GB2271012A

GB2271012A - Vehicle theft alerting device.

Info

Publication number: GB2271012A
Application number: GB9319509A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Philip Mark Wright
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-09-25
Filing date: 1993-09-22
Publication date: 1994-03-30
Also published as: GB9220335D0; GB9319509D0

Abstract

A vehicle theft alerting device, adapted to be secured to the rear and/or front of a vehicle, comprising a two-mode registration number plate or number plate carrier (4/6), mode change means connectable to the electrical system of the vehicle and operable by activation of a security triggering means, armable and disarmable by the driver, to actuate mode change between a first, normal mode (Figure 1), in which the registration number is displayed in a normal manner and a second, alerting mode (Figure 2) in which alerting mode an alerting sign is displayed indicating vehicle theft. The vehicle may include a concealed switch to arm or disarm the triggering means. Instead of the hinge arrangement shown, a retractable plate may be used to display or obscure the alerting sign. The number plate may be held closed by mechanical or magnetic means. The vehicle may include an additional alerting sign on the vehicle body work. <IMAGE>

Description

VEHICLE THEFT ALERTING DEVICE This invention relates to a device for alerting the public and ultimately the police, that a vehicle has, or is in the course of, being stolen. Clearly, the police cannot pursue and recover a stolen vehicle until alerted to the fact that a particular vehicle has been stolen, and unless the thief attracts attention to himself by erratic driving etc., it is normally impossible for an ordinary member of the public to be aware that a vehicle is in fact stolen.

The object of the invention is to provide a device offering a solution to this problem.

According to the present invention there is provided a vehicle theft alerting device, adapted to be secured to the rear and/or front of a vehicle, comprising a two-mode registration number plate or number plate carrier, mode change means connectable to the electrical system of the vehicle and operable by activation of a security triggering means, armable and disarmable by the driver, to actuate mode change between a first, normal mode, in which the registration number is displayed in a normal manner and a second, alerting mode in which alerting mode an alerting sign is displayed indicating vehlcle theft.

In practice, the device is converted from normal display to alerting display when a vehicle thief inadvertently fails to follow a correct security procedure by disarming the trigger means (e.g. by operating a concealed switch or by keying a security number into a keypad) before attempting to start the engine of the vehicle, and the alerting sign may for instance say "STOLEN" or "STOLEN RING 999", and if, as is preferred, the device is located at least at the rear of the vehicle the device is readable by the driver of a following vehicle, so that the following driver may instantly report the theft to the police by car phone if the following vehicle has a car phone, or alternatively by stopping at the next public phone.

It it is desirable that the alerting device or number plate in accordance with the invention should look just like a normal number plate so as not to forewarn a prospective thief.

This objective is achieved by a preferred embodiment of alerting device or number plate in accordance with the invention is of industry-standard number plate dimensions, in the normal mode, obscuring an alerting sign and exposing the latter in the alerting mode, with means to retain the number plate or carrier in its normal mode until activated by the mode change means to attain the alarm mode.

If the number plate is of the kind consisting of a self supporting strip of synthetic plastics material, such material possesses such inherent rigidity that a carrier is not essential, whereas if the number plate is of a thin stick- on kind, a carrier plate is required, to which the number plate is stuck.

In detail, the number plate or carrier is preferably displaceable with a hinging motion and specifically, it may be arranged with a lower, horizontal hinge, so that when released, it drops down to expose the alerting sign.

Alternatively, other means such as a retractable plate, for displaying the alerting sign, may be employed.

The alerting sign may be on the reverse side of the number plate or carrier, becoming exposed for instance when the number plate or carrier flips over - by rotating through 1800 in the hinged embodiment just described - upon activation of the release means by the thief.

The number plate or carrier may be attached e.g. by one or more hinges, directly to the vehicle bodywork or bumper. Alternatively, the number plate or carrier may be attached indirectly to the vehicle bodywork or bumper via a mounting plate to which plate the number plate or carrier is displaceably attached e.g. by one or more hinges, with the mounting plate attached to the vehicle bodywork. In the former case, the alerting sign, or an additional alerting sign, may be carried by the vehicle bodywork, and in the latter case by the mounting plate.

