GB2102554A

GB2102554A - Key for locks on motor vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB2102554A
Application number: GB08218058A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hans-Joachim Limburg
Original assignee: Tibbe KG
Current assignee: Tibbe KG
Priority date: 1981-07-07
Filing date: 1982-06-22
Publication date: 1983-02-02
Also published as: GB2102554B; DE3126774A1; DE3126774C2; ES266245U; ES266245Y

Abstract

A key incorporating a light (7) which can be switched on by means of a push-button (4) which moves a button- shaped battery (9) against the action of a spring into engagement with a fixed contact to complete the circuit to the light, has that contact in the form of a ring (21) arranged co-axially with respect to the battery (9). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Key, especially for locks on motor vehicles The invention relates to a key, especially for locks on motor vehicles, incorporating a light and a buttonshaped battery and push-button, the button acting to move the battery itself to engage a contact to complete a circuit for the light.

Such keys are known. In them the battery is in the form of a round relatively flat capsule received in the push-button, which is pot-shaped, and the contact with which the battery co-operates is formed from a small angle member which engages with one of its limbs resiliently against a contact on the light bulb and has its other limb extending towards the battery.

A particular drawback is that no satisfactory contact is achieved between the battery and the adjacent limb of the angle member when the button is actuated. Because the battery is relatively broad in relation to its height, it can easily tilt on actuation of the button. In that event the battery only comes into engagement with the angle member when it happens to be tilted so that the point on the periphery of the battery nearest to the inner end of the angle member is the part tilted furthest from the rest position. With any other tilting of the battery and of the push button mounted on it, the light is not switched on.

The aim of the invention is to overcome this drawback in particular. This problem is solved in that, in accordance with the invention, there is now proposed a key, especially for locks on motor vehicles, incorporating a light and a button-shaped battery for the light and a push-button, the push button acting to move the battery itself to engage a contact to complete a circuit for the light, characterised in that the contact is in the form of a ring which is co-axial with respect to the battery.

Preferably the ring has an external arm which makes electrical contact with the light bulb.

The invention ensures in a simple manner, despite the very limited space available, that the light is switched on every time the push button is actuated, even if the button and the battery should become tilted, which cannot be excluded as a possibility. The effective electrical contact between the contact formed in the manner according to the invention and the associated opposing contact on the periphery of the battery is still achieved after any desired number of repeated actuations of the button to switch on the light.

An embodiment of the key accordng to the invention is described in the following by way of example in conjunction with the drawings. In the drawings: Figure lisa plan view of that flat face of the head of the key on which the push button is present, Figure2 is a section on the line ll-ll in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a section on the line Ill-Ill in Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 1, the key comprises a metallic shank 1 and a head 2 made of plastics. Inserted in the latter is a housing 3 made of plastics for receiving a light which is switched on by means of a plastics push-button 4 and it throws a beam of light mainly in the direction of the line ll-ll in Figure 1 in order to illuminate the shank 1, in particular the tip of it, and, when one is inserting the key in a lock, the key opening of the lock.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the housing 3 is made up in two parts and comprises a base 5 and a cover 6 which are stuck together with adhesive. The light is formed by a pea bulb 7.

As is shown particularly clearly in Figure 3, the push-button 4 is mounted to move in the cover 6 and is of pot-like shape, being provided with an external peripheral flange 8.

Received in the round pot-shaped push button 4 is a relatively flat button-shaped electric battery 9 in the form of a round capsule, for feeding the bulb 7, the battery being in fact of a shape that gives it a portion 10 of reduced diameter. The battery 9 and the push button 4 are urged away from the base 5 of the housing 3 by a conical coiled compression spring 11 so that, in its rest position, the peripheral flange 8 of the button 4 engages against the cover 6 of the housing 3.

Between the base 5 of the housing 3 and the spring 11 there is a contact disc 12 which connects the bulb 7 and the battery 9 electrically together. For this purpose the contact disc 12 has a tongue 13 which, as shown in Figure 3, engages resiliently against a contact on the bulb 7. Furthermore the spring 11 connects the contact disc 12 electrically to an opposing contact 14 on the underside of the battery 9. In this way a side contact 15 (Figure 2) on the socket for the bulb 7, against which the tongue 13 bears, is in permanent electrical engagement with the opposing contact 14 of the battery 9.

In order to complete the circuit containing the bulb 7 and the battery 9, and therefore to switch on the bulb 7, the centre contact 16 (Figure 2) on the socket of the bulb must be connected electrically to the associated opposing contact 17 (Figure 3) of the battery 9 by actuation of the button 4 against the action of the spring 11, the contact 17 being formed at the periphery of the battery 9 and being electrically insulated from its opposing contact 14 on the underside.

For this purpose there is a contact 20 which, as shown in Figure 3, is in the form of a ring 21 through which the spring 11 extends without touching the ring 21. As shown in Figure 1 and 2, the ring 21 has an external arm 22 which is in electrical engagement with the bulb 7 and in fact this is achieved by means of its free end 23 which is bent back in a U shape as shown in Figure 2 and engages resiliently against the centre contact on the bulb 7.

The ring 21 is mounted in the housing 3 co-axially with respect to the battery 9 and parallel to the contact disc 12 but spaced away from the latter. It is supported on the arm 22 and at a point on the housing 3 substantially diametrically opposite the arm 22, this point being formed by an internal projection 24 on the base 5 of the housing 3, as shown in Figure 3. The arm 22 is clamped between the pot-shaped base 5 and the likewise pot-shaped cover 6 of the housing 3 which receives the bulb 7, the button 4, the battery 9 and the ring 21. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the arm 22 rests on ribs 25 on the base 5 of the housing 3 and is pressed against these ribs 25 by a peg-like projection 26 on the cover 6 of the housing 3, the projection 26 bearing against a resilient tongue 27 which is formed by bending out of the arm 22.

When it is desired to switch on the lamp 7, the push-button 4 is actuated and urged from its rest position shown in Figure 3, against the action of the spring 1 and towards the ring 21 of the contact 20 and the base 5 of the housing 3, in which a buffer 28 may be inserted. Then the counter-contact 17 on the periphery of the battery 9 comes into electrical engagement with the ring 21 of the contact 20 so that the circuit containing the bulb 7 and battery 9 is completed. This takes place satisfactorily even if the button 4 and the battery 9 show a tendency to tilt on actuation.

Claims

1. A key, especially for locks on motor vehicles, incorporating a light and a button-shaped battery for the light and a push-button, the push button acting to move the battery itself to engage a contact to complete a circuitforthe light, characterised in that the contact is in the form of a ring which is co-axial with respect to the battery.

2. A key according to Claim 1, in which the contact ring has an external arm which is in electric contact with the light.

3. A key according to Claim 2 in which the arm has a bent-back free end which resiliently engages a contact on the light.

4. A key according to Claim 2 or Claim 3 in which the contact ring is supported on the arm and at a point substantially diametrically opposite the arm.

5. A key according to any or Claims 2 to 4 in which the arm is clamped between the base and the cover of a housing which contains the light, the push-button, the battery and the contact ring.

6. A key according to any one of the foregoing claims in which the contact ring is arranged parallel to a contact disc which connects the light and the battery electrically together, the contact disc having a tongue by which it resiliently engages a a second contact on the light, and the contact disc being engaged by an electrically conducting compression spring which projects through the ring towards the battery and urges the battery, together with the push-button, away from the contact ring.

7. A key incorporating a light and battery for the light and push-button, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.