Portable control system for doors and the starting of a motor vehicle

Abstract

A control system (9) for controlling the opening and closing of the doors and the switching on and off of the motor of a vehicle comprises a portable device (10) and a housing part (12). The housing part (12) has a seat (14) configured to receive, in a removable manner, the portable device (10) for the electrical connection of the portable device (10) to the housing part (12). The portable device (10) comprises first control means (16) operable by the user for generating and transmitting, via the housing part (12), electrical signals for starting and switching off the motor of the vehicle and second control means (34, 36, 38) operable by the user to remotely control the opening and closing of the doors of the vehicle.

Description

[0001] Portable control system for doors and the starting of a motor vehicle

[0002] Technical field

[0003] The present invention relates to portable control systems for doors and the starting of motor vehicles. In particular, but not exclusively, this control system may be applied to motor vehicles in order to control the opening and closing of doors and the switching on and off of the motor.

[0004] Prior art

[0005] Patent publication KR 2006 0114746 A describes a key for a motor vehicle equipped with an automatic gearbox, in which the key is configured to perform both the function of a key for starting the motor, the opening and closing of the doors, and the function of controlling the gearbox of the vehicle. For such purpose the key comprises a first set of buttons each associated with a respective operating mode P, R, N and D (i.e. parking, reversing, neutral, and drive) of the vehicle gearbox, a second set of buttons for opening and closing the vehicle doors, and a button for remotely starting the vehicle’s motor. Such known device also includes a mechanical key provided with electrical contact portions, each associated with a respective button of the device, in such a way as to ensure an electrical connection between the device and the vehicle when the key is inserted into a special seat of the vehicle’ s ignition block.

[0006] Summary of the invention

[0007] The object of the present invention is to provide a safer control system that prevents its use by unauthorized users.

[0008] Another object of the invention is to provide a simpler and more intuitive control system for the user.

[0009] A further object of the invention is to provide a control system which prevents dust particles and dirt from accumulating inside the control system.

[0010] The aforesaid and other objects and advantages, which will be better understood in the following, are achieved according to the present invention having the features set out in the independent claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention are defined in the dependent claims, the content of which is to be understood as an integral part of the present description.

[0011] In short, a control system for controlling the opening and closing of the doors and the switching on and off of the motor of a vehicle comprises a portable device and a housing part. The housing part is intended to be fixed in a location of the vehicle interior and has a seat configured for receiving the portable device for electrically connecting the portable device to the housing part. The portable device, which is removable from the housing part, comprises first control means operable by the user for generating and transmitting, via the housing part, electrical signals for starting and switching off the motor of the vehicle and further comprises second control means operable by the user to remotely control the opening and closing of the doors of the vehicle.

[0012] Brief description of the drawings

[0013] The features and advantages of the invention will emerge from the detailed description of some exemplary embodiments made with reference to the accompanying drawings, given as an indication and not intended to be limiting, wherein:

[0014] Fig. l is a perspective view of a control system according to the present invention,

[0015] Fig. 2-4 are perspective views of a portable device,

[0016] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a housing part,

[0017] Fig. 6 is a side view of the control system where the housing part is in an engagement position,

[0018] Fig. 7 is a side view of the control system wherein the housing part is in a disengagement and ejection position and the portable device is at least partially pushed away from the housing part, and

[0019] Fig. 8 is a side view of the control system where the housing part is in a disengagement and ejection position and the portable device is removed from the housing part.

[0020] Detailed description

[0021] As illustrated in Fig. 1, a control system 9, configured to control opening and closing the doors and switching the motor of a vehicle on and off, comprises a housing part 12 and a portable device 10 removably couplable with the housing part 12.

[0022] In one embodiment, the portable device 10 may have an elongated shape along a main direction, having an overall parallelepiped shape.

[0023] As may be seen in Fig. 2, the portable device 10 comprises first user-operable control means 16 for generating and transmitting, via the housing part 12, electrical signals for starting and switching off the motor of the vehicle.

[0024] The first control means 16 preferably comprise a button for starting and switching off the motor of the vehicle.

[0025] Fig. 3 shows how the portable device 10 further comprises second control means 34, 36, 38 operable by the user for remotely controlling the opening and closing of the doors of the vehicle.

[0026] Preferably, the second control means 34, 36, 38 for controlling the opening and closing of the vehicle doors comprise a plurality of buttons, including a button 34 for the centralized opening of the vehicle doors, a button 36 for the centralized closing of the vehicle doors, and a button 38 for opening the rear door of the vehicle.

