EP1832699B1 - Key with contact device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a key having a contact means for transmitting electrical signals between the key and a corresponding lock. Furthermore, the invention relates to an electronic lock with a key of the type mentioned.

Purely mechanical cylinder locks today satisfy many requirements, especially in safety-relevant areas, not sufficiently. Therefore, locking systems often have additional electronic security means both on the key and on the lock. For the transmission of electrical signals between the electronic security means of the lock and the key keys are used which have a contact device.

Contact devices of the above type are known in principle. So far, the key bit of keys with such a contact device is often molded from plastic, wherein in the key bit a longitudinal groove is provided, in which a circuit board is arranged with conductor tracks. The tracks of the board allow the transmission of signals between the key tip and the Reide, in which usually the key-side elements of an electronic locking system, such as a transponder, are arranged.

A disadvantage of such keys are the relatively high production costs, primarily due to the complicated and expensive injection process of the key bit are conditional. In addition, the longitudinal groove of the key bit, which is intended for receiving the board significantly reduces the stability of the key. Also, the printed circuit traces of the board are susceptible to the mechanical stresses that inevitably occur during use.

The FR 2 738 586 A1 and the EP 0 490 008 A1 each discloses a key having the features of the preamble of claim 1.

The invention has for its object to provide a cost-effective and robust key with a contact device, which ensures a reliable contact between the electronic security means of a lock and a key. At the same time, the stability of the key should not be reduced by the contact device.

The solution of this object is achieved by the features of claim 1.

The key according to the invention is thus characterized in that at least one first contact line is not arranged in a longitudinal groove described above, but in a cavity which is formed along the key bit substantially parallel to its longitudinal extent. As a result, on the one hand this first contact line is protected, on the other hand, the stability of the key bit is substantially retained.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are set forth in the subclaims, the description and the drawings.

The wall of the cavity is formed in an embodiment of the key according to the invention - apart from the lock side and of the reidseitigen end of the key bit - substantially without interruption. A particularly good protection of the contact line and a particularly high stability of the key is thus achieved when the cavity is limited by a circumferential wall, which is formed by the key bit.

According to an advantageous and inexpensive development of the invention, the first contact line is an insulated wire.

Particularly cost-effective and stable is an embodiment of the key according to the invention, in which the key bit is at least partially or even completely made of metal and is electrically conductive. Thus, the key bit itself can act as a second contact line. On the one hand, such a second contact line is very robust, on the other hand, thereby the cavity of the key bit can be made very space-saving, since he has to record only one contact line.

In an advantageous and stable development of the invention, the cavity is arranged substantially centrally with respect to the cross section of the key bit. The cavity may have a substantially cylindrical shape and may be a bore in a particularly simple embodiment.

In the lock-side open end of the cavity of the key bit, so in the opposite end of the Reide cavity, an insulating sleeve is pressed. This insulating sleeve can be made for example of plastic or other electrically insulating material.

Furthermore, at least in part, a contact tip is arranged inside the insulating sleeve. Among other things, this contact tip is intended to ensure contact with a corresponding part of the contact device of the associated lock for transmitting electrical signals between the key and the lock. For this purpose, the contact tip is electrically conductively connected to one end of the first contact line.

By a potting compound, the first contact line can be fixed in the cavity. The potting compound can fill the volume of the cavity not filled by other components, partly or completely. The potting compound also supports the stability of the key bit and contributes - if a suitable Vergussmassenmaterials - to the isolation of the first contact line.

In the Reide of the key according to the invention, the key-side components of the electronic locking system can be arranged. These may be, for example, memory elements, transponders, air coils or other components, which are then connected to the free end of both the first and the second contact line.

Such a key, i. a key with a cavity through which a first contact line is routed exhibits advantageous characteristics regarding the stability of the key bit and the reliability of the transmission of electrical signals between the electronic security means of an electronic locking system compared to the keys used hitherto.

As an additional security element, the key bit can be mechanically coded.

The invention further relates to an electronic locking system with a key according to one of the described embodiments.

Fig. 1

schematisch eine Seitenansicht einer Ausführungsform eines erfindungsgemäßen Schlüssels,

Fig. 2

einen schematischen Querschnitt durch den Schlüsselbart des in Fig. 1 dargestellten Schlüssels, und

Fig. 3

einen schematischen Querschnitt parallel zur Zeichenebene des in Fig. 1 dargestellten Schlüssels.

The invention is described below purely by way of example with reference to advantageous embodiments and with reference to the drawings. Show it:

Fig. 1

schematically a side view of an embodiment of a key according to the invention,

Fig. 2

a schematic cross section through the key bit of in Fig. 1 key shown, and

Fig. 3

a schematic cross-section parallel to the plane of the in Fig. 1 key shown.

Fig. 1 schematically shows a key 10. This includes a Reide 12 and a key bit 14. On the key bit 14, a mechanical coding 16 is provided.

