallelepiped shape rounded.

It has a blind housing L which extends in its edge and which is opening on one side of said housing 2 at the front and on a portion in the length of it.

Note that throughout this text, the qualifiers front / rear must be understood in relation to the direction of introduction of the metal insert 3 in the barrel of a lock, the metal insert 3 being at the front of the key when it comes out of the case 2, the case 2 then being at the rear.

Housing L receives a pivoting mechanism block at the front of which the head 4 is a part, its rear part which opens onto the edge side of the housing 2 being for its part intended to receive the metal insert flat 3 when the latter is in its retracted position.

Note that the front part of the housing 2, in which is formed the housing L is molded in one piece. The rear part of this piece can be conformed to the shell and receive control electronics RF or IR type distance. This half-shell is then closed by a another half-shell or a hatch which relates to this rear part.

The head 4 of the part 1 forming a bit is a hollow head in which extends a helical spring 5 whose axis is perpendicular to the plane of the insert 3. This spring 5 bears on the bottom 6 of said head hollow 4.

This hollow head 4 also has inside a bearing plate 7, parallel to the plane of the insert 3, on which is received a flat spring in spiral 8.

This flat spring 8 ends with two end branches which extend perpendicularly to said spring, one of these branches (the one at its smallest diameter) engaging in a holding hole (not shown in the figures) that the bearing 7 has to receive it, the other (the one at its largest diameter) engaging in a holding slot 10 which is provided in a part 9 forming support.

This part 9 has a main wall 11 and an edge 12 which extends from said wall 11, perpendicular thereto.

The wall 11 is intended to be attached to said hollow part 4 to close it. It has a central allowance 11a whose edges are generally circular in shape. The diameter of this allowance is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the hollow head 4, so that this extra thickness 11a helps guide the head 4 in its pivoting around its axis.

The edge 12 is also shaped so as to guide externally the head 4 in its pivoting around its axis.

In addition, the bottom of the part 4 has a pivot pin P which extends projecting from said bottom, outside of part 4 and which is centered on the pivot axis of said part 4.

This pawn P defines with a part 13 which will now be described a pivot axis for the whole of part 1 forming a bit.

This part 13 is a generally cylindrical part with the interior of which extends the helical spring 5, the diameter of which outside is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of said part 13.

This part 13 is intended to be received partially in the head 4 and through the wall 11.

The diameter of the orifice 14 that the wall 11 has for this purpose is slightly greater than the diameter of the through part of said part 13.

This part 13 also has two legs 15 which extend in protruding outside said part 13, on the side of said part 4, on substantially half the height of the piece 13. The axes along which these legs 15 extend are separated by 145 ° relative to each other.

These legs 15 are received in complementary notches (not shown) that presents the part 4 so that the part 13 is integral in rotation with said part 4.

The wall 11 has meanwhile, on the edge of the orifice 14, notches 16 which are intended to receive the legs 15 on the one hand in the output position of the piece 1 forming a bit and on the other hand in its retracted position, to block the part 13 forming a pivot and the assembly of the part 1 which is integral with it in rotation, in one or the other of these two positions. Thus, the pivot piece 13 and the hollow sheet 4 of the bit are integral in rotation via the legs 15, the part forming pivot 13 and the support part 9 being in turn movable in rotation one compared to each other. The tabs and the notches 15 cooperate to block the pivot piece and the bit when the latter is in its position out or in its retracted position.

The pivoting mechanism also includes a cap 17 which has a foot 18 intended to come to bear on the helical spring 5, inside the part 13 forming a pivot.

At its end receiving said foot 18, said part 13 forming a pivot has an inner annular bulge which cooperates with a groove annular that said foot 18 has to achieve a snap resiliently locking the cap 17 on the part 13.

As can be seen more particularly in Figures 1 to 3, the pivoting mechanism which has just been described is intended to be received in the front part of the housing L, which front part has a shape complementary to the block that constitutes the head 4 and the part 9 attached to it.

The wall of the housing 2 against which is directly juxtaposed the wall 11 is crossed by an orifice 19 which receives the head of the cap 17 and possibly the upper part of the part 13 forming a pivot.

The wall of the housing 2 which is opposite to this orifice 19 has quant to it a housing 20 in which is received the pin P forming a pivot and which is in a form complementary to this one.

The assembly of the key which has just been described is done in the manner next.

The two springs 5 and 8 are initially placed in the head hollow 4, the inner end of the spiral spring 8 being engaged in the retaining orifice provided for receiving it in said head 4.

then introduces the part 13 forming a pivot on the helical spring 5, positioning it so that these tabs 15 engage in the additional notches provided for this purpose in the head 4.

Then, the support piece 9 is attached to said head 4 and said piece 13 forming a pivot. Said part 9 is positioned so that part 1 forming a bit is in abutment with respect to the edge 12, in the position which must be its own with respect to said edge 12 in its position not retracted.

The end of the coil spring 8 at the largest diameter of this spring is engaged in the holding slot 10 that the part 9 present.

