IES81082B2 - A message activation device for a key and a key - Google Patents

Abstract

A message activation device (1) for use with an ignition key (4) of a road vehicle for outputting a spoken safety message comprises a key casing (10) for encasing a head (6) of a key (4). A carrier arm (26) in the casing (10) carries an activating switch (21) so that when the casing (10) and key (4) rotate slightly relative to each other about a key shaft axis (8) the activating switch (21) is closed for delivering a signal to an electrical circuit located in a housing (12) for issuing the spoken message. On turning the key (4) in the ignition switch of a vehicle by gripping the casing (10), initial rotation of the casing (10) relative to the key (4) in the direction of the arrow A through a relatively small angle is sufficient to trip the switch (29) for delivering the signal to the circuit in the housing (12).

Description

A message activation device for a key, and a key The present invention relates to a message activation device for a key, and a key, and in particular, the invention relates to a safety device for use with an ignition key of a road or other vehicle.

A not insignificant cauee of road accidents is drivers, who inadvertently drive on the wrong side of the road.

For example, visitors from a country which drives on the opposite side of the road to that of the country being visited commonly find themselves inadvertently driving on the wrong side of the road of the country being visited. This, typically, arises as visitors commence driving having arrived in the country, and particularly, after a relatively long and tiring journey. While airports and seaports in general, provide relatively large road-side notices warning of the need to drive on a particular side of the road, in many cases, these are not observed by the driver, and in many cases, the driver may not understand the language or languages in which the notice is given.

There is therefore a need for a device which overcomes this problem, and the present invention is directed towards providing such a device. There is also a need for a key which comprises a message activation device which can give a warning or a signal under certain circumstances, and further, there is a need for a message activation device for a key which would give such a warning or signal.

The present invention is also directed towards providing such a key and a message activation device for a key.

According to the invention, there is provided a key comprising an elongated key shaft defining a shaft axis, a grip means for holding the key, and a signal activating means located between the grip means and the key shaft, the signal activating means being responsive to relative movement between the grip means and the key shaft for delivering a signal to a component.

In one embodiment of the invention, the signal activating means comprises a switch means, and preferably, the switch means is located spaced apart radially from the shaft axis, and preferably, the switch means is carried on a carrier member connected to the key shaft so that relative rotational movement of the grip means about the shaft axis relative to the key shaft trips the switch means.

In one embodiment of the invention, the key comprises a key head from which the key shaft extends; and the grip means is formed on the key head. In this embodiment of the invention the signal activating means is co-operable with the key head and the key shaft.

Alternatively, the key comprises the key head from which the key shaft extends, and a casing is provided for encasing the key head, the signal activating means being located within the casing and is co-operable with the casing and the key head. In this embodiment of the invention the carrier member is located between the key head and the casing, and preferably, the carrier member is provided with a carrier foot for carrying the switch means so that relative movement between the casing and the key head about the shaft axis trips the switch means.

In a further embodiment of the invention, an urging means is provided between the carrier foot of the carrier member and the casing for lightly urging the carrier foot and the switch means away from the casing.

Preferably, the urging means is provided by a spring means, and preferably, the spring force in the spring means is less than the force required for operating the lock by the key.

In another embodiment of the invention/ the component to which the signal is to be delivered by the signal activating means comprises an electrical circuit and preferably, a voice syntheser is provided in the electrical circuit for speaking a message on being activated by the signal activating means. In one embodiment of the invention, the message is a warning, and in another embodiment, of the invention the message is a safety warning, and in a further embodiment of the invention, the message warns the listener to drive on a particular side of the road.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the electrical circuit is housed in a circuit housing, and in one embodiment of the invention, the circuit housing is separate from the key, and is connected to the key by a flexible ligature. Ideally, the circuit housing is connected to the key by an electrical cable connecting the signal:activating means to the electrical circuit. In another embodiment of the invention a power source is provided for powering the electrical circuit and ideally, the power source is located in the circuit housing. Ideally, the power source is provided by a battery.

Additionally, the invention provides a message activation device for a key, the message activation device comprising a casing for encasing a head of a key, a signal activating means being located in the casing for co-operating with the casing and the key head when the key head is located in the casing, the signal activating means being responsive to relative movement between the casing and the key head about a shaft axis defined by a key shaft of the key for delivering a signal to a component.

Ideally, the casing is provided for retro-fitting to a key, and ideally, the circuit housing is connected to the casing for the key head.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof which is given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Pig. 1 is a perspective view of a message activation device according to the invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the device of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the portion of the device of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a transverse cross-sectional end elevational view of the portion of the device of Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of another 5 portion of the device of Fig. 1, Fig. 6 is a transverse cross-sectional end elevational view of the portion of the device of Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is a circuit diagram of the device of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a message activation device according to the invention, which in this case is a safety device, which is indicated generally by the reference numeral 1 for use with an ignition key 4 of a car or other road vehicle for outputting an audible warning message warning a driver to drive on the appropriate side of the road as the ignition key 4 is being used for turning on the ignition. In this embodiment of the invention, the safety device 1 is suitable for use with an ignition key 4 of the type which comprises an elongated key shaft 5 for engaging the ignition switch or steering lock of a vehicle, and a key head 6, typically of plastics material moulded onto the key shaft 5, see Fig. 3. The key shaft 5 defines a shaft axis 8 about which the key shaft 5 is rotated by the key head 6 for turning on the ignition of a vehicle.

