Housing, especially for an electronic key

Abstract

Housing for an electronic key (5) of a locking system (3) of a motor vehicle (1), comprising electronics (20) located inside the housing (19), a compartment (28) located inside the housing (19) for a battery (25) for supplying power to the electronics (20), wherein the battery has a positive terminal and a negative terminal, and electrical connections (26, 27) located inside the housing (9) for contacting the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the battery (25), wherein the electrical connection (26) for the positive terminal of the battery (25) consists of two clamping arms (26a, 26b) associated with a side surface of the battery (25) and the electrical connection (27) for the negative terminal of the battery (25) consists of a contact arm (27a) associated with the underside of the battery (25), characterized in that the contact arm (27a) for the negative terminal is designed as a flat stamped and bent part, on which a contact arm is formed centrally. (27a) a free-cut spring arm (27b) is arranged,wherein the two clamping arms (26a, 26b) are resiliently designed and are designed to encompass part of the battery housing of the battery (25) such that the battery (25) is fixed in the compartment (28) by the clamping arms (26a, 26b) with a clamping force.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a housing according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] Such housings are used in particular for an electronic key, an identification (ID) transmitter or the like of a locking system in a motor vehicle.

[0003] To increase user convenience, locking systems for motor vehicles are often equipped with an electronic key. After appropriate activation by the user, a code is exchanged between the key and a control unit in the motor vehicle, for example via electromagnetic waves, so that after successful evaluation of the code, the doors, the trunk lid, or the like of the motor vehicle can be remotely locked and / or unlocked, and other functions can be triggered.

[0004] Such an electronic key is known from DE 199 15 969 A1. Inside the key housing, electronics and a battery for supplying power to the electronics are arranged. The battery has a positive terminal and a negative terminal. Electrical connections for contacting the two terminals, i.e., the positive and negative terminals of the battery, are located in the key housing. When replacing the battery, there is a risk that the user will insert it incorrectly. This can, in turn, lead to reverse polarity of the battery and resulting damage to the electronics.

[0005] The invention is based on the objective of further developing the housing in such a way that the battery, and in particular a button cell battery, is not short-circuited if installed in the key with reversed polarity. Above all, the design of the housing should prevent a reversed voltage from the battery from being transmitted to the electronics. Optionally, the housing should also be designed so that the battery cannot fall out of the housing during installation of the vehicle key.

[0006] This problem is solved in a generic housing by the characterizing features of claim 1.

[0007] In the housing according to the invention, the electrical connection for one terminal of the battery consists of at least one contact arm located laterally and thus on the side surface of the battery, and the electrical connection for the other terminal of the battery consists of a contact arm located on the underside of the battery. If the battery is inserted incorrectly, the other terminal of the battery remains unconnected, since neither of the contact arms rests on the underside of the battery. Instead, both the contact arm located on the side surface and the contact arm normally located on the underside are then in contact with the same terminal. Thus, the circuit for the electronics is not closed, and the application of a voltage to the electronics is prevented. The invention therefore provides a battery connection and / or battery fixation with mechanical reverse polarity protection in the vehicle key. Further embodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0008] The housing is particularly suitable for a battery designed in the form of a button cell. Such a button cell has an approximately cylindrical battery housing, wherein the side surface and / or the top of the battery housing forms one terminal of the battery and the bottom of the battery housing forms the other terminal of the battery. Typically, a button cell has a positive terminal located on the side of the battery and a negative terminal located on the bottom of the battery.

[0009] In a further embodiment, which is characterized by particularly reliable contact with the battery, the electrical connection assigned to one pole, in particular the positive pole of the battery, consists of at least one clamping arm. Preferably, two clamping arms are used, which further increases the contact reliability. The clamping arm can be spring-loaded. For ease of manufacture, the two clamping arms are designed as a single stamped and bent part. In such an embodiment, an excellent The battery is securely fixed in the corresponding battery compartment of the housing. This is achieved by the clamping arms gripping part of the side surface of the battery housing in such a way that the battery is held in the compartment.

[0010] Advantageously, the contact arm for the other pole, in particular the negative pole of the battery, can be designed as a flat stamped and bent part. It is also advantageous to arrange a free-standing spring arm approximately in the middle of the contact arm. Such a design also contributes to the reliability of the contact.

[0011] The electrical connections preferably consist of a metal with good electrical conductivity. Copper, copper-beryllium, or the like are suitable materials for manufacturing the connections. This ensures energy-efficient operation.

