GB2315053A

GB2315053A - Vehicle immobilising device

Info

Publication number: GB2315053A
Application number: GB9614234A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Philip Denman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1996-07-06
Filing date: 1996-07-06
Publication date: 1998-01-21
Anticipated expiration: 2016-07-06
Also published as: GB9614234D0; GB2315053B

Abstract

A vehicle immobiliser comprises first and second parts (10, 12) each having a body portion (14, 16) and an arm (18,20) projecting from the body. Each arm (18, 20) has a hooked end portion (22, 24). The body portions (14, 16) are hinged together so that the arms (18,20) are generally parallel, with the hooked end portions 22,24 spaced from one another. Flanges (30, 32) on the body portions (14, 16) can be locked together eg by padlock to retain the hooked end portions (22,24) in closely spaced operative condition. When the parts (10, 12) are locked together in the operative condition the arms (18, 20) are spaced apart to encompass part of a vehicle wheel with the body portions (14, 16) positioned radially outwardly of the wheel rim (42) and the hooked end portions radially inwardly of the rim (42). This prevents the device being withdrawn from the rim (42) thus to immobilise the vehicle. The padlock can be released to allow the parts (10, 12) to be hinged apart permitting the device to be removed from the wheel.

Description

VEHICLE IMMOBILISING DEVICE This invention is concerned with a vehicle immobilising device of the type which is intended to be secured to the wheel of a vehicle to impede rotation of the wheel.

Various wheel clamping devices have been proposed in the past which clamp tightly to the wheel and engage the ground, or in some circumstances portions of the vehicle body. These known devices are of substantial construction and generally complex, of a construction intended to completely immobilise the vehicle and to be such that unauthorised removal of the clamping device is practically impossible. However, these known clamping devices are not only relatively expensive but also very bulky and heavy and are primarily of use in clamping vehicles parked in unauthorised positions or as an additional security device for vehicles parked in their normal parking place. Because of the size and weight of the known devices it is impractical to carry them round in the vehicle to provide a vehicle with additional security when parked away from its normal location.

One of the various objects of the present invention is to provide an improved vehicle immobilising device which is more readily portable than any known immobilising devices.

The applicant has ingeniously devised a vehicle immobilising device which is substantially planar and, being so, is much less bulky than many previously known devices. It can therefore be readily transported for example in the boot of a vehicle, without occupying an unacceptable volume of the boot.

The invention may be considered to provide in one aspect a vehicle immobiliser device comprising a first and a second part each having a body portion and an arm projecting from the body portion each arm having a hooked end portion; means interconnecting the body portions so that the arms project generally parallel with one another with the hooked end portions spaced from one another; and means by which the first and second parts may be locked together to retain the hooked end portions in a closely spaced operative condition, the construction and arrangement being such that when the parts are locked together with the hooked end portions in the operative condition, the arms are spaced apart sufficiently to encompass part of a vehicle wheel with the body portions positioned radially outwardly of the rim and the hooked end portions positioned radially inwardly of the wheel rim thus preventing the immobiliser being withdrawn from the rim whereby to immobilise the vehicle, the arms being movable apart when the first and second parts are not locked together thus to move the hooked end portions apart, from the operative condition, and permit the immobiliser to be removed.

Conveniently, in a device in accordance with the invention the means interconnecting the first and second parts includes hinge means which retains the two body parts interconnected but permits hinging movement of the arms towards and away from one another.

Alternatively, in a device in accordance with the invention, the means interconnecting the first and second parts comprises means by which the body portions may be inter-engaged with one another to place the hooked end portions in the operating condition, or separated from one another when the two parts are not locked together whereby to facilitate removal of the immobiliser.

Preferably, in a device in accordance with the invention the means by which the two parts may be locked together comprise two flanges one projecting from each of the first and second parts, which are positioned adjacent one another when the hooked end portions are in the operative condition and can be locked to one another thus to lock the two parts together.

In a device in accordance with the invention any convenient locking means may be used. Suitably, the means for locking the two parts together may comprise a padlock; where the locking means includes two flanges as discussed above, the hook portion of the padlock may be passed through aligned openings in the adjacent flanges thus to lock the two parts together.

