Abstract:
The invention relates to a key housing with an emergency key, having a key head forming a grip part joined to an insert for insertion in an emergency lock in a vehicle when applied and an insert housing with a longitudinal form, for housing the insert when the emergency key is not in use. The emergency key can be separated from the housing if the emergency key is to be used. The key head is fixed to the insert by of a joint.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a key casing, particularly for a motor vehicle, exhibiting a key, particularly a back-up key, comprising, on the one hand, a key bow part and an insert and, on the other hand, an insert housing to accommodate the insert when the key is not being used. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   In the field of automotive engineering the document EP 0 987 389 in the name of the Applicant company, for example, discloses key casings comprising an electronic part used to identify a user of the vehicle through the exchange of electromagnetic signals, and a mechanical part containing a back-up key. 
   Such casings are particularly practical because they allow the key to be concealed within the actual structure of the casing which protects it. This is highly advantageous because the user needs this back-up key only in the event of an electrical failure, for example if the battery in the electronic part is dead or the vehicle battery fails. 
   This arrangement also prevents the key insert from catching in the user&#39;s pockets and damaging his or her clothing. This arrangement furthermore allows the size of the casing to be reduced significantly. 
   In the above-mentioned document EP 0 987 389, the back-up key comprises a bow part forming a part for holding and a metal insert which can be used as a back-up mechanical key, the bow part being fixed rigidly perpendicular to the metal insert. 
   In order to accommodate this back-up key, the casing comprises, along one of its edges, a housing forming a sleeve intended to accommodate the insert and the bow part of the key is clipped onto a corresponding opening of the casing. 
   However, given that the number of functions performed by the electronic part is constantly increasing, entailing more numerous electronic components, it is necessary to reduce the size of the back-up insert as far as possible. 
   Additionally, given that there is no hermetic separation between the electronic part and the mechanical part, special-purpose sealing means needs to be provided, and this tends to increase the cost of the casing. 
   The present invention aims to alleviate these various disadvantages by proposing a key casing comprising a key, particularly a back-up key, having a smaller size. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   To this end, the invention proposes a key casing, particularly for a motor vehicle, comprising:
         a key, particularly a back-up key, comprising, fixed together, a key bow part forming a part for holding and an insert intended to be inserted in a lock, particularly a back-up lock, of a vehicle in the event of its being used, and   an insert housing of longitudinal shape, intended to accept the insert when the key is not being used,
 
it being possible for the key to be separated from the casing in the event of its being used, characterized in that the key bow part is fixed to the insert by an articulation.
       

   The casing according to the invention may further comprise one or more of the following characteristics:
         the insert is produced in the form of a metal insert or alternatively in the form of a plastic insert,   the axis of articulation is perpendicular to a plane defined by the insert and the key bow part and may be positioned perpendicular to the axis associated with the width of the insert or perpendicular to the axis associated with the thickness of the insert,   the articulation is produced in such a way that the key bow part can be moved between a position of rest in which it is more or less parallel to the key insert and a position of use in which it is more or less perpendicular to the key insert,   the articulation is provided with means for indexing the rest and use positions,   the articulation comprises a plastic end-piece overmolded onto the rear end of the insert and bearing two diametrically opposed pegs, these two pegs collaborating with corresponding orifices belonging to the key bow part so as to allow the key bow part to pivot with respect to the insert,   the key bow part has at least one slot allowing translational movement of the pegs that form the articulation along this slot at the same time as or not at the same time as the key bow part pivots with respect to the insert so as to configure the key bow part in the rest position,   the parts of the articulation borne, on the one hand, by the key bow part and, on the other hand, by the insert are assembled by clipping together,   the key bow part comprises, at the articulation, a concave part intended to collaborate with a finger of a user so as to extract the key from its housing,   the casing comprises additional clipping-together means borne, on the one hand, by the key bow part and, on the other hand, by the key casing so as to secure the key in the casing,   the key bow part comprises, at its opposite end to the articulation, a grasping notch intended to collaborate with a finger of a user so as to extract the key from its housing and manipulate the key bow part,   in its position of rest inserted in its housing in the casing, the key bow part forms part of the external wall of the casing,   the casing comprises a housing for the electronics, which is hermetically separated from the housing for the key.       

