DE29911232U1 - Locking system for doors with locking position indicator on the key - Google Patents

Description

Dr. Michael ADOLPH, Höhenstrasse 58, 88142 Wasserburg

Locking system for doors with locking position indicator on the key

The present invention relates to a locking system for doors, in particular motor vehicle doors, which consists of at least one lock and at least one key, wherein the lock has a locking device which can be brought manually or by a motor reversibly into at least two locking positions, an unlocking position or a locking position, and wherein the lock is connected to a receiver which receives wirelessly transmitted remote control signals from the key provided with a transmitter in order to bring the locking device reversibly from one locking position into another locking position by means of the motor.

Nowadays, remote controls are often used in practice to unlock or lock doors by wirelessly transmitting remote control signals from a key to the corresponding door lock, as is the case with motor vehicles, for example. Controlling the locking status of the lock is only possible indirectly. In the case of a motor vehicle, the user of the remote control can observe the retraction of the door locking pins when a locking signal is sent to the lock, for example (in the case of the unlocking

signals their opposite movement), which are usually located on the upper edge of the door panel inside the vehicle. At the same time, if the user is standing close enough to the vehicle, he can hear a noise associated with the locking or unlocking process. If the user does not pay attention to the retraction movement of the locking pins or to the noise, he has no certainty that the locking process has really been carried out safely and with the desired result when he has moved away from the vehicle.

In addition, it is difficult to observe the complete retraction of the locking pins as a sign of locking in the dark or in places with poor visibility, such as underground car parks. If the user is still at a certain distance from the vehicle, it is completely impossible for him to determine whether the vehicle has actually been reliably locked or opened.

Although the user can observe the transmission of the signal from the key transmitter to the lock by the brief lighting of an indicator lamp in most of these known locking systems with wireless remote control, this does not guarantee that the vehicle has been reliably locked.

DE 43 27 294 A1 discloses a locking system in which the key is provided with a display device for displaying the locking state of a key lock. The function of this known display device is based on the actuation, i.e. in particular on the manual turning of the key in the lock. Therefore, this known system is not suitable for use in locking systems with wireless remote control.

Furthermore, WO 97/06328 discloses a key with a display element for displaying the locking state of an associated lock, which is activated by the user's hand when the key is manually turned in the associated lock. This known solution is also not suitable for locking systems in which the lock is also brought into the respective locking position by wirelessly transmitted remote control signals.

Furthermore, in connection with both of the above-mentioned known locking systems, it should be mentioned that they can only indicate the respective locking position indirectly. Therefore, with these known

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Systems, it cannot be ruled out that although the display device on the key shows a locked or unlocked state of the lock, this state is not actually present.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a locking system of the type mentioned above, which allows the user to reliably recognize the locking state of the lock.

The above object is achieved in that the lock further comprises a transmitter and the key comprises an associated receiver, wherein the transmitter of the lock transmits signals corresponding to the locking position of the lock, at least when one of the locking positions is reached, to the receiver of the key, and in that the key comprises a playback device for reproducing the signals transmitted from the lock to the key.

The proposed solution now makes it possible to reliably display the locking status of the lock on the user's key in locking systems with wireless remote control. If the locking system is operated manually using the key or by wireless transmission of remote control signals, the user has a display device that is visible and, if necessary, audible at all times and reliably indicates the locking status of the lock even if the user is at a distance from the respective lock.

The transmitter can be controlled in such a way that the signal is only emitted once the motor that operates the lock locking device has reached its respective end position.

Alternatively or in addition, it can be provided that the end positions of the locking device of the lock, or possibly also intermediate positions, are monitored by means of suitable sensors, the output signals of which are used to control the lock's transmitter. In the latter case, the combination of monitoring the end positions of the motor and the use of sensors to monitor the locking device of the lock can also be used to check the functionality of the system, since a discrepancy between the results of both monitoring processes may be due to a malfunction of the locking system.

