Patent Application
20100177474
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrical device, in particular a built-in device for a vehicle, having a housing and a data medium holding apparatus arranged in the housing. The data medium holding apparatus has a data medium locking device for the purpose of locking a data medium arranged in the data medium holding apparatus. Moreover, the invention relates to a method for unlocking a data medium, locked in a data medium holding apparatus having a data medium locking device, in an electrical device having a housing having a housing recess and a housing recess closure, in particular in a device mentioned above.
2. Prior Art
A device and a method of the abovenamed type are known from an electrical device designed as a digital tachograph for a motor vehicle. In this case, driver-specific data cards are used as data medium; an exchange of driver- and/or vehicle-specific data between a data card and the device, as well as the recording of data on the data card can be performed whenever the data card of a driver of the motor vehicle is located in the data medium holding apparatus. In order to be able to detect impermissible instances of interference in the tachograph, the housing is lead-sealed and, if appropriate, provided with an opening detection device having a housing opening switch. Furthermore, the data medium holding apparatus is provided with a data medium locking device to avoid and to prevent a data card from being intentionally or unintentionally removed from the data medium holding apparatus during the operation of the tachograph and therefore to avoid and to prevent data from being damaged and/or manipulated. If there is a malfunction, for example a failure of the electrical power supply or a total failure of the device, removal of the data card from the tachograph requires the housing to be opened, as a result of which the lead seal is damaged and/or the housing opening switch is actuated to emit an error signal.
An object of the invention is to provide a device from which a locked data medium can be removed without opening a device housing, even in a case of a malfunction. It is also an object of the invention to specify a method that enables the data medium to be unlocked without opening the housing.
The first-mentioned object is achieved in accordance with the invention in the case of a device of the type mentioned at the beginning by virtue of the fact that the housing has a housing recess, which enables access from outside the housing to the data medium holding apparatus to unlock the data medium locked in the data medium holding apparatus, and a housing recess closure that can be removed from the housing recess in a non-relockable fashion to open the housing recess.
The inventive device is preferably a built-in device in a motor vehicle for which a particularly high protection against impermissible interference in the device is required; in particular, the device is a tachograph or a toll device for a motor vehicle, a data acquisition device for a motor vehicle preferably being involved. It is a particular advantage of the invention that there is no need to open the housing to unlock the data medium. Rather such unlocking merely requires the opening of a spatially restricted housing recess punched out portion of the housing or a housing bore. In this way, there is no need to damage a lead seal of the housing nor to actuate a housing opening switch. It is important in the case of the invention that it is possible to detect an interference in the housing nevertheless without damaging the lead seal or activating the housing opening switch: this is the case because the housing recess closure can be removed only in a non-relockable fashion from the housing recess while opening the latter. Consequently, after being opened the housing recess remains open or it is reclosed in some other way, but in any case not without detectable damage to the housing recess closure; both of these, an open housing recess and a damaged housing recess closure being capable of detection by simply looking at the inventive device. The housing recess closure is provided for opening the housing recess only once. The invention can advantageously be used to remove the data medium from the device without the need to disassemble a housing part. Unlocking the data medium is preferably enabled exclusively in a deenergized state of the inventive device. In the event of a malfunction, the data medium can be unlocked and removed from the inventive device without destroying a lead seal of the housing or removing a housing component such as a base plate. This is a considerable advantage in the case of a tachograph for a motor vehicle, since the data medium used is person-specific and must be used by a driver of the motor vehicle when carrying out his activity, in another motor vehicle. On the other hand, sanctions can be threatened depending on the country in which the driver operates, and/or on the class of the motor vehicle and this can also be the case when a lead seal of the housing is destroyed. The invention therefore gives the driver the option of continuing to conduct his business even when the tachograph is being repaired by the manufacturer or in a certified workshop. Without the invention, either the data medium would remain in the device, or the device would have to be opened, possibly under considerable risk of punishment. The inventive housing recess with the housing recess closure is preferably arranged in a housing wall, in particular in a housing bottom or a housing lid or a housing rear wall of the inventive electrical device.
The data medium can be of any desired design and, for example, be a magnetic tape or a compact disk. However, it is particularly advantageous with particular regard to ease of manipulation of the data medium and a high degree of data security when, the data medium is a data card, preferably a chip card or smart card.
In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the data medium holding apparatus is a read and/or write apparatus for the data medium, as a result of which the design of the inventive device is simplified and a reliable data exchange between data medium and device is enabled when reading and/or writing the data owing to the locking of the data medium.
