JP2002339606A - Key member - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a decorative key. SOLUTION: This key member 1 is provided with an insertion part 4 to be inserted into a lock, a key body 2 provided with a head part 5 formed on one end part of the insertion part 4 and gripped by fingers, and a cover 3 covering the head part 5, and the cover 3 made of noble metal is provided with a mount hole part 11 in which the head part is inserted to be attached. The head part 3 is provided with a locking through hole 9 communicated to its outer faces, and a bonding agent 10 is packed inside the locking through hole 9. The head part 5 and the mount hole part 11 are fixed to one another by the bonding agent 10.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a key corresponding to, for example, a lock for a house or an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The above-mentioned key is made of a metal plate made of, for example, brass plated with chrome, and has an insertion portion inserted into a so-called keyhole provided in a lock and a head portion formed at one end thereof. It has a structure with. That is, the head portion is a portion to be gripped by the user's finger.

Conventionally, a cover is provided on a head portion for the purpose of further improving the gripping property or facilitating discrimination from other keys. As an example of the cover, the head portion is covered with a synthetic resin in a molten state, and is solidified in a desired shape to be integrated with the key. This type of key is commonly called a plastic head.

[0004]

According to the above-mentioned conventional structure, the mounting of the cover to the head and the molding of the head itself are performed in substantially the same step by using a mold or the like. There is an advantage suitable for mass production.

[0005] However, the synthetic resin forming the cover not only has a texture that is not sufficient, but also does not have such a property that its decorativeness is greatly improved when subjected to processing such as polishing or blasting. Therefore, the conventional structure described above has a problem that it is difficult to say that it is rich in decorativeness because it cannot deny the so-called cheap feeling. Further, according to the above-described conventional structure, the synthetic resin is combined with a metal as a dissimilar material, and there is an inconvenience that the low texture of the cover unit is more remarkably exhibited due to the comparison between the two. there were.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a highly decorative key.

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems and Actions As means for solving the above problems, the invention described in claim 1 is provided with an insertion portion to be inserted into a lock and an insertion portion formed at one end of the insertion portion. And a key body having a head gripped by fingers,
A key member provided with a cover provided to cover the head, wherein the cover is made of a noble metal, and a mounting hole for inserting and arranging the head in the cover is formed; A locking through-hole communicating with the outer surfaces of the head is formed in the head, and a bonding agent is filled in the locking through-hole, and the head and the mounting hole are fixed to each other by the bonding agent. It is characterized by having been done.

Therefore, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a precious metal cover not only has a high texture but also is particularly effective in a process of enhancing a decorative property such as a mirror gloss treatment by polishing or a matting treatment by sandblasting. Easily. Further, when such a cover is combined with a key body made of, for example, chrome-plated brass, the decorativeness or texture of the cover is further remarkable because it is compared with a base metal. As a result, the key member has a high decorativeness as a whole.

Further, according to the first aspect of the present invention, since the bonding agent solidifies in the locking through-hole, the bonding agent at that portion acts as a so-called hook. That is, the bonding agent in the locking through-hole is substantially in the shape of a shaft or a rod, and both ends of the bonding agent are bonded to the wall surface of the mounting hole. It is in a state of being locked to the peripheral surface. As a result, movement of the head in the direction in which the head comes out of the mounting hole is prevented, and the cover and the key body are fixed at the desired mounting position. In other words, the key body and the cover, which are originally easy to temporarily assemble but easily detachable, are securely fixed.

A second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first aspect, a solder material is used as the bonding agent.

Therefore, according to the second aspect of the present invention, since a solder material is employed as a joining means between the key body and the noble metal cover, even when general brass is used as the material of the key body, for example, , Processing below the A ₁ transformation point is possible. Accordingly, annealing of the key body does not occur, and as a result, a decrease in mechanical strength can be prevented. Further, according to the second aspect of the present invention, since there is no zinc elution due to excessive heating and temperature rise, discoloration of the surface of the key body does not occur, and in this respect, the decorativeness is also excellent.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, a key 1 corresponding to a key member of the present invention includes a key body 2 and a cover 3 attached to one end thereof. In this specific example, a cylinder key widely used as an entrance lock or an automobile lock will be described.

First, the key body 2 will be described in detail. For example, the key body 2 is made of brass (60 to 70% Cu, Z
n30-40%), which is made of chrome-plated flat material, and has an insertion part 4 inserted into a target keyhole, and a head part 5 formed at one end of the insertion part 4. . The head 5 corresponds to the head of the present invention. As a material replacing brass, for example, nickel silver (Cu50-75)
%, Ni 10 to 20%, Zn 15 to 30%).

