JP2013544704A - Anti-theft device for vehicle steering column with safety function requiring pressing - Google Patents

Abstract

  The present invention is an anti-theft device (2) for a vehicle steering column, comprising a lock comprising a rotor (14) and a stator (12), one of the rotor and stator having a pin (24). The other has a groove (46) for receiving a pin so that rotation of the rotor in a predetermined direction relative to the stator from a predetermined angular position requires a preliminary pressing of the rotor against the stator in the inward direction of the device. The present invention relates to an antitheft device (2) for a vehicle steering column in which a groove is formed.

Description

  The present invention relates to an anti-theft device for a vehicle steering column.

  Such devices are known and include a lock and bolt mechanism. When the vehicle is switched off, the steering wheel rotates and places the bolt in a direction that is not parallel to the column axis so that the bolt engages this column and prevents any manipulation of the steering wheel. When the user inserts the ignition key into the lock, the mechanism pulls in the bolt to unlock the column and frees the steering wheel.

  In a sophisticated version of this device, the key cannot be removed from the lock by simply rotating the key and rotor in the lock stator when the vehicle is running on. In order to be able to pull the key out of the lock at this time, it is necessary to push the key into the lock. As a result, this prevents any inadvertent or unintentional removal of the key, especially because there is a risk that the key may be removed when the vehicle is on and running. In particular, it prevents the child held in the seat in front of the vehicle from grabbing the key while being held.

  Nevertheless, the mechanisms provided so far to obtain the functionality described above are relatively cumbersome and expensive to assemble.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanism that is simpler and cheaper to assemble to obtain these functionalities.

  To achieve this object, the present invention is an antitheft device for a vehicle steering column, comprising a lock comprising a rotor and a stator, one of the rotor and stator supporting the peg and the other containing the peg. The peg housing groove is configured to have a groove, and starting from a predetermined angular position, the rotation of the rotor with respect to the stator in a predetermined direction requires the rotor to be pushed into the stator in advance with respect to the stator. An antitheft device for a vehicle steering column is provided.

  Thus, the peg determines the relative position of the rotor within the stator with respect to rotation and sliding. When the vehicle is on and running, the cooperation between the peg and the groove prevents the key from being removed unless the rotor is previously pushed into the stator. The peg may be supported by a rotor or may be supported by a stator, depending on the embodiment.

  Preferably, the groove has a contact surface for the peg that is radial with respect to the rotation axis of the rotor and that determines the angular position.

  Preferably, when the position is referred to as the “ON” position and the direction is the “OFF” direction, the groove rotates the rotor in a direction opposite to the “OFF” direction without pressing the rotor in advance. The position can be reached.

  Thus, in spite of the fact that the rotor must be pushed into the stator in advance in order to exit the “ON” position, as long as it is not necessary to require a prior pushing step, the vehicle is moved from the “OFF” position. It is easy to reach the “ON” position.

  Preferably, the apparatus is provided such that the action on the rotor to rotate the rotor in the direction opposite to the “OFF” position is sufficient to bring the rotor to the “ON” position.

  Thus, the user need only rotate the rotor. The groove cooperates with the peg to slide the rotor within the stator at the appropriate moment during rotor operation. Thus, the operation of the lock remains simple as long as the user is involved, despite the fact that the rotor is moving with different types of movement as it goes through its path.

  Preferably, the groove is configured such that there is at least one angular position of the rotor where no sliding of the rotor within the stator is possible.

  Preferably, the apparatus includes a return spring that biases the rotor in a direction opposite to the pushing direction.

  This facilitates the locking operation.

  In one embodiment, the grooves are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the rotor or stator.

  Preferably, the peg is fixed relative to the stator in sliding parallel to the rotation axis of the rotor and rotation about this axis.

  Preferably, the device comprises a casing, and the peg engages the casing, so that the stator is firmly fixed to the casing.

  Thus, the peg not only performs the indexing function described above, but also strictly positions the stator relative to the casing of the device.

  Preferably, the rotor has a cavity capable of receiving the peg in place such that the peg extends into the stator without protruding beyond the outer surface of the stator.

  This cavity can temporarily receive the peg so that the lock can be installed in the casing.