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Regardless of the variants mentioned above, the solution in question allows the locking process of the lock to be monitored directly, in contrast to the locking systems known from the state of the art. No indirect or intermediate element or even one that has to be operated manually is required; instead, the lock itself controls the display.

In order for the system to provide an indication even when the lock is operated manually using the key, it can also be provided that the lock and/or the key have at least one contact device that comes into contact with one another when the key is inserted into the lock in order to be able to transmit at least the signals relating to the locking position of the lock from the lock to the key by means of an electrical line. In principle, however, it is also possible in this case to be able to display the locking position of the lock by means of wireless transmission of signals to the receiver of the key.

In this case, it can be provided that the contact devices of the lock and the key only come into contact with each other when the key is completely inserted into the lock. This prevents a signal transmission, which could lead to an incorrect display, from taking place before the key is even able to operate the lock.

The contact devices can be constructed in very different ways. They are preferably formed by contact surfaces provided on the lock and/or the key made of a material with good electrical conductivity, such as silver, etc. It should be noted here that, depending on the electrical conductivity of the material selected for the lock or the key, a contact surface only needs to be present on one of the two components.

The display or display device can also be constructed in very different ways. On the one hand, it can be formed by just a light, which in the simplest form can also be identical to the light that indicates the transmission of the transmission signal from the key transmitter to the lock receiver. In addition to this light, one or more other lights can also be provided, which either individually indicate the locking state of a lock or indicate other functions, as will be explained in more detail below. Furthermore, the display device can be an LCD display, which is able to, for example, also indicate an incomplete

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to display or indicate the continuous closing process by means of a corresponding display output. Finally, alternatively or additionally, there is the possibility that the playback device emits an acoustic signal.

If the locking system according to the invention is used on motor vehicle doors, it has proven to be advantageous if the lock transmitter is connected to other control devices and/or sensors of the motor vehicle in order to be able to transmit signals to the key regarding the state of other functional parts of the motor vehicle in addition to the locked position of the lock. In this case, the closed position of the windows and/or any sunroof that may be present is particularly important. With most wireless remote control systems for locking systems of motor vehicle doors that are used in practice today, the windows and/or any sunroof that may be present can be closed or opened in addition to locking or opening the doors of the motor vehicle by pressing either a single button for a certain period of time or various buttons on the key. The playback device on the key now makes it possible to reliably inform the user whether all the windows are closed, the sunroof is in its closed position and the vehicle lights are switched off. Of course, other functions can also be displayed.

In order to ensure the power supply of the display device, it can also be provided that the contact device on the key mentioned above also serves to recharge the battery in the key for the purpose of supplying power when the key is used in certain ways. For example, it would be conceivable that in the case of a motor vehicle, the key comes into contact with a counter-contact surface when inserted into the ignition lock and the battery in the key is recharged via this. If the contact surfaces mentioned above are present for signal transmission, the counter-contact surface can be identical to these.

Further advantageous embodiments and an embodiment are explained below with reference to the accompanying drawing.

The drawing shows a key 10 of the locking system according to the invention, which has a key section 12 and a housing section 14 rigidly connected to the key section 12. The

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The lock belonging to the locking system according to the invention, which can be installed in the door of a motor vehicle, for example, is not shown in more detail, since this can be any lock known in the prior art, which can easily be supplemented with a transmitter according to the invention and possibly other components according to the invention. As already mentioned, the present embodiment is explained in connection with a locking system for a motor vehicle, in which the key not only has the door unlocking or door locking function but also the function of an ignition key. Of course, the locking system according to the invention can also be used advantageously if the key only has a door unlocking or door locking function.

The key section 12, which is preferably made of a suitable metal or a suitable metal alloy, is formed in its area outside the housing section 14 by a key bit which has the shape of a relatively elongated rectangle with a rounded tip 12a opposite the housing section 14. The end 12b of the key section 12 opposite the rounded tip 12a has the shape of a circle with a diameter greater than the width of the rectangle in the exposed area of the key section 12 and is accommodated inside the housing section 14 in such a way that a rotationally, tensile and compressively resistant connection exists between the key section 12 and the housing section 14.

