GB2217278A

GB2217278A - Car security device

Info

Publication number: GB2217278A
Application number: GB8808371A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Lenton; John Boulton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-04-09
Filing date: 1988-04-09
Publication date: 1989-10-25
Also published as: GB8808371D0

Abstract

The device having quick release backs (12) to the front seats (10) comprises a bracket (16) fixed to the seat squab (11) which supports a plunger type lock (18). The device also comprises a loop of stranded wire (25) which is secured by a tamperproof fastening to the seat back. On leaving the vehicle, the occupant operates the quick release of the front seats to bring the backs (12) into face to face contact with the seat squabs (11) and actuates the plunger lock (18) of which a plunger traps the wire loop (25) so that it can only be released by the use of a key. In this way, the seat backs obscure most of the driving controls and also glove compartment, radio and cassette player of the vehicle, providing both a deterrent to the casual thief and a means of positively immobilising the car so that it cannot be stolen. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Car Security Device This invention relates to a car security device.

Car theft can be classified into two types. In the lesser type of car theft, the thief steals one or more items from the car, particularly a radio or cassette player but also possibly other items of value or importance such as house keys or documents from the glove compartment. The more major type of theft is the theft of the car itself.

Standard production cars generally speaking have poor external locks which pose no major problem to a professional thief. It is therefore to be expected that a thief can enter a car with little difficulty. However it is desirable firstly to protect valuables such as the car radio or cassette player from easy theft and secondly to prevent the car itself from being driven away.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a car security device which may help to achieve this desirable objective.

The invention is particularly applicable to cars of the two door type in which access to the rear of the vehicle is achieved by folding down the back of a front seat so that a sufficient opening is provided to climb into the back of the vehicle. In such cars, it is usual for the seat back of the front seats to have a quick release so that it can rapidly be released and folded down to enable the back seats of the car to be used.

However, other types of vehicle may have front seats having movable backs and the invention could be applied to any such vehicle. For simplicity, all such vehicles will be referred to as "cars" in this specification which is to be understood accordingly.

According to the invention there is provided a car security device comprising a first member rigidly secured to a fixed part of the car adjacent the squab of a front seat and a second member secured to a movable back of the front seat, the first and second members having interengageable locking means adapted to lock the back and squab of the front seat together in face to face relation to prevent a person sitting on the seat squab.

Said fixed part of the car may be the squab of the front seat.

The inter-engageable locking means may comprise a lock on the first member and an engagement member on the second member.

The lock may be of a plunger type having a plunger extending from the lock housing and locked in the extended position, key actuation of the lock withdrawing the plunger to release the engagement member.

The engagement member may comprise a loop or an apertured plate of suitable material. For example the engagement member may comprise a loop of stranded steel wire or of chain and may be sheathed with plastic or other material to resist the use of wire cutters. Alternatively the engagement member may comprise an apertured plate, the aperture of which can receive the plunger of the lock.

In a preferred type of lock, which is a type used as a window stay lock, the plunger is extended by pressing on the lock body with a "push button" action. A key must then be used to release the plunger from the extended position and allow the lock body to spring back to its unlocked position.

A security device embodying the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a front seat of a car having the security device fitted.

FIGURE 2 is a similar view of the seat with the security device operating.

FIGURE 3 is a detail view of the locking device in operation.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the locking device shown in Figures 1 to 3, separated from the car seat.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, a car seat generally indicated at 10 comprises a squab 11 and a back 12. The back is normally held upright as shown in Figure 1 but has a quick release means enabling it to be swung downwardly as indicated by the arrow A to the condition shown in Figure 2 of the drawings in which the seat back 12 overlies and contacts the squab 11 face to face. This type of seat is usually fitted to two door cars so that a rear seat passenger can step over the folded seat into the rear seat of the car. The squab 11 is held down in relatively fixed fashion to the floor of the car for safety reasons although it may have some degree of forward and rearward travel.

The security device of the present invention comprises a first member in the form of a bracket 13, more readily seen from Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings. The bracket 13 comprises a base flange 14 having screw holes 15 by which it is secured to the underside of the car seat. Alternatively, it could be secured to the floor pan of the vehicle.