  Further features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent in the course of the following description of one embodiment given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a partial perspective view of one embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a partial axial cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the lock of the apparatus of FIG. 1 without a casing. FIG. 2 is a partial side view of the lock of the apparatus of FIG. 1 without a casing. Each shows on the one hand a rotor with a peg alone, and on the other hand the device is shown in the course of four respective operating steps of the device. Each shows on the one hand a rotor with a peg alone, and on the other hand the device is shown in the course of four respective operating steps of the device. Each shows on the one hand a rotor with a peg alone, and on the other hand the device is shown in the course of four respective operating steps of the device. Each shows on the one hand a rotor with a peg alone, and on the other hand the device is shown in the course of four respective operating steps of the device. FIG. 9 is a further enlarged view of a rotor and a peg in the configuration of FIG. 8.

  1 to 4 show an anti-theft device 2 for a vehicle steering column. The device comprises a casing 4 which defines in the device two parts separated from each other, namely the locking part 6 shown and the fixing part 8 which is only partly shown in FIG. The fixing part 8 comprises in particular a bolt (not shown), which is slidably attached to the casing so that it can assume two positions: a fixed position and an unfixed position. In the first position, which is the extended position, the bolt engages a portion of the steering column to prevent the column from rotating relative to the vehicle structure. In the non-fixed or retracted position, the bolt allows the column to rotate relative to the structure. The sliding direction of the bolt from one of these positions to the other is not parallel to the rotation axis of the column. Since the fixing part is of a known type per se, it will not be described in detail here.

  The lock portion 6 includes a lock 10 having a stator 12 and a rotor 14 housed in the stator housing. The rotor 14 is mounted such that it can rotate relative to the stator about the axis 16 of the lock portion 6. The rotor is attached so as to be slidable with respect to the stator along the same axis 16. Thus, the rotor is mounted in sliding rotation connection with the stator.

  When the driver activates the lock using an insert such as key 20 provided for this purpose to start the vehicle, if the bolt is not already in the unlocked position, the device moves the bolt to the unlocked position. A device is provided so that it can be moved to operate the column.

  The lock 6 includes an element (not shown) such as a tumbler that is slidably mounted within the rotor and stator housing 18. The rotor has an inner housing 22 with an outer axial mouth 23. When the key 20 is inserted into the housing 22 through the mouth 23, the key causes the moving elements to extend each of these moving elements entirely inside the rotor to allow rotation of the rotor relative to the stator. It becomes the composition like this. In the absence of a key, a return spring (not shown) places the moving elements in positions where each moving element partially extends into the rotor and partially into the stator, thereby Prevents any two relative movements.

  Since the stator 12 is firmly fixed to the casing 4, in the following, any movement of the rotor is the movement of the rotor relative to the stator.

  The lock includes a peg 24 having a shape that is rotationally symmetric about a radial axis 26 perpendicular to the axis 16. In this particular case, the peg 24 has two ends, an outer end 28 and an inner end 30 separated from each other by an annular bulge 32 projecting radially from the two ends. Have. Each portion has a cylindrical outer surface.

  The cylindrical surface of the outer end portion 28 has a larger diameter than the cylindrical surface of the inner end portion 30. When the device is installed as shown in FIG. 2, the outer end 28 extends into the radial orifice of the casing 4, thereby forming a male-female bond. The bulging portion 32 and the inner end portion 30 themselves extend into a housing 34 that is rotationally symmetric with respect to the stator 12. Thus, the peg 24 also forms a male-female connection with the stator. At a particular position of the stator relative to the rotor, the peg 24 can slide along the axis 26 relative to the rotor, as will be seen below. However, in all other positions, this sliding is prevented so that the peg keeps the stator 12 firmly fixed to the casing 4. The housing 34 is long enough to allow this movement of the peg relative to the stator. A compression spring 36 is provided, and this compression spring presses the shoulder of the housing 34 with one axial end and presses the bulge 32 with the other end, thereby causing the peg to move in the direction of the shaft 26. The direction of the direction is away from the shaft 16. Under the action of this spring force, the bulge 32 presses the casing 4 and the orifice of the casing that receives the peg has a sufficiently small diameter to prevent the bulge from passing through, so that the peg is pulled out. This prevents the peg from being held in the stator. The peg is fixed relative to the stator in sliding parallel to the axis 16 and rotation about this axis. The inner end 30 of the peg also passes through the interior of the housing 34 located on the other side of the shoulder.