The part of the key section 12 lying outside the housing section 14 is provided, at least in sections, with a suitable design for manually operating the locking device(s) of the lock. This can be a serrated design on at least the lower edge 12c of the key section 12 in the figure, a series of recesses arranged on the long side facing the viewer of the figure (or on both long sides), magnets provided on one or both long sides, etc. and/or combinations thereof. Otherwise, the key section 12 is designed like the keys 10 known in the prior art, i.e. with guide elements for guiding the key 10 in the lock, with at least one stop surface for limiting the insertion movement of the key 10 into the lock, etc.

The housing section 14, preferably made of plastic, consists of

a rectangular cuboid with a hollow interior, which is made up of two housing halves, the dividing plane of which runs parallel to the drawing plane of the figure. The two housing halves are preferably detachably connected to one another, for example to enable a battery provided for the energy supply to be replaced. The rectangular area of the cuboid in the drawing plane of the figure is significantly larger than the rectangular area of the key section 12. The thickness, measured perpendicular to the drawing plane of the figure, is also larger than the thickness of the key section 12.

The cavity of the housing section 14 accommodates several components, which are explained below:

Firstly, a receiver 16 is accommodated inside the housing section 14 for receiving the signals transmitted by the lock transmitter depending on the locking state of the lock. This receiver 16 is preferably arranged near the front side 14a of the housing section 14 facing the key section 12 in order to use the key section 12 as a "pointing instrument" to facilitate the alignment of the receiver 16 with respect to the lock transmitter and thus the transmission of the signals. Depending on the type of wireless transmission of the signals from the lock transmitter to the receiver 16, the receiver 16 can be connected to an antenna surface 16a which can be arranged on any outside, preferably on the front side of the housing section 14 facing the key section 12. In the figure, the antenna surface 16a is shown exaggerated.

The receiver 16 is also connected to a display device 18 visible from the outside for displaying or displaying the locking state of the lock. This connection can also be made via a control device, also arranged inside the housing section 14, for processing and, if necessary, storing the signals transmitted from the transmitter of the lock to the receiver 16. In the form shown in the figure, the display device 18 is formed by an LCD display on which the locking state, in relation to the present embodiment, of the lock(s) of a motor vehicle can be displayed permanently or, in order to reduce energy consumption, after being called up using a button provided for this purpose on the housing section 14. In addition, depending on the use of the locking system according to the invention, further information can also be displayed using this display, for example the locking state of

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Windows, sunroofs, the operating status of the lighting, etc.

The key 10 can be designed for exclusively manual operation or for both manual and remote-controlled operation of the lock by, for example, radio signals. In the latter case, a transmitter 20 for transmitting remote control signals to a receiver of the lock is provided inside the housing section 14. This is preferably arranged near the front side 14a of the housing section 14 facing the key section 12 in order to facilitate the alignment of the transmitter 20 of the key 10 with respect to the receiver of the lock and thus the transmission of the signals by means of the key section 12 as a "pointing instrument". As can be seen from the figure, the transmitter 20 of the key 10 is arranged, with respect to the figure, above the part of the key section 12 accommodated inside the housing section 14, whereas the receiver 16 is provided below it. Depending on the type of wire or wireless transmission of the signals from the transmitter 20 of the key 10 to the receiver of the lock, the transmitter 20 can be connected to an antenna surface 20a, which can be arranged on any outside, preferably on the front side 14a of the housing section 14 facing the key section 12. In the figure, the antenna surface 20a is shown exaggerated.

When the lock is operated remotely, the locking device in the lock is reversibly moved into the respective locking position by at least one motor. If there are several locks, they can be moved into the respective locking position simultaneously or in a chronological sequence by the motors provided on each lock.

