GB2521901A

GB2521901A - Steering lock device

Info

Publication number: GB2521901A
Application number: GB1418758.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Satoshi Sugihara
Original assignee: U Shin Ltd
Current assignee: U Shin Ltd
Priority date: 2013-10-31
Filing date: 2014-10-22
Publication date: 2015-07-08
Anticipated expiration: 2034-10-22
Also published as: GB201418758D0; GB2521901B; JP6153848B2; JP2015085814A

Abstract

A steering lock device for a vehicle comprises: a cylinder lock 5 including a key cylinder 7; a lock bolt 4; a stopper member 23 biased from a release position not engaged with a recess portion 4a of the lock bolt toward a prevention position engaged with the recess portion; a trigger rod 21 configured to hold the stopper member at the release position by engaging with the stopper member in a state where it is positionally restricted by being brought into contact with a rear end portion of the cylinder lock; a lock slider 25 configured to be activated by movement of the stopper member from the release position to the prevention position and lock the stopper member at the prevention position; and a body (2, figure 11), where a lock slider insertion hole configured such that the lock slider is capable of being inserted from an outside and housed therein is formed in the body at a position closed by a vehicle-side member such as a steering column 30. Should the cylinder lock be removed in an attempted vehicle theft the lock bolt is deadlocked by the stopper member, which cannot be removed due to the lock slider.

Description

STEERING LOCK DEVTCE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a steering lock device for locking rotation of a steering wheel when a vehicle is parked.

2. Description of the Related Art

Vehicles are provided with steering lock devices for locking rotation of steering wheels in parking to prevent theft.

Among such steering lock devices, a steering lock device as described below is proposed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 8-104202. The steering lock device includes a dead lock mechanism configured to hold a lock bolt engaged with the steering shaft at a locked position and disable operation of the lock bolt upon destruction of the steering lock device, in order to prevent unlocking of the steering lock by unlawful destruction.

The steering lock device proposed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei 8-104202 is described below based on Figs. 15 to 17. Note that Fig. 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the steering lock device proposed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Pci 8-104202, Fig. 16 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state where a body of the steering lock device is destroyed and the dead lock mechanism is activated, and Fig. 17 shows across-sectional view taken along the line B-B in Fig. 16.

The cylindrical body 102 of the steering lock device 101 shown in Fig. 15 houses a key cylinder 107, a camshaft 112 connected to the key cylinder 107, a lock member 104 operated by the camshaft 112, the dead lock mechanism, and the like. A not-illustrated lock bar is connected to the lock member 104.

When a key is inserted into the key cylinder 107 and turned to a "LOCK" position, the camshaft 112 connected to the key cylinder 107 is turned, and the lock bar is moved to the locked position by a cam protruding portion 112a provided in the camshaft 112 to engage with a not-illustrated steering shaft.

The steering lock device is thus set to a steering locked state, and rotation of the steering shaft and a steering wheel joined to the steering shaft is thereby locked.

The dead lock mechanism is provided to prevent vehicle theft by holding the lock bar at the locked position when the body 102 is destroyed (or when the key cylinder 107 is pulled out) as described later to steal the vehicle. An opening portion 102a is formed in a side portion of the body 102 and is covered with a cover 103. The dead lock mechanism is housed in a space in the body 102 which is covered with the cover 103 and includes: a restriction lever 121 movable in axial directions of the camshaft 112 (left-right directions in Fig. 15) ; a spring 122 configured to bias the restriction lever 121 toward the key cylinder 107 (in the direction of the arrow a in Fig. 15) ; a prevention member 123 movable in radial directions (up-down directions in Fig. 15); a spring 124 configured bias the prevention member 123 inward in the radial direction (in the direction of the arrow b in Fig. 15) ; and a lock piece 125 disposed between the prevention member 123 and the spring 122.

When the dead lock mechanism is not activated, as shown in Fig. 15, the restriction lever 121 is at a restriction position in contact with a protruding portion 106a of a cylinder case 106, and a cam 121a of the restriction iever 121 is engaged with the prevention merter 123 to hold the prevention member 123 at a disengaged position spaced away from an engagement body ll2A of the camshaft 112. At this time, the lock piece 125 is biased leftward (in an opposite direction to the arrow a) in Fig. 15 by the spring 122 and is in contact with a side portion of the prevention member 123.

In the state described above, the camshaft 112 can be freely rotated, and the steering wheel can be set to a locked state or an unlocked state by turning the key inserted into the key cylinder 107 to move the not-illustrated lock bar to the locked position or the unlocked position.

The dead lock mechanism is activated when the body 102 is unlawfully destroyed from a portion of a groove 102b (see Fig. 15) as shown in Fig. 16 to steal the vehicle (or when the key cylinder 107 is pulled out from the body 102) in the steering locked state where the not-illustrated lock bar is engaged with the not-illustrated steering shaft when the vehicle is parked.

Specifically, since the positional restriction of the restriction lever 121 is released when the dead lock mechanism is activated, as shown in Fig. 16, the restriction lever 121 is moved in the direction of the arrow a in the drawing by biasing force of the spring 122. Then, the restriction lever 121 and the prevention member 123 are disengaged from each other, and the prevention member 123 is moved in the direction of the arrow b by biasing force of the spring 124 and engages with an engagement groove 112b formed in the engagement body 112A provided integrally on the camshaft 112 as shown in Fig. 17.

When the prevention member 123 engages with the engagement groove ll2b of the engagement body ll2A as described above, turning of the camshaft 112 is prevented. The camshaft 112 is thus prevented from being moved in an unlock direction of the not-illustrated lock bar by an unlawful operation, and the lock bar is held at the locked position to maintain the steering locked state, preventing vehicle theft. Moreover, as shown in Fig. 16, when the prevention member 123 moves in the direction of the arrow b in the drawing, the lock pieoe 125 is moved leftward (in the opposite direction to the arrow a) in Fig. 16 by the biasing force of the spring 122 and enters a space between the prevention member 123 and the cover 103. The prevention member 123 is thus prevented from being moved in a disengagement direction (in an opposite direction to the arrow b) . Hence, the lock bar is more surely held at the locked position, and the anti-theft characteristic of the vehicle is further improved.