  The rigid attachment of the stator 12 to the casing is shown in FIG. The same figure shows the crankshaft 40 of the device mounted for rotation about the axis 16 relative to the casing, preventing any translational movement of the crankshaft relative to the casing. A compression spring 42 shown in FIG. 3 is interposed between the crankshaft 40 and the rotor 14 in the direction of the shaft 16, thereby urging the rotor in the direction of the shaft 16, and the direction of the direction is The direction in which the rotor is to be pushed out of the stator, which direction is indicated by arrow 44. By pushing direction is meant the opposite direction that tends to push the rotor into the stator in the direction of the crankshaft.

  In this case, the device 2 has a groove 46 formed in the cylindrical outer peripheral surface 48 of the rotor 14. The groove has a U-shaped cross section in a radial plane with respect to the shaft 16, and the U branches form two side surfaces that abut the peg 24 in the axial direction. The groove receives the inner end 30. The width of the groove in the direction of the shaft 16 slightly exceeds the diameter of the inner end 30 so that the position of the peg in the groove determines the position of the rotor along the shaft 16. The groove has an overall annular shape centered on the shaft 16 except for the chicane 48. As long as the peg is located in the annular part of the groove, the position of the rotor along the axis remains unchanged. However, as the peg passes the chicane, the peg slides the rotor along the axis.

  The shape of the groove will be described in more detail in the following description of how the device is used.

  Referring to FIG. 5, it is assumed that the vehicle has been switched OFF and the driver inserts the key 20 into the rotor to switch the vehicle ON. At this time, the peg 24 is in contact with the movement end portion of the groove which is the movement start end portion in this case in the circumferential direction. This angular position of the rotor is taken as a 0 ° reference position about the axis 16. The lock is arranged in a manner known per se so that only in this configuration the key can be inserted into the lock along the axis 16 or withdrawn from the lock. As soon as the rotor leaves the 0 ° position, it becomes impossible to remove the key from the lock.

  Referring to FIG. 6, the driver rotates the key and rotor clockwise about the shaft 16 as indicated by arrow 50 with respect to the stator. Thereby, the driver rotates the rotor over an angle of 20 °, for example. Since the portion of the groove that is moved by the peg from the position of FIG. 5 to the position of FIG. 6 is an annular portion, the movement of the rotor is a strictly rotational movement. In other words, no sliding movement of the rotor along the axis 16 from one of these two positions to the other is possible.

  Referring to FIG. 7, it is assumed that the rotation of the key and the rotor continues to reach the 40 ° angular position. To move from the position of FIG. 6 to the position of FIG. 7, the peg moves the beginning of the chicane 48. Beyond this portion of the groove, the side surface 52 of the groove extends in a non-radial plane with respect to the shaft 16 and the two side surfaces are parallel to each other. The portion of the groove defined by side 52 is referred to as the lift ramp. Therefore, the rotational movement of the rotor driven by the driver through the key also causes the rotor 14 to move opposite to the arrow 44 against the action of the return force of the spring 42 by the cam action of the peg that presses one of the side faces 52. Push in the direction.

  Referring to FIG. 8, assume that the rotor continues to rotate until the rotor reaches a 60 ° position. To move from the position of FIG. 7 to the position of FIG. 8, the peg moves through a short annular portion of the groove that forms the center of the chicane, so that it itself is in an in-plane radial direction relative to the shaft 16. It faces the exit of this chicane over the flat surface 54 of the groove extending at. The side of the groove closest to the crankshaft no longer prevents forward movement of the rotor under the action of the spring 42, so that the rotor slides in the direction of arrow 44. As described above, the movement of the rotor from the position shown in FIG. 7 to the position shown in FIG. 8 is caused by a strict sliding operation following the strict rotation operation. The peg 24 eventually exits the chicane itself. The device is provided such that this position of the rotor starts the vehicle. At this time, the driver stops any movement of the keys and the device remains in this position, referred to as the “ON” position, under the action of the spring 42.

  Starting from the “ON” position, the rotor can continue to rotate in direction 50 until the peg reaches the entrance to the other annular portion of the groove. In this case, this is a strict rotation of the rotor. On the other hand, any rotational movement in the opposite direction of the rotor is prevented by the abutment of the peg 24 against the surface 54, whether exact or not. Therefore, the key cannot be removed by intentionally or unintentionally rotating the rotor from the “ON” position to the original “OFF” position.

  As long as the driver is involved, the only way to move from the “OFF” position to the “ON” position is for the driver to rotate the key with the rotor in direction 50. Groove 46 and spring 42 caused the rotor to slide when needed.

