MXPA97000517A - Securi system - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a vehicle anti-theft that includes a lock (10) of the gear lever bolted to the frame of a vehicle and having an axially movable attachment shaft (40.k 70) associated therewith which is automatically retractable outside the vehicle. fastening coupling with a gear lever element (12) in response to the key actuation (20) of the speed lever lock

Description

SAFETY SYSTEM Field of the invention The present invention relates in general to an apparatus for the prevention of the theft of a vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Since the development of the automobile, the phenomenon of motor vehicle theft has been a seriously increased phenomenon. Several types of theft prevention systems have been proposed and marketed, which include audio alarms, vehicle electrical system blockers and mechanical seals, which prevent the unauthorized operation of vehicle controls, such as the steering wheel, the gear lever and the brake. A gear lever lock manufactured and sold worldwide under the US patent 4,693,099 and under the registered trademark MUL-T-LOCK by the applicant / assignees of the present invention, has enjoyed significant commercial success. U.S. Patent Applications 07 / 787,902, 07 / 932,661; 08 / 175,111 and 08 / 240,140 of the applicant / assignees, the descriptions of which are incorporated by reference herein, describe further improvements to this gear lever closure, which include, among other things, the operation of an auxiliary anti-theft system, such as an alarm, by closing or REF: 23913 locking the speed lever. It is self-evident that closures only provide safety when in use. Frequently, drivers who leave their car in an emergency do not take the time to close or lock the gear lever and override the entire purpose of the anti-theft system. WO94 / 04397, discloses a locking or locking device for speed levers welded to the vehicle floor and including a sliding locking element of the housing, a lock and a handle or handle. The closing or fastening element surrounds the gear lever and is slidable after being pulled by the handle or handle to be fixedly engaged with the fastening element in the lock and prevent movement of the gear lever. This device suffers from the disadvantage of being bulky, needs to be designed specifically for each type of vehicle and is either difficult to install where it is welded to the vehicle at the time of installation or easily removable if only screwed on the floor of the vehicle. EP A 0 478 453 discloses a fastening device for speed levers comprising a reciprocating fixing element activated by an electric motor driven by a worm. The device according to this reference suffers from the disadvantages overcome by the invention since it is bulky and is not found inside the accessory, it is thus completely exposed and vulnerable to potential attack. In addition, the device requires a female sealing element in order to block the movement of the gear lever.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention seeks to provide an improved vehicle anti-theft system. Thus, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle anti-theft system that includes a speed lever latch or fastener, bolted to the vehicle frame and having an axially displaceable attachment shaft associated therewith. , which is retractable automatically outside the fastening coupling with a gear lever element in response to the key actuation of the gear lever lock. Also provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle anti-theft system that includes a speed lever lock mounted to the frame of a vehicle and having an axially movable attachment shaft associated therewith which is retractable automatically out of attachment coupling with a gear lever element in response to the key drive of the gear lever lock, the closing of the gear lever is mounted on the frame of the vehicle by means of a bracket or mounting bracket, an open or perforated bracket or bracket having an opening through which the fixing shaft extends and a second opening through which a fastening bolt extends which is fixedly engaged by closing the speed lever. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fastening shaft is automatically movable to the fastening coupling with an element of the gear lever. Preferably, the closing of the speed lever is bolted to the frame at a location which is normally out of view of the interior of the vehicle. Preferably, all or most of the closing of the gear lever and the axle is normally hidden from the view of the interior of the vehicle. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the axial displacement of the fixing shaft in at least one direction is provided by an electric motor, which can be sensitive to manual or automatic entries. Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the closing of the speed lever is operatively associated with an anti-theft system of the auxiliary vehicle. Preferably, the anti-theft subsystem of the auxiliary vehicle is at least partially activated when closing or locking the speed lever lock and also operated at least partially by the same key used to open or unlock the speed lever lock.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the closing of the speed lever and the anti-theft subsystem of the auxiliary vehicle are operable without the use of a key and both require the use of the key for deactivation. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle anti-theft system also comprises logic circuits which automatically activate the anti-theft subsystem of the auxiliary vehicle in response to detection that the vehicle is not occupied. The logic circuits can be incorporated into the vehicle's computer or be auxiliary to it. Preferably the vehicle logic circuits distinguish between a detected condition of the unoccupied vehicle when the fixing axis is fixed in the body of the closure and when it is not. For example, the automatic drive can be presented more quickly when the fixing shaft is fixed in the body of the closure and less quickly when the fixing shaft is not fixed in the body of the closure. The detection of an unoccupied vehicle condition can be achieved by the use of one or more of the following detectors: a weight sensor in the vehicle seat, a vibration detector, a volume detector and an acoustic detector.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be more fully understood and appreciated from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which: Figure 1 is a partially block diagram, partially pictorial illustration of an anti-theft system of vehicle, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a simplified pictorial illustration of a car having therein installed a lock of the gear lever, operated by a key, which is part of the system of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a simplified partially sectioned illustration of the apparatus of Figure 2; Figure 4A is a simplified illustration of part of the locking or locking apparatus of Figure 3, taken along the lines IV-IV of Figure 3 in locking or locking engagement with a speed lever element; Figure 4B is a simplified illustration of part of the fastening or closing apparatus of Figure 3, taken along the lines IV-IV in Figure 3 in an unclosed arrangement; Figures 5A and 5B are respective sectional illustrations taken along the lines V-V in the respective Figures 4A and 4B.

