JPH01151666A - Electronic key - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide an electron key unnecessary to exchange a battery by providing a charging electrode for charge-type battery, and forming one side of the electrode into a key part an the other side into a handle part so that charging can be performed in the condition that the key is inserted into a key hole. CONSTITUTION: A charging circuit 2 is provided in a battery 1 inside of a handle part 7, and a key part 5 is connected to a minus side of the battery 1, and an electrode 6 is connected to a minus side. This key part 5 and the electrode 6 are integrally formed with each other through an insulator. When an external power source is connected to the key part 5 and the electrode 6, electricity is supplied to the battery 1 for charge through the charging circuit 2. With this structure, charge is possible during the time when the key is inserted into the key hole, and an electron key unnecessary to exchange a battery can be obtained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention is directed to a method for supplying power to an electronic key used in a door lock or a switch in an electronic device.

[Conventional technology]

A conventional electronic key composed of a key part and an electronic circuit will be explained using an example of an electronic key for a car. As shown in Figure 7, gold r
It is composed of an I4a section 31, an electronic circuit 32 that emits a light beam signal, and a battery 33 that supplies power to the electronic circuit 32. There are two ways to use the door: one is to lock and unlock the door by inserting a metal key into the keyhole of the door and rotating the lock, and the other is to emit a light beam signal from an electronic circuit.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the conventional electronic key, when the holding capacity of the battery 33 that supplies power to the electronic circuit 32 decreases, the battery needs to be replaced.There is an inconvenience of having to replace the battery. Not only is it easy to replace the battery, but it also requires a battery case, battery lid, etc., making the structure complex, and it also has the problem of poor water resistance because it cannot be sealed.

Therefore, the present invention is intended to solve these problems, and its purpose is to make it possible to easily charge the battery without replacing it, and to make the key water resistant by making it a sealed package. Our goal is to provide electronic keys that can be improved.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to solve the above problems, the electronic key of the present invention is characterized in that it is provided with two charging electrodes electrically connected to a battery, and one of the two charging electrodes is a key portion.

[Effect]

When the electronic key configured as described above is inserted into the keyhole, electricity is sent from the power supply on the keyhole side to the battery on the electronic key side via electrodes formed on the key part, allowing the battery to be charged.

〔Example〕

An example in which an embodiment of the present invention is applied to an electronic key for a car will be explained with reference to FIG.

1 is a battery, which is a rechargeable battery such as a nickel-cadmium battery. 2 is the charging circuit. 3 is an electronic circuit that generates a signal to lock or unlock the door. 4 is a light emitting diode which converts the signal output from the electronic circuit 3 into an optical signal and emits light. Reference numeral 5 denotes a key part, which is made of conductive gold Y4 and has 11 charging poles, which in this embodiment are negative electrodes. Reference numeral 6 denotes an electrode, and in this embodiment, it is a positive FF electrode, which is electrically insulated from the key part 5 and attached to the key part 5 with VC adhesive or the like. During charging, the battery is charged by two charging electrodes, the key part 5 and the electrode 6, which also serve as electrodes. 7 is the handle of the electronic key. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the electronic key shown in FIG. 1 when viewed from the key section side. The key section 5 and the electrode 6 are electrically insulated by an insulator 8 and serve as charging electrodes.

Next, a method of electrically connecting 5 and 6, which become ff[, and the battery 1 will be explained. The positive electrode 6 is connected to the charging circuit 2,
It is connected to the positive side of the battery 1 through a charging current conversion circuit composed of a diode, a resistor, and the like. The positive side of the battery 1 is connected to the positive side of the electronic circuit 3 to supply power. On the other hand, the key part 5 serving as a negative electrode is connected to the negative side of the battery 1 and the negative side of the electronic circuit 3. Note that the diode in the charging circuit works as a current backflow prevention circuit to protect the battery when electrodes 5 and 6 are electrically short-circuited.

