GB2351481A

GB2351481A - Vehicle steering wheel anti-theft device

Info

Publication number: GB2351481A
Application number: GB9915109A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Jonathan Rosenberg
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-06-30
Filing date: 1999-06-30
Publication date: 2001-01-03
Also published as: GB9915109D0

Abstract

A steering wheel has an integral arm (D) which extends from the rim (A) of the wheel, and is held in position by a lock (C), to prevent the wheel rotating. Access to the nut (B) holding the wheel to the steering column is blocked to prevent the wheel being removed. Further, when the arm is extended the steering wheel may become free spinning to prevent the vehicle being steered. Embodiments are described with more than one arm, where the wheel rim is split to expand, where an airbag is located within the wheel, and where the wheel rim can deform upon impact.

Description

119 2351481 TBE "STACEY LOCK NIARK IT' This invention relates to a product

designed to deter and hinder the theft of any vehicle that requires the use of a steering wheel, without increasing the risk of injury to the driver in the event of a car crash.

At present there are numerous anti theft devices, which make use of a vehicle's steering wheel. Many of these existing products are separate from the car's steering wheel and are fitted by the owner when the vehicle is to be secured. When not in use, they are removed and placed elsewhere in the vehicle. Many can be removed by a thief in a matter of seconds by either cutting the steering wheel rim, or even removing the wheel itself and replacing it with a similar one. The existing products that hinder a thief for longer tend to be heavy, large and expensive.

Devices which are integral to the steering e.g. the "Stacey Lock" patent application number G.B9711461.5 (see drawings numbered: 1,2,3,4a, 4b and 5) do not allow for either the fitting of an airbag or distortion in the event of a driver's head colliding with the steering wheel rim during a car crash.

219 According to the present invention (known as the "Stacey Lock Mark IT'), the vehicle will be rendered undrivable by the steering wheel itself changing shape. As oppose to at present, if an add-on/separate product is fitted. The "Stacey Lock Mark IT' will be an integral part of the steering wheel itself.

Also according to the present invention (known as the "Stacey Lock Mark 11"), when it isn't activated, the steering wheel to which it forms an integral part, will allow for the fitment and deployment of an airbag, and distortion of its outer rim in the event of the driver impacting upon the outer rim in a car crash. As oppose to at present where fitting an airbag would make the steering wheel bulky and impracticable, and steering wheels with integral devices are more rigid, increasing the risk of injury to the driver in the event of a car crash.

Three things can happen when the "Stacey Lock Mark EF'is activated and locked in place: - I. The steering wheel is enlarged/shape changed snagging the thief s legs, or part of the interior of the vehicle.

2. Access to the "nuf ' holding the steering wheel onto the steering column is blocked - so the wheel cannot be removed.

3. The steering wheel becomes free spinning - i.e. when the wheel is turned the steering column doesn't and therefore the vehicle won't. This comes about because when the steering wheel is enlarged/has it"s shape changed, it no longer fits the centre of the steering column tightly enough to turn it.

3/9 A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of examples with references to the accompanying drawings in which: - Fig 1. Shows a simplistic vertical example of one type of "Stacey Lock Mark IPI., in the deactivated and activated positions. (With no airbag or horn in place to give greater visibility of how the invention appears. This applies to all the figs.) Fig 2. Shows a horizontal cross section through the activated "Stacey Lock Mark IT' in Fig I on a larger scale than Fig 1.

Fig 3. Shows a horizontal cross section through a modified example of the above "Stacey Lock Mark Win which the deactivated and activated positions, achieving greater length to the arm that sticks out of the steering wheel. (On a larger scale than Fig 1).

Fig 4A- Shows various examples of how a "Stacey Lock Mark Ir' could appear, each in deactivated and activated terms.

Fig 4D.As 4A but these examples have arms jutting out in more than one direction.

Fig 5. Shows just one example of how the steering wheel can be made "free spinning" when the "Stacey Lock Mark IT' is activated. This fig. doesn't show that access to the steering column is also blocked when the "Stacey Lock Mark H" is activated - as in the other examples.

Fig 5A- As in Fig. 5, but showing a lateral view including part of the steering column.

Fig 5B.As in Fig. 5 and 5A, but this example of the "Stacey Lock Mark Ir' only has one arm.

Fig 5C.As in Fig. 5B, but this example of the "Stacey Lock Mark IT' only has one arm. Please note how the male part 'V' fits into and around the female part 'T'.

/9 Fig 6A. Is a side view, similar to Fig. 2, except the hollow part of the wheel spanning the diameter of the rim is now concave, allowing for the fitment of an airbag, without the airbag making the steering wheel bulky and therefore impractical. This drawing is similar to Fig. 2, in that it only has a single extending arin, but the principle of the concave hollow part can be equally applied to the modified example of the "Stacey Lock Mark IT' shown in Fig. 3.

Fig 6B.Is a rear view of Fig. 6A, showing vertical cuts in the rear of the hollow section spanning the diameter of the wheel.

These vertical cuts will slightly extend onto the top and bottom of this hollow section.

The "vertical cuts" (which can be concealed with soft material matching the interior trim of the car and improving the aesthetics of the steering wheel) will weaken the steering wheel allowing distortion to take place in the event of the driver impacting upon the outer rim of the wheel.

As in the other diagrams, the brightly coloured. extending arm "U' runs through the hollow section mentioned above.

Fig 7. Are two lateral views of a "Stacey Lock Mark 11", similar to Fig. 6A, showing a different position of the piece which stops the removal of the steering wheel when activated.

Fig 8. As for Fig. 7, but with two extending arms 'V". Please note in this and other examples with two extending arms, they do not extend far enough to prevent a car being driven away. They rely upon the steering wheel being free spinning and being a visible deterrent.

Fig 9. Is an enlarged part of Figs.7 and 8 showing an example of how the extending arm could be designed to allow the steering wheel to be removed when the "Stacey Lock Mark 11" is deactivated, but not when it's activated.

5/9 REFERRING TO THE DRAWINGS.

"X' is the rim of the steering wheel.

is the access to the nut securing the steering wheel to steering column.

"C" is a suggested site for the security lock, holding the various examples of "Stacey Lock Mark IT' in both the deactivated and activated positions. A visible manual security lock would be unnecessary if the manufacturers made the "Stacey Lock Mark IT' electronic. e.g, similar to central locking on a car's doors. The "Stacey Lock Mark IT' could be activated and deactivate when a cars ignition key was inserted and/or turned.

"D" is the extended arm, which would be brightly coloured, making it highly visible and therefore a deterrent to thieves.

"E" is the attachments for the airbag.

T" is normally the most rigid points on a steering wheel rim.

V' is the nut holding the steering wheel to the steering column. In ALL the dffferent examples of the "Stacey Lock Mark 111", this is obscured/made inaccessible, when any Of the examples of the "Stacey Lock Mark Ir' are activated.

"ff, is a washer, larger than "G?', which holds the free spinning steering wheel to the steering column, when an example of the "Stacey Lock Mark IT' is activated.

6/9 is the threaded part at the end of the steering column.

T' is the shaped "female" part of the steering column, to which the "male' parts CV) of the extending arm(s) 'D" fit to when a "Stacey Lock Mark 11" is deactivated, so that the steering wheel can engage the column and successfully turn the column and so steer the car.

10' is the steering column.

V' is/are the male part(s) of the extending arm(s) 'D".

M' is an example of the part of the "Stacey Lock Mark IT' which blocks the steering wheel nut, in the deactivated position. (See figs. 1, 2, 3, 4A and 7) W' is an example of part of the "Stacey Lock Mark IT' which blocks the steering wheel nut, in the activated position, so preventing the removal of the steering wheel from the steering column. (See figs. 1, 2, 3, 4A, 4B, 6A and 7). This applies also to the "Stacey Lock Mark IT' which has more than one extending arm 'D". but only one would need part M/N.

V, is the space between the extending arm 'D" and part MN which allows the steering wheel nut to be removed when the "Stacey Lock Mark IT'is deactivated.

7/9

Claims

CLAIMS.

1. A "Stacey Lock Mark IT' comprising a vehicle's steering wheel, a section spanning the diameter of the steering wheel, a movable arm or arms which travel throughlalong the section spanning the diameter of the steering wheel and means by which this arm or arms can be secured when the "Stacey Lock Mark IT' is both activated and deactivated.

2. A "Stacey Lock Mark 11P' as in Claim I where access to the nut securing the said steering wheel is blocked when the "Stacey Lock Mark IP' is activated.

3. A "Stacey Lock NWk IT' as in Claim 2 and/or 2 where the steering wheel is rendered free spinning i.e. useless but still attached to the steering column, when the "Stacey Lock Mark 1F is activated.

4. A "Stacey Lock NWk IT' as in Claims 1, 2 and 3, where the outer rim of the steering wheel remains unchanged, but the moveable arm or arm mentioned in Claim I extend away from the steering wheel, so making the steering wheel difficult to turn.

5. A "Stacey Lock Mark Ir' as in Claims 1, 2 and/or 3, where the outer rim of the steering wheel is altered, the outer rim expanding along the moveable arm or arms mentioned in Claim 1, so making the steering wheel difficult to turn.

6. A "Stacey Lock Mark IP' as claimed in any preceding claim where a steering wheel is manufactured to contain an integral part of itself which, when activated, renders the steering wheel more difficult to use, the vehicle to which it is attached difficult to steal and the steering wheel itself more difficult to remove.

8/9

7. A "Stacey Lock Mark IT' as claimed in any preceding claim which forms part of a steering wheel which is manufactured to allow for the fitment and deployment of an airbag, without the said airbag protruding closer to the driver than the outer rim of the steering wheel when this airbag is not deployed.

8. A "Stacey Lock Mark IT' as claimed in any preceding claim which forms part of a steering wheel which is manufactured to allow for distortion of the outer rim if the driver impacts upon the outer rim in the event of a car crash, so reducing the injury to the driver.

9. A "Stacey Lock Mark Ir' substantially as described herein with reference to figures I - 9 inclusive of the accompanying drawing.