Patent ID: 7690233
Filing Date: 2010-04-06
Classification: E05B,G07C,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A portable device for communication with a vehicle, the portable device comprising: a main body; a mechanical key retainer formed in the main body, said mechanical key retainer including a key handle retaining portion and a key blade retaining portion; a mechanical key retainable in the mechanical key retainer having a key handle and a key blade, said key blade releasably retained in said key blade retaining portion and said key handle releasably retained in said key handle retaining portion; a first engagement portion engageable with the mechanical key and formed on the mechanical key retainer; and a second engagement portion engageable with the first engagement portion of the mechanical key retainer and formed on the key handle of the mechanical key; wherein the mechanical key has a length and a thickness and includes a surface on which the second engagement portion is formed, with the surface extending along a longitudinal direction of the mechanical key and facing toward the first engagement portion in a thicknesswise direction, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, when the mechanical key is retained in the mechanical key retainer; the key handle includes a retraction cavity arranged adjacent to the second engagement portion, with the retraction cavity being formed to enable resilient flexing of the second engagement portion towards the retraction cavity in the thicknesswise direction when inserting the mechanical key into the mechanical key retainer; the first and second engagement portions are aligned with each other when the mechanical key is retained in the mechanical key retainer; and the first and second engagement portions cooperate to form a frictional barrier that may be overcome by a longitudinal force on the mechanical key.