[0012] To allow for easy battery replacement, the housing can have a compartment for the battery inside. The electrical The battery terminals are located in this compartment. The compartment can be closed with a cover, ensuring a good seal for the battery within the key housing.

[0013] The following can be stated about a preferred embodiment of the key housing. The positive contact is made laterally via two spring-loaded clamping arms, which simultaneously hold the battery in place to prevent it from falling out. The negative contact is made on the underside at the negative terminal of the battery. If the polarity is reversed, both contact springs touch the positive terminal, thus preventing a short circuit of the battery and also preventing any reverse polarity voltage from acting towards the circuit board on which the electronics are located inside the housing.

[0014] The advantages achieved with the invention consist in particular in the fact that the invention offers a simple, mechanically designed reverse polarity protection. Furthermore, the reverse polarity protection can be implemented at low cost.

[0015] An embodiment of the invention with various further developments and configurations is shown in the drawings and is described in more detail below. The drawings show...

[0016] Fig. 1 shows a motor vehicle equipped with a locking system,

[0017] Fig. 2 shows a schematic block diagram of the locking system comprising two devices with a diagram for signal transmission,

[0018] Fig. 3 shows the second device of the locking system in top view,

[0019] Fig. 4 shows the second device, with one housing part removed,

[0020] Fig. 5 the other housing part of the second device,

[0021] Fig. 6 shows the housing part as in Fig. 5 with the battery correctly inserted,

[0022] Fig. 7 shows the housing part as in Fig. 6 with the battery inserted incorrectly and

[0023] Fig. 8 shows a detailed view of the incorrectly inserted battery from Fig. 7.

[0024] Figure 1 shows a motor vehicle 1 with the authorized user 2. The motor vehicle 1 is equipped with a locking system 3 as a door locking system for access authorization, which comprises a first device 4 designed as a control unit and an associated second device 5. The second device 5 is designed in the form of an electronic key, an identification (ID) transmitter, a chip card, a smart card, or the like. The second device 5 is in the possession of the authorized user 2, who thereby has access to the motor vehicle 1 within a control area 8.

[0025] The first device 4 has at least two states, the first state being a locking state and the second state an unlocking state of the car doors 6. For their intended operation, both devices 4 and 5 have means for sending and / or receiving signals 7 by means of an electromagnetic carrier wave. At least one of these signals 7 transmitted between the second device 5 and the first device 4 is a coded electromagnetic operating signal 15 (see Fig. 2). The coded operating signal 15 serves to authenticate the second device 5, whereby, if the second device 5 is authorized, a change in the state of the first device 4 can be effected after a positive evaluation of the transmitted operating signal 15. The transmission of the coded operating signal 15 occurs when the authorized user 2 operates the door handle 16 on the car door 6 or approaches the door handle 16.This triggers the unlocking of the car doors 6 according to the operator-independent keyless entry functionality. The transmission of the coded operating signal 15 can also occur automatically without user intervention as soon as the user enters the operating area 8, which, however, will not be considered in further detail below. If the user closes the car doors 6 from the outside, the car doors 6 lock automatically. The car doors 6 can also lock automatically after the user has left the operating area 8.

[0026] In addition to the keyless entry functionality, remote locking and unlocking of the car doors 6 is also possible. This can be triggered by the user 2 by means of actuating elements 10, designed in the form of buttons, visible in Fig. 3, on the second device 5, in order to grant the user 2 access to the vehicle 1 dependent on the user's actions. For example, the central locking system can be locked and / or unlocked and the trunk lid can be opened by manually actuating the actuating elements 10, by sending corresponding coded operating signals 15 from the second device 5 to the first device 4. The symbols corresponding to these functions are affixed to the actuating elements 10, which, however, are not shown in further detail here.

[0027] The locking system 3 further establishes the driving authorization for the motor vehicle 1. For this purpose, the first [component], designed as a control unit, causes Device 4 also controls the locking and / or unlocking of the electronic ignition lock or the steering wheel lock, depending on the two states. Similarly, another functionally relevant component of the vehicle 1 can be controlled by the first device 4. For example, this can enable and / or disable an immobilizer, the engine control unit, or the like. The transmission of the coded operating signal 15 for authenticating the second device 5 occurs when the authorized user 2 is in the vehicle 1 and activates a start / stop switch 11. This triggers the starting process or similar action of the vehicle 1 according to the KeylessGo functionality.