The production of the device can advantageously be simplified when, in accordance with another development of the invention, the housing recess closure has a housing component of a housing wall of the housing. The housing recess closure is preferably itself the housing component.
In accordance with another advantageous development of the invention, at least one housing wall opening is arranged between the housing recess closure and a wall region of the housing wall bordering the housing recess closure. A plurality of such housing wall openings are preferably provided in a fashion forming a perforation of the housing wall. Along such a perforation, which forms a tear line, it is possible to separate the housing recess closure easily from the bordering wall region of the housing wall in a fashion opening the housing recess. It is particularly advantageous that in the case of the inventive device the housing wall opening can be kept very small such that, for example, it is possible to achieve an IP40 protection rating for the housing with the aid of the invention. Moreover, the housing wall opening can also be produced easily and cost effectively when producing the housing wall.
In accordance with another advantageous development of the invention, the housing recess closure is connected by at least one web to the wall region of the housing wall bordering the housing recess closure. For example, the web can be used to continue to hold the opened housing recess closure on the housing, so as to prevent the housing recess closure from inadvertently falling into the interior of the housing, something which could possibly lead to damage to the device, for example by formation of an electrical short circuit.
A particularly good protection of the interior of the device against environmental influences such as dust and moisture can be attained in an advantageous way when between the housing recess closure and the wall region of the housing wall bordering the housing recess closure, the housing wall has a wall thickness reduced by comparison with a wall thickness of the housing recess closure and a wall thickness of the bordering wall region. In this way, a housing wall can be present that is completely closed in the region of the housing recess closure and from which the housing recess closure can be separated as required, for example in conformity with the opening of a tin of fish. For example, even in the case of an above described perforation, an above named reduced wall thickness can be advantageous in order to be able to separate the housing recess closure easily from the bordering wall region.
In accordance with another advantageous development of the invention, the housing recess closure has a seal at least partially covering the housing recess. It is conceivable both to provide the seal as a single housing recess closure, and to combine the seal with a perforation of the housing.
A good protection of the seal against inadvertent mechanical damage can be achieved by virtue of the fact that, in accordance with another advantageous development of the invention, the seal is arranged on the inside of the housing facing the data medium holding apparatus.
In accordance with another advantageous development of the invention, protection of the seal against mechanical damage can be achieved or at least improved, by virtue of the fact that the seal is arranged in a housing depression. Such an arrangement is of particular advantage whenever the seal is located on the outside of the housing averted from the data medium holding apparatus, since in this case there is an increased risk of damage to the seal, for example when building the inventive device into a motor vehicle.
An advantageously easy unlocking of the data medium can be achieved in accordance with another development of the invention by virtue of the fact that a drive element, which can be one of various gear wheels in a gear train, of a drive for driving the data medium locking device can be accessed through the housing recess, preferably directly, such that the data medium can be unlocked by appropriate movement of the drive element, preferably by a suitable tool.
A very easy unlocking of the data carrier and a possibility reliably of restricting the use of the opened housing recess to the envisaged aim of the unlocking of the data medium is met by providing the housing recess with as small an opening surface so that the data medium holding apparatus has a driving pinion for actuating the data medium locking device, and in that it is possible to access the driving pinion directly through the housing recess. Whenever the driving pinion is arranged directly on a motor shaft of a motor driving the data medium locking device, a further advantage accrues in this case that a detent torque of the motor can be overcome with particular ease. The driving pinion is preferably a first drive element of a drive for driving the data medium locking device.
A second object is achieved by a method such that the housing recess closure is removed from the housing recess in a non-relockable fashion, that a tool is introduced into the housing through the open housing recess and is brought into engagement with the data medium holding apparatus. The tool is used to actuate the data medium locking device and to unlock the data medium in the data medium holding apparatus.
The removal of the housing recess closure from the housing recess opens the latter. In accordance with the invention, the opened housing recess with the removed housing recess closure cannot be relocked and the opening of the housing recess can be permanently detected. The tool to be used for the inventive method can advantageously be a hand tool for example a screwdriver or a stylus such as a ballpoint pen. It is advantageous when an unlocking of the data medium in accordance with the inventive method is entered into a data memory of the device and is thereby electronically documented.
It could be thought that the tool for unlocking the data medium is moved rectilinearly, by being displaced linearly in a slot-shaped housing recess, or pushed into a housing recess rectilinearly. By contrast, the force to be applied via the tool for the purpose of actuating the data medium locking device can be particularly well applied when, in accordance with an advantageous development of the invention, the tool is rotated, that is to say is moved on a circular track and/or in a fashion rotating about an axis of the tool, for the purpose of unlocking the data medium.
