The car key has two functions: to open or close the lock of the driver's or passenger door and to have a car. History of the car key
History of the car key
Most of the serial cars of the early twentieth century did not need door locks, as the cranes were not invented yet, and the cars were often stripped of their roofs.
The first cars did not need the keys. The door locks were not in the modern sense, and there was no starter in the ignition.
The ignition system with the starter and circuit breaker in the form of a lock with a key appeared for the first time in the Cadillac cars of the beginning of the 20th.
In the future, the system was established for all cars without exception, but the keys were not used in all models. The ignition switch was often replaced by a typical tumbler, and an "leave" button was installed to supply voltages to the starter.
For example, the famous Ford Model T, depending on the year of issue, could have been equipped with a ignition lock or a trigger.
Keys for locks
The ignition of the pre-war and, in part, the post-war cars did not have an additional function of the anti-theft device, so the key used in it is simple and similar to a larger degree of production of a modern key. The working part of the Model T key has an oblong shape of the layer of the plate. You can also see more simple instances among the keys of that time. Some of them have a very indirect resemblence to the keys, since the vehicles for which they were made were not equipped with locks in the direct sense of the word. For example, the key to the BMW R12 Spark Ignition R12 1935 was a metal rod with two horizontal prospoints and a small flat metal handle-the only element that would be associated with modern keys. In our time, such "keys" are equipped with snowmobiles, ATV and other non-road vehicles.
"Transition" keys
The simple flushing castles have existed approximately before the beginning of the fiftieth. The first serial vehicles served exclusively as a means of transport and were equipped only with additional devices, without which it was impossible to drive, for example, electric headlamps. However, in the thirtieth years radio receivers, cigarette lighters and other electric accessories have become commonplace and, together with them, "transitional" ignition locks have several provisions, including "LOCK" and "ACC". However, the key was still not required to start the engine. The engine could be started and the key removed from the keyhole and the engine kept working.
"Classic" keys
In the future, with the introduction of the ignition locking systems, the keys have been significantly altered. As part of the theft protection system, the metal keys first became unilateral, then bilateral. The number and configuration of the boards depended on the complexity of the castle. In a later iteration, the boards disappeared and were replaced by sophisticated configuration saws made on the flat surface of the stub with the help of a machine with the NC in order to make it difficult for the key to be forged.
With the advent of theft protection, the key becomes universal. When the driver had to carry two keys, with the invention of electronic security, the key for all the doors and the ignition locking system became unified. Approximately in the seventies, one key is used to open door locks, lock on compartment cover and luggage compartment, and the same key is used in the ignition lock.
The functions of the car keys for the more expensive stamps were often still parallel. One key was to open the driver's door and turn on the ignition, and the second to open the lid of the original box or box under the passenger seat with the valuable items stored there.
Electronic alarms and immobilisers took over the "second key" function in the future.
Electronic Keys
In more advanced security systems, some of which still have a key, many features are implemented through various types of electronic devices embedded directly in the key.
The spark plugs, individual or in combination with the lock, as before, are located in the steering column or, as in the Saab car, between the seats (done to protect the driver's knee from the injury in the event of an accident). The key is still used to start the car, although it is not necessary for each car model to be inserted into the keyhole.
The door-opening function has been overwhelmingly granted to electronic devices. Now this is done by pressing the button on the handle of the key or by entering the code with the key of the electronic lock embedded in the driver's door. Another variation of the electronic key by wireless communication is communicating with the vehicle's onboard computer, and in order to open the door, it is sufficient to approach the vehicle at a certain distance.
As a rule, in such systems the key to the ignition switch shall be inserted after it is necessary to unlock the steering column. However, the engine may be started by a push-button or a special handle, part of the ignition lock, into which the key itself is inserted.
Some premium car manufacturers, such as Mercedes-Benz, prefer to run the engine without direct key to the lock. The key of these cars is like a remote control of a TV-an infrared ray directed to a particular location, sends a command to the computer to start. According to the company, this is an additional security measure: in the event of an attack on the owner and the attempted theft of a car, the key stored in the pocket does not need to be removed from the castle-it costs the owner to be outside the car, as the engine stalls.