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows, given by way of example, without implied limitation, with reference to the attached drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a casing according to the invention with the back-up key extracted, 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the casing from a different angle, with the back-up key extracted, 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the casing from the same angle as  FIG. 2 , assembled with the back-up key in the rest position, 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an extracted back-up key according to a second embodiment of the invention, 
       FIG. 5  is a view of the bottom casing shell of the key casing in which casing shell the back-up key is positioned in the rest position according to the second embodiment of the invention, 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a casing according to a third embodiment of the invention with the back-up key extracted and in the position of use, 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a back-up key in the position of rest according to the third embodiment of the invention, and 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of part of the key casing housing the back-up key according to the third embodiment of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIGS. 1 to 3  show perspective views of the key casing  1  according to the invention, from various angles, and of its key, particularly a back-up key,  3 . 
   The key, particularly a back-up key,  3 , comprises, fixed together, a key bow part  5  forming a part for holding and an insert  7  having a longitudinal axis and intended to be inserted in a back-up lock (not depicted) of a vehicle in the event of its being used. 
   The geometry of the key insert, similar to an elongate blade, allows a length (L), a width (I) and a thickness (e) of the insert to be defined, together with associated axes running in these various directions. 
   In the embodiment described hereinafter, the insert  7  is a back-up insert produced in the traditional form of a metal insert but, for economic purposes, the insert could equally be produced in the form of a plastic insert. 
   According to one aspect of the invention, the key bow part  5  is fixed to the insert  7  by an articulation  9 . 
   Thus, the key bow part  5  can be moved between a rest position ( FIG. 3 ) in which it is more or less parallel to the key insert  7  and a position of use ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) in which it is more or less perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the key insert  7 . 
   As a preference, the axis  11  of pivoting of the articulation  9  is perpendicular to a plane  13  defined by the longitudinal axis of the insert and the key bow part in the position of use. 
   To make it more convenient for the user and give the back-up key  3  greater stability, particularly in the position of use, the articulation  9  is provided with means (not depicted) for indexing the rest and use positions. 
   Advantageously, the articulation  9  comprises a plastic end-piece  15  overmolded onto the rear end  17  of the insert and bearing two pegs,  19  and  21  respectively, which are diametrically opposed. 
   The rear end  18  of the key bow part  5  comprises two walls  23  and  25  parallel to the plane  13  and provided with orifices  27  and  29 . 
   These two walls  23  and  25  enclose the plastic end-piece  15 . 
   The two pegs  19  and  21  form the axis  11  of pivoting and collaborate with the corresponding orifices  27  and  29  in the key bow part  5 . 
   As visible in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the axis  11  of pivoting is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the insert and parallel to an axis running along the width ( 1 ) of the insert. 
   In order to assemble the key bow part  5  with the metal insert  7 , the walls  23  and  25  are made with a thickness and a material that is flexible enough for them to be parted slightly to allow the end-piece  15  to be fitted. 
   According to another advantageous variant that has not been depicted, the parts of the articulation  9  that are borne, on the one hand, by the key bow part  5  and, on the other hand, by the insert  7  are assembled by clipping together. 
   To make it easier to separate the back-up key from the casing, the key bow part  5  comprises, at the articulation  9 , a concave part  31  intended to collaborate with a finger of a user. 
   When it is not in use, the back-up key  3  needs to be folded in such a way that the key bow part  5  and the insert  7  are more or less parallel to one another and needs to be fixed, preferably, by additional clipping-together means borne, on the one hand, by the key bow part and, on the other hand, by the key casing  1 , in said casing. 
   For this, the casing  1  comprises an insert housing  33  of longitudinal shape, intended to accommodate the metal insert  7  when the back-up key  3  is not in use. This housing  33  is partially covered by the external wall  34  of the casing. 
   As can be seen in  FIG. 3 , when the back-up key  3 , in the rest position, namely in the folded position, is inserted in its housing in the casing  1 , the key bow part  5  forms part of the external wall  34  of the casing  1 . 
   Finally, the casing  1  comprises a housing (not visible) for the communication electronics. These communication electronics comprise, for example, a transponder and/or a remote control, or alternatively radiofrequency communications electronics of the hands-free type. The figures depict, by way of example, two remote-control buttons  35  and  37  for locking and unlocking the vehicle. 