[0028] In addition, an emergency operation can be provided, for example in the event of an empty battery of the second device 5, by making the second device 5 as an electronic key that can be inserted into the ignition lock of the motor vehicle 1 for manual operation by the user 2.

[0029] The operation according to the keyless functionality of the locking system 3 according to the invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to Fig. 2. First, the first device 4 sends a first electromagnetic signal 12, referred to as a wake-up signal, to the associated second device 5 by means of a transmitter / receiver 24 as a means for sending and / or receiving signals. This brings the second device 5 from a standby state with reduced energy consumption into an activated state for intended operation. Subsequently, the first device 4 sends at least one further, third electromagnetic signal 13, which is also referred to below as a range delimitation signal. This allows the associated second device 5 to determine its location in relation to the first device. 4. In particular, it can be determined whether the second device 5 is located outside the vehicle 1 and, if so, at which point in the exterior space 23 and / or in the interior 22 of the vehicle 1. Subsequently, the second device 5 sends a fourth signal 14, containing information about the determined location, to the first device 4 via a transmitter / receiver 17. This fourth signal is also referred to as the response signal. Finally, as already described, the fifth electromagnetic signal, a coded electromagnetic operating signal 15, is transmitted between the first and second devices 4 and 5 for authentication via the transmitters / receivers 24 and 17. The signal 15 can, in particular, consist of several sub-signals and be transmitted in bidirectional communication between the two devices 4 and 5.With regard to further details concerning bidirectional communication itself, reference is also made to DE 43 40 260A1.

[0030] The wake-up signal 12 can, for example, contain an identifier for the vehicle type. Upon receipt of the wake-up signal 12, all second devices 5 located within the effective range 8 that belong to the same vehicle type are initially activated. In a further embodiment of the locking system 3, the first device 4 sends a second electromagnetic signal 18 to the second device 5 as a selection signal between the first signal 12 and the third signal 13, as can be seen in more detail in Fig. 2. The second signal 18 contains information about the more precise identification of the vehicle 1. This ensures that only the second devices 5 that actually belong to the first device 4 remain in the activated state. Second devices that are in the activated state but do not belong to the vehicle 1 are returned to the standby state.

[0031] As can be seen in Fig. 3, the second device 5, designed in the manner of an electronic key, has a housing 9, which, according to Fig. 4, consists of two housing parts 9a, 9b. As schematically indicated in Fig. 4, the housing 19 of the housing 9 contains electronics 20 for operating the second device 5 on a circuit board 21, as well as a battery 25, which serves to supply power to the electronics 20. The battery 25 is designed in the manner of a button cell with a cylindrical battery housing and has a positive terminal located on the side and on the top of the battery 25 and a negative terminal located on the bottom of the battery 25. Electrical connections 26, 27 for contacting the positive and negative terminals of the battery 25 are located in the housing 9, as shown in Fig. 5.

[0032] As can be seen further from Fig. 5, the electrical connection 26 for the positive terminal of the battery 25 consists of at least one clamping arm 26a. The clamping arm 26a is located laterally on the battery 25. Advantageously, the electrical connection 26 associated with the positive terminal of the battery 25 consists of two clamping arms 26a, 26b, which are resilient and secure the battery 25. The two clamping arms 26a, 26b are formed in one piece as a stamped and bent part. The electrical connection 27 for the negative terminal consists of a contact arm 27a located on the underside of the battery 25. The contact arm 27a for the negative terminal of the battery 25 is designed as a flat stamped and bent part, with a free-standing spring arm 27b arranged approximately in the center of the contact arm 27a. The electrical connections 26, 27 are made of a metal with good electrical conductivity. Suitable materials for this purpose include copper, copper-beryllium alloy, or similar.

[0033] As can be seen in Fig. 5, the Ge Housing 9 has a compartment 28 inside housing 19 for receiving the battery 25. The electrical connections 26, 27 are located in compartment 28. Compartment 28 can be closed by means of housing part 9b, which serves as a housing cover. After opening the housing cover 9b, the battery 25 can therefore be replaced from compartment 28. As shown in Fig. 4, the retaining arms 26a, 26b encompass part of the battery housing of the battery 25 inserted into compartment 28, so that the battery 25 is held in compartment 28 by the retaining arms 26a, 26b not only by electrical contact but also by a clamping force.