Attachment to the vehicle bodywork, whether of the number plate or carrier, or of the support plate, may be by magnets, screws etc.

The support plate, may be metallic eg., of sheet steel, particularly if the attachment is to a bumper which is usually of non-magnetic material e.g. polycarbonate, with the dimensions of the support plate being typically of dimensions approximating to a standard number plate, e.g. an oblong British number plate. The alerting sign(s) is conveniently secured by adhesive eg., using double sided adhesive tape or foam. Whilst the retaining means may comprise clips and/or springs for mechanical retention, the various components are preferably ferro-magnetic, whereby magnetic means is used as the retaining means.In this case, the release means may comprise an electro-magnet or solenoid to push the number plate (which if plastic would need a metallic insert or attachment) or metallic carrier away from the field of attraction of the permanent magnets, with the release means automatically activated by the driver failing to follow a security procedure prior to starting the engine, and inadvertently actuating a switch to permit current to flow to the electro-magnet or solenoid.

The following is one suitable installation and assembly procedure for D.I.Y. retro-fitting a device in accordance with the invention to a rear and/or front number plate and illustrated by way of example only, in the accompanying drawing.

First remove the original number plate and secure this e.g. by adhesive to the outer surface of the carrier. Clean and dry the intended mounting surface(s) and stick the alerting sticker(s) in place e.g. one to the inner surface of the carrier and another to the outer surface of the mounting plate. Then install the electro and normal magnets as directed Now while an activation switch concealed in or on the vehicle is "off" the permanent magnets will hold the hinged carrier plate in place. However, if the switch is inadvertently moved to the "on" position by a thief, current is supplied to the electro-magnet when the engine is started. This causes the hinged carrier plate to hinge and display the "stolen" or other alerting sign(s). This sign(s) is clearly visible both day and night as the thieves will inadvertently illuminate the sign at night as they turn on the lights.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rear of a vehicle provided with a vehicle theft alerting device in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a front elevation of the vehicle theft alerting device of Figure 1 shown in its second, alerting mode; Figure 3 is a side elevation of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a plan view of Figure 2; and Figure 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of an alternative mode change means.

In Figure 1, a rear portion 1 of a road vehicle 2 is provided with a vehicle theft alerting device 3, the latter being illustrated in Figure 1 in a first, normal mode, in which the vehicle registration number-exemplified as G74 - is displayed in a normal manner.

Figures 2 to 4 detail the device 3, indicating that the device 3 comprises two parts being a mounting plate 4 attached to the rear 1 of the vehicle, and attached by two lower horizontal hinges 5 to the number plate 6. The hinges 5 are also provided with pairs of holes 7 for screws or bolts to attach the device 3 to the rear portion 1 of the vehicle 2.

The plates 4 and 6 are folded together about the hinges 5 in the first, normal mode indicated in Figure 1, and retained in that mode by a centrally located solenoid or electromagnet 8 provided on inside surface 9 of the mounting plate 4 and correspondingly located magnets 10 provided on inside surface 11 of the carrier plate 6 opposite metal plates 12 on the inside surface 9 of the mounting plate 4. As indicated in Figure 2, when the device 3 has been activated to its second alerting mode, the inside surfaces 9 and/or 11 are provided with an alerting sign 13 - typically reading STOLEN, RING 999.

As indicated in Figures 3 and 4, both the mounting plate 4 and the carrier plate 6 are of identical dimensions, so as to represent a standard, elongate, British number plate, with the carrier plate 6 flush with the mounting plate 4 in the normal mode in which the registration number is displayed.

In one embodiment, within the vehicle 2, is a keypad (not shown) forming part of an electrical/electronic control system (not shown) installed within the vehicle. The control system is electrically connected to the device 3 and to the vehicle's electrical system, with the keypad enabling the owner of the vehicle to input a chosen security number into a memory, which number must be entered into the electrical/electronic control system for comparison with the security number within the memory before attempting to start the engine of the vehicle, failing which (or in the event of a wrong security number being entered by the driver) means, such as a solenoid, will be triggered to activate the device 3 by releasing the carrier plate 6 to change the device 3 from its first, normal mode, to its second, alerting mode in which the alerting sign(s) is displayed.