   Advantageously, the housing for the electronics is hermetically separated from the housing for the back-up key. This may, for example, be achieved by hermetically welding together two half-shells to form a casing once the board carrying the electronic components has been positioned in one of the half-shells. 
   The key casing is simple and pleasant for a vehicle user to use. 
   Specifically, when the casing  1  and the back-up key  3  are assembled as depicted in  FIG. 3 , all that is required is for pressure to be exerted in the concave part  31  in order to extract the back-up key  3 . The back-up key is then completely separated from the casing  1 . 
   Next, the key bow part  5  is deployed relative to the insert  7  simply by pivoting about the axis  11  and can be inserted in a back-up lock of the vehicle and operate this lock. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5  depict a second embodiment of the invention which depicts the key bow part and its insert in the position of use and part of the key casing accommodating the key bow part and its insert in the rest or folded position. 
   References identical to the first embodiment are indicated by the same numerals. 
   As visible in  FIG. 4 , the key bow part  5  is fixed to the insert  7 , in the example described produced in the form of a metal insert, by the articulation  9  such that the key bow part  5  can be moved between a position of rest in which it is more or less parallel to the key insert  7  and a position of use ( FIG. 4 ) in which it is more or less perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the key insert. 
   In the position of use, just as in the first embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the axis  11  of pivoting of the articulation  9 , or axis of articulation, is perpendicular to the plane  13  defined by the longitudinal axis of the insert and the key bow part in the position of use. However, here, the axis of articulation  11  is orthogonal to an axis corresponding to the width ( 1 ) of the insert. 
   This characteristic arrangement of the axis  11  of pivoting is particularly advantageous because it allows the articulation  9  forming the key bow part/insert connection to be very robust. 
   As in the previous embodiment, the articulation  9  comprises a plastic end-piece  15  overmolded onto the rear end  17  of the insert  7  and bearing two pegs,  19  and  21  respectively, that are diametrically opposed and form the axis  11  of pivoting. 
   The rear end  17  of the key bow part  5  comprises two walls  23  and  25  parallel to the plane  13 , enclosing the plastic end-piece  15  and provided with orifices  27  and  29  in which the two pegs  19  and  21  respectively engage. 
   When it is not being used, the back-up key  3  is folded so that the key bow part  5  and the insert  7  are more or less parallel with respect to one another and held in the rest position by additional clipping-together means  20 ,  22  borne, on the one hand, by the key bow part and, on the other hand, by the key casing, in the casing  1 . 
   As a preference, the walls  23  and  25  extend along the longitudinal axis of the key bow part  5  and exhibit positioning grooves  24  to ensure correct positioning of the insert  7  when the insert is folded parallel to the key bow part in the position of rest. 
   The insert  7  may be assembled with the key bow part  5  in a way similar to the one described in the context of the first embodiment of the invention. 
   As set out in  FIG. 5 , when the key  3  is in the position of rest, it can be stored in the insert housing  33  exhibited, for example, by the lower half-shell  36  of the key casing. This insert housing  33  is of longitudinal shape and is intended to be partially covered by the external wall (not depicted) of the casing, which wall is formed by the lower half-shell  36  and the upper half-shell (not depicted) of the casing when these half-shells are assembled. 
   The lower half-shell  36  comprises a housing  32  for communications electronics (not depicted) which comprise, for example, a transponder and/or a remote control, or alternatively radiofrequency communications electronics of the hands-free type. 
   To make it easier to separate the back-up key from the casing, the key bow part  7  comprises, at the articulation  9 , a concave part  31  intended to collaborate with a finger of a user. 
   Furthermore, it is also possible to provide, at the key bow part  5 , at its opposite end to the articulation  9 , a grasping notch intended to collaborate with a finger of a user so as to manipulate the key bow part  5 . 
   A third embodiment of the invention is depicted in  FIGS. 6 to 8  which respectively show the casing with its back-up key in the position of use, the back-up key in the rest position and the back-up key in the rest position housed in the lower half-shell of the key casing. 
   According to one aspect of the invention, the key bow part  5  is fixed to the insert  7 , produced in the form of a metal or plastic insert, by an articulation  10  and the key bow part  5  may be moved between a position of rest ( FIGS. 7 and 8 ) in which it is more or less parallel to the longitudinal axis of the key insert  7  and a position of use ( FIG. 6 ) in which it is more or less perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the key insert  7 . 