A more complex device in accordance with the invention, which may provide additional security, comprises a third part having a member provided with securing means engageable with the first part of the device by which the third part can be secured to the first part. The member further has means remote from the securing means consisting of a hook formation configured to encompass the tyre and rim of a vehicle wheel, the hook formation having a hooked end which engages radially inwardly of the rim of the wheel, the hook formation extending around the tyre and the member extending across the face of the wheel remote from the axle of the wheel, in use, to engage the first part of the device. Conveniently the member defines an opening within which the hooked end portion of the first part of the device is received whereby to secure the third part to the first part of the device.

There now follows a detailed description, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, of a first and second vehicle immobilising devices embodying the invention. It will be realised that these devices have been selected for description to illustrate the invention by way of example. In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a first device embodying the invention, in engagement with part of a vehicle wheel; Figure 2 is a plan view, partly in section, showing a second device embodying the invention; Figure 3 is a view in section on the line III-III of Figure 1; and Figure 4 is a fragmentary view of a third part of the second illustrative device.

The devices in accordance with the invention may be made of any suitable material in any convenient manner. However, the first and second illustrative devices are made from rigid steel plate of a suitable thickness, for example about lcm thickness, from which the various parts of the illustrative device are cut and formed.

The illustrative device shown in Figure 1 comprises a first part 10 and a second part 12. Each of the parts comprises a body portion 14, 16 and an arm 18, 20 projecting from the body portion 14, 16. Each of the arms has a hooked end portion 22, 24 respectively.

The first illustrative device further comprises hinge means 26 interconnecting the body portions 14, 16. The hinge means 26 comprises a hinge pin 28 passing through the body portions, 14, 16 and headed to retain it in place, at a position remote from the hooked end portions 22, 24 of the arms of the first and second parts 10, 12. The hinge means 26 interconnects the body portions 14, 16 so that the arms 18, 20 are generally coplanar and project in directions generally parallel with one another with the hooked end portions 22, 24 spaced from one another. As can be seen viewing Figure 1, the first and second parts 10, 12 are generally of C configuration when viewed in plan as shown in Figure 1.

The two parts 10, 12 of the first illustrative device further comprise two flanges 30, 32, projecting generally at right angles from the body portions 14, 16 of the parts 10, 12. The flanges are disposed so that they are positioned adjacent one another when the hooked end portions 22, 24 of the arms 18, 20 are in an operative condition in which they are shown in Figure 1.

The flanges 30, 32 provide means by which the two parts, 10, 12 may be locked together to retain the hooked end portions 22, 24 closely spaced in their operative condition. The flanges may be locked together by any suitable means but conveniently they are locked by means of a padlock 34, see Figure 3. A hook portion 36 of the padlock passes through aligned openings in the two flanges 30, 32 whereby to secure them together.

In Figure 1 the first illustrative immobilising device is shown in operative engagement with a vehicle wheel comprising a hub portion 38 and a tyre 40; the hub portion 38 has a rim 42 by which the tyre 40 is retained in position. In order to apply the immobilising device, the padlock 34 is released and the first and second parts are hinged about the hinge pin 28 to move the arms 18, 20 away from one another for a sufficient distance to pass the hooked end portions 22, 24 over the tyre and the wheel rim. The first and second parts 10, 20 are then pivoted towards one another until the flanges 30, 32 engage one another and the parts 10, 12 have reached the position shown in Figure 1. The padlock 34 is then applied as discussed above to lock the parts in the position shown. The spacing between the hooked end portions 20, 22 is such that if an attempt is made to remove the device the end portions 22, 24 engage the rim and prevent removal.

Should an attempt be made to drive the vehicle away with the immobilising device in place, the immobilising device will obstruct rotation of the wheel to such an extent that driving of the vehicle will be impossible.

In applying the first illustrative device, the flanges are positioned so that they project downwardly. In that position access to the flanges and to the padlock is inhibited so that it is more difficult to attack the locking device with a view to overcoming the security. However, it will be appreciated that the device could be applied with the flanges 30, 32 facing upwardly.

The first illustrative device is much more simple than many of the vehicle clamping devices previously known and is of relatively little bulk.

Furthermore, the weight of the device is not too great for most people to use it. Whilst the security of the device may be not as great as some of the prior art devices, it nevertheless provides a considerable deterrent to theft of a vehicle and provides an adequate compromise between security and practicality for a portable vehicle immobilising device.

