GB2082819A

GB2082819A - Electronic Signalling Device

Info

Publication number: GB2082819A
Application number: GB8121285A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Arman SpA
Current assignee: Arman SpA
Priority date: 1980-07-15
Filing date: 1981-07-10
Publication date: 1982-03-10
Also published as: MX149981A; ES503826A0; ES8203285A1; FR2487096B1; BR8104546A; IT8068128A0; JPS5787744A; FR2487096A1; IT1128498B; GB2082819B; DE3127342A1; CA1177134A

Abstract

An electronic signalling device which signals that the ignition key of a motor vehicle has inadvertently been left in a steering lock ignition switch when a door is opened comprises a visual and/or acoustic warning apparatus (34) controlled by a first switch associated with the ignition switch and comprising a static electrical contact (24-29) and a movable element (22) and by a second switch (35) associated with the door. The first switch and a resistance (31) are connected to a transistor via a diode (32), the collector (33) of the transistor being connected to the vehicle battery and the emitter (33a) being connected to earth via the visual and/or acoustic warning apparatus (34) and said second switch (35). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Signalling Device The present invention relates to a signalling device associated with the ignition key of a motor vehicle provided with a locking mechanism. Such devices are, for example, used on motor vehicles which are provided with a steering lock anti-theft device.

It is known, in prior art, to use steering lock devices comprising an electrical switch which controls the starting of the motor. In such devices this electrical switch operates only after the latch of the steering lock has been disengaged from the steering shaft by means of the ignition key.

It is also well known that, in most steering locks, the ignition key may take the following four different angular positions: STOP, GARAGE, RUNNING and STARTING. In the STOP position the ignition key may be inserted and extracted, but the steering shaft remains locked. In the GARAGE position the ignition key may also be inserted and extracted, but in this case the steering shaft remains unlocked. In the RUNNING and STARTING position the ignition key can neither be inserted nor extracted and the steering shaft remains unlocked.

An object of the present invention is to provide a signalling device which warns the driver of a motor vehicle that the ignition key has not been withdrawn from its seat, said signalling device operating, for example, whenever a door of the vehicle is opened.

An object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a static signalling device which does not comprise any moving electrical elements, in order to eliminate any possible wear of such elements.

An object of a further embodiment of the present invention is to provide a signalling device which is of a very simple structure and therefore very economical and reliable.

According to the present invention, there is provided a signalling device associated with the ignition key of a motor vehicle provided with a locking mechanism, said device comprising an electrical circuit comprising a warning apparatus controlled by a first switch comprising a static electrical contact and a mechanical element and by a second switch capable of closing said circuit to earth, a resistance, a diode and a transistor having a collector and an emitter.

The warning apparatus of the device of the present invention is preferably an electro-visual and/or electro-acoustic warning apparatus.

Italian patent No. 958,822 which is in the name of Arman S.p.A. and corresponds to US patent No. 3,840,714, relates to a steering lock anti-theft device to which the electronic signalling devide disclosed in the present specification may be appiied. Embodiments of the signalling device according to the invention will be described, for the sole purpose of a better understanding, below, by way of example, as applied to the subject matter of said Italian patent No. 958,822 for the sole purpose of a better understanding, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a steering lock anti-theft device, similar to that disclosed in Italian patent No. 958,822 and provided with a static electrical terminal, without the ignition key inserted in its seat; Figure 2 is a section similar to that of Figure 1 with the ignition key inserted in its seat in the STOP position; Figure 3 is a section similar to those of Figures 1 and 2 with the ignition key inserted in its seat in the RUNNING position; Figure 4 is a cross section along line lV-IV of Figure 1; Figure 5 schematically shows four angular positions in which the key may be placed; Figure 6 is a longitudinal section showing, on a larger scale, a first embodiment of the static electrical contact; Figure 7 is a front view of the contact of Figure 6; Figure 8 is a section along line VIlI-VIlI of Figure 7;; Figures 9, 10, 11, respectively, show views similar to those of Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustrating a second embodiment of a static electrical contact; and Figure 12 schematically shows, on a smaller scale, an embodiment of an electrical circuit of the signalling device according to the invention.

In Figures 1, 2, 3, 9, 10 and 11 reference numeral 20 generally designates a steering lock anti-theft device similar to that disclosed in Italian patent No. 958,822, which anti-theft device being located in an outer housing A.

When an ignition key 21 is not inserted in its seat C, a small solid cylinder C1, pushed by one of the extremities of a lever 22, enters said seat C of the key 21 (Figs. 1 and 9). As long as the key 21 is not inserted in its seat C the solid cylinder C1 is maintained in this position by the spring C2 which urges said extremity of the lever 22 which pivots around axis 22a, against the cylinder C1 and towards the seat C of the key 21.

Insertion of the ignition key 21 in its seat C (Figs. 2 and 10), pushes the cylinder C1 radially outward against the action of spring C2 thereby pivoting the lever 22 clockwise to the position shown on Figures 2, 3, 10, 11 where it remains, whatever the angular position of the key 21, and as long as said key is not extracted from its seat C in the STOP position.

An electrical unipolar wire 26 passes through the outer housing A of the anti-theft device 20 by means of a suitable seat, and through an insulating housing 25 (Figs. 1,2 and 3). At its free end the electrical unipolar wire 26 is provided with a metallic strip 24 (Figs. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8).

As shown in Figure 1, when the ignition key 21 is not inserted in its seat C, the position of the lever 22, pushed by the spring C2, is such that its extremity remote from solid cylinder C1 is in electrical contact with the metallic strip 24, said contact being interrupted when the lever 22 pivots about the axis 22a upon insertion of the ignition key 21 into its seat C.

