GB2103017A - Ignition switch and steering lock assembly for motor vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

A steering lock (3) and an ignition and starting switch (1), actuated by means of a rotatable switching spindle (4) of the lock, are in snap engagement (8, 16) to prevent relative rotation and axial movement. Preferably two mutually diametrically opposed latching eyes (7) are formed integrally on the pot-shaped housing (6), made of plastics, of the ignition and starting switch (1), which has a central opening (5) in its base for the switch-actuating spindle (4), and two latching pegs (8) are provided on the steering lock housing (3), with which pegs the two latching eyes (7) engage by snap engagement. The pegs and eyes on opposite sides may be of different widths so that the switch and lock can only be assembled together one way round. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Steering lock for motor vehicles The invention relates to a steering lock for motor vehicles with an ignition and starting switch secured to the housing of the steering lock and actuated by means of a rotatable spindle of the steering lock.

In the known motor vehicle steering locks of this kind the ignition and starting switch is secured by means of a number of screws. As a rule it is mounted coaxially in a pot-shaped recess in the steering lock housing, coaxially with respect to the barrel of a barrel lock with which the steering lock is provided and by which it is actuated. The rotatable switch-actuating spindle is connected to the barrel to rotate with it in order to actuate the ignition and starting switch.In such an arrangement it is known to provide the pot-shaped housing of the ignition and starting switch, which has a central opening in its base for receiving the switch-actuating spindle, with two diametrically opposed external tongues extending in the same plane which contains the longitudinal axis of the pot-shaped housing, these tongues being received in corresponding grooves in the steering lock housing and being securely clamped in it by means of two set screws perpendicular to the two tongues, in order to locate the ignition and starting switch both against rotation and also so as to be axially immovable in the steering lock housing.

The aim of the invention is to simplify the attachment of the ignition and starting switch to the steering lock housing. According to the invention this is achieved in that the switch is locked to the housing of the steering lock by a snap engagement in a manner preventing relative rotary and axial movement.

Preferably the housing of the switch has two latching eyes at diametrically opposed points and these come into snap engagement with a corresponding pair of latching pegs on the housing of the steering lock, or vice versa.

The invention permits very simple assembly of the ignition and starting switch, which simply has to be snapped into engagement with the associated steering lock housing. It is then securely retained against rotation and also against axial displacement. No screws are necessary and also the work of inserting screws during assembly is eliminated. All this is all the more important in view of the fact that motor vehicle steering locks are mass-production items.

An embodiment of the motor vehicle steering lock according to the invention is described in the following by way of example in conjunction with the drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the rear end, furthest from the barrel lock of a motor vehicle steering lock to illustrate the pot-shaped recess in the steering lock housing to receive the ignition and starting switch and its attachment; Figure 2 is a plan view of the ignition and starting switch of Figure 1, looking from the ieft; and Figure 3 is a plan view of the steering lock housing of Figure 1 looking from the left.

The steering lock serves to lock the steering column shaft of a motor vehicle and has an ignition and starting switch 1 for switching on and off the ignition and also the starter of the vehicle engine. The ignition and starting switch 1 is snapped into a recess 2 in the steering lock housing 3 to secure it against rotation and also to make it axially immovable, and is actuated by means of a rotatable switching spindle 4 which projects through a central opening 5 in the base of a pot-shaped housing 6 with which the switch 1 is provided. The switch-actuating spindle 4 is connected to rotate with the barrel of a barrel lock which is mounted in the right hand part of the housing 3, not shown in Figure 1, and serves to actuate the steering lock and at the same time the ignition and starting switch 1 with the aid of the correct key.

For the mutual snap engagement of the switch 1 and the steering lock housing 3 there are provided on the pot-shaped housing 6 of the ignition and starting switch 1 two external mutually diametrically opposed latching eyes 7 and on the steering lock housing 3 two latching pegs 8, which project perpendicularly from the base 9 of the recess 2 in the housing 3 and are so arranged and constructed that the two eyes 7 can be attached to the pegs 8 in snap engagement with the latter, and the pegs 8 fill the eyes 7 completely so that no rotation of the switch 1, or of its pot-shaped housing 6, in the recess 2 is possible. Furthermore, the switch 1 or rather its pot-shaped housing 6 is retained on the base 9 of the recess 2 by the mutual engagement of the eyes 7 and the pegs 8.

As shown in Figure 2 the two eyes 7 are each formed by a lateral hollow projection 10 and a lateral resilient arm 11 of the pot-shaped housing of the switch 1. Each projection 10 has two side walls 13 parallel to the plane containing the longitudinal axis 12 of the housing 6, and an outer wall 14 perpendicular to them and parallel to the longitudinal axis 12. Each arm 11 extends into the associated hollow projection 10 and has on its free end a latching nose 1 5 directed away from the housing 6, and is made resilient in such a manner that the nose 1 5 can be resiliently displaced from the position shown in the drawings, away from the outer wall 14 of the associated projection 10 and towards the housing 6. The pot-shaped housing 6 is formed together with the eyes 7 as a one-piece component in plastics.The two hollow projections 10 and the two resilient arms 11 are therefore formed on the housing 6; the two arms 11 which lie in the same plane containing the axis 12 of the housing 6 and are therefore parallel to the side walls 13 of the projections 10, each extend from their roots in an inclined direction away from the housing 6 and then merge into a portion 1 6 which is substantially parallel to its longitudinal axis 12, and on the free end of which is formed the associated latching nose 1 5.