   In the position of use, the axis  11  of pivoting of the articulation  10  is perpendicular to a plane  13  defined by the longitudinal axis of the insert and the key bow part in the position of use so that the axis  11  of pivoting is arranged perpendicular to an axis running along the width (I) of the insert. 
   This characteristic arrangement of the axis of pivoting is particularly advantageous because it allows the articulation  10  forming the key bow part/insert connection to be very robust. 
   In this embodiment, the key insert  7  and the key bow part  5  are fixed to one another by the articulation  10  which, through its structure, allows the insert  7  and the key bow part  5  to be maneuvered with respect to one another on the one hand in terms of rotation and, on the other hand, in terms of translation. 
   To this end, the rear end  17  of the insert  7  has an overmolded end-piece  15  provided with pegs  19  and  21  forming the axis  11  of pivoting of the articulation  10  and collaborating with orifices  27 ,  29  of the key bow part  5 . 
   The key bow part  5  is, for its part, in the shape of a U-shaped component  26  of longitudinal shape which encloses the rear end  17  of the insert  7 . The orifices  27 ,  29  each form a slot  28   a  and  28   b  respectively which runs along the longitudinal axis of the key bow part  5  so that, in collaboration with the pegs  19 ,  21 , these slots allow a translational movement of the articulation  10  along the longitudinal axis of the key bow part  5  with a view to preparing to position the insert  7  in the rest position. 
   As a preference, the translational and rotational movements of the key bow part  5  with respect to the insert  7  are performed successively, that is to say that the key bow part  5  needs first of all to have been slid from its position of use to an intermediate position in which the pegs  19  and  21  are at the rear end  18  of the key bow part before the key bow part  5  is rotated toward the insert  7  with a view to positioning it in the rest position. 
   It is also possible to anticipate having an articulation  10  configured to allow the translational and rotational movements of the key bow part  5  with respect to the insert  7  to be performed simultaneously. The axis  11  of pivoting is then able to move and still runs parallel to itself. 
   According to a practical aspect of the invention, the various parts that make up the articulation  10  and are borne, on the one hand, by the key bow part  5  and, on the other hand, by the insert  7 , are assembled by clipping together. 
   When the key  3  is in the rest position ( FIG. 7 ) it can be housed in an insert housing  33  of longitudinal shape, formed from two housings produced in each of the two half-shells of the key casing  1 . This insert housing, once the two half-shells have been assembled, is partially covered by the external wall  34  of the key casing  1 .  FIG. 8  more specifically shows the key  3  in the rest position, housed in part of the insert housing  33  which part is formed in the lower half-shell  36  of the key casing  1 . 
   The lower half-shell  36  comprises a housing  32  for the communications electronics  39  which comprise, for example, a transponder and/or a remote control or alternatively radiofrequency communications electronics of the hands-free type and is provided with energy-storage means  40 . In this instance, the housing  32  for the electronics is separated hermetically from the housing for the back-up key by the presence of sealing means, for example a sealing gasket. 
   Furthermore, to make it easier to perform the translational movement of the key bow part  5  with respect to the insert  7  or alternatively to make it easier to withdraw the key  3  from its insert housing  33 , the key bow part  5  has, at its opposite end to the articulation  10 , a grasping notch  30  for the user&#39;s fingers ( FIG. 6 ). 
   When it is not being used, the back-up key  3  needs to be folded, in its rest position, so that the key bow part  5  and the insert  7  are more or less parallel to one anther and needs to be fixed, preferably by additional clipping-together means borne, on the one hand, by the key bow part and, on the other hand, by the key casing, in the casing  1 . Clipping-together means  22  borne by the key bow part  5  are depicted in  FIG. 7 . 
   Thus, by virtue of the invention, there has been produced a key casing that is particularly simple to use and allows a back-up key to be incorporated. 
   It will also be understood that the key casing according to the invention advantageously allows the size of the mechanical part to be reduced and allows the housing of a back-up key which may be perfectly serviceable if need be when arranged in its position of use. 
   Furthermore, by virtue of the invention, the back-up key can be mounted on the casing at a later date, and this has a significant industrial benefit when the facility for manufacturing the electronics and the facility for manufacturing the insert with the corresponding locks are situated at geographically separated locations.