A second embodiment of the electrical contact or terminal is shown in Figures 9, 10 and 11, in which an insulating support 28 is radially located in the outer housing A opposite to one of the extremities of the lever 22. A unipolar wire 27 passes through this support 28 and carries at its free end portion a projection 29 which extends inside the housing A. As in the first embodiment, the projection 29 will contact the extremity of the lever 22 when the ignition key 21 is not inserted in its seat C (Fig. 9) and the contact will be interrupted when the key 21 is inserted into said seat C (Fig. 10).

The four possible angular positions of the ignition key 21 are shown on Figure 5. The STOP position corresponds fo "D", the GARAGE position corresponds to "E", the RUNNING position corresponds to "F" and the STARTING position corresponds to "G". As already explained above, the key 21 may be inserted and extracted in positions "D" and "E" but not in positions "F" and "G". Furthermore, when the key 21 is released in position "G" it comes automatically back to the position "F".

The rotation of the key 21 from position D shown in Figures 2 and 10 to the position E shown in Figures 3 and 11 causes, as known from Italian patent No. 958,822, a latch 23 to move toward said key 21 against the action of a spring 23a. This movement disengages the latch 23 from the steering shaft H which is now free to rotate. It is to be noted that in Figures 2 and 3 as well as in Figures 10 and 11, the electrical terminals 24, 29 are not in contact with the lever 22 because in all four figures the ignition key 21 is inserted in its seat C.

Figure 12 shows an electronic circuit for a signalling device according to the invention. In this circuit the electrical terminal 24, 29 are connected, through the insulating support 25, 28 to the connecting wire 26, 27 and then to the diode 32 which fe,eds the base of a transistor. The collector 33 of said transistor is connected (30) to the positive pole of the vehicle battery which, for example, is a 12 volt battery, whereas the transmitter 33a of the transistor is connected to the signalling device 34 and then to the second switch 35 which causes one or more service lamps to light when the corresponding door is opened. This last mentioned feature is known in the prior art, as is the fact that one pole of the battery and of the second switch is connected to the earth (36).

A wire with an electrical resistance 31 is connected to the positive pole of the battery which, together with the wire 26, 27, is connected to the diode 32. The resistance 31 has a very high value, for example 2.2 KQ, whereas the signalling device 34 may advantageously have the following characteristics: 3 W, 1 2 V, 250 mA.

When the door on the driver's side of a motor vehicle, provided with the signalling device according to the invention, is opened, the second switch 35 closes the circuit to the earth and one or more services lamps are lit. Two possibilities exist now with respect to the propertly so-called signalling device: a) The ignition key 21 is not extracted from its seat C (Figs. 2, 3; 10, 11). In this case the lever 22 does not touch the electrical contact 24, 29 and the electric current of the vehicle battery feeds, through the conductor 30 and the resistance 31, the diode 32 which biases the base of the transistor, whose emitter 33a transmits current to the signalling device 34 which becomes active.

b) The ignition key 21 is extracted from its seat C (Figs. 1 and 9). In this case, the current from the vehicle battery is short-circuited to the earth through the conductor 30, the resistance 31, the wire 26, 27 and the earth or mass contact 2422 or 29-22. The diode 32 not fed and the base of the transistor therefore not biased, and therefore the emitter 33a does not feed the signaling device 34 and no lighting or acoustical signal is emitted.

The electric current discharged through the earth or mass contact 24-22 (Fia. 1) or 29-22 (Fig. 9) is substantially negligible since its value

differs considerably from the above mentioned values and corresponds substantially to the amount of current delivered by a battery for an electric clock.

As should appear quite clearly from the above description, a purpose of the functional characteristics of the electro-signalling or warning device according to the present invention is to avoid, due to an oversight, the ignition key 21 remaining inserted in its seat C of the steering lock anti-theft device when the driver leaves the vehicle.

A most important feature required of this device is that it be reliable, i.e. wear and damage effecting the correct operation of the device, must be avoided as much as possible. This is guaranteed, with a high reliability, by use of static electrical contacts 24, 29 and by the use of a transistorized circuit with a collecting part.

Therefore, the embodiment of the device described above does not comprise any expensive electrodynamic elements subject to wear, such as, for example, relays or similar elements which would be necessary for operating the device because of the high resistance of the electrical contacts 24-22, 29-22.

Claims

1. A signalling device associated with the ignition key of a motor vehicle provided with a locking mechanism, said device comprising an electrical circuit comprising a warning apparatus controlled by a first switch comprising a static electrical contact and a mechanical element and by a second switch capable of closing said circuit to earth, a resistance, a diode and a transistor having a collector and an emitter.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the first switch and the resistance are connected to the transistor via the diode, that the collector of the transistor is connected to the battery of the vehicle and that the emitter is connected to earth via the warning apparatus and said second switch.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the mechanical element is operated each time the ignition key is either inserted or extracted from its seat in the locking mechanism.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the mechanical element is part of a standard locking mechanism.

5. A device according to claim 4, wherein the mechanical element is a lever one extremity of which pushes a solid cylinder into the seat of the ignition key when said key is not inserted in said seat.

6. A device according to any preceding claim wherein said second switch closes the electric circuit to earth when the door on the driver's side of the vehicle is opened.

7. A device according to any preceding claim wherein said warning apparatus emits a visible and/or acoustic warning signal.

8. A signalling device substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 and 6 to 8 or Figures 9 to 11 with or without reference to Figure 5 or 12 of the accompanying drawings.