The present invention relates to a steering lock apparatus for use in vehicles such as automobiles.
Among steering lock apparatuses that determine if a user is an authorized user with an electronic certificate function using an electronic key to unlock a steering lock and permit the start of the engine, there has conventionally been known one that is equipped with a knob for rotating a cylinder lock without need of a mechanical key. This type of steering lock apparatus includes one that executes electronic certification upon detection of a knob being pushed, and operates an actuator that is locking rotation of the cylinder lock upon recognition of certification, to put the cylinder lock in a rotatable state and permit unlocking of the steering lock. This steering lock apparatus is also structured to enable unlocking of the steering lock with use of a mechanical key in case of failure of the electronic key and the like.
As shown in FIG. 17, this steering lock apparatus 100 is provided with an approximately cylinder-shaped body 101, and a cylinder lock 102 is attached on the front inside of the body 101. The cylinder lock 102 is composed of a cylinder-shaped outer cylinder 103 fixed in the body 101, a cylinder-shaped rotor 105 housed in the outer cylinder 103 so as to be rotable as well as movable in forward and backward directions (right and left direction in FIG. 17), and a column-shaped cylinder 108 rotatably housed in the rotor 105.
The cylinder 108, which is the same as typical cylinder locks, has a plurality of tumblers 109 that are sunk by insertion of a mechanical key. When the mechanical key is not inserted, the tumbler 109 protruding from the cylinder 108 engages a lock groove 106 formed on the inner circumferential face of the rotor 105, which prevents the cylinder 108 from rotating inside the rotor 105. In a front end portion of the cylinder 108, there is formed a brim-like portion 110 protruding like a flange, which is structured to hold the rotor 105 together with a C ring 112 attached and fixed to a rear end portion of the rotor 105 interposed between the brim-like portion 110 and the C ring 112, by which the rotor 105 and the cylinder 108 can implement integral operation in forward and backward direction. In the front end portion of the cylinder 108, there is a knob 113 for rotating the cylinder lock 102 without need of a mechanical key, and the knob 113 has slit-shaped internal space, through the mechanical key is insertable into the cylinder 108.
The rear end portion of the cylinder 108 connected to a shaft 115 integrally formed with a cam 116, like typical steering lock apparatuses. By rotation of the shaft 115, the cam 116 operates a lock shaft 117 that unlocks an unshown steering shaft, by which the steering lock can be unlocked.
On the outer circumferential face of the rotor 105, there is an engagement groove 107 that engages with a lock lever 121 operated by a solenoid 120 for preventing the rotor 105 from rotating. In unlocking with an electric key, the solenoid 120 operates so that engagement of the rotor 105 and the lock lever 121 is released, rotation of the knob 113 rotates the cylinder 108 and the rotor 105 together to allow unlocking of the steering lock. In unlocking with a mechanical key, upon insertion of the mechanical key and rotation thereof, only the cylinder 108 is structured to be rotated to allow unlocking of the steering lock.
Also, the steering apparatus 100 is equipped with an unshown detection means for detecting pushing of the knob 113, and an unshown controller that operates upon detection by the detection means, executes electronic certification through exchanging signals by radio with the electronic key, and transmits an operating signal to the solenoid 120 upon recognition of certification.
To unlock the steering lock with use of an electronic key, a driver having the electronic key pushes the knob 113. Consequently, the detection means detects the pushing operation of the knob 113 and operates the controller. Upon recognition of certification of the electronic key by the controller, the solenoid 120 is operated to pull up the lock lever 121 that engages with the engagement groove 107, by which engagement of the lock lever 121 and the engagement groove 107 is released. This allows rotation of the rotor 105, so that rotating operation of the knob 113 rotates the cylinder 108, the rotor 105 and the shaft 115 to unlock the steering lock.
In the above structure, if the knob 113 is rotated when the solenoid 120 is operated and the lock lever 121 is detached from the engagement groove 107, a lateral wall of the engagement groove 107 may come into contact with the lock lever 121 and catch the lock lever 121, which causes a problem that the rotor 105 is not unlocked even if the solenoid 120 is operated. For solving this problem, there is an apparatus which prevents rotation of the cylinder 108 and the rotor 105 when the lock lever 121 is detached from the engagement groove 107 so as to ensure detachment of the lock lever 121 from the engagement groove 107.
