JPH0647886B2 - Key device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an improvement of a key device incorporating an electronic circuit and power supply means for the electronic circuit.

<Prior art> It is difficult to use a duplicate key by combining a key that operates a lock device that is mechanically locked or unlocked such as a cylinder lock with a code signal transmitter that uses a light emitting element or the like. In order to prevent theft more easily, a technology has been proposed (see Japanese Patent Application No. 61-271438).

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> The key device described above includes an electronic circuit and a power source for the electronic circuit. However, in order to maintain its electrical function for a long period of time, it is necessary to increase the power source capacity to some extent. is there. Therefore, there is an inconvenience that the size of the device is inevitable and the portability is deteriorated.

In view of such problems of the prior art, a main object of the present invention is to provide an improved key device that can increase a substantial power source capacity without increasing the size.

<Means for Solving Problems> According to the present invention, such an object is to provide an electronic circuit and a power supply means for the electronic circuit, and to provide a control device provided on the lock device side. A key device for transmitting and receiving a signal, wherein a solar cell is integrally provided on at least two surfaces of a knob portion of the key device,
This is achieved by providing a key device characterized in that the solar cell is supplementally charged to the power supply means.

<Operation> In this way, the capacity of the built-in battery can be reduced because the solar cell can perform supplementary charging. Moreover, since the solar cells are provided on at least two surfaces of the knob portion, it is possible to maintain the relationship that the other side can always receive light even if one side cannot receive light. You can reliably charge without worrying about.

<Embodiment> A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 to 3 show a vehicle key device 1 constructed according to the present invention. The key device 1 includes a lock 2 of a known lock device including a cylinder lock and a key 2 for unlocking the lock device, and a grip portion 3 that is gripped by a user's fingertip. The grip portion 3 is a base portion of the key 2. Key blank 4 integrally formed on the
Is made of synthetic resin so as to cover the entire surface.

Inside the grip 3 and on both sides of the root of the key 2,
A pair of light emitting elements 5 is provided. This light emitting element 5
Is an LED, for example, and is installed with its optical axis directed toward the tip of the key 2.

A contact 6 is provided at an end edge of the root portion of the key 2 so as to be able to come into contact with a terminal provided on an ignition switch side of a vehicle, which will be described later, when the key 2 is inserted into a key hole (not shown). By this contact 6, power can be supplied from the vehicle side while the key device 1 is being inserted into the keyhole.

A circuit board 9 having a code transmitting circuit 7 and a push button switch 8 mounted thereon is attached to one surface of the key blank 4 housed in the grip portion 3. On the other surface of the key blank 4, a power supply unit including a chargeable / dischargeable built-in battery 10 is formed.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the flat surface portion 3a of the grip portion 3 is embedded with the solar cell 11 on both sides thereof.
Then, the cell 11 can be used for supplementary charging of the built-in battery 10. Therefore, for example, even when the key 1 is placed on a desk or the like, one of the cells 11 faces upward, and the built-in battery 10 is reliably recharged.

In this cell 11, as shown in FIG. 2, the grip portion 3 is made of a transparent resin and provided inside thereof, or, as shown in FIG. 3, the panel surface is a flat surface of the grip portion 3. It may be exposed on the surface of the portion 3a, or alternatively, it may be provided on the side surface 3b of the grip portion 3 as shown in FIG. In particular, when it is provided on the side surface 3b, it is usually difficult for the hand to touch, and there is an advantage that the light receiving surface is not likely to be soiled.

FIG. 5 schematically shows a part of a vehicle engine control circuit using the key device 1 described above. The steering column of the vehicle 21 is provided with a key switch 22 as an ignition switch which is integrated with a steering lock.

The key switch 22 is provided to receive light from the light emitting element 5 and a pair of terminals 23 provided so as to elastically contact both contacts 6 of the key 2 in the inserted state, For example, the light receiving element 24 including a phototransistor
have. The terminal 23 and the light receiving element 24 are connected to a control unit 25 provided in the vehicle 21. An on-vehicle battery 26 as a power source, a starter circuit 27 for starting the engine, and an ignition circuit 28 for controlling the engine rotation are connected to the control unit 25.

The key switch 22 includes "LOCK", "OFF", and "ACC" in order to operate the starter circuit 27, the ignition circuit 28, and other vehicle-mounted devices (not shown) in the same manner as a known key switch for a vehicle. ]
Each position of "ON" and "ST" is set. Also,
The light receiving element 24 is disposed, for example, at a substantially intermediate portion between the “ON” position and the “ST” position.

In operating the key switch 22 configured as described above, the inserted key 2 is rotated to first unlock the steering lock as in a normal vehicle. Then "AC
When set to the “C” position, the circuit of the in-vehicle device such as a radio is turned on.

Further, press the key 2 between the "ON" position and the "ST" position.
When the push button switch 8 is pressed while rotating, the coded light emission signal is transmitted from the light emitting element 5. Then, the light receiving element 24 receives the code signal, and the control unit 25 collates the code signal with the code stored in the control unit 25. When it is confirmed that they match, the control unit 25 causes the starter circuit 2 to
An auxiliary ON signal is outputted to the ignition circuit 28 and the ignition circuit 28. As a result, each circuit operates according to the closing of the switch circuit of the key switch 22 corresponding to the position of the key 2, and the engine starts.

At this time, the contact 6 of the key 2 and the terminal 23 of the key switch 2 come into contact with each other, and the voltage of the battery 26 is applied to the built-in battery 10 on the key 2 side via the control unit 25. The terminal 23 may be used not only for charging but also as a control terminal for sending and receiving code signals.

The pair of light emitting elements 5 of the key device 1 are arranged at positions symmetrical with respect to the axis, but this is for reversing the inserting direction of the key 2.

The key device 1 described above is preferably as small as possible for convenience of carrying, but in order to withstand long-term use, the built-in battery has to be enlarged to some extent. Therefore, in the present invention, the cells 11 of the solar battery are embedded in the surface of the grip portion 3 so that the built-in battery 10 can be supplementarily charged. As a result, the external dimensions of the built-in battery 10 are reduced without reducing the substantial capacity thereof.

<Effects of the Invention> As described above, according to the present invention, the built-in battery is constantly charged with a sufficient amount of light, so that the operation stability of the internal circuit is improved and the life of the battery can be extended. Moreover, no special device is required for charging the built-in battery, which is extremely effective in improving the usability of this type of key device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a key device according to the present invention with a part thereof cut away. FIG. 2 is a side view of the same. FIG. 3 is a partial external view according to a modified embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing another embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an application example of the present invention. 1 ... key device, 2 ... key 3 ... holding part, 3a ... flat surface part 3b ... side surface part, 4 ... key blank 5 ... light receiving element, 6 ... contact 7 ... code transmitting circuit, 8 ...... Push button switch 9 ...... Circuit board 10 ...... Built-in battery 11 ...... Cell, 21 ...... Vehicle 22 ...... Key switch, 23 ...... Terminal 24 ...... Light receiving element, 25 ...... Control unit 26 ...... Battery, 27: Starter circuit 28: Ignition circuit

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Kazuhiro Sakata Inventor Kazuhiro Sakata 3700 Wadayama Shimonaka, Sadohara-cho, Miyazaki-gun, Miyazaki Prefecture Honda Lock Co., Ltd. (56) References JP 61-164435 (JP, A) 62-52656 (JP, U)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A key device having a built-in electronic circuit and power supply means for the electronic circuit, and transmitting and receiving a signal to and from a control device provided on the lock device side. A key device in which a solar cell is integrally provided on at least two surfaces of a knob portion of the power supply means, and the power supply means is supplemented by the solar cell.