In the steering lock device shown in Figs. 15 to 17, only the key cylinder 107 is manufactured at a different location and is finally installed into the body 102 in which the other parts are installed. However, the following problem may occur in the steering lock device 101 manufactured in such an assembly procedure.

Specifically, if the dead lock mechanism is acoidentally activated in the installing of the key cylinder 107 before mounting of the steering lock device 101 onto the vehicle, there is no choice but to destroy the steering lock device 101 to deactivate the dead lock mechanism, and the destroyed steering lock device 101 cannot be used. The steering lock device 101 made unusable as described above needs to be discarded, and the steering lock device 101 has a problem that the overall manufacturing cost increases.

The present invention is made in view of the problem described above, and an object thereof is to provide a steering lock device capable of deactivating a dead lock mechanism accidentaliy activated in assembly before mounting onto a vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To achieve the object described above, a first aspect of the present invention provides a steering lock device comprising: a cylinder lock including a key cylinder capable of being turned and operated by inserting a key; a lock bolt connected to the key cylinder and configured to be movable between a locked position engaged with a steering shaft and an unlocked position disengaged frcm the steering shaft; a stopper member biased from a release position not engaged with an engagement recess portion of the lock bolt toward a prevention position engaged with the engagement recess portion; a trigger rod configured to hold the stopper member at the release position by engaging with the stopper member in a state of positionally restricted by being biased toward the cylinder lock and thereby brought into contact with a rear end portion of the cylinder lock; a lock slider configured to be activated by movement of the stopper member from the release position to the prevention position and lock the stopper member at the prevention position by engaging with the stopper member; and a body housing the cylinder lock, the lock bolt, the stopper member, and the trigger rod, wherein a lock slider insertion hole configured such that the lock slider is capable of being inserted from an outside into the lock slider insertion hole and housed therein is formed in the body at a position closed by a vehicle-side member.

A second aspect of the present invention provides the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the body is provided with a stopper member housing portion configured to hold the stopper member such that the stopper member is operable and communicating with the lock slider insertion hole, and the stopper member is provided with an inclined portion configured to cause the stopper member to move from the prevention position to the release position by being pressed by a jig inserted from the lock slider insertion hole.

A third aspect of the present invention provides the second aspect of the present invention, wherein the locked position of the lock bolt is set at such a position that part of the lock bolt is located above an opening portion of the stopper member housing portion to be capable of preventing the stopper member from coming out from the stopper member housing portion.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, if the dead lock mechanism is accidentally activated in installing of the cylinder lock before mounting of the steering lock device onto the vehicle, the dead lock mechanism can be reset to a state before the activation by: taking out the lock slider from the lock slider insertion hole opened in the body; and then inserting the jig from the lock slider insertion hole to move the stopper member at the prevention position to the release position. Accordingly, the steering lock device can be used without being discarded. Hence, it is possible to prevent an increase in the manufacturing cost and to improve the yield.

Moreover, since the lock slider insertion hole formed in the body is closed by the vehicle-side member (steering column) in a state where the steering lock device is mounted on the vehicle, the lock slider cannot be taken out from the lock slider insertion hole when the dead lock mechanism is activated due to destruction for the purpose of stealing the vehicle.

Accordingly, the dead lock mechanism cannot be deactivated and the steering lock state is maintained. Hence, the anti-theft characteristic of the vehicle is improved.

Moreover, according to the second aspect of the present invention, if the dead lock mechanism is accidentally activated in the installing of the cylinder lock before the mounting of the steering lock device onto the vehicle, the dead lock mechanism can be reset to the state before the activation by: taking out the lock slider from the lock slider insertion hole opened in the body; then inserting the jig from the lock slider insertion hole and bringing the front end of the jig into contact with the inclined portion of the stopper member to push the inclined portion; and thereby moving the stopper member at the prevention position to the release position by using the wedging action. Due to this, even if the stopper member is housed deep inside the body, it is possible to easilymove the stopper member to the release position and deactivate the dead lock mechanism.

Moreover, since the lock slider insertion hole formed in the body is closed by the vehicle-side member (steering column) in the state where the steering lock device is mounted on the vehicle, the stopper member cannot be operated from the lock slider insertion hole when the dead lock mechanism is activated due to destruction for the purpose of stealing the vehicle.

Accordingly, the dead lock mechanism cannot be deactivated by moving the stopper member to the release position, and the anti-theft characteristic of the vehicle is thus improved.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the lock bolt is at the locked position, the lock bolt becomes an obstacle, and the stopper member cannot be taken out from the stopper member housing portion of the body.

Furthermore, when the dead lock mechanism is activated, the stopper member cannot be moved from the prevention pcsition to the release position unless the lock slider is taken out from the lock slider insertion hole. However, since the opening portion of the lock slider insertion hole housing the lock slider is closed by the vehicle-side member, the lock slider cannot be taken out. Accordingly, the dead lock mechanism cannot be deactivated, and the anti-theft characteristic of the vehicle is further improved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a steering lock device in the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view showing the steering lock device in the present invention with a cover being removed.

Fig. 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing the steering lock device in the present invention in a locked state (deadlock mechanism not-activated state) Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a body of the steering lock device in the present invention.

Fig. 6 is apartial perspective viewshowing amainportion of the steering lock device in the present invention in a state ("ACO" state) before installing of a cylinder lock.