[0034] In Fig. 6, the housing part 9a is shown with the battery 25 correctly inserted in compartment 28. As already mentioned, the electrical connection 26 makes contact with the positive terminal and the electrical connection 27 with the negative terminal on the concealed underside of the battery 25 via the clamping arms 26a, 26b. If the battery 25 is inserted incorrectly, as shown in Fig. 7, the now concealed positive terminal is connected to the terminal 27. The clamping arms 26a, 26b still make contact with the positive terminal located on the side of the battery 25. This situation is shown enlarged in Fig. 8 as a detail view. Thus, all connections 26, 27 are connected to the positive terminal of the battery 25, while the negative terminal is not connected. The incorrectly inserted battery 25 therefore does not lead to reverse polarity and thus damage to the electronics 20; rather, no voltage is applied to the electronics 20.User 2 therefore notices that the second device 5 is not working and can then correctly insert battery 25.

[0035] The invention is not limited to the described and illustrated embodiment. Rather, it also encompasses all further developments by skilled personnel within the scope of the invention defined by the claims. Thus, a housing 9 according to the invention can be used not only for electronic motor vehicle keys but also for remote controls for television or audio equipment, mobile phones, or the like. Reference symbol list 1 motor vehicle 2 (authorized) user 3 Locking system 4 first establishment 5 second device / electronic key 6 car door 7 signal 8 Area of ​​influence 9 Housing 9a Housing part 9b Housing part / housing cover 10 Actuating element 11 Start / Stop switch 12 (first) signal / wake-up signal 13 (third) signal / area boundary signal 14 (fourth) signal / response signal 15 (fifth) signal / (coded) operating signal / code 16 door handle 17 Transmitter / receiver (in the second device) 18 (second) signal / selection signal 19 Interior of the case (of the case) 20 electronics 21 Circuit board 22 Interior (of the motor vehicle) 23 Exterior (of the motor vehicle) 24 Transmitter / receiver (in the first setup) 25 battery 26 electrical connection (for positive terminal) 26a, b Contact arm / bracket arm (from electrical connection) 27 electrical connection (for negative terminal) 27a Contact arm (of electrical connection) 27b spring arm 28 Compartment (for battery) QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0036] This list of documents cited by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. The list does not form part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0037] - DE 19915969 A1

[0004] - DE 4340260 A1

[0029]

Claims

[1] Housing, in particular for an electronic key (5 ) of a locking system (3 ) of a motor vehicle (1 ), with electronics (20) located inside the housing (19 ), with a battery (25 ) for supplying power to the electronics (20 ), wherein the battery has a positive terminal and a negative terminal, and with electrical connections (26 , 27 ) located inside the housing (9 ) for contacting the two terminals of the battery (25 ), characterized in that the electrical connection (26 ) for one terminal of the battery (25 ) consists of at least one contact arm (26a ) associated with the side surface of the battery (25 ) and the electrical connection (27 ) for the other terminal of the battery (25 ) consists of a contact arm (27a ) associated with the underside of the battery (25 ). [2] Housing according to claim 1, characterized in that the battery (25), which is in particular designed in the form of a button cell, has an approximately cylindrical battery housing, that preferably the side surface and / or the top of the battery housing forms one pole of the battery (25), in particular the positive pole, and that further preferably the underside of the battery housing forms the other pole of the battery (25), in particular the negative pole. [3] Housing according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the electrical connection (26) associated with one pole, in particular the positive pole of the battery (25) consists of at least one bracket arm (26a), preferably of two bracket arms (26a, 26b), that preferably the bracket arm (26a, 26b) is resiliently designed, and that further preferably the two bracket arms (26a, 26b) are designed in one piece as a stamped and bent part. [4] Housing according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the contact arm (27a ) for the other pole, in particular the negative pole of the battery (25 ) is designed as a flat stamped and bent part, and that preferably a free-cut spring arm (27b ) is arranged approximately in the middle of the contact arm (27a ). [5] Housing according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the electrical connections (26 , 27 ) are made of a metal with good electrical conductivity, such as copper, copper-beryllium or the like. [6] Housing according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the housing (9 ) has a compartment (28 ) for the battery (25 ) inside the housing (19 ), that preferably the electrical connections (26 , 27 ) are located in the compartment (28 ), and that further preferably the compartment (28 ) can be closed by means of a housing cover (9b ). [7] Housing according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the bracket arms (26a , 26b ) encompass a part of the side surface of the battery housing such that the battery (25 ) is held in the compartment (28 ).

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