Sliding key fob

• US 8,400,263 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2009
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Lickfelt, Brian K., Choi, Dave
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): LITTLEJOHN JR, MANCIL H
• Application Number:
  US12/574,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20100123549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.6, 340/5.64, 340/5.72, 340/825.69, 340/12.22, 200/43.16, 200/43.18, 200/43.17, 200/318.1, 200/333, 200/334, 200/341, 704/56, 174/67, 341/176
• US Class Current: 340/5.64
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/02 Controlling members for hand actuation by linear movement, e.g. push buttons
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00944 Details of construction or manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/004 using portable personal devices hand-held or body-worn self-defence devices using repellent gases or chemicals F41H9/10

Abstract

A slide actuated key fob includes a housing having a transmitter disposed therein and at least one slide actuated button disposed on the housing. The transmitter sends an actuating signal when the at least one slide actuated button is slidably moved in a first direction and subsequently depressed in a second direction.

Claims

1. A slide actuated key fob, comprising:

a housing having a transmitter disposed therein, the housing including an upper surface having at least one elongated opening;

at least one slide actuated button moveably disposed in said at least one opening provided on said housing upper surface, said transmitter sending an actuating signal when said at least one slide actuated button is slidably moved in a first direction relative to said housing and subsequently depressed downwardly in a second direction toward said housing, wherein said at least one slide actuated button has an upper surface which is substantially coplanar with said housing upper surface as said at least one slide actuated button is slidably moved in said first direction.

2. The slide actuated key fob of claim 1 wherein said first and second direction are normal relative to one another.

3. The slide actuated key fob of claim 2 wherein said first direction is generally along an outside contour of said housing and said second direction is into said housing.

4. The slide actuated key fob of claim 1 wherein said at least one slide actuated button is slidably movable in said first direction from a nonactuating rest position to an intermediate nonactuating position and movable in said second direction from said intermediate nonactuating position to a downwardly depressed, actuating position, said at least one slide actuated button urged toward said intermediate nonactuating position when moved therefrom in said second direction and urged toward said nonactuating rest position when moved therefrom in said first direction.

5. The slide actuated key fob of claim 4 further including a bias mechanism that urges said at least one slide actuated button toward said nonactuating rest position when moved therefrom in said first direction.

6. The slide actuated key fob of claim 4 wherein said at least one slide actuated button is prevented from moving in said second direction toward said depressed, actuating position until first moved to said intermediate nonactuating position.

7. The slide actuated key fob of claim 1 wherein said housing has a micro-switch and a controller disposed therein, said micro-switch positioned so that said at least one button actuates said micro-switch when depressed in said second direction, said controller operatively connected to said micro-switch and said transmitter, and said controller directing said transmitter to send said actuating signal when said micro-switch is actuated by said at least one slide actuated button.

8. The slide actuated key fob of claim 1 wherein said at least one elongated opening is a first elongated opening and a second elongated opening spaced from said first opening, said at least one slide actuated button is a first button moveably disposed in said first opening that corresponds to powered operation of a first vehicle closure on an associated vehicle and a second button moveably disposed in said second opening that corresponds to powered operation of a second vehicle closure on the associated vehicle.

9. The slide actuated key fob of claim 1 further including at least another opening on said upper surface of said housing and at least another actuated button disposed in said at least another opening that is movable in only a single direction, said transmitter sending another actuating signal when said at least another slide actuated button is depressed in said single direction.

10. The slide actuated key fob of claim 9 wherein said at least another opening is a first another opening and a second another opening spaced from said first another opening, said at least another actuated button is a first button moveably disposed in said first another opening that corresponds to locking of passenger doors on an associated vehicle and a second button moveably disposed in said second another opening that corresponds to unlocking of said passenger doors on the associated vehicle.

11. A key fob for a vehicle, comprising:

a housing having a slide actuated button disposed thereon; and

a transmitter disposed in said housing for transmitting actuating signals to an associated vehicle, said transmitter sending an actuation signal only when said slide actuated button is first moved along a first axis on a face of said housing and then moved along a second axis into said housing,

wherein sliding movement along said first axis from a first rest position to a second intermediate position is guided by at least one track, a biasing mechanism urges said slide actuated button toward said first rest position,

wherein said slide actuated button is only movable along said second axis into said housing after said slide actuated button is moved along said first axis from said first rest position to said second intermediate position.

12. The key fob of claim 11 wherein movement along said second axis into said housing actuates a micro-switch disposed on said housing.

13. The key fob of claim 11 wherein said slide actuated button corresponds to a remote opening function of a powered vehicle closure.

14. A key fob, comprising:

a housing including an upper surface having at least one opening, said opening having a first portion having a first depth and a second portion having a second depth greater than said first depth;

at least one slide actuated button moveably disposed in said at least one opening provided on said housing upper surface, said at least one slide actuated button sequentially slid in said at least one opening from said first portion toward said second portion in a first direction relative to said housing and then depressed downwardly in said second portion of said at least one opening in a second direction toward said housing; and

a transmitter disposed in said housing for sending an actuating signal when said at least one slide actuated button is depressed in said second direction after having been slid in the first direction.

15. The key fob of claim 14 wherein said at least one slide actuated button is prevented from being depressed in said second direction before being slidably moved in said first direction to an intermediate actuating position.

16. The key fob of claim 15 further including a biasing mechanism urging said at least one slide actuated button away from said intermediate actuating position back toward an initial rest position along said first direction.

17. The key fob of claim 14 wherein said first direction is disposed along a face of said housing and said second direction is normal relative to said first direction.

18. The key fob of claim 14 wherein a micro-switch is disposed on said housing and is located in said second portion of said at least one opening, said micro-switch being actuated when said at least one slide actuated button is depressed in said second direction.