Fig. 7 is a partial perspective view showing the steering lock device in the present invention in the locked state (deadlock mechanism not-activated state) Fig. 8 is a partial perspective view showing the steering lock device in the present invention in the locked state (deadlock mechanism not-activated state) Figs. 9A and 9B are perspective views of a first gear member of the steering lock device in the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a partial perspective view showing the steering lock device in the present invention with the cylinder lock being pulled out (dead lock mechanism activated state) Fig. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view (view similar to Fig. 4) showing the steering lock device in the present invention with the cylinder lock being pulled out (dead lock mechanism activated state) Fig. 12 is a partial perspective view showing the steering lock device in the present invention with the cover being removed (dead lock mechanism activated state) Fig. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view (view similar to Fig. 4) showing a state where a lock bolt is held at a locked position due to accidental activation of the dead lock mechanism in assembly of the steering lock device in the present invention.

Fig. 14 is a vertical cross-sectional view (view similar to Fig. 4) showing a procedure of deactivating the dead lock mechanism accidentally activated in the assembly of the steering lock device in the present invention.

Fig. 15 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a steering lock device proposed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Pci 8-104202 in a locked state.

Fig. 16 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state where a body of the steering lock device proposed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Pci 8-104202 is destroyed and a dead lock mechanism is activated.

Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in Fig. 16.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Au embodiment of the present invention is described below based on the attached drawings.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a steering lock device in the present invention, Fig. 2 is a side view showing the steering lock device with a cover being removed, Fig. 3 is a side cross-sectional view showing the steering lock device in a locked state (deadlock mechanism not-activated state) , Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a body of the steering lock device, Fig. 6 is a partial perspective view showing a main portion of the steering lock device in a state ("ACC" state) before installing of a cylinder lock, Figs. 7 and 8 are partial perspective views showing the steering lock device in the locked state (deadlock mechanism not-activated state), and Figs. 9A and 93 are perspective views of a first gear member of the steering lock device.

The steering lock device 1 of the present invention locks and unlocks rotation of a not-illustrated steering wheel in conjunction with a turning operation of a key for starting and stopping an engine, and includes a substantially-cylindrical body 2 which is made of metal and which is fixed to a cylindrical steering column 30 (see Fig. 4) being a vehicle body-side member.

As shown in Fig. 1, a substantially-rectangular opening portion 2a (see Figs. 2 and 5) formed in a side portion of the body 2 is closed by a cover (lid) 3 which is made of resin and which is fitted to an inner peripheral edge of the opening portion 2a.

The body 2 includes a rectangular Container-shaped main body portion 2A, a vertical portion 23 integrally standing upright from the main body portion 2A, and a horizontal cylinder portion 2C being integrally continuous with the main body portion 2A. A semi-cylindrical mounting portion 2b is integrally formed at an upper end of the vertical portion 23 of the body 2 and, as shown in Fig. 1, bosses 21) are integrally formed on both sides of the mounting portion 2b. Screw holes 2c are formed respectively in the bosses 21).

Moreover, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, a narrow rectangular hole-shaped activation hole 2d is provided at the center of the vertical portion 23 of the body 2 to penetrate the vertical portion 23 in a vertical direction, and a lock bolt 4 is inserted and housed in the activation hole 2d to be vertically movable.

Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 4, the steering column 30 is mounted on the mounting portion 2b provided in the vertical portion 23 of the body 2. A not-illustrated bracket is placed on the mounting portion 2b, and not-illustrated screws inserted into the bracket are screwed to the screw holes 2c of the bosses 2D formed on both sides of the mounting portion 2b to attach the bracket to the mounting portion 2b. The steering look device 1 is thereby attached to the steering column 30 in such a way that the steering column 30 is held between the steering lock device 1 and the bracket.

Here, as shown in Fig. 4, a rotatable steering shaft 31 is inserted into the steering column 30, and an engagement groove 31a having a rectangular horizontal cross section is formed in part of an outer periphery of the steering shaft 31.

Althollgh not illustrated, a steering wheel is joined to an upper of the steering shaft 31, and a lower end of the steering shaft 31 is connected to an input shaft in a steering gear box.

The lock bolt 4 is movable (vertically movable) between a looked position shown in Fig. 4 where the lock bolt 4 is engaged with the engagement groove 31a of the steering shaft 31 and an unlocked position where the lock bolt 4 is disengaged from the engagement groove 31a. A rectangular groove-shaped engagement recess portion 4a is formed in part of a lower end portion of the lock bolt 4, on the opposite side to the opening portion 2a of the body 2 (on the right side in Fig. 4) Moreover, as shown in Fig. 3, a cylinder lock 5 is installedinthecylinderporticn2cofthebody2. The cylinder lock 5 includes a cylindrical holder 6 fixed to the body 2, a key cylinder 7 turnably housed inside the holder 6, and a holder cap 8 attached to an outer periphery of a front end (right end in Fig. 3) of the holder 6. As shown in Fig. 3, multiple engagement grooves 6a elongated in an axial direction (left-right direction in Fig. 3) are formed in an inner periphery of the holder 6, and multiple tumblers 9 configured to advance and retreat in radial directions to selectively engage with the engagement grooves 6a of the holder 6 are provided in the key cylinder 7 at appropriate intervals in the axial direction. Moreover, a flat rectangular key hole 7a for inserting the not-illustrated key is formed in a center portion of the key cylinder 7.

In the side portion of the main body portion 2A of the body 2, the opening portion 2a is formed as shown in Fig. 5, and bosses 2E are formed at two positions on a diagonal line of an inside of the main body portion 2A which is covered with the cover 3. Screw holes 2e are formed respectively in the bosses 2F.

