Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
  • H01H9/00—Details of switching devices, not covered by groups H01H1/00 - H01H7/00
  • H01H9/02—Bases, casings, or covers
  • H01H9/0214—Hand-held casings
  • H01H9/0235—Hand-held casings specially adapted for remote control, e.g. of audio or video apparatus
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E05—LOCKS; KEYS; WINDOW OR DOOR FITTINGS; SAFES
  • E05B—LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS
  • E05B19/00—Keys; Accessories therefor
  • E05B19/04—Construction of the bow or head of the key; Attaching the bow to the shank
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
  • G05G—CONTROL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS INSOFAR AS CHARACTERISED BY MECHANICAL FEATURES ONLY
  • G05G1/00—Controlling members, e.g. knobs or handles; Assemblies or arrangements thereof; Indicating position of controlling members
  • G05G1/02—Controlling members for hand actuation by linear movement, e.g. push buttons
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07C—TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
  • G07C9/00—Individual registration on entry or exit
  • G07C9/00174—Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys
  • G07C9/00944—Details of construction or manufacture

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a remote control unit, for example of the type used in conjunction with a motor vehicle key to remotely open or close the doors thereof. It is currently common for motor vehicle keys to be associated with remote control devices, housed in the head of the key or in an associated key holder. These devices are subjected to environmental aggressions, such as for example a fall into a puddle and must therefore be particularly protected, both on the plane of the seal and for impact resistance.
• remote control unit for example of the type used in conjunction with a motor vehicle key to remotely open or close the doors thereof.
• motor vehicle keys to be associated with remote control devices, housed in the head of the key or in an associated key holder. These devices are subjected to environmental aggressions, such as for example a fall into a puddle and must therefore be particularly protected, both on the plane of the seal and for impact resistance.
• the remote control device includes components such as light-emitting diodes or indicators that the seal of the prior art is limited to surrounding, thus achieving only a very relative seal.
• the components of the device are liable to move, thereby compromising not only the seal, but also the proper functioning of the device.
• this type of case, associated with a key is by nature often handled and subjected to static electricity discharges liable to damage the electronic components included.
• the present invention therefore aims to provide a remote control unit, which takes into account the different types of environmental aggression and allows to effectively and economically protect the electronic remote control device it contains.
• the seal is constituted by an elastic membrane separating the housing into two enclosures and comprising at least locally a combination of shape and predetermined physical properties suitable for performing a function distinct from the basic sealing function .
• the printed circuit comprises at least one light-emitting component and the elastic membrane comprises " at least one transparent zone, forming a protrusion constituting a light guide cooperating on the one hand with the light-emitting component. light and on the other hand with an orifice made in one of the half-shells.
• one of the half-shells of the housing is adapted to receive a supply battery of the circuit 2 electronics
• the elastic membrane comprises at least one conductive zone, forming a protrusion connecting the electronic circuit to at least one of the poles of the battery and simultaneously constituting the battery retaining spring and supply conductor.
• the housing is adapted to cooperate with a metal bit to form a key of a motor vehicle and has a through hole for a key ring and the elastic membrane has at least one conductive zone, on the one hand forming a protuberance resting on a part of the bit and extending on the other hand around the hole in the form of a protruding bead inside thereof, constituting an evacuation path static discharge from the ring to the bit.
• FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of the housing according to the invention
• FIG. 2 shows another view in the same section, showing other characteristics of the invention
• FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the membrane locating areas with special characteristics.
• a housing 1 consisting of two half-shells 11 and 12.
• the interior of the housing is divided into two enclosures by an elastomeric membrane 2 whose periphery is pinched between the two half-shells.
• the two half-shells are fixed to each other by fixing means such as clips, not shown.
• the lower enclosure, delimited by the membrane 2 and the half-shell 12 contains a printed circuit 3 equipped with electronic components 31, 32 of which at least one is a light-emitting component such as a light-emitting diode 32. These components (of the surface mounting type) are transferred to the printed circuit 3 by soldering or gluing.
• the printed circuit 3 is supported on at least part of its periphery on a recess 15 formed in the half-shell 12.