In the electronic key configured in this manner, when an external power source is connected to the positive electrode 6 and the key portion 5 which serve as the negative electrode, electricity is supplied to the battery 1 via the electrodes 5 and 8 and the charging circuit 2, and the battery 1 is charged. Then, when the electronic key is separated from the external power source, power is supplied from the charged battery 1 to the electronic circuit 3. Furthermore, if electrodes of an external power source are placed in the keyhole as shown in FIG. 3, the electronic key can be charged while the key part is inserted into the keyhole. In Figure 3, 11 is a keyhole, 12
is the negative electrode on the keyhole side and contacts the negative electrode 5 on the electronic key side. 13 is a positive electrode on the keyhole side and contacts the positive electrode 6 on the electronic key side. 14 is an external power source, which is an automobile battery.

Next, there are two methods for locking and unlocking openings and closing parts such as car doors and trunks using this electronic key: inserting the key into the keyhole and rotating it, and transmitting an optical signal from a light emitting diode. There are two ways. On the side of an opening/closing part such as a door, there is a device that receives an optical signal from an electronic key, decodes it, and locks or unlocks the door. Further, the ignition of a car can be turned on or off by inserting a key into a keyhole and rotating it in the same way as when locking or unlocking a door, or by using an optical signal.

With the electronic key and keyhole configured as described above, the battery inside the electronic key can be charged while the key is inserted into the keyhole. Therefore, there is no need to worry about the power supply capacity of the battery decreasing or to replace the battery.

Furthermore, since there is no need to replace the battery, there is no need for a battery case made of a spring electrode or the like that makes it easy to take the battery in and out, or a battery lid that closes the battery storage section.

Therefore, it can be made into a sealed structure using integral molding, etc., improving water resistance and simplifying the structure.

Next, as a method of arranging the electrodes of the electronic key, in addition to the method of forming the electrodes by sandwiching an insulator on the gold AA key part as described above, the method of arranging the electrodes of the electronic key is to place the metal key part as shown in Fig. 4. There is a method where one electrode is used and the other electrodes are taken out from the handle of the electronic key. In FIG. 4(a), 21 is a metal key which also serves as an electrode, for example, a negative electrode. 22 is a positive electrode. On the keyhole side, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the keyhole portion 23 is a negative electrode on the keyhole side, and a positive electrode 24 is arranged around the keyhole. With the electronic key and keyhole configured in this manner, it is possible to charge the battery while the key is inserted into the keyhole.

Other methods of arranging electrodes for electronic keys include forming the key part by electrically insulating the base electrode 26 and the tip electrode 26 with an insulator 27, as shown in Figure 5, or as shown in Figure 6. Insulator 3 connects electrode 28 and electrode 29 vertically to the key part.
There are methods such as insulating with 0.

Further, in this embodiment, a case has been described in which the charging circuit is built into the electronic key, but there is also a method in which the charging circuit is provided on the keyhole side. However, in this case, the current backflow prevention circuit such as the diode shown in this embodiment needs to be built into the electronic key side.

Although this embodiment has been described using an example of an electronic key for a car, it can also be applied to electronic keys for doors of buildings, electronic devices such as computers and control equipment, etc. Further, although the electronic circuit of this embodiment is an example of a circuit that emits an optical signal, it can also be applied to a circuit that emits radio waves, ultrasonic waves, etc.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, in the present invention, by forming a charging electrode on the key part of an electronic key, there is no need to replace the battery, and it is possible to charge the key while the key is inserted into the keyhole. Furthermore,
Since a battery case and battery cover are not required, the structure is simpler and water resistance is improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a key part of an embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a keyhole part of an embodiment of the invention. , FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are diagrams showing an example of the method of arranging electrodes according to the present invention and the method of arranging electrodes in a keyhole, and FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a conventional electronic key. 1...Battery 2...Charging circuit 3...Electronic circuit 5...Key portion 6...Electrode 8...Insulator and above Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 5

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) In an electronic key having a built-in electronic circuit and a battery, two charging electrodes electrically connected to the battery are provided;
An electronic key characterized in that one of the two charging electrodes is a key part. (2) The electronic key according to claim 1, wherein the other one of the charging electrodes is insulated and provided on the key part. (3) The electronic key according to claim 1, wherein the other one of the charging electrodes is provided on the handle.