Moreover, two block-shaped first gear holding portions 2F and one camshaft holding portion 2G are provided integrally with a center portion of the inside of the main body portion 2A in the body 2, at appropriate intervals in a front-rear direction, to stand upright. Similarly, a block-shaped second gear holding portion 2H is integrally provided below the camshaft holding portion 2G to stand upright. Furthermore, a semi-circular bearing portion 2i is formed in a rear wall of the main body portion 2A of the body 2. The bearing portion 2i and semi-circular bearing portions 2f, 2g formed respectively in the first gear holding portions 2F and the camshaft holding portion 2G are arranged in a straight line in the front-rear direction. In addition, a semi-circular bearing portion 2h is formed in the second gear holding portion 2H to penetrate the second gear holding portion 2H in an up-down direction.

Although not illustrated, in areas of an inner surface of the cover 3 which correspond to the first gear holding portions 2F, the camshaft holding portion 2G, and the second gear holding portion 211, similar first gear holding portions, a camshaft holding portion, and a second gear holding portion are formed, and semi-circular bearing portions are formed in these areas. Moreover, in an area of the inner surface of the cover 3 which corresponds to the bearing portion 2i in the body 2, a bearing portion similar to the bearing portion 2i is formed.

Moreover, as shown in Fig. 5, a guide rib 2j extending in a front-rear direction is provided in an upper portion in the main body portion 2A of the body 2 to stand upright. A trigger rod holding groove 2k elongated in the front-rear direction along the guide rib 2j is formed on an inner side (lower side) of the guide rib 2j. Furthermore, a rectangular hole-shaped stopper member housing portion 2m is formed in a corner portion behind the guide rib 2j in the main body portion 2A of the body 2. As shown in Figs. 1 and 4, a lock slider insertion hole 2n is vertically formed in the vertical portion 2B of the body 2 to penetrate the vertical portion 2B in the up-down direction. Accordingly, an upper end of the lock slider insertion hole 2n is opened in the mounting portion 2b of the body 2 (see Fig. 1) , and a lower end of the lock slider insertion hole 2n is opened in the stopper member housing portion 2m to communicate with the stopper member housing portion 2m (see Fig. 5) Here, as shown in Fig. 1, the lock slider insertion hole 2n is formed to have a T-shaped horizontal cross section. A lock slider 25, a third spring 26, and a cap 27 are housed inside a hole portion 2n1 having a large width. A jig and the like can be inserted into a hole portion 2n2 having a small width to allow removal of the cap 27. In a state where the steering lock device 1 is mounted on a vehicle, an upper end opening portion of the lock slider insertion hole 2n is closed by the steering column 30 as shown in Fig. 4.

As described above, on the inner surface of the cover 3, the not-illustrated holding portions similar to the first gear holding portions 2F, the camshaft holding portion 2G, and the second gear holding portion 2H in the body 2 are provided to stand upright. In addition, as shown in Fig. 8, bosses 3A (only one is shown in Fig. 8) are provided on the inner surface of the cover 3, respectively at positions corresponding to the bosses 2E in the body 2, to stand upright, and circular hole-shaped screw insertion holes 3a are formed respectively in the bosses 3A. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 8, a hook portion 3b extending at a right angie toward the body 2 is integrally provided on the inner surface of the cover 3 to stand upright.

The cover 3 is attached to the main body portion 2A of the body 2 by screwing not-illustrated screws inserted into the screw insertion holes 3a (see Fig. 8) formed respectively in the bosses 3A into the screw holes 2e (see Fig. 5) formed respectively in the bosses 2E of the body 2, and forms a housing space together with the main body portion 2A of the body 2.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the housing space formed inside the main body portion 2A of the body 2 houses: a hanger 11 whose upper end portion is connected to a lower end portion of the lock bolt 4; a camshaft 12 which forms an activation mechanism configured to move (vertically move) the hanger 11 to a locked position or an unlocked position; a lock bolt spring 13 which biases the hanger 11 and the lock bolt 4 upward (toward the locked position) ; a camshaft spring 14 which biases the camshaft 12 forward (rightwardin Fig. 3); a first gearmember l5andasecond gear member 16 which mesh with each other; and a dead lock mechanism. Note that the first gear member 15 and the second gear member 16 are formed of bevel gears.

The hanger 11 is vertically housed in the main body portion 2A of the body 2, and the upper end portion of the hanger 11 is connected to the lower end portion of the lock bolt 4. As shown in Fig. 3, a pin 17 is fitted to a lower end portion of the hanger 11 to be slidable in the front-rear direction. The pin 17 is biased forward (rightward in Fig. 3) by a pin spring 18, and a front end portion of the pin 17 protrudes forward from the hanger 11.

Both end portions of the camshaft 12 in the axial direction are rotatably supported by circular hole-shaped bearings formed by the bearing portion 2g formed in the camshaft holding portion 2G in the body 2, the bearing portion 2i formed in the rear wall of the main body portion 2A, and the similar bearing portions (not illustrated) formed in the cover 3. A cam portion 12a is integrally formed in a rear end portion of the camshaft 12 at a position facing the pin 17.

Moreover, the first gear member 15 is joined to an outer periphery of a front end portion of the camshaft 12. The first gear member 15 is rotatably supported by circular hole-shaped bearings formed by the bearing portions 2f (see Fig. 5) formed in the first gear holding portions 2F provided in the main body portion 2A of the body 2 to stand upright and the similar bearing portions (not illustrated) formed in the cover 3, and is biased rearward by a gear spring 19 to be prevented from becoming loose.

The first gear member 15 is thus positionally restricted in the axial direction, and the first gear member 15 cannot move in the axial direction. Note that the first gear member 15, the key cylinder 7, the key inserted into the key cylinder 7, and the camshaft 12 are integrally turned and are integrally turnable to a "LOCK" position, an "ACC" position, an "ON" position, and a "START" position.

