GB2191981A

GB2191981A - Method of and means for immobilising motor vehicles

Info

Publication number: GB2191981A
Application number: GB8714427A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Murray Johnson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-06-24
Filing date: 1987-06-19
Publication date: 1987-12-31
Also published as: GB8714427D0; GB8615346D0

Abstract

A method of immobilising a motor vehicle comprises the steps of moving at least the back rest (6) of the driver's seat (2) forward into a position closely adjacent the steering wheel (10), and locking the seat (2) and the back rest (6) in said forward position. The means for immobilising a motor vehicle comprises a locking device operable to retain the back rest (6) of the seat (2) in a forward position closely adjacent the steering wheel (10). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Method of and means for immobilising motor vehicles This invention relates to a method of and means for immoblilising motor vehicles, particularly though not exclusively private cars.

Currently there are many and varied anti-theft devices available to the private motoristforattachment to a vehicle with a view to preventing, deterring or warning of any attempted unauthorised movement of the vehicle.

The most effective of these known devices commonly require the installation within the vehicle of relatively complex and therefore expensive additional equipment, said installation itself often being a time-consuming operation.

It would be desirable to be able to provide a method of and meansfor immoblising a motorvehiclewhich utilised equipment already installed within the vehicle and withoutthe necessity of adding any complex and therefore expensive ac cessories thereto.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of immobilising a motor vehicle comprising the steps of moving at leastthe back-rest of the driver's seat forward into a position closely adjacent the steering wheel, and locking the seat and the back rest in said forward position.

It will be appreciated that such a method makes use ofthe driver's seat itself to effect the immobilisation, in that, with said seat locked in its foremost position, it is impossible for a potential driver to gain ac cessto the steering wheel and to drive the vehicle in a conventional manner.

The method may further comprise the steps of, with the seat in said forward position, preventing access to the the foot control pedals of the vehicle, and/ or preventing movement of the handbrake from its operative position to its release position.

According to a further aspect ofthe present invention there is provided means for immoblising a vehicle in accordance with the above-defined method, said means comprising a locking device for retaining the back rest of the seat in said forward position closely adjacentthe steering wheel.

The locking device may comprise a key-operated switch, or a combination switch, conveniently mounted on the driver's seat, operation of which actuates one or more control members positioned to prevent return of the driver's seat and the back restthereof from said forward positions to their normal driving positions.

One such control member may react between the driver's seat and its runners, said member preferably comprising a pin forming part of a battery-operated solenoid valve, actuation of the switch de-energising said valve whereby the pin is resiliently urged into an operative position preventing said return of the driver's seat.

Afurther control member may react between the back rest of the driver's seat and the steering wheel, and may comprise a bracket member mounted on the back rest of the driver's seat and adapted to grip the steering wheel when the back rest is in its forward position,thus preventing rotation ofthesteering wheel.

A guard plate or box may be provided mounted on the front of the driver's seat and so arranged that, on forward movement of the driver's seat, said plate or box is moved into a position covering the foot control pedals of the vehicle, thereby preventing access thereto.

The immobilising means may further comprise a slidable pin projecting laterally from the driver's seat and which, with the driver's seat in said forward position, is located to prevent movement of the handbrake from its operative position to a released position.

As well as retaining the driver's seat in its forward position, actuation ofthe locking device may also serve to de-activate the vehicle engine, for example by energising one or more supplementary isolation valves to prevent fuel supply to the engine and/orto blockthe exhaustfrom the engine, or by energising a thermal cut-outwhich,oncetheenginereachesa predetermined temperature, de-activates the engine.

The thermal cut-out may be located to detect, for example, the temperature of the exhaust gases or the temperature ofthe coolant fluid.

Alternatively, said supplementary isolation valves or said thermal cut-out may be actuated independently of said locking device for retaining the seat in its forward position.

Byway of examples only, embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings of which: Figure 1 shows a driver's seat in its operative forward position according to the method of the invention, and Figures2a, 2D and 3 show optional features of immobilising means according to the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, the driver's seat of a motor vehicle is indicated generally at 2, the seat being slidable fore and aft within the vehicle on runners 4 into the foremost position shown in the drawing, the seat having a pivotal back rest 6.

Mounted in the seat back rest 6 is a key-operated switch 8forming part of an electrical circuitwhich includes the vehicle battery and a solenoid valve (not shown) incorporating a movable pin, the arrangement being such that, with the seat in its foremost position, actuation of the switch 8 de-energises the solenoid valve, the pin then being resiliently urged outwardly of the valve into an operative or locking position preventing return of the seat from said foremost position. The pin may, for example, co-operate between the seat 2 and its runners 4. The switch 8 further controls movement of a mechanism preventing return of the back rest 6 from its forwardly displaced position shown in the drawing to its normal driving position.

Thus it will be appreciated that, with the seat 2 locked in this forward position in which the back rest 6 thereof lies closely adjacent the steering wheel 10, a driver is unable to adopt a driving position and the vehicle is effectively immobilised.

As an alternative to the key-operated switch 8 a control pad incorporating push buttons may be provided for example in the seat back rest 6, appropriate depression ofthe push buttons actuating the associated electrical circuitry.

A plate 14 or box member may be mounted on the front of the seat 2 in such a mannerthat, on forward movement ofthe seat 2 along the runners 4, the plate 14 is pivoted from a substantially vertical plane to the substantially horizontal position shown in Figure 1 in which the plate 14 covers the foot control pedals 16 ofthe vehicle, preventing access thereto.