The unlocking of the data medium can proceed very easily and simply when, in accordance with another advantageous development of the invention the tool is brought into engagement with a driving pinion, actuating the data medium locking device, of the data medium holding apparatus, and the data medium is unlocked by rotating the tool.
It would be conceivable to take the data medium out of the housing after the unlocking with the aid of a pair of tongs or of tweezers, for example. However, a substantially simplified access to the data medium by the hand of an operator can be performed when, in accordance with another advantageous development of the invention, the data medium is guided at least partially out of the housing during or after being unlocked.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the attached schematic drawing, and are described in more detail below. In the drawings:
Respectively corresponding elements are provided with the same reference numerals in all the figures.
Furthermore, within the housing bottom the housing 1 has a housing recess 16, assigned to a first data medium holding apparatus of the two data medium holding apparatuses, with a housing recess closure 18. A corresponding housing recess with a housing recess closure is also assigned to the second data medium holding apparatus.
The housing recess 16 assigned to the first data medium holding apparatus is illustrated for the purpose of further explanation in an enlarged fashion in
Four housing wall openings 22 are preferably arranged between the housing recess closure 18 and a wall region 20, bordering the housing recess closure 18, of the first housing wall 4. By way of example, the housing wall openings 22 can be stamped out from the first housing wall 4, which can be a sheet component.
The housing recess closure 18 is connected by means of webs 24 to the wall region 20, bordering the housing recess closure 18, of the first housing wall 4. The webs 24 separate the housing wall openings 22 from one another such that the housing wall openings 22 form a perforation in the first housing wall 4. The housing recess closure 18 can be broken out along the perforation from the first housing wall 4 to free the housing recess 16. It is possible through the housing recess 16 to access from the outside of the housing 2 the abovenamed assigned data medium holding apparatus, which is arranged in the housing 2.
This data medium holding apparatus 26 shown in
To this end, the data medium 28 is pushed through the corresponding insertion slot 14 (see
In this end position, the data medium 28 is located as illustrated in
It may be gathered from
The housing recess 16 with the housing recess closure 18 (see
It is advantageous when the housing recess closure 18 can be removed captively from the housing recess 16. This is achieved here by virtue of the fact that three of the four webs 24 are severed, whereas the fourth web is used to maintain a connection between the housing recess closure 18 and housing wall 4. It can also be provided that this web, which keeps the connection between the housing recess closure 18 and the housing wall 4 even after the opening of the housing recess 16, is designed to be larger, in particular wider, than the other webs that are severed.
The data medium 28 is unlocked in the following way. First the housing recess closure 18 is removed from the housing recess 16 in a non-relockable fashion. Thereafter, a tool, preferably a hand tool, is introduced into the housing 2 through the housing recess 16 and brought into engagement with the data medium holding apparatus 26, specifically directly with the driving pinion 44 of the data medium holding apparatus 26. A pin or a screwdriver, for example, can be used as tool. Subsequently, the data medium locking device 30 of the data medium holding apparatus 26 is actuated by the tool via the driving pinion 44, the result being that the data medium 28 in the data medium holding apparatus 26 is unlocked. The tool is rotated thereby driving the driving pinion 44 rotationally for the purpose of actuating the data medium locking device 30. The unlocking is performed in this exemplary embodiment by virtue of the fact that the locking element 40 pivots back and, as a result, releases the data medium for a movement in the direction of an arrow 46 pointing outward from the housing (
The housing bottom is irreparably damaged when the housing recess closure 18 is removed preferably broken out from the housing recess 16. The repair that is thereby rendered necessary can be carried out in a certified workshop. However, the data medium 28 removed from the device 1 is available for further trips by the driver in the interim.
In the exemplary embodiment shown here (see
A further variant, resembling the embodiment according to
It is also conceivable in the case of the variants according to
Thus, while there have shown and described and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or method steps which perform substantially the same function in substantially the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it should be recognized that structures and/or elements and/or method steps shown and/or described in connection with any disclosed form or embodiment of the invention may be incorporated in any other disclosed or described or suggested form or embodiment as a general matter of design choice. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2007 024 729.1 | May 2007 | DE | national |
This is a U.S. national stage of application No. PCT/EP2008/055095, filed on Apr. 25, 2008, which claims Priority to the German, Application No.: 10 2007 024 729.1, Filed: May 25, 2007; the content of both being incorporated herein by reference.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2008/055095 | 4/25/2008 | WO | 00 | 11/25/2009 |