As shown in Figure 3, the two pegs 8 on the steering lock housing are provided with two mutually facing latching noses 17 and each formed as a flat tongue 1 8 having a breadth corresponding to the mutual spacing apart of the side walls 1 3 of the associated projection 10, the two tongues 1 8 being provided on their mutually facing sides with respective perpendicular chamfered side webs 19, between which extends the respective web-like latching nose 1 7 on the free end of the tongue, which nose can be chamfered on the face which faces away from the base 9 of the recess 2 in the housing 3, in order to urge the side arms 11 of the pot-shaped housing 6 of the switch 1 inwards on mutual snap engagment of the switch 1 and housing 3 before they then spring back in order to allow their latching noses 1 5 to engage behind the latching noses 1 7 of the pegs 8. The latching noses 1 5, in addition to, or instead of the noses 17, could be correspondingly chamfered. The pegs thus have respectively a substantially U-shaped cross section as shown particularly clearly in Figure 3.

To mount the switch 1 in the steering lock housing 3 it is only necessary to place the latching eyes 7 of the housing 6 of the switch 1 against the latching pegs 8 of the steering lock housing 3 and then push the switch 1 axially in the direction of the axis 12 of the housing 6 towards the base 9 of the recess 2 in the housing 3, so that the side arms 11 of the housing 6 move towards one another and then spring apart again when their noses 1 5 have cleared the noses 1 7 on the pegs 8.Then, with their two latching noses 1 5, the two arms 11 engage behind the two latching noses 17 of the two latching pegs 8, and the respective tongue 1 8 extends along that face which is towards the housing 6 of the external wall 14 of the associated projection 10 of the housing 6, laterally trapped between the two side walls 1 3 of this projection 10. The two side webs 19 of this tongue 1 8 are received respectively in the space between the adjacent side wall 13 and the arm 11.

In order to ensure that the switch 1 can only be assembled in the recess 2 in the steering lock housing 3 in one angular position in relation to the spindle 4, the two eyes 7 could be made of different breadths and the two pegs 8 have respective breadths, one corresponding to the breadth of one eye and the other corresponding to the breadth of the other eye 7. In the case illustrated the spacing between the two side walls 1 3 of the projection 10 which is uppermost in Figure 2 and the breadth of the tongue 18 of the associated uppermost peg 8 in Figure 3 are larger than that of the lower projection 10 in Figure 2 of the pot-shaped housing 6 and of the associated lower peg 8 in Figure 3.

Claims (9)

1. A steering lock for motor vehicles with an ignition and starting switch secured to the housing of the steering lock and actuated by means of a spindle of the steering lock, characterised in that the ignition and starting switch is locked to the housing of the steering lock by a snap engagement in a manner preventing relative rotary and axial movement.

2. A steering lock according to claim 1 in which the ignition and starting switch has a pot-shaped housing which has a central opening in its base for receiving the switch-actuating spindle, and which is secured to the steering lock housing at diametrically opposed points, characterised in that the pot-shaped housing is provided at each of the two points with a latching eye and that the steering lock housing has two latching pegs on which the two eyes come into latching engagement.

3. A steering lock according to claim 2 in which each of the eyes is formed by a lateral hollow projection of the pot-shaped housing and an arm within the hollow projection, the arm having a latching nose pointing away from the housing and being made resilient in such a manner that the nose is movable resilientiy, away from the outer wall of the hollow projection and towards the main body of housing.

4. A steering lock according to claim 3 in which the two latching pegs of the steering lock housing are provided with two mutually facing latching noses for engaging over the two latching noses of the arms on the housing.

5. A steering lock according to claim 4 in which the two lateral hollow projections each have two mutually parallel side walls and an outer wall perpendicular to the side walls and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing, and that the latching pegs of the steering lock housing are each formed as a flat tongue having a breadth corresponding to the relative distance apart of the side walls of the associated projection.

6. A steering lock according to claim 5 in which the two tongues are provided on the mutually facing sides respectively with two perpendicular chamfered side webs, between which the respective latching noses extend on the free ends of the tongues.

7. A steering lock according to any one of claims 2 to 6 in which the two eyes are of different widths and the two pegs are of corresponding different widths.

8. A steering lock according to any one of claims 2 to 7 in which the pot-shaped housing is formed together with the latching eyes as a onepiece plastics component.

9. A steering lock for motor vehicles with an ignition and starting switch secured to it in the manner substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.