More specifically, there is formed an engagement groove 111 penetrating in the axis direction on the outer circumferential portion of the brim-like portion 110 of the cylinder 108, and there is an engagement protruding portion 104 on the inner circumferential face of the outer cylinder 103 which fits into the engagement groove 111 and interrupts rotation of the cylinder 108. The engagement protruding portion 104 is disposed such that engagement of the engagement groove 111 and the engagement protruding portion 104 is released when the cylinder 108 is pushed and moved to a rear position shown in FIG. 18. This enables rotation of the cylinder 108 only in the rear position. When the knob 113 is pushed from the state before operation and the cylinder 108 being moved to the rear position, the detection means detects pushing of the knob 113 and operates the controller, and the controller finally operates the solenoid 120 so as to detach the lock lever 121 from the engagement groove 107 of the rotor 105. This makes it possible to prevent occurrence of the above problem.
Thus, according to the structure allowing rotation of the cylinder 108 only in the rear position, unlocking with use of a mechanical key is implemented such that the mechanical key is inserted into the cylinder 108 so as to sink the tumbler 109 into the cylinder 108, which enables rotation of the cylinder 108 against the rotor 105. Then the cylinder 108 is moved to the rear position by pushing the cylinder 108 with the mechanical key so as to release engagement of the engagement protruding portion 104 of the cylinder outer 103 and the engagement groove 111 of the cylinder 108, which enables rotating operation of the cylinder 108 to unlock the steering lock.
However, in the above-described type of steering lock apparatus, the cylinder needs to be moved to a rear position where rotation of the cylinder is allowed after the mechanical key is inserted. If the cylinder is not infallibly moved, rotating operation is not available even with the mechanical key being inserted, which causes a problem of failure of unlocking of the steering lock.
Accordingly, in view of this problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide a steering lock apparatus in which a cylinder lock is infallibly moved to a rear position and held therein when a mechanical key has been inserted into the cylinder lock so as to prevent occurrence of operation failure and the like.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is composed of a cylinder having a key insertion hole and becoming rotatable by insertion of the key, a rotor rotatably holding the cylinder and having an engagement groove formed on an outer circumferential portion, a body for housing the cylinder and the rotor movably in forward and backward direction and rotatably in a rear position, a detection element for detecting pushing of the cylinder toward a rear side, an actuator that operates upon reception of an operating signal transmitted by a control element that receives a detection signal from the detection element, executes electronic certification with a portable device, and transmits the operating signal upon recognition of certification, a lock member operated by the actuator and which prevents rotation of the rotor by engagement with the engagement groove of the rotor, and a key detection member disposed so as to block at least part of the key hole and operated by insertion of the key into the cylinder so as to protrude outside from an inner circumferential wall of the body. The body has a receiving recess portion for receiving the protruding key detection member when the cylinder is in the rear position.
In such structure, insertion of the key moves the cylinder to the rear position where the cylinder is rotatable. In this rear position, insertion of the key becomes possible and the cylinder becomes rotatable, which prevents failure of the cylinder to rotate even though the key is inserted.
In the steering lock apparatus of the present invention, the key detection member may be composed of a slider provided in the cylinder whose top end portion is operated from inside of the cylinder to a position identical to an outer circumferential face of the cylinder by insertion of the key, and a slide pin provided in the rotor. One end side of the slide pin comes into contact with at least the top end portion of the slider, and the other end of the slide pin protrudes from an outer circumferential face of the rotor when the slider is operated by insertion of the key.
In such structure, insertion of the key causes the slide pin to cross over the rotor and the body, so that even if engagement of the engagement groove of the rotor and the lock member is released, rotation of the rotor by frictional force generated during rotation of the cylinder can be prevented, thereby making it possible to hold the rotor in a specified position.
There may also be provided a pressing member pressing the key detection member toward an internal side of the cylinder.
In such structure, the key detection member can be infallibly returned to the state prior to insertion of the key when the key is extracted.
The pressing member may be a key detection switch provided inside the receiving recess portion of the body for detecting insertion of the key, which presses the slide pin to a position where one end of the slide pin matches with the outer circumferential face of the rotor when the key is extracted.
In such structure, it is not necessary to separately provide a pressing means such as springs, and the slide pin and the key detection switch do not obstruct rotation of the rotor.