An upper end portion of the second gear member 16 is rotatably supported by a circular hole-shaped bearing formed by the bearing portion 2h (see Fig. 5) of the second gear holding portion 2H in the body 2 and the not-illustrated bearing portion formed in the cover 3. A rotary shaft 16a integrally extending downward from a center portion of the second gear member 16 penetrates the main body portion 2A of the body 2, and a lower end portion of the rotary shaft 16a is connected to a not-illustrated ignition switch mounted on an notched cylinder-shaped ignition switch mounting portion 2p integrally provided to protrude downward from main body portion 2A of the body 2. The second gear member 16 is biased toward the first gear member 15 (upward) by a gear spring 20 to be prevented from becoming loose from the first gear member 15. Note that the ignition switch is a rotating operation type switch used to switch a power source state of the vehicle. Setting the ignition switch to ON causes electric power to be supplied from a not-illustrated battery to a not-illustrated starter motor, and the starter motor is thereby activated to start the not-illustrated engine.

As shown in Figs. 9A and 9B, a gear portion (sector gear) lEA is formed in one portion of an outer periphery of the first gear member 15, and another portion thereof constitute a flange-shaped temporary holding member 1SB. In the embodiment, the temporary holding member 158 is thus formed integrally with the first gear member 15. This reduces the number of parts and suppresses the manufacturing cost to a low level. Moreover, a notch portion iSa is formed in one portion of an outer periphery of the temporary holding member 15B over a predetermined angular range (as will be described later, over such an angular range that interference with a locking portion 21a of a trigger rod 21 is prevented when the first gear member 15 is at the "LOCK" position) Moreover, a non-circular hcle-shaped ccnnecticn hole 15b is formed in a center portion of the first gear member 15, and a connection portion 7b formed in a rear end portion of the key cylinder 7 is fitted to the connection hole 15b. The camshaft 12 is thereby connected to the key cylinder 7 via the first gear member 15, and rotation of the key cylinder 7 is transmitted to the camshaft 12 via the first gear member 15 to turn the camshaft 12.

Next, the dead lock mechanism is described. Note that the dead lock mechanism prevents theft by being activated to hold the lock bolt 4 at the locked position when unlawful destruction for the purpose of stealing the vehicle is made in a state (steering locked state) where: the lock bolt 4 is at the locked position while the vehicle is parked; and a front end portion of the lock bolt 4 is engaged with the engagement groove 31a of the steering shaft 31 as shown in Fig. 4 to lock rotation of the steering shaft 31 (steering wheel) As shown in Figs. 3, 4, 7, and 8, the dead lock mechanism includes the trigger rod 21, a first spring 22 configured to bias the trigger rod 21 forward, a stopper member 23, a second spring 24 (see Fig. 7) configured to bias the stopper member 23 toward the lock bolt 4 (leftward in Fig. 4) , the lock slider 25, the third spring 26 (see Figs. 4 and 7) configured to bias the lock slider 25 downward, and the like.

The trigger rod 21 is fitted to and held by the trigger rod holding groove 2k (see Figs. 3 and 5) formed in the main body portion 2A of the body 2 in the front-rear direotion to be movable in the front-rear directions (axial directions of the key cylinder 7) . The locking portion 21a protruding downward is integrally formed in a longitudinal-direction intermediate portion of the trigger rod 21. The first spring 22 is installed in a compressed manner between the locking portion 21a and the camshaft holding portion 2G of the body 2.

In the not-activated state of the dead lock mechanism, as shown in Figs. 3, 7, and 8, the trigger rod 21 biased forward by the first spring 22 is located at a restriction position being in contact with a rear end surface of the holder 6 of the cylinder lock 5 and is engaged with the stopper member 23. Meanwhile, the stopper member 23 is at a release position not engaged with the engagement recess portion 4a of the lock bolt 4.

The stopper member 23 is a hollow block-shaped member and is housed in the stopper member housing portion 2m (see Figs. 4 and 5) formed in the main body portion 2A of the body 2 to be movable in lateral directions (left-right directions in Fig. 4), and is biasedby the second spring24 inadirection (leftward in Fig. 4) engaging with the engagement recess portion 4a of the lock bolt 4. As shown in Fig. 4, an inclined portion 23a opened toward the upper side is formed inside the stopper member 23.

The lock slider 25 is a rectangular plate-shaped member and, as shown in Fig. 4, is inserted into the lock slider insertion hole 2n formed in the vertical portion 2B of the body 2 together with the third spring 26. The lock slider 25 and the third spring 26 are prevented from coming out by the rubber cap 27 fitted into the iock slider insertion hole 2n. In a state before the dead lock mechanism is activated, as shown in Fig. 4, the lock slider 25 is in contact with an upper surface of the stopper member 23 by biasing force of the third spring 26 and is disposed on (on the steering shaft 31 side of) the stopper member 23.

Accordingly, when the dead lock mechanism is in the not-activated state as shown in Figs. 3, 7, and 8, the front end portion of the trigger rod 21 biased forward by the first spring 22 as described above is at the restriction position being in contact with the rear end surface of the hclder 6 of the cylinder lock 5, while the rear end portion of the trigger rod 21 is engaged with the stopper member 23 to hold the stopper member 23 at the release position not engaged with the engagement recess portion 4a of the lock bolt 4. Moreover, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, at this time, the lock slider 25 biased downward by the third spring 26 comes into contact with the upper surface of the stopper member 23.

In assembly of the steering lock device 1 of the embodiment, parts (mainly parts forming the dead lock mechanism) except for the cylinder lock S are assembled as shown in Fig. 6. At this time, the first gear member 15 is at a position other than the "LOCK" position (Fig. 6 shows a state where the first gear member is at the "ACC" position). The locking portion 2la of the trigger rod 21 biased forward by the first spring 22 is in contact with the temporary holding member lSB of this first gear member 15, and the trigger rod 21 is set at the restriction position and is engaged with the stopper member 23 to hold the stopper member 23 at the release position.