The safety device 1 comprises a key casing 10 for encasing the key head 6 as will be described below. The safety device 1 also comprises a circuit housing 12 for housing an electrical circuit 14 of the safety device 1. The circuit housing 12 is of plastic material formed in two halves 13 for defining a hollow interior region 11 for housing an electrical circuit 14. The electrical circuit 14 is illustrated in Fig. 7, and comprises a voice recorder chip 15 for generating the warning message. An output from the voice recorder chip is fed to a loud speaker 16 for presenting the audible message to the driver. A six volt battery 18 is also housed within the circuit housing 12, and is connected to the voice recorder 15 through a normally closed temporary override switch 20 for causing the device not to operate when the switch 20 is pressed. A signal activating means comprises an activating switch 21 for applying the six volt power supply to the voice recorder 15 for activating the voice recorder 15 for delivering the message. The activating switch 21 as will be described below is located in the key casing 10 for activation as the key 4 is turned in the ignition of the ignition lock of the case. A two wire cable 24 connects the activating switch 21 with the electrical circuit 14 in the circuit housing 12 and also acts as a connecting means for connecting the circuit housing 12 to the key casing 10. A compartment 32 is provided in the circuit housing 12 for housing the battery 18 which in this embodiment of the invention is provided by two three volt batteries mounted in series. The override switch 20 is located in the battery compartment 32 and a plunger 33 of the override switch 20 extends from the circuit housing 12 for temporarily de-activating the voice recorder 15. A compression spring 34 in the battery compartment 32 urges the two three volt batteries 18 into electrical engagement with each other.

Returning now to the key casing 10, the key casing 10 is of plastics material and formed in two halves 22 which are secured together by screws (not shown). The halves 22 are mirror images of each other, and when secured together define a hollow interior region 25 for accommodating the key head 6 of the key 4. A carrier arm 26 is located between one face 27 of the key head 6 and the key casing 10, and extends in a general radial direction relative to the shaft axis 8. The carrier arm 26 terminates in a carrier foot 28 which carries the activating switch 21. An activating plunger 29 of the activating switch 21 extends from the switch 21 for engaging the key casing 10. An urging means, in this embodiment of the invention a light compression spring 30 is located between the carrier foot 28 and the casing 10 for urging the carrier foot 28 away from the key casing 10 for preventing inadvertent operation of the plunger 29. The carrier arm 26 and the activating switch 21 are located within the key casing 10 so that when the key casing 10 is gripped and the key shaft 5 is inserted into the ignition switch of the car, and a torque is applied to the key casing 10 for turning the key 4 in the ignition, the key casing 10 is urged to move relative to the key head 6 around the key shaft axis 8 in the direction of the arrow A, see Fig. 4.

This causes the key casing 10 to engage the plunger 29 and depresses the plunger 29 in the direction of the arrow B for activating the switch 21. On the activating switch 21 being activated, in other words closed, the voice recorder 15 is activated for speaking the warning message through the loud speaker 16. The compression force of the compression spring 30 is such that it is less than the force required to turn the key in the ignition so that prior to the key commencing to turn the ignition switch the compression spring 30 is compressed for allowing the key casing 10 to depress the plunger 29 of the activating switch 21 for closing the activating switch 21.

In use, an ignition key 4 is inserted into the hollow interior region 25 of the key casing 10 so that the key head 6 is engaged by the hollow interior 25. The carrier arm 26 with the activating switch 21 mounted thereon is placed on the key head as illustrated in Fig. 3, and the halves 22 of the key casing 10 are secured together. The safety device 1 is then ready for use. When the ignition key 4 is inserted into the ignition switch or steering lock of a car or other road vehicle and the ignition key 4 is turned in the ignition switch by gripping the key casing 10 and urging the key casing 10 to rotate in the direction of the arrow A about the shaft axis 8, the key casing 10 initially commences to move relative to the key head 6 thereby depressing the plunger 29 of the activating switch 21 for activating the voice recorder 15 for delivering the message. Further rotation of the key casing 10 in the direction of the arrow A causes the key shaft 10 to operate the ignition switch in normal fashion.

While the safety device has been described for outputting an audible warning message to a driver, it is envisaged that the safety device could output any other message, whether audible or otherwise. It is also envisaged that the electrical circuit could be housed within the key casing 10. It is further envisaged that in an alternative implementation of the invention, the key head and key shaft could be mounted so that the key head is moveable relative to the key shaft about the shaft axis and the activating switch or other signal activating means would be located between the key head and the key shaft so that relative rotation of the key head to the key shaft about the shaft axis would activate the switch, for in turn outputting a signal. In such an implementation, it is envisaged that the electrical circuit could be located within the key head.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment hereinbefore described which may be varied in construction and detail.

Claims (5)

1. A key comprising an elongated key shaft defining a shaft axis, a grip means for holding the key, and a signal activating means located between the grip means 5 and the key shaft, the signal activating means being responsive to relative movement between the grip means and the key shaft for delivering a signal to a component.

2. A key as claimed in Claim 1 further comprising the 10 component, and the component is provided by a voice synthesising means for speaking a message on being activated by the signal activating means.

3. A key as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 in which the signal activating means comprises a switch means 15 located spaced apart radially from the shaft axis and responsive to relative rotational movement between the key shaft and the grip means for activating the component.

4. A message activation device for a key, the message 20 activation device comprising a casing for encasing a head of a key, a signal activating means being located in the casing for co-operating with the casing and the key head when the key head is located in the casing, the signal activating means being responsive to relative movement between the casing and the key head about a shaft axis defined by a key shaft of the key for delivering a signal to a voice synthesising means for speaking a message.

5. 5. A message activation device for a key, the message activation device being substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.