GB2250493A - Vehicle security device - Google Patents

Abstract

A protective housing (6, 7, 8, 9) of a deformable, non-brittle material encases the components (1, 2, 3) of a conventional steering lock/ignition assembly of a motor vehicle whereby potential damage to said components (1, 2, 3) and to the relatively weak casting containing said components by a thief is significantly reduced. The housing includes a first portion (9) for location over at least the free end extent of the lock barrel (1) of the assembly to prevent axial removal of the lock barrel from the assembly, and a second portion (8) for location over the electrical switch (3) of the assembly to encase the associated wiring thereof and to prevent removal of the electrical switch (3) from the assembly. <IMAGE>

Description

VEHICLE SECURITY DEVICE This invention relates to a vehicle security device, and more particularly to such a device for association with the steering lock/ignition switch assembly of the vehicle.

Security devices available on the market today for road going motor vehicles to protect the vehicles from damage or theft tend to use one of two basic principles.

They either give an audio/visible alarm in the form of a loud sound accompanied by flashing the vehicle lights, designed to draw attention to the vehicle, and therefore to any person or persons unlawfully tampering with the vehicle, or the security device may disable, isolate or render inoperable some vital system of the vehicle, such as the ignition system, the engine management system, or one of its vital controls such as the gear lever or the steering wheel. This will prevent the vehicle fr being moved under its own power by anyone uho is not authorised to do so. Other security measures may include the fitting of deadlocks to the vehicle doors, but all of these systems have severai fundar.le.ntal dzilhacks.

Firstly, all of these systems must have two states.

One state must allow the authorised driver of the vehicle to enter, exit and operate the vehicle in a completely normal manner with no inconvenience created by the security system. The other state must make it as undesirable or difficult as possible for any unauthorised person to gain entry and/or steal the vehicle. It may also prevent the vehicle from being removed under its own power.

The transition from one state to the other must be accomplished by the driver of the vehicle, who must first of all remember that this must be done, and secondly, must bother to do it. The task may simply involve pressing a button or turning a key, or it may involve fitting a mechanical locking device somewhere to the vehicle. In all cases, it involves the driver performing some act to secure the vehicle, whenever he or she wishes to-hav:it secured, and subsequently reversing this procedure when they wish to use the vehicle again.

Secondly, many such systems are dependent on complex microelectronics which make them vulnerable to interruptions in power supply, short circuits, water, oil, heat and the like. This makes them not only costly but also potentially unreliable and difficult to install on a vehicle. Even mechanical locking devices that render, for example, the gear lever inoperable, have the disadvantage that they must be fitted to the vehicle every time the driver leaves it if they are to be effective. This is often a great inconvenience.

Putting after-market security devices asp3, the manufacturers of motor vehicles do take certain steps to prevent their products from being stolen. It is conven- tional practice to incorporate a steering lock/ignition assembly which comprises a key-operated switch including a lock barrel initial rotation of which releases a locking member whereby the previously-locked steering column can be rotated, and an electrical switch and associated wiring, the condition of the switch, on further rotation of the lock barrel, being altered to complete the ignition circuit of the vehicle. Such assemblies are conventionally surrounded by associated plastics trim whereby only the free end of the lock barrel is visible to receive therein the associated key.

Hereinafter, reference to a steering lock/ianition assembly is to be construed as defined above.

In the majority of cases, this assembly is fitted to the steering column of the vehicle, between the steering wheel and the dashboard, and, more particularly, comprises three nain components.

Referring to Fig. 1 which shows, in perspective, a conventional steering lock/ignition assembly surrounding a vehicle steering column and constructed using a onepiece casting, there is firstly the lock barrel 1 into which the vehicle ignition key is inserted. The centre part of the lock will only turn when the correct key is inserted.

The second component is the actual steering lock 2 which usually comprises a hardened metal pin and which, in its locked condition, falls into a corresponding hole or slot in the rotating assembly in the centre of the steering column 5, to prevent rotation of the column.

The pin falls into place when the ignition key is turned to the 'off' position and the key is removed, or the pin is forced into place by a spring under the same circumstances. The lock is released only when the correct key is inserted into the ignition lock barrel and the key is turned.

The third component is an electrical switch 3 and associated wiring, which is also operated by turning of the ignition key. This ensures that all the necessary electrical connections to start and run the vehicle are made when the key is turned.

These components-are housed on, or within, an assembly, usually an aluminium based casting 4, which is sturdy enough to hold everything in its relative position and to suffer a certain amount cf abuse.

There are a number of disadvantages to using this system. Firstly, the fact that the housing for the steering lock/ignition switch assembly is usually made from a casting means that it has certain undesirable physical properties, these being that it is relatively soft, and is therefore more likely to split and fracture than it is to bend or twist if it is subjected to severe physical stresses.