The assembly is thus performed with the trigger rod 21 being temporarily held at the restriction position by brining the locking portion 21a of the trigger rod 21 in contact with the temporary holding member 153 of the first gear member 15 as described above. In the assembly, parts such as the camshaft 12, the first gear member 15, the second gear member 16, and the dead lockmechanism including the trigger rod 21, i.e. parts other than the cylinder lock 5, the lock bolt 4, the lock slider 25, and the third spring 26 are installed in the main body portion 2A of the body 2 from the opening portion 2a opened in the side portion of the main body portion 2A. Note that the lock bolt 4 is inserted into the activation hole 2d formed in the vertical portion 23 of the body 2 from above, and the cylinder lock 5 is installed in the cylinder portion 2C of the body 2 in a lateral direction. The cylinder lock 5 is installed in the cylinder portion 25 of the body 2 in a state where the first gear member installed in the body 2 is set at the "ASS" position and where the locking portion 21a of the trigger rod 21 is in contact with the temporary holding member 153 of the first gear member 15 and is held at the restriction position. The cylinder lock 5 is then connected to the camshaft 12 via the first gear member by fitting the connection portion 7b formed at the rear end of the key cylinder 7 of the cylinder lock 5 to the non-circular hole-shaped connection hole 15b (see Fig. 9) of the first gear member 15.

As described above, in the embodiment, in an assembly stage before the cylinder lock 5 is finally installed in the body 2 in which the trigger rod 21 and the stopper member 23 forming the dead lock mechanism are installed, the stopper member 23 can be held at the release position by bringing the locking portion 21a of the trigger rod 21 into contact with the temporary holding member 15B of the first gear member 15 to hold the trigger rod 21 at the restriction position. Accordingly, the dead lock mechanism can be maintained in the not-activated state without using jigs and the like. Hence, the installing of the cylinder lock 5 can be easily performed and the installability is improved.

In the state where the cylinder lock 5 is finally installed in the cylinder portion 20 of the body 2 and the steering lock device 1 is assembled as a finished product, the trigger rod 21 is pushed by the rear end surface of the holder 6 of the cylinder lock 5 and is held in a state of being moved slightly rearward. In this state, since the locking portion 21a of the trigger rod 21 and the temporary holding member 1Sf of the first gear member 15 are disengaged from each other, the temporary holding member 1Sf does not hinder the rotation of the first gear member 15. Then, when the first gear member 15 is turned from the "ACC" position to the "LOCK" positicn by the operaticn of the key inserted into the cylinder 7, the notch portion isa formed integrally with the first gear member 15 is aligned with the position of the locking portion 21a of the trigger rod 21 in the circumferential direction. Accordingly, the locking portion 21a of the trigger rod 21 can pass through the notch portion 15a of the first gear member 15. In other words, the dead lock mechanism can be activated. Note that, even in this state, since the trigger rod 2i is held at the restriction position by the cylinder lock 5 and is engaged with the stopper member 23 to hold the stopper member 23 at the release position, the dead lock mechanism is in the not-activated state.

Next, description is given of an unlocking action and a locking action of the steering lock device 1 formed as described above. Note that the dead lock mechanism is set to the not-activated state at this time.

1) Unlocking Action: When a driver inserts the not-iilustrated key into the key hole 7a of the key cylinder 7 at the "LOCK" position in a state (steering locked state) where the vehicle is stopped and the lock bolt 4 is at the locked position as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 7 and where the rotation of the steering shaft 31 is locked because the front end portion of the lock bolt 4 is in engagement with the engagement groove 31a of the steering shaft 31, the multiple tumblers 9 provided in the key cylinder 7 operate (retreat) and are disengaged from the engagement grooves 6a of the holder 6, thereby allowing the turning operation of the key.

When the driver turns the key in the clockwise direction to the "ACC" position in the state described above, the turning is transmitted from the key cylinder 7 to the camshaft 12 via the first gear member 15, and the cam portion 12a formed integrally on the camshaft 12 Is rotated. Then, the hanger 11 holding the pin 17 engaged with the cam portion 12a is depressed against biasing force of the lock bolt spring 13, and the lock bolt 4 connected to the hanger 11 is also depressed. The lock bolt 4 is thus moved from the locked position to the unlocked position. When the lockbolt 4 is moved to the unlockedposition as described above, the lock bolt 4 is disengaged from the engagement groove 3la of the steering shaft 31. Accordingly, the steering locked state is cancelled and the rotating operation (steering operation) of the steering shaft 31 (steering wheel) is made possible.

At the same time, the first gear member 15 rotates together with the camshaft 12, and the rotation is transmitted to the not-illustrated ignition switch via the second gear member 16.

The ignition switch is thus switched and the electric power state of the vehicle is changed. When the key is further turned in the clockwise direction to the "ON" position and the "START" position, the ignition switch is further switched and activation of the starter motor and the like is performed.

2) Locking Action: When the key is turned in the counter clockwise direction to the "LOCK" position in a state where the lock bolt 4 is at the unlocked position (state where the key is at the "ON" position), the turning is transmitted from the key cylinder 7 to the camshaft 12 via the first gear member 15, and the cam portion 12a formed integrally on the camshaft 12 is rotated.

Then, the hanger II holding the pin 17 engaged with the cam portion 12a is moved upward by the upward biasing force of the lock bolt spring 13, and the lock bolt 4 connected to the hanger 11 is also moved upward to the locked position as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 7. The front end portion of the lock bolt 4 thus engages with the engagement groove 3la of the steering shaft 31, and the rotation of the steering shaft 31 (steering wheel) is locked. Hence, the steering operation is made impossible and theft of the parked vehicle is prevented.