With regard to the lock belonging to the locking system according to the invention, it should also be noted that the transmitter and/or the receiver can be installed directly in the lock or arranged separately from it. In the latter case, which is particularly the case with vehicles with central locking, where several transmitters and receivers can also be present on the vehicle, the transmitter and/or the receiver is connected via cables to the motor(s), any sensors in the lock, etc. This can also be done via a control device.

In this context, it should also be noted that the receiver 16 and the transmitter 18 of the key 10 and/or the transmitter and the receiver of the

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Lock can be combined to form a module in the key or the lock.

To indicate the operation of the transmitter 20, a further display device 22 in the form of a light, for example, can be provided on the housing section 14. It is also possible for this display device 22 to be identical to the display device 18.

Furthermore, one or more actuating buttons (not shown) can be provided on the housing section 14 for sending the remote control signals from the transmitter 20 of the key 10 to the receiver of the lock.

In the case of manual operation of the lock with the key 10, the transmission of the signals indicating the locking state of the lock can also be carried out wirelessly via the transmitter of the lock and the receiver 16 of the key 10. It is also possible for these signals to be transmitted via electrical lines from the lock to the key 10. Depending on the conductivity of the material selected for the key 10 and/or the lock, a contact device 24 can also be provided on the key 10 and/or the lock. In the case of the key 10, this contact device can consist of a contact surface 24 made of a highly conductive material, which is connected, for example, via wires 24a to the display device 18 and/or to the control device, if present, inside the housing section. A similar contact surface can be provided inside the lock, which is arranged in such a way that the two contact surfaces 24 preferably only come into contact when the key 10 is completely inserted into the lock in order to transmit the signals indicating the locking state of the lock.

Finally, it should be noted that a rechargeable or replaceable battery (also not shown) can be arranged inside the housing section 14 to supply energy to the receiver 16, the display device 18, the transmitter 20, the display lamp 22 and any other components provided. Additionally or alternatively, energy can also be supplied via solar cells. Of course, any other energy supply is also conceivable.

Claims (8)

1. Locking system for doors, in particular motor vehicle doors, comprising at least one lock and at least one key ( 10 ), the lock having a locking device which can be brought manually or by a motor reversibly into at least two locking positions, an unlocking position or a locking position, and the lock being connected to a receiver which receives wirelessly transmitted remote control signals from the key ( 10 ) provided with a transmitter ( 20 ) in order to reversibly bring the locking device of the lock from one locking position into another locking position by means of the motor, characterized in that the lock further comprises a transmitter and the key ( 10 ) an associated receiver ( 16 ), the transmitter transmitting signals corresponding to the locking position of the lock to the receiver ( 16 ) of the key ( 10 ) at least when one of the locking positions is reached, and in that the key ( 10 ) has a playback device ( 18 ) for playing back the signals transmitted by the Lock to the key ( 10 ) transmitted signals. 2. Locking system according to claim 1, characterized in that the lock and/or the key ( 10 ) have at least one contact device ( 24 ) which come into contact with one another when the key ( 10 ) is inserted into the lock in order to be able to transmit at least the signals relating to the locking position of the lock from the lock to the key ( 10 ) by means of an electrical line. 3. Locking system according to claim 2, characterized in that the contact devices ( 24 ) of the lock and the key ( 10 ) only come into contact with one another when the key ( 10 ) is completely inserted. 4. Locking system according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the contact devices are formed by contact surfaces ( 24 ) made of a material with good electrical conductivity. 5. Locking system according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the display device ( 18 ) contains at least one illuminated display. 6. Locking system according to claim 5, characterized in that the illuminated display is formed by an LED. 7. Locking system according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the display device is formed by an LCD display ( 18 ). 8. Locking system according to claim 1, which is used in a motor vehicle, characterized in that the transmitter of the lock is connected to further control devices and/or sensors of the motor vehicle in order to be able to transmit signals regarding the state of further functional parts of the motor vehicle to the key ( 10 ) in addition to the locking position.