Vehicle coded ignition lock using a mabnetic sensor
First Claim
1. A vehicle ignition lock, comprising:
- a cylinder having a keyway in which a key is insertable to operate the cylinder;
an electrical circuit having an open state and a closed state;
a body movable to open and close the electrical circuit;
an actuator coupled to the cylinder and movable by operation of the cylinder, the actuator movable by the cylinder between a first position in which an interaction of the actuator and the body moves the body to change the state of the electrical circuit and a second position in which the interaction does not move the body to change the state of the electrical circuit.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A lock for a vehicle-ignition circuit. The lock includes a sleeve, a cylinder rotatably coupled within the sleeve and having a keyway therein that receives a key that allows the cylinder to rotate, and a sensor including a pair of spaced-apart switch contacts and a movable electrically-conductive body. The body is movable between a first position where the body is located away from at least one of the switch contacts and a second position where the body contacts both of the switch contacts. The sensor defines a region in which the sensor is responsive to the effects of an actuator, and is coupled to the sleeve so that the region is located within the rotation of the cylinder and is in an orientation in which the body is located in the first position in the absence of the actuator within the region.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A vehicle ignition lock, comprising:
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a cylinder having a keyway in which a key is insertable to operate the cylinder;
an electrical circuit having an open state and a closed state;
a body movable to open and close the electrical circuit;
an actuator coupled to the cylinder and movable by operation of the cylinder, the actuator movable by the cylinder between a first position in which an interaction of the actuator and the body moves the body to change the state of the electrical circuit and a second position in which the interaction does not move the body to change the state of the electrical circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A lock for a vehicle-ignition, the lock comprising:
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a sleeve;
a cylinder coupled within the sleeve and having a keyway therein that receives a key used to operate the cylinder;
a switch including a housing containing at least two spaced apart switch contacts and a movable electrically conductive body disposed within the housing, the body being generally spherical in shape and movable between a switch open position in which the body is located away from at least one of the at least two switch contacts and a switch closed position in which the body contacts the at least two switch contacts, the switch defining a region in which the switch is responsive to the effects of a magnetic field, the switch being coupled to the sleeve so that the region is located within the rotation of the cylinder and is in an orientation in which the body is located in the switch open position in the absence of the magnetic field within the region; and
a magnet coupled with the cylinder, the magnet producing the magnetic field to move the body from the switch open position to the switch closed position when the magnet is within the region. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A lock for a vehicle-ignition circuit, the lock comprising:
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a cylinder having a keyway in which a key is insertable to operate the cylinder;
a switch with at least two switch contacts, an open state, and a closed state;
a body movable with respect to the contacts to open and close the switch; and
an actuator movable by the cylinder with respect to the body, at least one of the actuator and the body having at least one magnetic field, the movement of the actuator varying the interaction of the at least one magnetic field with the actuator or the body, the body responsive to the varying interaction by changing to one of the open and closed states. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A vehicle comprising:
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a vehicle-control module;
a sleeve;
a cylinder coupled within the sleeve, the cylinder having a keyway therein for receiving a key used to operate the cylinder;
a switch with at least two contacts, an open state, and a closed state;
a conductive ferromagnetic body being movable with respect to the switch contacts to open and close the switch; and
a magnet having a magnetic field, the magnet movable by the cylinder to move the magnetic field toward and away from the body, the body responsive to movement of the magnetic field by changing to one of the open and closed states. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A vehicle-ignition system comprising:
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a lock including a cylinder rotatably coupled with a sleeve, the cylinder having a magnetic actuator and a keyway that receives a key that allows the cylinder to rotate;
a coded-signal circuit configured to generate a coded signal in response to the rotational position of the cylinder;
a comparator configured to generate an activation signal when the coded signal is acceptable; and
a sensor coupled to the sleeve and connected in circuit with the coded-signal circuit, the sensor being configured to define an active region in which the sensor is responsive to the effects of a magnetic field, to interrupt the circuit unless the actuator is properly rotated to the active region, and to complete the circuit causing the coded signal to be generated when the actuator is rotated within the region. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. An ignition-lock system for a vehicle, the lock system comprising:
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a sleeve;
a cylinder couple within the sleeve, the cylinder including a keyway therein that receives a key used to operate the cylinder;
a sensor coupled to the sleeve, the sensor having an active state and an active region;
an actuator coupled to the cylinder to move with the cylinder, the actuator causing the sensor to be in the active state when the actuator is within the active region;
a memory including a code; and
a comparator coupled to the memory and being configured to receive a coded signal from the memory when the sensor is in the active state, the coded signal including the code, and to generate an activation signal when the memory supplies the correct code. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45)
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Specification