The key 10 is a reversible key and may be used with a cylinder lock (not shown). The Reide 12 includes electronic components (not shown), which are to be connected via two contact lines with corresponding contacts in a suitable cylinder lock (not shown). For this purpose, the key bit 14 is made of metal and is therefore electrically conductive. The key bit 14 thus represents itself one of the contact lines. A second contact line, the Fig. 1 is not visible, runs inside the Schlüsselbarts 14. The lock-side end of the Schlüsselbarts 14th has an insulating sleeve 18 which separates a contact tip 20 from the key bit 14 and electrically isolated. The contact tip 20 may be made of, for example, stainless steel or (nickel plated) brass. It is connected to the inside of the Schlüsselbarts 14 extending insulated contact line.

Fig. 2 shows a cross section of the key bit 14 of the key 10 perpendicular to its longitudinal extent along the section line CC 'in Fig. 1 (not to scale). The key bit 14 is substantially rectangular in shape. However, the central part is made thickened and has a substantially circular cross-section. In other words, the cross section of the key bit 14 can be described as a superposition of a rectangle with a circle. The thickened region has a beard bore 22 in its center. In the beard hole 22, the insulating sleeve 18 is arranged, which surrounds the contact tip 20.

Basically, a variety of different key bit profiles is conceivable.

Fig. 3 shows the key 10 of the Fig. 1 in a cross section parallel to the drawing plane in an enlarged view. The key bit 14 has the already described beard hole 22, which is arranged in this embodiment, centrally in the key bit 14 along its longitudinal extent. In the beard hole 22 of the contact wire 24 is arranged. By a potting compound 26, which can only partially fill the space between the contact wire 24 and the key bit 14, the contact wire 24 is fixed and the key bit 14 stabilized.

The lock-side end of the key bit 14 has the contact tip 20, which is electrically conductively connected to the contact wire 24. To electrically insulate the contact tip 20 from the metallic key bit 14, the insulating sleeve 18 into which the contact tip 20 is inserted is provided.

The key bit 14 is attached by means of pin-like fixing elements 28 on the upper and lower shell of the Reide. In this illustration, only the Reidenunterschale 32 is shown. The Reidenunterschale 32 has a Reidenhohlraum 30 which can accommodate the connectable to the contact wire 24 key-side components (not shown) of the electronic security means of the electronic locking system.

In the manufacture of the key 10 according to the invention, for example, first the contact tip 20 is soldered to the insulated contact wire 24. Subsequently, the soldered to the contact wire 24 contact tip 20 is pressed into the insulating sleeve 18. Finally, the entirety of the contact tip 20, insulating sleeve 18 and contact wire 24 is inserted into the beard hole 22, whereupon the insulating sleeve 18 is pressed into the lock-side end of the beard hole 22. In the beard hole 22, the potting compound 26 is then introduced.

Subsequently, the key bit 14 is connected by means of the fixing elements 28 with one of the shells of the Reide 12. The components located in the Reidenhohlraum 30 are contacted with the contact wire 24 and the electrically conductive key bit 14. Subsequently, the second shell of the Reide 12 is placed and connected to the first Reidenschale (eg ultrasonic welding).

The key 10 according to the invention is therefore simple and can be produced in a few steps. A cost effective and robust key 10 is provided which provides a simple and reliable electrical connection between electronic components in the reide and the lock. The stability of the key bit 14 is maintained despite the built-in contact device.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

key

12

bow

14

bit

16

encoding

18

insulating sleeve

20

contact tip

22

Bart hole

24

contact wire

26

potting compound

28

fixing

30

Reid cavity

32

Reid lower shell

CC '

intersection

Claims (9)

1. A key with a bow (12), a key bit (14) and a contact tip (20), said key having a contact device for transferring electric signals between the key and a lock, wherein the contact device includes a first and a second contact line,
   wherein the key bit (14) has a hollow space (22) extending in parallel to its longitudinal extent; and wherein the first contact line is arranged in the hollow space (22),
   characterised in that
   the cross-section of the key bit (14) is designed in a thickened manner in the region of the hollow space (22), with the thickened region having a substantially circular cross-section in a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal extent; and
   in that an insulating sleeve (18) is pressed into the end of the hollow space (22) of the key bit (14) remote from the bow (12), with the contact tip (20) being pressed at least partly into the insulating sleeve (18) and the contact tip (20) being electrically conductively connected to the end of the first contact line remote from the bow (12).
2. A key in accordance with claim 1,
   characterised in that
   the hollow space (22) is bounded by a peripheral wall which is formed by regions of the key bit (14).
3. A key in accordance with claim 1 or claim 2,
   characterised in that
   the first contact line is an insulated wire (24).
4. A key in accordance with any one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   the key bit (14) comprising metal at least regionally, and preferably completely, forms second contact line.
5. A key in accordance with any one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   the hollow space (22) is arranged substantially centrally with respect to the cross-section of the key bit (14), with the hollow space (22) in particular having a cylindrical shape, in particular being a bore.
6. A key in accordance with any one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   the first contact line is fixed at least regionally by a casting compound (26) within the hollow space (22).
7. A key in accordance with any one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   the key bit (14) is mechanically coded.
8. A key in accordance with any one of the preceding claims,
   characterised in that
   at least one electronic component, in particular a transponder, is arranged in the bow (12) and is electrically conductively connected to the contract device via the first and the second contact line.
9. An electronic locking system having a key in accordance with any one of the preceding claims.

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