Then, the block thus constituted is forcibly engaged in the housing L of the case 2, keeping the coil spring 5 compressed.

We then place the cap 17 intended to constitute the button actuation on the part 13 forming a pivot by inserting its foot 18 of so that its annular groove cooperates with the annular bulge inside the end of the part 13.

It will be noted that this cap 17 can be personalized from a housing to another.

The pivoting key is then in its non-retracted position and ready to use

To tilt the insert into its position where it is retracted to inside the case, the operator presses the button that constitutes the head of the cap to disengage the lugs 15 from the part 13 forming a pivot by compared to the complementary notches 16 in which these legs 15 were engaged in the non-retracted position of part 1 forming bit.

Then, the operator folds down part 1 inside the housing L in opposing the torsional force of the flat spiral spring 5.

When part 1 forming a bit reaches the end of its travel in said housing L, the legs 15 of the part 13 forming a pivot are found at again engaged in the notches 16 of the part 9 forming a support for the makes the pushing force that the helical spring 5 exerts on the cap 17

When he wants to get the insert out of the box, the operator presses the button that constitutes the head of said cap 17. In doing so, it disengages the legs 15 relative to the notches 16.

Due to the torsional torque exerted by the flat spiral spring 8, the part 1 forming a bit is elastically recalled to its position where the insert is completely out of the housing and is in abutment on the edge 12.

In this position, the lugs 15 of the part 13 forming a pivot are at again engaged in the notches 16 of the part 9 forming a support.

It should be noted that after mounting, a user has no access at all to the pivoting mechanism, and that the part 1 forming a bit is retracted or not.

With the structure which has just been described, the pivoting mechanism no longer worries about being damaged.

Other alternative embodiments of the invention are of course conceivable.

In particular, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the wall 11 of the room 9 forming a support could be split, the part 9 then having a U-shaped cross section whose bottom would be constituted by the edge 12 In this case, the pivot pin P projecting from the bottom 6 of the head 4 is received in the orifice 14 of one of the two walls 11.

Once the swivel mechanism is mounted on the support shown in Figure 7, the block thus formed is put in place by force in accommodation L.

Alternatively also, the spring means could not include a single coil spring which, in place of springs 5 and 8, would be used for times to recall bit 1 to its extended position and to push the button pusher 17.

Claims (10)

1. Key, in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a casing (2), a bit (1) which comprises an insert (3) and a part forming a head (4) which is mounted so as to pivot about an axis of the said casing (2) so that the bit (1) can pivot between a position in which it is retracted in the casing (2) and a position of use in which it is deployed with respect to the said casing (2), as well as means forming a spring which provide the elastic return of the bit (1) into its deployed position, under the effect of the actuation of a push button, characterised in that it comprises a support piece (9), at least part of which is juxtaposed with the head (4) of the bit (1), spring means (5; 8) which provide the elastic return of the part forming a bit (1) bearing at one end on the said support piece (9) and at their other end on the head (4) of the bit (1), the said head (4) and the said support piece (9) being inserted in a housing (L) at the front of the casing (2), so that the support piece (9) is locked in the said housing, whilst the bit (1) can pivot between its retracted position and its deployed position.
2. Key according to Claim 1, characterised in that the housing (L) at the front of the casing (2) is provided in a portion thereof which is in one piece.
3. Key according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the head (4) of the bit is a hollow head in which spring means (5; 8) are received and which is closed by the support piece (9).
4. Key according to Claim 3, characterised in that the support piece (9) comprises a wall (11) which closes the head (4) of the bit (1), as well as an edge (12) which is juxtaposed with the said head (4) and whose shape is complementary to that of the said head (4) so that the said edge helps to guide the head (4) in its pivoting.
5. Key according to Claim 4, characterised in that the piece forming a support (9) has a U-shaped cross-section and comprises a second wall which extends parallel to the first, on the other side of the head (4) of the bit (1).
6. Key according to one of Claims 3 to 5, characterised in that the spring means (5; 8) in the hollow head (4) of the bit (1) comprise a helical spring and/or a spiral spring.
7. Key according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises a piece forming a pivot, cylindrical in shape overall, which extends in the head (4) of the bit (1) and through the support piece (9).
8. Key according to Claims 6 and 7, characterised in that the piece forming a pivot (13) ends in a push button (17) and in that a helical spring (5), compressed by the said push button (17), is received in the said piece forming a pivot (13).
9. Key according to Claim 8, characterised in that the support piece (9) and the piece forming a pivot (13) comprise in one case notches and in the other case complementary lugs which cooperate together to make the piece forming a pivot (13) and the head (4) of the bit (1) integral in rotation in order to lock the piece forming a pivot (13) and the bit (1) when the latter is in its deployed position or in its retracted position.
10. Key according to one of Claims 8 or 9, characterised in that the push button (17) is a piece independent of the piece forming a pivot (13), which can be individualised for each casing (2).

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