The embodiment illustrated in Figure 5 shows a number plate 6 having a normally displayed outer surface 14 on which the vehicle registration number - G74 - is displayed in a normal manner, and a normally concealed inner surface 15 on which is secured, e.g. by adhesive, an alerting sign 13 which, for purposes of illustration, is shown spaced from the surface 15. The number plate 6 is retained in its normal mode by a pair of spaced apart bolts 16, each having a lateral aperture engageable by an end of a bar 17 of an associated solenoid 18 connected by leads 19 to the electrical system 20 of the vehicle. The bolts 16 are biassed by coil springs 21 and the bars 17 by coil springs 22, with the solenoids under electrical activation retracting their bars 17 to enable the springs 21 to become effective to permit the number plate 6 to hinge (to the position illustrated in Figures 2 and 3). A time delay/switch may be interposed to delay electrical activation of the solenoids 18.

Claims

1. A vehicle theft alerting device, adapted to be secured to the rear and/or front of a vehicle, comprising a two-mode registration number plate or number plate carrier, mode change means connectable to the electrical system of the vehicle and operable by activation of a security triggering means, armable and disarmable by the driver, to actuate mode change between a first, normal mode, in which the registration number is displayed in a normal manner and a second, alerting mode in which alerting mode an alerting sign is displayed indicating vehlcle theft.

2. A vehicle theft alerting device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the mode change means is electrical and/or electronic and/or mechanical.

3. A vehicle theft alerting device as claimed in Claim 2, in which an electrical and/or electronic mode change means incorporates a keypad for entering a security code to arm or disarm the trigger means.

4. A vehicle theft alerting device or number plate as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which an electrical and/or electronic means incorporates a concealed switch, inside or outside the vehicle to arm or disarm the triggering means.

5. A vehicle theft alerting device as claimed in any preceding Claim in which the number plate or carrier is of industry-standard vehicle number plate dimensions which, in the normal mode, obscures an alerting sign and in the alerting mode, exposes the latter.

6. A vehicle theft alerting device as claimed in any preceding Claim, comprising means to retain the number plate or carrier in its normal mode, until activated by the mode change means, to attain the alarm mode.

7. A vehicle theft alerting device as claimed in any preceding Claim, comprising a number plate is of the kind consisting of a self-supporting strip of synthetic plastics material possessing such inherent rigidity that a carrier is unnecessary.

8. A vehicle theft alerting device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7, wherein the number plate of a thin stick-on kind, and is stuck to a self-supporting carrier plate.

9. A vehicle theft alerting device as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the number plate, or carrier, is displaceable between normal and alerting modes, with a hinging motion.

10. A vehicle theft alerting device as claimed in Claim 9, wherein the number plate, or carrier, is arranged with a lower, horizontal hinge, so that when released, it drops down to expose the alerting sign.

11. A vehicle theft alerting device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8, wherein a retractable plate is employed for displaying/obscuring the alerting sign.

12. A vehicle theft alerting device as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 5, wherein the alerting sign is on the reverse side of the number plate or carrier.

13. A vehicle theft alerting device as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the number plate or carrier is attachable directly to the vehicle bodywork or bumper.

14. A vehicle theft alerting device as claimed in Claim 13, wherein the alerting sign, or an additional alerting sign, is carried by the vehicle bodywork.

15. A vehicle theft alerting device as claimed in any preceding Claim, wherein the number plate or carrier is attached indirectly to the vehicle bodywork or bumper via a mounting plate, to which mounting plate the number plate or carrier is displaceably attached.

16. A vehicle theft alerting device or number plate as claimed in Claim 15, wherein the alerting sign, or an additional alerting sign, is carried by the mounting plate.

17. A vehicle theft alerting device as claimed in Claim 15 or 16, wherein the alerting sign(s) is secured by adhesive (e.g. using double sided adhesive tape or foam) to the mounting plate.

18. A vehicle theft alerting device as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the retaining means comprises clips and/or springs for mechanical retention.

19. A vehicle theft alerting device as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the various components are ferro-magnetic, and magnetic means is used as the retaining means.

20. A vehicle theft alerting device as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the retaining means comprises a solenoid to retract, when electrically activated, a solenoid bar from engagement with an aperture in a spring-loaded bolt.

21. A vehicle theft alerting device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.