[0027] The housing part 12, of which one embodiment is shown in Fig. 5, is intended to be fixed in a location of the passenger compartment of the vehicle and has a seat 14 configured to receive the portable device 10 for the electrical connection of the portable device 10 to the housing part 12. In a preferred embodiment, the portable device 10 comprises an outer body with different faces facing in respective different directions, where the first control means 16 and the second control means 34, 36, 38 are arranged on different faces of the outer body (Fig. 2 and 3). The first control means 16 and the second control means 34, 36, 38 are preferably arranged on opposite faces of the outer body. For example, the first control means 16 and the second control means 34, 36, 38 may be arranged on the two faces having the greatest area.

[0028] When the portable device 10 is inserted into the housing part 12, the first control means 16 for switching the motor on and off may be arranged on a first face 18 of the outer body which is located outside the seat 14 and accessible to a user (Fig. 1), while the second control means 34, 36, 38 for controlling the opening and closing of the doors of the vehicle may be arranged on a second face 20 of the outer body which is facing the seat 14 so as not to be manually accessible to a user.

[0029] The portable device 10 may also comprise one or more connectors 22 (Fig. 4) configured to electrically connect the portable device 10 to respective connectors arranged in the seat 14 of the housing part 12. For example, the connectors 22 may be contacts, terminals, or spring connectors also known in the industry as “pogo pins”.

[0030] Preferably, the connectors 22 may be arranged on a third face of the portable device 10 which may be perpendicular to the first face 18 and to the second face 20 bearing the first control means 16 and the second control means 34, 36, 38, respectively, such that, when the device 10 is inserted into the housing part 12, the connectors 22 remain completely inaccessible to a user.

[0031] In an alternative embodiment, not shown in the figures, the portable device 10 may comprise an infrared emitter and an infrared receiver configured to electrically connect the portable device 10 to a respective infrared receiver and a respective infrared emitter arranged in the seat 14 of the housing part 12.

[0032] Preferably, the emitter and the receiver may be arranged on a third face of the portable device 10 which may be perpendicular to the first face 18 and the second face 20 bearing the first control means 16 and the second control means 34, 36, 38, respectively, so that when the device 10 is inserted into the housing part 12 the connectors 22 remain completely inaccessible to a user.

[0033] When the device 10 is inserted into the housing part 12, it may be fixed thereto and held in position by means of magnets 40 so as to prevent the portable device 10 from moving relative to the housing part 12 or to prevent the portable device 10 from being displaced outside the seat 14, for example during braking.

[0034] The magnets 40 are preferably arranged in the seat 14 of the housing part 12 (Fig. 5). For example, the magnets 40 may be arranged on a face of the seat 14 that is visible to the user when the portable device 10 is separated from the housing part 12, i.e., a face that faces the portable device 10 when it is inserted into the housing part 12.

[0035] The portable device 10 may have at least one portion made of a ferromagnetic material so as to be fixed in a releasable manner using the magnets 40 provided in the housing part 12. For example, one portion of the outer body of the portable device 10 may be made of a ferromagnetic material.

[0036] With reference to the housing part 12, such part may comprise a user-operable control means 26 (Fig. 5) for controlling the release of the portable device 10 from the housing part 12. For example, the control means 26 may be a button arranged at a relevant end of the housing part 12.

[0037] Such control means 26 may be configured to actuate an ejection member 28 comprised in the housing part 12 and arranged to disengage the portable device 10 from the housing part 12.

[0038] The housing part 12 preferably has a main outer body having an opening 42 (Fig. 6), and the ej ection member 28 is arranged inside the main outer body and is arranged to at least partially exit through the opening 42 when operated by the control means 26. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6-8, the ejection member 28 comprises a rocker element 30 and an ejection element 32. The rocker element 30 or lever may be actuated by the control means 26, so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation x, and may be provided with a rotary damper in order to minimize the vibrations of the rocker element 30 when actuated by the control means 26. The ejection element 32 may be actuated by the rocker element 30 and arranged to come into contact with and push the portable device 10 so as to disengage it from the housing part 12. For example, the rocker element 30 may directly connect the control means 26 to the ejection element 32.

[0039] In order to start the vehicle, the user may insert the portable device 10 into the seat 14 of the housing part 12 in a simple and intuitive manner. The housing part 12 may therefore assume at least one engagement position with the portable device 10 (Fig. 6) wherein the rocker element 30 is in a rest position in such a way that the portable device 10 is constrained and held in the seat 14 of the housing part 12 by means of the magnets 40.

[0040] Preferably, in said engagement position, both the rocker element 30 and the ejection element 32 may be within the main outer body of the housing part 12 and not be visible from the outside or reachable by a user.