Secondly, in order that the key slot can be easily located and accessed by the driver of the vehicle, the lock barrel is usually mounted so that its axis runs from left to right within the vehicle and therefore at right angles, or very nearly at right angles, to the steering column. This means that the key slot can easily be found on the side of the steering column, but it also means that the lock barrel must be located within a cylindrical casting sticking out from the side of the main body of the casting.

This casting must be long enough not only to house a high quality cylindrical lock barrel but also to bring the face of the barrel, and therefore the key slot, flush with the decorative trim that is conventionally added to the steering column.

Unfortunately, the fact that this casting protrudes means that it is relatively easy, for instance, to slide a length of steel tube or the like over the end of the lock barrel and its casting, and to exert considerable force thereon sufficient to smash a thin walled casting.

Even more simple than forcibly removing the ignition lock barrel, is to remove the electrical switch attached to the opposite side of the main casting. These switches are invariably mass produced usually in plastics material and therefore offer very little resistance to being levered off the side of the casting where they are usually only attached well enough to prevent them from falling off during normal use. Having been removed, the switch can then be operated extremely quickly and easily, for example by a screwdriver.

Due to the fact that so much of the vehicle security equipment is housed so close together and that it is so vulnerable, those people who do in fact steal vehicles have developed a range of very simple and effective techniques whereby they can very quickly start and steal a vehicle, based almost without exception on the damage or destruction of the steering lock/ignition assembly and its associated components.

It would be desirable to be able to protect the steering lock/ignition assembly such that it was less prone to physical damage than heretofore and whereby, because of the time, physical effort and additional equipment required to steal the vehicle, such an act would no longer be worthwhile to all but the most utterly determined thief.

According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle security device comprising a protective housing for the steering lock/ignition assembly of the vehicle as hereinbefore defined, the housing including a first portion adapted to be located over, to house therein, at least the free end extent of the lock barrel in such a manner as to permit insertion of the key into the lock barrel but to prevent axial removal of the lock barrel from the assembly, and a second portion adapted to be located over the electrical switch to encase the associated wiring thereof and to prevent removal of the electrical switch from the assembly.

Such a device adds greatly to the physical strength of the components of the steering lock/ignition assembly that are vulnerable due to their physical weakness, and considerably reduces accessibility to those components which may be tampered with or removed to facilitate the theft of a vehicle.

The device is designed in such a way that it cannot be easily unfastened, cut away from the vehicle or torn away using force.

The device is designed in such a way that even with the correct tools and sufficient available time, removal of the device from the vehicle still requires thought and patience.

The device is preferably designed in such a way that nothing can be placed over the end of the ignition lock barrel, for example a length of tubing or a large spanner.

The lock barrel may not be removed from its position within its housing using, for example, a sliding hammer, as access is provided for the ignition key, but the access is too small to allow withd-r t.7alof the entire lock barrel.

The device is entirely passive in its operation. It has no moving parts and does not have to be enabled or disabled, fitted or removed or interfered with in any way during normal use of the vehicle, and is constantly protecting the vehicle without anything having to be done by the driver when he/she leaves the vehicle.

The device is of a deformable, non-brittle material so that any attempt to remove the device from the car would involve either cutting it free or a great deal of bendingand twisting until it failed due tb material fatigue. One property that is specifically avoided is brittle fracture, as this takes place quickly and any destructive removal of the device must take as much time and effort as possible.

Preferably the first portion of the housing comprises a substantially tubular member adapted to surround at least the free end extent of the lock barrel, said tubular member including means at or adjacent the free end thereof co-operating with the lock barrel to prevent axial removal thereof from the assembly. Said means may comprise an annular end plate to the tubular member the internal diameter of which is less than the external diameter of the lock barrel.

Conveniently the protective housing comprises at least two members one of which incorporates said first portion and the other of which incorporates said second portion, the steering column of the vehicle, in use of the device, passing substantially centrally through the assembled housing.

The members of the housing may be permently interconnected, for example by welding, or may be releasably interconnected, for example by nuts and bolts, although, in the latter case, the nuts and bolts are themselves securely interconnected to make separation thereof a major exercise.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device further includes, within the second portion of the housing, a flexible armoured conduit for containing the wiring associated with the electrical switch.

By way of example only, an embodiment of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Fig. 2 shows, in perspective, a fully assembled device according to the invention designed to enclose the type oE assembly illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows, in perspective, some of the unassembled components of the device of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 shows the remaining components which, together with those illustrated in Fig. 3, comprise the device of Fig. 2, and F-ig. 5 shows, in perspective, the fully assembled device according to the invention enclosing the steering lock/ignition switch assembly of Fig. 1.

Referring to Fig. 3, the device comprises a top section 6 which, at its left hand side, provides fixing holes to allow an end section 8 to be secured to it using, for example, bolts or rivets. At the right hand side the section 6 is folded down through, in this case, ninety degrees to form both the opposite end of a box-shaped structure, and a shield which extends around the back of a tubular section 9 shown in Fig. 4 to prevent anything from being slipped over the tubular section. It also provides a place where the tubular section 9 may be attached to the top section 6 by, for example, welding.