The second illustrative device, shown in Figure 2, is intended to provide a somewhat greater level of security. The second illustrative device makes use of the first illustrative device comprising first and second parts 10, 12 of precisely the same construction as the first illustrative device, together with a third part 44. It is therefore possible to acquire the third part to increase the security level over, for use with an existing first device.

The third part 44 comprises a member 46 having at one end portion thereof securing means provided by an opening 48 engageable with the first part 10 of the device. As can be seen viewing figure 2, the hooked end portion 22 of the first part 10 can be received in the opening 48 whereby to secure the third part 44 to the first part 10.

The third part additionally has a hook formation 50 configured to encompass the tyre 40 and rim 42 of a vehicle wheel with a hooked end 52 of the formation 50 engaged radially inwardly of the rim of the wheel.

As can be seen viewing Figure 2 the formation 50 extends around the tyre 40 and the member 46 extends across the face of the wheel remote from an axle 54 of the wheel to engage the first part 10. In assembling the second illustrative device, the third part is first positioned with the hook formation 50 disposed around the tyre as shown in Figure 2 and the hooked end portion 22 of the first part 10 is passed through the opening 48 with the first and second parts 10, 12 in an open condition. Finally, the parts 10, 12 are moved towards one another about the hinge 26 so that the hooked end portions 22, 24 adopt the operative condition in which they are shown in Figure 2 and the parts 10, 12 are locked together as discussed with reference to the first illustrative device. To remove the second device, the lock mechanism eg the padlock 34 is first released on the arms 18, 20 swing apart so that the hooked end portion 22 is removed from the hole 48. The first device can then be moved radially outwardly and the third part swung in the direction of the arrow 'A' to disengage the hook formation from the wheel.

The dimensions of the first, second and third parts 10, 12, 44 are such that, although the various parts may be able to move slightly with relation to the wheel, it is impossible to remove the parts from the wheel without first overcoming the locking means in some manner. The use of the third part 44 makes the second illustrative device somewhat more secure than the first device, alone, at relatively little additional expense. Furthermore, the third part 44 may itself be provided by any suitable means, most conveniently by cutting from steel plate of a similar thickness to the first and second parts 10, 12.

Claims

1. A vehicle immobiliser device comprising a first and a second part each having a body portion and an arm projecting from the body portion each arm having a hooked end portion; means interconnecting the body portions so that the arms project generally parallel with one another with the hooked end portions spaced from one another; and means by which the first and second parts may be locked together to retain the hooked end portions in a closely spaced operative condition, the construction and arrangement being such that when the parts are locked together with the hooked end portions in the operative condition, the arms are spaced apart sufficiently to encompass part of a vehicle wheel with the body portions positioned radially outwardly of the rim and the hooked end portions positioned radially inwardly of the wheel rim thus preventing the immobiliser being withdrawn from the rim whereby to immobilise the vehicle, the arms being movable apart when the first and second parts are not locked together thus to move the hooked end portions from the operative condition and permit the immobiliser to be removed.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the means interconnecting the two parts includes hinge means which retains the two parts interconnected but permits hinging movement of the arms towards and away from one another.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein the means interconnecting the two parts comprises means by which the body portions may be interengaged to place the hooked end portions in the operative condition or separated from one another when the two parts are not locked together whereby to facilitate removal of the immobiliser.

4. A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the means by which the two parts may be locked together comprise two flanges one projecting from each part which are positioned adjacent one another when the hooked end portions are in the operative condition, and can be locked to one another thus to lock the two parts together.

5. A device according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the means for locking the parts together comprises a padlock.

6. A device according to any one of the preceding claims comprising a third part having a member provided with securing means engageable with the first part by which the third part can be secured to the first part and means remote from the securing means consisting of a hook formation configured to encompass the tyre and rim of a vehicle wheel with a hooked end of the formation engaged radially inwardly of the rim of the wheel, the formation extending round the tyre and the member extending across the face of the wheel remote from the axle of the wheel to engage the first part.

7. A device according to claim 6 wherein the member defines an opening within which the hooked end portion of the first part is received to secure the third part to the first part.

8. A device constructed arranged and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.