GB2224471A

GB2224471A - Vehicle emblem protection device

Info

Publication number: GB2224471A
Application number: GB8826051A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yung-Chi Huang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-11-07
Filing date: 1988-11-07
Publication date: 1990-05-09
Also published as: GB8826051D0

Abstract

A vehicle emblem protection device has an electric motor 1 for driving lifting screws 2 upon which a vehicle emblem 4 is located by a frame 3. A top plate 5 having an aperture 503 through which the emblem may protrude is mounted on a vehicle radiator or bonnet. A cover plate 502 is also arranged to be driven by the motor 1 in sequence with raising or lowering the emblem 4. Thus by actuating the motor 1 the cover plate 502 is rotated out of the aperture 503 and the emblem raised to protrude therethrough. Upon reactuating the motor 1 the emblem 4 is lowered and the cover plate 502 rotated to block the aperture 503. <IMAGE>

Description

VEHICLE EMBLEM PROTECTION DEVICE This invention relates to a vehicle emblem protection device.

With the unfortunate increase of vandalism and theft from vehicles, particularly motor vehicles, the car emblem has been a particular target and protruding emblems such as the Mercedes Benz three pointed star and the Rolls Royce Spirit of Ecstasy (RTM) have been particularly singled out by wrongdoers. The owners of such cars have resorted to removing the emblems when parking the car by either taking the emblems with them or locking the emblems within the passenger compartment. The present invention seeks to provide an emblem protection device which will be convenient to use.

According to this invention there is provided a vehicle emblem protection device including an emblem mounted on a frame for attachment to a vehicle body, means for raising and lowering said frame, a cover plate having an aperture therein through which said emblem is capable of passing, and a movable member arranged to close or open said aperture, said movable member being driven in sequence with said raising and lowering means whereby said movable member opens said aperture when the emblem is being raised and moves to close said aperture when said emblem is lowered.

Conveniently an electric motor or hydraulic power means are provided to drive the raising and lowering means and the movable member.

Where an electric motor is used, preferably said motor is connected to drive a pair of spaced rotatable screw members and said frame is supported between by a respective nut movable along a respective screw member.

Advantageously the movable member is rotatable to close or open said aperture and preferably said movable member is rotated by a drive mechanism attached to one of said screw members.

This invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying Figure 1 which shows a schematic perspective view of an emblem protection device in accordance with this invention.

The emblem protection device shown in Figure 1 has an electric motor 1 operated by a switch 101 which would normally be located inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The motor 1 transmits drive through a reduction gear box 102 to a belt 103 which drives the first of a spaced pair of lifting screws 2. The second of the lifting screws 2 is driven by the motor 2 with a belt 103. An inverted U-shaped frame 3 is supported between the lifting screws 2 by nuts 302, the nuts having interengaging screw threads with the threads of the lifting screws 2.

The frame 3 has a cup 301 in which is located a ball joint 401 carrying an emblem 4. One of the lifting screws 2 is connected by a limit screw 501 which is capable of rotating through 900 and which, via a belt 505 drives a shaft 506 upon which is located a movable cover 502. A torsion spring 504 is mounted on the shaft 506 to force the limit screw 501 into engagement with the lifting screw 2. A stationary cover plate 5 having an aperture 503 similarly shaped to the movable cover 502 is located on shaft 506. The plate 5 would, in operation, be located in the top of the radiator or bonnet of a vehicle. The complete assembly is located in a frame 6 for securement to a vehicle body.

In operation, actuation of the switch 101 causes the motor 1 to rotate lifting screws 2 so that the emblem is vertically raised and at the same time limit screw 501 rotates through 900 to rotate movable plate 502 out of the aperture 503 thereby permitting the emblem 4 to be raised and protrude through aperture 503. Further actuation of the switch 101 causes the motor to drive in reverse to lower the emblem and to rotate the movable plate 502 to block the aperture 503.

Although the invention has been described with the use of an electric motor, it is envisaged that a hydraulic drive mechanism may alternatively be employed.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A vehicle emblem protection device including an emblem mounted on a frame for attachment to a vehicle body, means for raising and lowering said frame, a cover plate having an aperture therein through which said emblem is capable of passing, and a movable member arranged to close or open said aperture, said movable member being driven in sequence with said raising and lowering means whereby said movable member opens said aperture when the emblem is being raised and moves to close said aperture when said emblem is lowered.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein an electric motor or hydraulic power means are provided to drive the raising and lowering means and the movable member.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said motor is connected to drive a pair of spaced rotatable screw members and said frame is supported between by a respective nut movable along a respective screw member.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the movable member is rotatable to close or open said aperture.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4 wherein said movable member is rotated by a drive mechanism attached to one of said screw members.

6. A vehicle emblem protection device substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawing.