Vehicle Electronic Key Housing for Removable or Protruding Keys

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle electronic keys struggle to accommodate the diverse usage needs of users who primarily rely on wireless communication versus mechanical key usage, leading to increased costs due to the need for multiple keys with different designs.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle electronic key design that incorporates a wireless communication function component and a mechanical key, with the mechanical key being either removable or protruding, using interchangeable lower case components to satisfy both user types while sharing common parts, reducing costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the mechanical key is designed to be wholly removed from the key case, then ease of operation is improved for users who mainly use the mechanical key, but device complexity increases due to requiring a separate removable key design

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of taking out the mechanical keyVSAvoiddesign complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The key case is designed to accommodate both a wireless communication function component and a mechanical key, making it a multi-functional device that can serve both wireless and mechanical key users with a single unified design

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Device complexity

If the mechanical key is designed to be accommodated within the key case, then device complexity is reduced, but ease of operation deteriorates for users who need to remove the mechanical key completely

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedesign simplicityVSAvoidease of taking out the mechanical key

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The lower case component is designed with dynamic characteristics, allowing it to be separated from the upper case component to provide full mechanical key access when needed, while maintaining integration when not in use

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If two or more keys with different designs are prepared to satisfy different user needs, then adaptability is improved, but loss of substance increases due to waste of cost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccommodation of different user needsVSAvoidwaste of cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

A single key case design integrates both wireless communication functionality and mechanical key accommodation, creating a universal key that serves both user types without requiring separate specialized keys

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The key case is segmented into an upper case component and a lower case component, where the lower case component can be configured in different ways (with removable key or protruding key) while sharing the common upper case and wireless communication components

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS9963909B2Electronic key for vehicle

Publication Date: 2018.05.08 DENSO CORP

AI summary

An electronic key for a vehicle includes an upper case component of a key case, a lower case component attachable to the upper case component, and a mechanical key that is selected from among a first mechanical key that is used in a state of being totally removed from the key case and a second mechanical key that is used in a protruding state of partially protruding from the key case. The lower case component is selected, so as to correspond to the mechanical key, from among a first lower case component that accommodates the first mechanical key to be removable and a second lower case component that accommodates the second mechanical key to be movable into the protruding state.