[0041] The housing part 12 may also assume at least one disengagement and ejection position using the portable device 10 (Fig. 7) wherein the rocker element 30 is actuated in rotation about the axis x, for example by means of the control means 26, such that the ejection element 32 pushes the portable device 10 at least partially away from the seat 14, disengaging it from the magnets 40.

[0042] Preferably, in said disengagement and ejection position, the rocker element 30 may be arranged internally to the main outer body of the housing part 12, while the ejection element 32 may at least partially exit through the opening 42.

[0043] When the housing part 12 is in the disengagement and ejection position, the portable device

[0044] 10 may be easily removed from the seat 14 (Fig. 8) by a user in such a way as to increase the safety of the control system and prevent its use by unauthorized users.

[0045] When the housing part 12 is in the disengagement and ejection position, the ejection element 32 tightly seals the housing part 12. Preferably, the ejection element 32 tightly seals the opening 42 of the housing part 12 in such a way as to prevent the accumulation of dust particles and dirt within the control system.

[0046] Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described, it is to be understood that this description has been provided for illustrative purposes only and that the invention is not to be limited in any way thereby. Various modifications will be evident to those skilled in the art in the light of the preceding examples. The scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A control system (9) for controlling the opening and closing of doors and the switching on and off of the motor of a vehicle, wherein the system comprises a portable device (10) and a housing part (12), wherein the housing part (12) is intended to be fixed at a location in the vehicle interior and has a seat (14) configured for receiving the portable device (10) for electrically connecting the portable device (10) to the housing part (12), and wherein the portable device (10) comprises first control means (16) operable by the user for generating and transmitting, via the housing part (12), electrical signals for starting and switching off the motor of the vehicle, and wherein the portable device (10) is removable from the housing part (12) and further comprises second control means (34, 36, 38) operable by the user to remotely control the opening and closing of the doors of the vehicle.

2. The control system (9) according to claim 1, wherein the portable device (10) comprises an outer body with different faces facing in respective different directions, and wherein the first control means (16) and the second control means (34, 36, 38) are arranged on different faces of the outer body, such that when the portable device (10) is inserted into the housing part (12), the first control means (16) for switching on and off the motor are arranged on a first face (18) of the outer body which is located outside the seat (14) and is accessible to a user, while the second control means (34, 36, 38) for controlling the opening and closing of the doors of the vehicle are arranged on a second face (20) of the outer body which faces towards the seat (14) so as not to be manually accessible to a user.

3. The control system (9) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said second control means (34, 36, 38) for controlling the opening and closing of the doors of the vehicle comprise a plurality of buttons, including a button (34) for centrally opening the doors of the vehicle, a button (36) for centrally closing the doors of the vehicle, and a button (38) for opening the rear door of the vehicle.

4. The control system (9) according to claim 1, wherein said first control means (16) comprise a push button for starting and switching off the motor of the vehicle.

5. The control system (9) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the portable device (10) comprises one or more connectors (22) configured to electrically connect the portable device (10) to respective connectors arranged in the seat (14) of the housing portion (12).

6. The control system (9) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the portable device (10) comprises an infrared emitter and an infrared receiver configured to electrically connect the portable device (10) to a respective infrared receiver and a respective infrared emitter arranged in the seat (14) of the housing part (12).

7. The control system (9) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the portable device (10) is constrained and held in position relative to the housing part (12) by means of magnets (40).

8. The control system (9) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing portion (12) comprises a control means (26) operable by the user to control the release of the portable device (10) from the housing part (12).

9. The control system (9) according to claim 8, wherein the housing part (12) comprises an ejection member (28) operable via the control means (26) and arranged to disengage the portable device (10) from the housing part (12).

10. The control system (9) according to claim 9, wherein the ejection member (28) comprises a rocker element (30) rotatable about a rotational axis (x), provided with a rotary damper and operable via the control means (26), and an ejection element (32) operable by the rocker element (30) and arranged to come into contact with and push the portable device11. The control system (9) according to claims 7 and 10, wherein the housing part (12) is capable of assuming at least one engagement position with the portable device (10), wherein the rocker element (30) is in a rest position such that the portable device (10) is constrained and held in the seat (14) of the housing part (12) by means of the magnets (40).

12. The control system (9) according to claims 7 and 10, wherein the housing part (12) is capable of assuming at least one disengagement and ejection position with the portable device (10) wherein the rocker element (30) is actuated in rotation about the axis (x) such that the ejection element (32) pushes the portable device (10) at least partially away from the seat (14), disengaging it from the magnets (40).

13. The control system (9) according to claim 12, wherein the ejection element (32) tightly seals the housing part (12).

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