AU782967B2 - Vehicle anti-theft device - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 SOLEX INTERNATIONAL (THAILAND) CO., LTD.

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: Vehicle anti-theft device The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to us:- RELATED FIELD The present invention relates to a vehicle anti-theft device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Vehicle anti-theft devices, especially devices used in locking vehicle brake and clutch pedals to prevent vehicle loss by theft are well known. Brake and clutch locking devices of the prior art are widely available at present and have been continuously developed. Although various forms of vehicle brake and clutch locking device have been devised, many types of vehicle brake and clutch locking devices still suffer from restrictions and inconvenience in their usage and installation. For example some devices require cutting of vehicle body parts, resulting in damage to such parts. Others lack the ability to prevent theft, especially vehicle brake and clutch locking devices in the form which consist of legs to bear against the vehicle floor and include a sliding-up part to support the vehicle brake and clutch, and are fastened by a lock on the handle. Such devices can be unlocked by thieves by vigorously slamming against the brake or clutch, resulting in the eventual disengagement of the lock.

Accordingly it is an object of the invention to overcome the drawbacks of the abovementioned vehicle anti-theft devices, especially devices used in locking brake and clutch pedals of vehicles.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vehicle anti-theft device preferably capable simple mounting and preferably capable of operating without the need to store at least some components when undeployed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a first aspect the invention is a vehicle antitheft device associable with or associated with a vehicle steering column, said device comprising or including a housing adapted for mounting to such a steering column, a main column slideably carried by and partly housed by the housing, an auxiliary column slideably carried by the housing, the sliding axes of said columns being substantially parallel, a brake and/or clutch locking bracket carried by at least said auxiliary column and adapted to obstruct depression of brake and clutch pedals from below when deployed to an obstructing conditions: a first locking means for locking the main column from sliding relative to said housing when the bracket is in said obstructing condition, a second locking means for locking the auxiliary column from sliding relative to said housing when the bracket is in said obstructing condition, and biasing means to bias said bracket from said obstructing condition, wherein, in use, the bracket can be deployed to its obstructing condition by a pulling of said main column against said biasing means, and wherein, in use, release of both locking means from a locking condition will allow the biasing means to move the bracket to an unobstructing condition.

Preferably said biasing means moves the bracket to an unobstructing condition together with both the auxiliary column and the main column.

Preferably said biasing means is a spring interposed on said main column between said housing and said bracket.

Preferably at least one of the locking means is a lock-set unlockable by a key.

Preferably said housing is adapted for mounting to the steering column via at least one pivot axis which will allow the housing io be angled appropriately relative to the steering column.

Preferably the adaption for mounting involves a pair of bush assemblies engageable about the steering column and each linked via at least one pivot to the housing.

The invention also consists in the use of a device as aforesaid.

This invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more of said parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows a vehicle anti-theft device according to the invention, in an assembled state engaged to the steering wheel column, in a locking position, Figure 2 shows vehicle anti-theft device according to the invention in the locking position, Figure 3 shows a longitudinal cross-section view of the vehicle anti-theft device according to the invention in the locking position, as shown in Figure 2, Figure 4 shows vehicle anti-theft device according to the invention in an unlocked position, which is a normal position, Figure 5 shows a longitudinal cross-section view of the vehicle anti-theft device according to the invention in the unlocked position, as shown in Figure 4.

The reference to "brake and/or clutch locking bracket" covers the following two combinations.

1. A brake and clutch locking bracket and 2. A brake locking bracket as would be the case in an automatic transmission vehicle.

DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Figure 1 shows vehicle anti-theft device according to the invention, in an assembled state engaged to the steering wheel column 100. This is the locking position of the device.

The device comprises a housing 1 which is the mounting part for the first lock set 2 for locking to the main column 3 when such main column 3 is in the locking position for the brake pedal 4 and the clutch pedal 5. The second lock set 6 is fixed to the side of the housing 1 for locking to the auxiliary column 7 at the upper end of the main column 3. A handle 8 is provided on the main column 3 to enable the main column 3 to be slideably pulled up to the locking position. The lower end of the main column 3 will be fastened to the brake and/or clutch locking bracket 9. This main column 3 will locate the coil spring which bears on the lower end of the housing 1 and the bracket 9 and provides the bias of the bracket 9 and thus the columns 3 and 7 to the undeployed condition..

At the upper part of the main housing 1, there is at least one lug 11 for pivotably mounting steering wheel column fastening bush or bracket formed sleeve ("bush") 12.

