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(11) | EP 2 759 662 A3 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Mechanism for protecting vehicle occupant from key |
| (57) A mechanism that protects a vehicle occupant from a key when excessive load is applied
to the key while obtaining sufficient strength for a key plate during normal usage.
A support 4 pivotally couples a key plate 3 to a key case 2. The key plate 3 includes
a basal end 8 fitted into and fixed to a key plate socket 9 in the support 4. The
basal end 8 includes a thin portion 13 that is thinner than the key plate body 10
to facilitate separation of the key plate 3 from the support 4. The key plate body
10 includes two grooves 16 located proximal to the basal end to aid bending of the
key plate 3. When a jackknife key is inserted into a key cylinder and a vehicle occupant
hits and applies excessive load to the jackknife key, the key plate 3 first bends
along the grooves 16 and the thin portion 13 then deforms 13 thereby separating the
key plate 3 from the key case 2.
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