The insertion portion 4 is a portion that extends linearly downward in FIG. 1 as a whole, and the right side is an abdominal edge 6. On the other hand, the left side in the figure is the back edge 7, and both sides are parallel to each other except for the tip. Also, two parallel key grooves 8 are formed on the front and back surfaces of the insertion portion 4 respectively. These key grooves 8 are in a posture parallel to the abdominal edge 6 and the back edge 7.

On the other hand, the head portion 5 has a substantially rectangular shape as a whole, and its width 5 W is equal to the width 4 W of the insertion portion 4.
It is set slightly larger than. In the head section 5, two opposed edges forming the width (sides facing left and right in FIG. 1) are parallel to the abdominal edge 6 and the back edge 7, respectively.

Further, one circular through-hole 9 for locking is formed at substantially the center of the head portion 5 in a plan view, for example. The through hole 9 for locking is dimensioned so as not to impair the rigidity of the head part 5, and the head part 5 and the cover 3
Is set to be larger than a gap between a wall surface of a mounting hole portion 11 described later and the head portion 5 in a state in which is assembled, and is about 5 times here. The through holes 9 for locking can be easily formed by cutting using a drill or punching using a press. The central axis of the locking through hole 9 is orthogonal to both the front and back surfaces of the head 5. It is to be noted that the locking through-hole 9 is only required to have a structure in which the solder material 10 can be solidified in an axial shape in the inside thereof. It may be rectangular or elliptical.

A solder material 10 is provided inside the locking through hole 9.
Is solidified and the solder material 1
A part of the portion 0 is also adhered in a thin film shape around the locking through hole 9 in the head portion 5 and is solidified. The form of the solder material 10 may be a result of assembling the key body 2 and the cover 3 or a result of processing prior to assembling the two. Here, the solder material 10 has good compatibility with brass and a silver alloy described later,
A material whose melting point is lower than the A ₁ transformation point of brass is selected. As an example, all of them are weakly active or entangled, and are based on lead (Pb) -silver (Ag), tin (Sn).
-Ag system and Pb-Sn-Ag system. These solder materials 10 do not require acid cleaning after the joining step.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the cover 3 has a rectangular shape as a whole, and the upper surface and the lower surface in FIG. The lower surface has a mirror gloss finish by polishing, while the upper surface has a matte finish (matte finish) by blasting. The satin finish provides not only decorativeness but also an anti-slip effect when gripped.

As an example, the cover 3 is made of a silver alloy, particularly a 925 sterling silver (Ag: 92.5%, Cu: 7.5%) commonly used as a decorative material. The melting point of this silver alloy is 799 ° C., which is higher than the melting points of brass and the solder material 10. Here, other materials forming the cover 3 include pure silver (Ag 99.99%), 95%
0 coin silver (Ag 95.0%, Cu 5.0%) or 958 Britannia silver (Ag 95.8%, Cu
4.2%), pure gold (Au 99.99%), and K18 alloy (Au 75.0%, Ag 15.0%, Cu 12.5
%) And Pt900 alloy (Pt90.0%, Pd1
0.0%).

On one side of the cover 3 in FIG.
A mounting hole 11 for inserting and arranging the head 5 is formed. The mounting hole portion 11 has a rectangular shape generally corresponding to the shape of the head portion 5 as a whole, and includes a flat surface facing up and down in FIG. 2, a flat surface facing left and right in FIG. It has a flat surface facing the opening edge. The depth of the mounting hole 11 is substantially equal to the length of the head portion 5 (the length from the boundary between the head portion 5 and the insertion portion 4 to the end face of the head portion 5). That is, it has a structure in which the head portion 5 can be inserted tightly.

Further, a hook 12 for conducting a key holder or a ring or the like is formed on a portion of the cover 3 facing the opening, that is, on the upper edge side of the cover 3 in FIG. The hook 12 is attached to the head 5
And is formed in a loop shape integrally cast, and protrudes in a posture parallel to the matte finish surface of the cover 3.

The cover 3 and the key body 2 having the above structure are soldered and fixed to each other with the head 5 inserted into the mounting hole 11. That is, both are assembled with the cover 3 covering the head portion 5. In particular, between the mounting hole 11 and the head 5, the solder material 10
Is filled and no gap is formed. Further, the solder material 10 is not exposed from the opening edge of the mounting hole 11.

Here, the procedure for assembling the key body 2 and the cover 3 will be briefly described. First, the solder material 10 that has been heated and melted is attached to the inside and around the locking through hole 9 in the head portion 5. And slowly cooled to solidify. In that case, the so-called soldering temperature is the A _{1 of} brass.
Since the temperature does not exceed the transformation point of about 400 ° C., it is possible to prevent the brass from being unnecessarily annealed to lower the mechanical strength of the key body 2. Similarly, since the temperature of the key body 2 does not rise excessively, discoloration due to elution of zinc (Zn) contained in brass does not occur, that is, the plated surface of the key body 2 is maintained in a beautiful state.