A pin 18may project laterally outwardly of the seat below the handbrake lever 20, said pin 18 extending through a slot 22 in a fixed plate 24, said slot 22 extending upwardly towards the front ofthe car as shown in Figures 2a and 2b. With the seat 2 in a normal driving position, the pin 18 extends below and does not interfere with the handbrake lever 20.

When the seat 2 is moved forward into its foremost position, the pin 18 rides up the slot 22 into a position just belowtheforemost end ofthe handbrake lever 20 and whereby said lever cannot be operated to release the handbrake.

The switch 8 can only be operated effectively with the seat 2 in a predetermined foremost position associated with immobilisation of the vehicle. Actuation of the switch 8, as well as locking the seat 2 in the position shown in Figure 1, may also activate supplementary immobilisation means. For example, and as shown in Figure 3, a fuel supply pipe 26may feed fuel to a carburretor 28 through afirst isolation valve 30, fuel being fed from the carburretor 28 to the engine 32 byway of a second isolation valve 34. These valves 30,34 may be activated by the switch 8 to pre ventfuel supplyto the engine 32.

As well as, or instead of, the valves 30,34, a further isolation valve 36 may be provided intheengineex- haust manifold 38 actuation of which, by the switch 8, blockstheexhaustfrom the engine andtherefore immobilisesthevehicle.

The isolation valves 30,34,36, which are conveniently solenoid valves, may be actuated otherthan by the switch 8.

The vehicle may include a thermal cut-out preferably actuated by the switch 8 and which serves to deactivatethe engine when a predetermined, relatively low temperature is reached. More particularly, such a cut-out may be located, for example, to detectthetemperature ofthe exhaust gases orthe temperature ofthe engine coolantfluid,the arrangement being such that, once the exhaust gases or coolant fluid reach a predetermined temperature, the engine is de-activated. Such a cut-out thus permits starting oftheengine, butfairlyshortlythereafter serves to de-activatethe engine which can only be re-started once the temperature thereof has fallen below said predetermined value or once thethermal cut-out is itself de-activated by means ofthe switch 8.

Clearlysuch an arrangementwill besomewhatdisconcerting and baffling to a potential thief.

The thermal cut-out may be activated otherthan by the switch 8.

Thus there are provided a method of and means for immobilising a vehicle which utilise the driver's seat as the primary equipment in combination with locking means therefor. Modifications and variations from the described and illustrated arrangements will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A method of immobilising a motorvehicle comprising the steps of moving at least the back rest of the driver's seat forward into a position closely adjacentthe steering wheel, and locking the seat and the back rest in said forward position.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising the step of, with the back rest of the seat locked in said forward position, preventing access to the foot control pedals.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 and further comprising the step of, with the back restof the seat locked in said forward position, preventing movement of the handbrake from its operative position to its release position.

4. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 and further comprising the step ofenergising one or more supplementary isolation valves to preventfuel supply to the engine and/or to block the exhaust from the engine.

5. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to4 and further comprising the step of energising a thermal cut-out which, once the engine reaches a predetermined temperature, de-activates the engine.

6. Meansforimmobilising a motorvehicle in accordance with the method claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 and comprising a locking device operable to retain the back rest of the seat in a forward position closely adjacent the steering wheel.

7. Immobilising means as claimed in claim 6 in which the locking device comprises a switch and one or more control members, operation ofthe switch positioning the or each control member to prevent return ofthe driver's seat and the back restthereof from theirforward positions to their normal driving positions.

8. Immobilising means as claimed in claim 7 in which the locking device comprises a first control member reacting between the driver's seat and its runners.

9. Immobilising means as claimed in claim 8 in which the first control member comprises a pin forming part of a battery-operated solenoid valve, actuation of the switch de-energising said valve whereby the pin is resiliently urged into an operative position preventing said return of the driver's seat.

10. Immobilising meansasclaimed in claim 8 or claim 9 in which the locking device comprises a further control member reacting between the back rest ofthe driver's seat and the steering wheel.

11. Immobilising means as claimed in claim lOin which the further control member comprises a bracket member mounted on the back restofthe driver's seat and adapted to grip the steering wheel when the back rest is in its forward position.

12. Immobilising means as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 11 and further comprising a guard plate mounted on the front of the driver's seat and so arranged that, on forward movement of the driver's seat, the plate is moved into a position covering the foot control pedals ofthevehicle.

13. Immobilising means as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 12 and further comprising a slidable pin projecting laterally from the driver's seat and which, with the driver's seat in said forward position, is located to prevent movement of the handbrakefrom its operative position to a released position.

14. Immobilising means as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 13 in which operation of the locking device serves to de-activatethevehicleengine.

15. Immobilising means as claimed in claim 14 and including one or more supplementary isolation valves, operation of the locking device energising said isolation valves to prevent fuel supply to the engine and/or to block the exhaust from the engine.

16. Immobilising means as claimed in claim 14O claim 15 and including a thermal cut-out, operation of the locking device energising said thermal cut-out such that, once the engine reaches a predetermined temperature, the engine is de-activated.

17. Immobilising means as claimed in claim 16 in which the thermal cut-out is located to detectthe temperature ofthe exhaust gases orthetemperature of the coolant fluid.