  To move the rotor along the path from the “ON” position to the “OFF” position, first, a precise sliding motion along the axis 16 relative to the rotor so that the peg 24 can get over the surface 54 It is necessary to push the rotor to give

  At the end of this strict sliding motion of the rotor, which is performed by the driver's intentional action on the key by pushing the key further into the lock, the driver rotates the rotor in a direction opposite to direction 50, causing the chicane's Get over the edge. This is a strict rotational motion.

  Next, as the rotational motion continues, the peg moves through the portion of the groove defined by the side surface 52, so that under the action of the compression spring 42, the rotor slides in the direction of arrow 44.

  Finally, the peg returns to the annulus, which causes the rotor to reach the “OFF” position with a strict rotational motion.

  Thus, in order to move from the “ON” position to the “OFF” position, the action performed by the driver is a strict push of the rotor first, followed by a rotation of the rotor. Given the shape of the groove and the presence of the spring 42, this rotation is combined with the sliding of the peg in the groove over part of its path.

  For example, the sliding of the rotor may be performed over a movement of 2.6 mm.

  In this example, over the majority of the length of the groove 46, the groove bottom 60 is sufficiently high in the radial direction to prevent any movement of the peg 24 toward the shaft 16. However, there is one single region 55 of the groove with the bottom lowered further so that the peg can be pushed radially until the bulge 32 abuts the bottom of the housing 34. In this example, this region is adjacent to the surface 54 and can be accessed by the peg when the rotor is in the “ON” position.

  In order to assemble the device 2, the rotor 14 is introduced into the stator 12 from the inner axial end 62 of the stator, which is the end facing the end adjacent to the opening 23, and the rotor is placed in the “ON” position. The spring 36 and peg 24 are then moved to the housing 34 until the peg penetrates into the groove 46 and region 55 against the action of the spring 36 so that the axial outer end of the peg does not protrude beyond the cylindrical surface 48. Placed inside.

  Thereafter, this assembly is introduced into the outer axial end of the casing 4. When the peg reaches a position facing the orifice of the casing intended for it, the peg is deployed radially under the action of the spring 36. In this way, the rotor, stator, peg and casing are assembled.

  Of course, many modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the scope of the invention.

  A groove may be provided in the stator and a peg may be provided in the rotor.

  The grooves can be formed in a plane perpendicular to the rotor or stator shaft 16 rather than the outer peripheral surface.

  The shape of the groove can also be changed.

  The length and angle values given above are given by way of example only and are not limiting.

Claims (10)

An anti-theft device (2) for a vehicle steering column,
A lock (10) having a rotor (14) and a stator (12);
One of the rotor and the stator supports the peg (24), and the other has a peg receiving groove (46),
The peg receiving groove starts from a predetermined angular position, and rotation of the rotor in a predetermined direction with respect to the stator requires that the rotor is previously pushed into the apparatus toward the inside of the apparatus. An anti-theft device (2) for a vehicle steering column, characterized in that it is constructed.   The groove (46) according to claim 1, wherein the groove (46) is radial with respect to the rotation axis (16) of the rotor and has a contact surface (54) for the peg that determines the angular position. apparatus.   When the position is referred to as an “ON” position and the direction is the “OFF” direction, the groove (46) rotates the rotor in a direction opposite to the “OFF” direction without pressing the rotor in advance. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to be able to reach an “ON” position.   When the position is referred to as an “ON” position and the direction is referred to as an “OFF” direction, the apparatus has an action on the rotor for rotating the rotor in a direction opposite to the “OFF” position. 4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is provided to be sufficient to reach the “ON” position. 5.   5. The groove according to claim 1, wherein the groove is configured such that there is at least one angular position of the rotor in which no sliding of the rotor in the stator is possible. The device according to item.   6. The device according to claim 1, comprising a return spring (42) that biases the rotor in a direction (44) opposite to the pushing direction.   The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the groove (46) is formed in an outer peripheral surface (48) of the rotor or an outer peripheral surface (48) of the stator.   The device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the peg (24) is fixed relative to the stator in sliding parallel to and rotating about the axis of rotation of the rotor. .   The device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising a casing (4), wherein the peg engages the casing, whereby the stator is firmly fixed to the casing.   The rotor according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the rotor has a cavity (55) capable of receiving the peg in place such that the peg extends into the stator without protruding beyond the outer surface of the stator. A device according to claim 1.

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