At right angles to the base flange 14, there is an upright flange 16 which extends outwardly at the side of the seat squab 11. The flange 16 has a mounting bracket 17 of L-shape, on which a lock 18 is mounted.

The lock 18 is of a plunger type commonly used as a window stay lock. It has a casing 20 which is secured to the mounting bracket 17 by rivets or screws 19. Within the casing 20, a lock cylinder 21 is mounted for sliding movement against resilient biasing means (not shown) and has a central axial plunger 22.

The plunger 22 is normally more or less withdrawn into the housing 20 so as to leave a gap 23 between the housing 20 and the flange 16. This gap re.ceives engagement means attached to the seat back 12 in a manner to be described.

The plunger is pushed outwardly at the rear of the housing 20 by pressing the lock cylinder 21 axially inwardly. At a locking position, the lock is thrown so as to hold the plunger in an extended condition as shown in Figure 4 in which it projects through an opening in the flange 16, completely bridging the gap 23.

The engagement member comprises a triangular plate 24 fixed to the seat back 12 close to but spaced from the pivots of the seat back. The plate 24 has a loop of stranded wire 25 which has a crimped joint 26 and is secured to the plate 24 by a torque bolt 27. On tightening the torque bolt up completely, the head snaps off, rendering the bolt tamperproof. Although the wire loop 25 is shown unsheathed, it may be protected by means of a plastic sheath or may be substituted by a metal chain for example, with the objective of reducing the possibility of cutting with wire cutters or bolt cutters.

In use, in order to secure a car against car theft, the occupants leaving the car tilt the front seats forwardly by using the standard quick release mechanisms. The wire loop 25 swings into the gap 23 between the lock casing 20 and the flange 16. The lock 18 is operated by pressing the lock body 21 inwardly so as to lock the plunger 22 into the opening of the plate 16, trapping the wire loop 25. The seat cannot then be used until a suitable key is used in the lock 21 to release the plunger 22 and turn the lock body under the action of the resilient means to its outwardly projecting condition. When this takes place, the seat back can be returned to the upright condition shown in Figure 1 and retained by the normal quick release mechanism.

While the seat back is locked downwardly against the seat squab as shown in Figure 2, not only can a thief not sit in the driving seat of the car to attempt to start it but the seat back obscures the controls of the vehicle such as the foot pedals, steering and ignition. In most cars, when both seats are locked forwardly, they obscure the glove compartment, parcel shelf and the radio or cassette player to such an extent that a thief would find it difficult to remove any item of value. It is believed that the use of the security device according to the present invention would also act as a deterrent to a casual thief who might well prefer to try a forceful entry into another car not fitted with the security device.

Claims

1. A car security device comprising a first member rigidly secured to a fixed part of the car adjacent the squab of a front seat and a second member secured to a movable back of the front seat, the first and second members having inter-engageable locking means adapted to lock the back and squab of the front seat together in face to face relation to prevent a person sitting on the seat squab.

2. A security device according to Claim 1 wherein said fixed part of the car is the squab of the front seat.

3. A security device according to any preceding claim wherein the inter-engageable locking means comprise a lock on the first member and an engagement member on the second member.

4. A security device according to Claim 3 wherein the lock is of a plunger type having a plunger extending from the lock housing and adapted to be locked in the extended position, key actuation of the lock withdrawing the plunger to release the engagement member.

5. A security device according to Claim 3 or Claim 4 wherein the engagement member comprises a loop.

6. A security device according to Claim 3 or Claim 4 wherein the engagement member comprises an apertured plate.

7. A security device according to Claim 5 wherein the loop is of stranded steel wire.

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8. A security device according to Claim 5 wherein the loop is of chain.

9. A security device according to any one of Claims 5; 7 or 8 wherein the loop is sheathed with plastic.

10. A security device according to Claim 4 wherein the plunger type lock has a plunger extended by pressing on the lock body with a "push button" action.

11. A car security device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.