At the same time, the first gear member 15 rotates in a reverse direction together with the camshaft 12, and the rotation is transmitted to the not-illustrated ignition switch via the second gear member 16. The ignition switch is thus switched in the reverse direction.

Next, description is given of actions of the dead lock mechanism when unlawful actions to steal the vehicle are made in a state where the vehicle is parked and the steering lock device 1 is set to the steering locked state. Description is given of a case where the cylinder lock 5 is pulled out from the body 2 and of a case where the cover 3 is removed from the body 2.

1) Case where Cylinder Lock is Pulled Out: Fig. 10 is a partial perspective view showing a state (dead lock mechanism activated state) where the cylinder lock of the steering lock device of the present invention is pulled out, and Fig. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view (view similar to Fig. 4) showing this state.

When the lock bolt 4 is at the locked position (the key cylinder 7, the first gear member 15, and the camshaft 12 are at the "LOCK" position) and the trigger rod 21 of the dead lock mechanism is at the restriction position being in contact with the rear end surface of the holder 6 of the cylinder lockS as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the stopper member 23 is engaged with the trigger rod 21. Accordingly, the stopper member 23 is at the release position not engaged with the engagement recess portion4aof the lockbolt 4. Whenthe cylinder lockS ispulled out from the body 2 in this state to steal the vehicle, the dead lock mechanism is activated as follows.

Specifically, when the cylinder lock 5 is pulled out from the body 2, as shown in Fig. 10, the trigger rod 21 is moved forward to the not-restriction position by biasing force of the first spring 22, and the trigger rod 21 and the stopper member 23 thereby are disengaged from each other. Then, the stopper member 23 is moved from the release position to a prevention position by the biasing force of the second spring 24 and engages with the engagement recess portion 4a of the lock bolt 4. The lock bolt 4 is thus held at the locked position, and the movement of the lock bolt 4 toward the unlocked position is prevented.

Moreover, when the stopper member 23 is moved to the prevention position, the lock slider 25 is moved downward by the biasing force of the third spring 26 and enters a gap in the stopper member housing portion 2m formed on an opposite side to the movement direction of the stopper member 23. The lock slider thus engages with the stopper member 23 and prevents the movement of the stopper member 23 toward the release position.

The stopper member 23 is thereby locked at the prevention position and is prevented from moving toward the release position. Hence, the lock bolt 4 is surely held at the locked position.

As described above, when the cylinder lock 5 is pulled out from the body 2, the dead lock mechanism is activated, and the lock bolt 4 is locked at the locked position, thereby preventing the rotation of the steering shaft 31 (steering wheel) . Accordingly, theft of the vehicle is surely prevented.

Moreover, in the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, the locked position of the lock bolt 4 is set at such a position that part of the lock bolt 4 is located above the opening portion of the stopper member housing portion 2m to be capable of preventing the stopper member 23 from coming out from the stopper member housing portion 2m. Accordingly, when the lock bolt 4 is at the locked position, the lock bolt 4 becomes an obstacle, and the stopper member 23 cannot be taken out from the stopper member housing portion 2m of the body 2. Furthermore, when the dead lock mechanism is activated, the stopper member 23 cannot be moved from the prevention position to the release position unless the lock slider 25 is taken out from the lock slider insertion hole 2n. However, since the opening portion of the lock slider insertion hole 2n housing the lock slider 25 is closed by the steering column 30, the lock slider 25 cannot be taken out. Furthermore, after the dead lock mechanism is activated, the lock slider 25 is disposed in the stopper member housing portion 2m, behind the stopper member 23 as viewed from the opening portion 2a of the body 2, and the opening portion of the stopper member housing portion 2m is closed by the stopper member 23. Accordingly, it is impossible to view and operate the lock slider 25 from the opening portion 2a, and the lock slider 25 cannot be operated. Hence, the dead lock mechanism cannot be deactivated, and the anti-theft characteristic of the vehicle is further improved.

2) Case where Cover is Removed: Fig. 12 is a partial perspective view showing a state (dead lock mechanism activated state) where the cover of the steering lock device of the present invention is removed. When the cover 3 is removed from the body 2 as shown in Fig. 12 to steal the vehicle in a state where the lock bolt 4 is at the locked position and the trigger rod 21 of the dead lock mechanism is at the restriction position being in contact with the rear end surface of the holder 6 of the cylinder lock 5 as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the dead lock mechanism is activated as follows.

Specifically, when the cover 3 is to be removed from the body 2, as shown in Fig. 12, the hook portion 3b provided in the cover 3 engages with the rear end portion of the trigger rod 21 and displaces the trigger rod 21 in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 12. Since the trigger rod 21 is displaced in a lateral direction (direction of the arrow in Fig. 12) to the direction of the biasing force of the first spring 22, the trigger rod 21 is moved to the not-restriction position, and the trigger rod 21 and the stopper member 23 are disengaged from each other. Then, the stopper member 23 is moved from the release position to the prevention position by the biasing force of the second spring 24 and engages with the engagement recess portion 4a of the iock boit 4. The lock bolt 4 is thereby held at the locked position, and the movement of the lock bolt 4 toward the unlocked position is prevented. Moreover, when the stopper member 23 is moved to the prevention position, the lock slider is moved downward by the biasing force of the third spring 26 and enters the space in the stopper member housing portion 2m formed on the opposite side to the movement direction of the stopper member 23. The lock slider 25 thus engages with the stopper member 23 and prevents the movement of the stopper member 23. The stopper member 23 is thereby locked at the prevention position and is prevented from moving toward the release position. Hence, the lock bolt 4 is surely held at the locked position.

As described above, the dead lock mechanism is activated to lock the lock bolt 4 at the locked position and prevent rotation of the steering shaft 31 (steering wheel) not only when the cylinder lock 5 is pulled out from the body 2, but also when the cover 3 is removed from the body 2. Theft of the vehicle is thus surely prevented. Moreover, as in the case where the cylinder lock 5 is pulled out from the body 2, removal of the stopper member 23 and the lock slider 25 is prevented.