Next, the head 5 is inserted into the mounting hole 11 while the cover 3 is heated in advance by using a heating means such as a gas burner. Then, a part of the solder material 10 becomes
It is melted again by the heat of the head 5. Alternatively, a predetermined amount of the solder material 10 is melted inside the mounting hole 11 of the cover 3, and the key body 2 is inserted from the head 5 side into the melted solder pool.

In this way, most of the outer surface of the head portion 5 is covered with the solder material 10 and the solder material 10 enters the locking through holes 9. As described above, since the head portion 5 and the mounting hole portion 11 are set to have substantially the same shape and size, the key body 2 does not shift within the mounting hole portion 11.

Next, the key body 2 and the cover 3 in the temporarily assembled state are left standing in the air as they are and gradually cooled, or rapidly cooled by exposing them to running water. As a result, the solder material 10 on the surface of the head portion 5 solidifies while being in contact with the wall surface of the mounting hole portion 11, and as a result, the cover 3 and the head portion 5 are joined to each other.

FIG. 3 shows the joining state specifically, that is, in addition to the joining of the cover 3 and the head part 5 on the wall surface of the mounting hole 11, the solidification and the circle The pillar-shaped solder material 10 is in a state of conduction through the locking through hole 9. The cylindrical portion extends in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the head portion 5 in the mounting hole portion 11 and is supported in a double-supported state. As a result, the head portion 5 acts as a hook or a stopper. Therefore, movement of the head portion 5 in the direction in which the head portion 5 comes out of the cover 3 is restricted, and the cover 3 is securely attached to a desired position in the head portion 5. Although the joint between the head portion 5 and the cover 3 has a structure that is difficult to clean with liquid, soldering rather than brazing is employed, so that corrosion due to residual flux does not occur.

As described above, according to the key 1 having the above structure, the cover 3 made of silver 925 having an excellent contrast between the specular gloss portion and the matte portion is provided on the key body 2 having a beautiful plated surface by the solder material 10. Since the configuration is such that the key 1 is not exposed, the key 1 can be more decorative than conventional ones. Further, according to the key 1 having the above-described structure, the key body 2 is not overheated even in the joining step, so that there is also an advantage that the mechanical strength inherent to the key body 2 is not hindered.

In the above-described specific example, the blank key is used. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is possible to use a key in which a key is already provided. Further, the shape and surface treatment of the cover are not limited to the illustrated example, and may be arbitrary. Further, as the bonding material in the present invention, it is only necessary that the bonding material can be firmly attached to the cover without overheating the key body, and for example, an epoxy-based adhesive is used instead of the solder material mentioned in the above specific example. You can also.

[0030]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the mounting hole for inserting and arranging the head of the key body in the noble metal cover is formed, and the mounting hole is formed on the head. A cover having a high through-hole and a high degree of freedom in texture and design, in which a through hole for stopping is formed, and a bonding agent is filled inside the through hole for locking, and the head and the mounting hole are fixed to each other by the bonding agent. Since the key body is partially covered by this and the two are firmly connected to each other, a highly decorative key member can be obtained. In other words, the decorativeness can be improved.

Further, in the second aspect of the present invention, since a solder material is employed as a joining means between the noble metal cover and the key member, when the key body is made of a general metal such as brass, the A of the metal is used. Joining at _one transformation point or less is possible, and annealing is prevented beforehand, so that the mechanical strength of the key body can be secured. According to the second aspect of the present invention, discoloration of the surface of the key member due to excessive heating is prevented beforehand, and excellent decorativeness can be obtained from this point as well.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a key body and a cover.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a mounting hole in a cover.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an arrangement of a locking through hole and a solder material.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Key, 2 ... Key body, 3 ... Cover, 4 ... Insertion part, 5 ... Head part, 9 ... Locking through hole, 10 ... Solder material, 11 ... Mounting hole part.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A key body having an insertion part to be inserted into a lock, a head formed at one end of the insertion part and gripped by a finger, and a cover provided to cover the head. A key member comprising: a cover made of a noble metal, a mounting hole for inserting and arranging the head in the cover, and a locking through hole that communicates between the outer surfaces of the head. A key member, wherein a hole is formed, a bonding agent is filled in the locking through-hole, and the head and the mounting hole are fixed to each other by the bonding agent. 2. The key member according to claim 1, wherein a solder material is used as the bonding agent.