The bush mounting with its pivot axis (or axes) with the lug(s) and thus the main housing 1 enables some angular adjustment between the steering wheel column 100 and the main housing I thereby to ensure it can lie in an appropriate disposition to the direction of the brake pedal 4 and the clutch pedal 5 of a particular motor vehicle.

At the lower part of the main housing 1, there is a dependent flange 13 to allowed guided sliding passage of the auxiliary column 7 and the main column 3. The auxiliary column 7 carries at lest in part the brake and/or clutch locking bracket 9. The main column 3 between the flange 13 and the brake and/or clutch locking bracket 9 locates the compression spring 10 and bears on the bracket 9 so that the brake and/or clutch locking bracket 9 can be bias moved downwardly, when allowed by unlocking, to the undeployed position.

Optionally a bracket 15 to'bear against the vehicle floor can be provided. Such a bracket 15 can be supported by runners 14 from the flange 13 which pass through the brake and/or clutch locking bracket 9 to act as a guide for the upward and downward movement of the brake and/or clutch locking bracket 9.

Figures 2 shows the vehicle anti-theft device according to the invention in the locking position. Figure 3 shows a longitudinal cross-section view of the vehicle anti-theft device in that condition.

When the handle 8 is pulled upward, the main column 3 fastened to the handle 8 will be moved upward, enabling the brake and/or clutch locking bracket 9 and the auxiliary column 7 fastened on the brake and/or clutch locking bracket 9 to move upwardly simultaneously. The auxiliary column 7 will slide through the sleeve 16 carried by the flange 13 towards the second lock set 6 and will automatically be locked therein. By means of the notch at the end of the auxiliary column 7 and the pin (not shown) in the second lock set 6, the brake and/or clutch locking bracket 9 at the uppermost position will be locked in such an upward deployed condition whilst bearing against the brake pedal 4 and the clutch pedal 5 with its upward-protruding portion 17 at both sides of the brake and/or clutch locking bracket 9. The coil spring 10 will be in compression. In this state of deployment first lock set 2 will be pushed inward, to urge a part thereof into an opening (not shown) of the main column 3 at the corresponding position to lock the main column 3.

Figure 4 is a view of the vehicle anti-theft device according to the invention in the unlocked and undeployed position. Figure 5 is a longitudinal cross-section view of the vehicle anti-theft device as shown in Figure 4.

Afterbeing locked in the locking position, when unlocking the first lock set 2 with a key, the column 3 locking part of the first lock set will be disengaged from the opening of the main column 3. The brake and/or clutch locking bracket 9 however will still remain in the obstructing position since the second lock set 6 is still locking the auxiliary column 7.

When unlocking the second lock set 6 with the key, the pin of the second lock set 6 will be disengaged from the notch on the end of the auxiliary column 7 and the brake and/or clutch locking bracket 9 will be moved downward (optionally along the column 14) under the bias of the coil spring The detail description given above are merely an example. Various modifications conducted by those skilled in the art can be made without considered as departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

Claims (8)

1. A vehicle antitheft device associable with or associated with a vehicle steering column, said device comprising or including a housing adapted for mounting to such a steering column, a main column slideably carried by and partly housed by the housing, an auxiliary column slideably carried by the housing, the sliding axes of said columns being substantially parallel, a brake and/or clutch locking bracket carried by at least said auxiliary column and adapted to obstruct depression of brake and clutch pedals from below when deployed to an obstructing conditions; a first locking means for locking the main column from sliding relative to said housing when the bracket is in said obstructing condition, a second locking means for locking the auxiliary column from sliding relative to said housing when the bracket is in said obstructing condition, and biasing means to bias said bracket from said obstructing condition, wherein, in use, the bracket can be deployed to its obstructing condition by a pulling of said main column against said biasing means, and wherein, in use, release of both locking means from a locking condition will allow the biasing means to move the bracket to an unobstructing condition.

2. A device of claim I wherein said biasing means moves the bracket to an unobstructing condition together with both the auxiliary column and the main column.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said biasing means is a spring interposed on said main column between said housing and said bracket. 3. A device of any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one of the locking means is a lock-set unlockable by a key.

4. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said housing is adapted for mounting to the steering column via at least one pivot axis which will allow the housing to be angled appropriately relative to the steering column.

A device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the adaption for mounting involves a pair of bush assemblies engageable about the steering column and each linked via at least one pivot to the housing.

6. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said first and said second locking means each includes a lock set unlockable by a key.

7. A device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said key has the same code that can be used to unlock either the said first or second locking means.

8. The use of a device of any one of the preceding claims. DATED THIS tenth day of June 2002 SOLEX INTERNATIONAL (Thailand) Co., LTD. Patent Attorneys for the Applicant:- F B RICE CO