Card key having function of performing radio communication with on-vehicle device

Abstract

A card key includes a circuit board and a plate-shaped key body. The circuit board is mounted with electronic parts that configure an electronic circuit for performing radio communication with an on-vehicle device. The key body is mounted with the circuit board which is covered with a resin material. The key body has a principal front surface on the side of which the electronic parts are mounted, and has a main body recess sunk to a predetermined depth level from the principal front surface and a key component accommodating recess further sunk to a level deeper than the main body recess and opened in a bottom surface of the main body recess. The key body forms an outline of the card key together with a sheet body fitted to the main body recess. The key component accommodating portion is formed between the sheet body and the key component accommodating recess.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A card key comprising:
 a circuit board mounted with electronic parts that configure an electronic circuit for performing radio communication with an on-vehicle device; and   a plate-shaped key body mounted with the circuit board, with the circuit board being covered with a resin material, wherein:   the key body is formed by die-opening/closing motion of a die having a double-plate structure consisting of a core plate and a cavity plate;   the main body recess is formed at the time of insert molding using the die, in a principal front surface on the side of which the electronic parts are mounted, the main body recess being formed such that the electronic parts are not exposed outside; and   a sheet body having an exterior appearance different from the resin material can be fitted to the main body recess after insert molding.   
     
     
         2 . The card key according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the key body is provided with a battery accommodating recess that accommodates a battery for supplying electric power to the circuit board, the battery accommodating recess being formed at the time of insert molding of the key body and having a bottom surface at a depth level deeper than a bottom surface of the main body recess; and   at least a part of the battery accommodating recess is covered with the sheet body to restrict movement of the battery accommodated in the battery accommodating recess, in a thickness direction of the key body.   
     
     
         3 . The card key according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the key body is provided with a key accommodating recess that accommodates a manually operated mechanical key, the key accommodating recess being formed at the time of insert molding of the key body and having a bottom surface at a depth level deeper than a bottom surface of the main body recess; and   the key accommodating recess is covered with the sheet body to restrict movement of the mechanical key accommodated in the key accommodating recess, in a thickness direction of the key body.   
     
     
         4 . The card key according to  claim 3 , wherein the key body is provided with a hook accommodating recess that accommodates a key fixing hook which fixes the mechanical key to the key body by being engaged with an engaged portion formed in the mechanical key, the hook accommodating recess being formed at the time of insert molding together with the key accommodating recess. 
     
     
         5 . The card key according to  claim 4 , wherein the sheet body has a front surface that enables printing. 
     
     
         6 . The card key according to  claim 4 , wherein the sheet body has a front surface or a rear surface on which a design prepared in advance is printed. 
     
     
         7 . The card key according to  claim 5 , wherein the sheet body is pasted through a rear surface thereof onto a bottom surface of the main body recess via an adhesive. 
     
     
         8 . The card key according to  claim 6 , wherein the sheet body is pasted through a rear surface thereof onto a bottom surface of the main body recess via an adhesive. 
     
     
         9 . The card key according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the key body is provided with a key accommodating recess that accommodates a manually operated mechanical key, the key accommodating recess being formed at the time of insert molding of the key body and having a bottom surface at a depth level deeper than a bottom surface of the main body recess; and   the key accommodating recess is covered with the sheet body to restrict movement of the mechanical key accommodated in the key accommodating recess, in a thickness direction of the key body.   
     
     
         10 . The card key according to  claim 9 , wherein the key body is provided with a hook accommodating recess that accommodates a key fixing hook which fixes the mechanical key to the key body by being engaged with an engaged portion formed in the mechanical key, the hook accommodating recess being formed at the time of insert molding together with the key accommodating recess.