• the height of this recess is chosen to be slightly less than the thickness of the printed circuit 3.
• the membrane 2 comprises, in line with the light-emitting diode 32, a zone Z1 (FIG. 3) in which the material used is transparent or translucent.
• the diode 32 is transferred to the printed circuit 3, for example on the side opposite the membrane.
• An opening 33 in the printed circuit allows the passage of the light emitted by the diode.
• the membrane has a tubular projection 21 which cooperates with an orifice 14 formed in the upper half-shell 11. This gives a light guide which makes it possible to transmit the light information from the diode 32 towards the outside of the housing, without sacrificing the sealing of the lower enclosure, in a simple manner independent of the height of the half-shell 11.
• the membrane 2 also comprises a deformable part 22 which cooperates with a movable member 13 passing through the upper half-shell 11 to produce a control button.
• This deformable part 22 is formed, on its face opposite the printed circuit 3, so as to maintain and center a dome 35 of elastic material, capable of giving a tactile feeling of clicking when, by pressing on the movable member 13 , a contact 36 of conductive material, carried by the dome, is pressed against the printed circuit 3.
• the membrane 2 is pressed against the printed circuit 3 at least around the periphery of the dome. To prevent it from coming off the printed circuit under the effect of the pressure developed under the dome, at least one via 34 or metallized connection hole between the two faces of the printed circuit has advantageously been placed in this zone.
• the pin 23 makes it possible to support the printed circuit 3 during pressures on the movable member 13, thus limiting the relative displacements of the contacts 41, 42 on their conductive pad in order to further improve the reliability of the contact.
• the half-shell 12 may comprise, as shown in FIG. 2, one or more 4 support pins 17, placed in line with the deformable zone 22, in order to limit the bending of the printed circuit 3.
• FIG. 2 in order to highlight certain advantageous characteristics which can be obtained by the fact that it is possible, according to a known technique for producing such membranes, to locally combine materials having different physical characteristics. Indeed, these membranes are obtained by depositing in a mold blanks of elastomeric material, which will be shaped by closing the mold under determined conditions of temperature and pressure. By using blanks of predetermined color, transparency and electrical conductivity, it is thus possible to obtain a multifunction membrane economically.
• advantage is taken of the reduced consumption of the electronic device carried by the printed circuit 3 to produce the pin 23 in a material with high conductivity (for example an elastomer highly charged with carbon particles), delimited locally by the zone Z2 on Figure 3, which allows, while operating the mechanical maintenance of the battery 4 seen above, to make an electrical connection between a pole of this battery and the printed circuit 3.
• the pin 23 passes through the circuit printed 3 by a metallized hole 37 to connect the first pole of the battery 4, and a metallized track 16 on the half-shell 12 connects the second pole to a supply track 38 on the printed circuit 3. It is thus possible to remove the contacts 41 and 42 of figure 1.
• this deformable part 22 has at its center a protuberance 28 made of conductive material, cooperating with a hole in the dome 35 to center the latter under the control button, and tracks of the printed circuit 3 to operate the control contact. of the device.
• the housing 1 can be adapted to form the head of a key intended to open the doors of a vehicle. It has been found, in this use, that discharges of static electricity could damage the electronic components carried by the printed circuit 3. The most frequent path of these discharges connects a key-ring (not shown) passing through a passage 26 formed in the housing, in the bit 5, passing through the paths of least resistance that are the tracks of the printed circuit 3 and the components 31 which are reported there. To solve this problem, the membrane 2 has a conductive zone 23 which connects the passage 26 of the ring to the bit 5. 5
• a contact pin 25 comes to rest on a part of the bit 5 inserted in the housing, crossing, if necessary, the printed circuit 3.
• the zone Z3 therefore achieves a path of least resistance capable of deriving the electrostatic discharges directly towards the paneton 5, thus sparing the components.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
• Lock And Its Accessories (AREA)
• Push-Button Switches (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9525650

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Families Citing this family (17)

Family Cites Families (7)

• 1998
  • 1998-04-24 FR FR9805176A patent/FR2778014B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1999
  • 1999-04-20 US US09/674,117 patent/US6621446B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1999-04-20 WO PCT/EP1999/002669 patent/WO1999055992A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1999-04-20 EP EP99920720A patent/EP1073816A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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