Accordingly, the dead lock mechanism cannot be deactivated and the anti-theft characteristic of the vehicle can be further improved.

In the embodiment, only the cylinder lock 5 is manufactured in a different location and is finally installed in the body 2 in which the other parts are installed. However, the embodiment has a problem that, if the dead lock mechanism is accidentally activated in the assembly of the dead lock mechanism before the installing of the cylinder lock 5, there is no choice but to destroy the steering lock device 1 to deactivate the dead lock mechanism.

Inviewof this, in the embodiment, the dead lock mechanism accidentally activated in the assembly can be reset to the state before the activation by being deactivated through a procedure shown in Figs. 13 and 14.

Specifically, when the dead lock mechanism activated as shown in Fig. 13 is to be deactivated, first, the rubber cap 27 closing the lock slider insertion hole 2n opened in the body 2 is removed by inserting a block-shaped member or the like into the hole portion 2n1 of the lock slider insertion hole 2n and hooking the cap 27. Then, the third spring 26 and the lock slider 25 are taken out from the look slider insertion hole 2n in a similar way.

Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 14, a rod-shaped jig 40 is inserted from the lock slider insertion hole 2n, and a front end of the jig 40 is brought into contact with the inclined portion 23a formed inside the stopper member 23 to push the inclined portion 23a in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 14.

Since the stopper member 23 at the prevention position is thereby moved to the release position in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 14 by using a wedging action, the dead lock mechanism can be reset to the not-activated state before the activation. Due to this configuration, even if the stopper member 23 is housed deep inside the body 2, it is possible to easily move the stopper member 23 to the release position and deactivate the dead lock mechanism. Then, the dead lock mechanism can be reset to the not-activated state by: moving the trigger rod 21 from the not-restriction position to the restriction position to engage the trigger rod 21 and stopper member 23 with each other; and tnrning the first gear member to a position other than the "LOCK" position (for example, "ACC" position) to engage the iocking portion 21a of the trigger rod 21 with the temporary hoiding member 15B of the first gear member 15.

As is apparent from the above description, in the steering lock device 1 of the present invention, if the dead lock mechanism is accidentally activated in the installing of the cylinder lock 5 before the mounting of the steering lock device 1 on the vehicle, the dead lock mechanism can be reset to the state before the activation by: taking out the lock slider 25 from the lock slider insertion hole 2n opened in the body 2; then inserting the jig 40 from the lock slider insertion hole 2n and bringing the front end of the jig 40 into contact with the inclined portion 23a of the stopper member 23 to push the inclined portion 23a; and thereby moving the stopper member 23 at the prevention position to the release position by using the wedging action. Due to this, even if the stopper member 23 is housed deep inside the body 2, it is possible to easily move the stopper member 23 to the release position and deactivate the dead lock mechanism.

Moreover, in the steering lock device 1 of the present invention, since the lock slider insertion hole 2n formed in the body 2 is closed by the steering column 30 in the state where the steering lock device 1 is mounted on the vehicle, the lock slider 25 cannot be taken out from the lock slider insertion hole 2n when the dead look mechanism is activated dne to destruction for the purpose of stealing the vehicle.

Furthermore, in the steering lock device 1 of the present invention, the locked position of the look bolt 4 is set at such a position that part of the lock bolt 4 is located above the opening portion of the stopper member housing portion 2m of the body 2 to be capable of preventing the stopper member 23 from coming out from the stopper member housing portion 2m.

Accordingly, when the lock bolt 4 is at the locked position, the lock bolt 4 becomes an obstacle, and the stopper member 23 cannot be taken out from the stopper member housing portion 2m.

Furthermore, when the dead lock mechanism is activated, the stopper member 23 cannot be moved from the prevention position to the release position unless the lock slider 25 is taken out from the lock slider insertion hole 2n. However, since the opening portion of the lock slider insertion hole 2n housing the lock slider 25 is closed by the steering column 30, the lock slider 25 cannot be taken out. Accordingly, the dead lock mechanism cannot be deactivated, and the anti-theft characteristic of the vehicle is further improved.

Claims

What is Claimed is: 1. A steering lock device comprising: a cylinder lock including a key cylinder capable of being turned and operated by inserting a key; a lock bolt connected to the key cylinder and configured to be movable between a locked position engaged with a steering shaft and an unlocked position disengaged from the steering shaft; a stopper member biased from a release position not engaged with an engagement recess portion of the lock bolt toward a prevention position engaged with the engagement recess portion; a trigger rod configured to hold the stopper member at the release position by engaging with the stopper member in a state of positionally restricted by being biased toward the cylinder lock and thereby brought into contact with a rear end portion of the cylinder lock; a lock slider configured to be activated by movement of the stopper member from the release position to the prevention position and lock the stopper member at the prevention position by engaging with the stopper member; and a body housing the cylinder lock, the lock bolt, the stopper member, and the trigger rod, wherein a lock slider insertion hole configured such that the lock slider is capable of being inserted from an outside into the lock slider insertion hole and housed therein is formed in the body at a position closed by a vehicle-side member.
2. The steering lock device according to claim 1, wherein the body is provided with a stopper member housing portion configured to hold the stopper member such that the stopper member is operable and communicating with the lock slider insertion hole, and the stopper member is provided with an inclined portion configured to cause the stopper member to move from the prevention position to the release position by being pressed by a jig inserted from the lock slider insertion hole.
3. The steering lock device according to claim 2, wherein the locked position of the lock bolt is set at such a position that part of the lock bolt is located above an opening portion of the stopper member housing portion to be capable of preventing the stopper member from coming out from the stopper member housing portion.