Still with reference to Fig. 3, a bottom section 7 provides, at its left hand side, another set of fixing holes 13 to secure the end section 8. It then extends beneath section 6 to meet with it at the right hand side of the drawing. Section 7 provides both protection for the underside of the steering column assembly and the lower side of the box-type structure seen complete in Fig. 2.

It provides mechanical strength and further points at which the tubular section 9 of Fig. 4 may be attached to the structure by, for example, welding.

The third component illustrated in Fig. 3 is the end section 8. This component has several purposes. Firstly it provides the fourth side of the box tpe structure, it fits over section 6 at the top and under section 7 at the bottom , and can be attached in both places using bolts, rivets or the like through the fixing holes 13 provided.

It canbe detached from the main structure, to allow installation to the vehicle or removal from it.

It provides an enclosure for the electrical switch 3 of Fig. 1, preventing the switch from being tampered with, damaged or removed.

Referring to Fig. 4, the tubular section 9 is secured to sections 6 and 7 by, for example, welding.

Still with reference to Fig. 4, an annular washer 10 is attached to the end of the tubular section 9 by, for example, welding. Its purpose is to allow access to the lock barrel using the key but to prevent the lock barrel itself from being withdrawn from its associated housing or casting.

Referring to Fig. 2, the structure is assembled by, for example, welding sections 6 and 7 together at 11 forming three sides of a box. The tubular section 9 has the washer 10 assembled to the end of it and the whole tubular section 9, with washer 10 in place, is welded into the front of the box with the washer outermost.

The end section 8 is then slid into place to form the fourth side of the box, and is secured top and bottom to sections 6 and 7 respectively, using, in this case, nuts and bolts 12.

Referring to Fig. 5, this shows the fully assembled device enclosing the steering lock/ignition switch assembly. Note how the lock barrel is entirely enclosed within the tubular section 9 and the key slot is only accessible through the hole in the washer 10. Note also how the switch is enclosed within the end section 8 thus protecting it from damage and/or removal.

The device is assembled to the vehicle by simply removing the end section 8, and sliding the three sided structure comprising sections 6 and 7 over the assembly that it is to protect, ensuring that the lock barrel 1 is properly located within the tube 9. The end section 8 is then fitted into place and secured through the fixing holes 13 provided.

To remove the device from the assembly, these steps can be reversed.

Advisedly, removal of the device from the assembly is made a difficult task to deter a potential thief from attempting to do so. For example the nuts and bolts are preferably glued together and the heads of the nuts are preferably filled with epoxy resin or the like.

The components of the device may in fact be permanently secured together, for example by welding so that removal will require cutting through the material of the various sections.

The material of the device is chosen to be of a plastic nature and is preferably mild steel, stainless steel or a like non-brittle material which deforms rather than cracks on the application of substantial physical stresses.

Preferably the device includes a flexible armoured conduit (not shown) for encasing the electric wires associated with the switch 3, one end of the conduit being anchored to the device itself and the other end being anchored to a structural component of the vehicle.

Clearly the precise construction of the device can be varied from that illustrated without departing from he scope of the invention which provides a protective housing for encasing the relatively weak casting associated with conventional steering lock/ignition assemblies, the housing itself to be encased by the plastics trim normally associated with such assemblies.

Claims (9)

1. A vehicle security device comprising a protective housing for the steering lock/ignition assembly of the vehicle as hereinbefore defined, the housing including a first portion adapted to be located over, to house therein, at least the free end extent of the lock barrel in such a manner as to permit insertion of the key into the lock barrel but to prevent axial removal of the lock barrel from the assembly, and a second portion adapted to be located over the electrical switch to encase the associated wiring thereof and to prevent removal of the electrical switch from the assembly.

2. A security device as claimed in claim 1 in which the first portion of the housing comprises a substantially tubular member adapted to surround at least the free end extent of the lock barrel, said tubular member including means at or adjacent the free end thereof co-operating with the lock barrel to prevent axial removal thereof from the assembly.

3. A security device as claimed in claim 2 in which said means comprise an annular end plate to the tubular member the internal diameter of which is less than the external diameter of the lock barrel.

4. A security device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the protective housing comprises at least two members one of which incorporates said first portion and the other of which incorporates said second portion, the steering column of the vehicle, in use of the device, passing substantially centrally through the assembled housing.

5. A security device as claimed in claim 4 in which, in use, the members of the housing are permanently interconnected, for example by welding.

6. A security device as claimed in claim 4 in which the members of the houses are releasably interconnected, for example by nuts and bolts.

7. A security device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 and further including, within the second portion of the housing, a flexible armoured conduit for containing the wiring associated with the electrical switch.

8. A security device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 in which the protective housing is fabricated from a deformable, non-brittle material such as steel, preferably mild steel or stainless steel.

9. A vehicle security device substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated by Figs 2 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.