Figure 6A is a simplified illustration of a motor-driven gear lever lock, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention in a locking or fastening orientation; Figure 6B is a simplified illustration of a motor-driven speed lever closure, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention in a non-closed orientation; Figures 7A and 7B are respective sectional illustrations taken along lines VII - VII in respective Figures 6A and 6B; and Figure 8 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the vehicle anti-theft system of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Reference is now made to Figure 1, which illustrates a vehicle anti-theft system constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle anti-theft system comprises a lock 10 of the speed lever operated by a key, which is operative to fix or lock the speed lever of a vehicle in a position that prevents the normal operation of the vehicle. Preferably, the lock 10 of the gear lever is bolted to the frame of a vehicle and primarily located out of sight of the occupants of the vehicle, as illustrated and described later herein. An auxiliary anti-theft subsystem, generally indicated by the reference number 13, may include one or more subsystems interconnected in preference to the computer 14 of a vehicle. These subsystems may include an audio alarm 16, a fixator or blocker 18 of the vehicle's electrical system, a visual alarm (not shown), a remote alarm (not shown) to a central verification system or any combination of the foregoing. The auxiliary anti-theft system is preferably operated by a user at least partially by the same key 20 used to open or unlock the lock 10 of the gear lever. The apparatus is preferably provided to prevent the unauthorized diversion of the elements of the anti-theft system and preferably includes logic circuits for the identification of electrical communication signals between the various elements, to confirm their authenticity. The conventional digital coding of the signals can be used for this purpose. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the closing of the speed lever is closed or blocked and the anti-theft subsystem of the auxiliary vehicle is activated by the physical locking or closing of the speed lever, which does not necessarily need to involve the use of the key 20. Alternatively, the auxiliary vehicle anti-theft subsystem can be automatically activated in response to the absence of persons within the vehicle for a predetermined amount of time or in response to any other appropriate criteria. The automatic activation of the auxiliary vehicle anti-theft system can be initiated by the presence or absence of an electrical signal from the vehicle ignition lock 22 or by a detector 24 of the weight of the driver located in the driver's seat or a volume, vibration detector or audio located inside the vehicle. It is a particular feature of the present invention that the deactivation of the speed lever lock and the auxiliary anti-theft subsystem of the vehicle require the use of the key 20. Reference is now made further to Figures 2-5B, which illustrate a closure of the gear lever and key controller constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As seen in general in Figures 2 and 3, a body 30 of the closure is mounted on a mounting bracket or bracket 32, which, in turn, is bolted onto the frame 34 of the vehicle by bolts 25 and safety nuts associated which can not be easily separated. In the illustrated embodiment, the closure body 30 and the mounting bracket 32 are disposed completely inside a console 36 and out of view of the occupants of the vehicle. As seen even more clearly in FIGS. 4A-5B, fixedly associated with the closure body 30 for an axial displacement in relation thereto is a fixing axis 40. The fixing shaft 40 is preferably formed with a notch 42, which is arranged to be fixedly engaged by the fixing element 44 which is selectively positioned by operation of a cylinder 47 of the closure, disposed in the body 30. of the closing. A spring 48 is preferably provided to position the fixing shaft 40 in a retracted position, when it is not retained in a fastening coupling by the fixing element 44. It is a particular feature of the present invention that the body 30 of the closure is mounted on the mounting bracket 32, not only by the bolts 46, but also by means of a fixing bolt 50, which is fixedly engaged in the closure body by means of a fixing element 52 which is also positioned by the cylinder 47 of the closure. It can be seen that notwithstanding the separation of the bolts 46, the body 30 of the closure can not be separated from the bracket 32 as long as the fixing shaft 40 and the fixing bolt 50 are fixedly coupled by the respective elements of fastening 44 and 52. Additionally protection is provided against the separation of the fastening bolt 50 by a retaining bolt 57 which is brought into contact with a notch 59 in the fastening bolt 50. Now I know additionally refers to Figures 6A-7B, which illustrate an electrically driven speed lever lock and key controller constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As in the embodiment described above in connection with Figures 2-5B, a closure body 60 is mounted on a mounting bracket 62, which in turn is bolted on the frame 64 of the vehicle by bolts 65. Fixedly associated with the body 60 of the closure for an axial displacement in relation thereto is a fixing axis 70. The fixing shaft 70 is preferably formed with a notch 72, which is arranged to be fixedly coupled by a fixing element 74, which is selectively positioned by the operation of a fixing cylinder 77, disposed on the body 60 of the closing. An electrically operated actuator, such as an engine 80, is operative to provide a selective linear displacement of the attachment shaft 70 at least to and possibly out of engagement with the fastener 74. In the illustrated embodiment, the motor 80 is it provides with a gear 82 mounted on an output shaft 84 thereof. The gear 82 engages the thread 86 formed on one side of the fastening shaft 70. Alternatively, any other electrical or controllable actuator can automatically be used in place of the motor 80, such as for example an electromagnetic actuator, linear motor or fluid driver. A spring 88 can be provided to position the fixing shaft 70 in a retracted position, when it is not retained in attachment coupling by the fixing element 74. A detector 90, such as a microswitch, can be provided to detect the attachment coupling of the fastening shaft 70 with the fastener and more particularly with the fastener 74. It will be appreciated that the provision of an electrically controllable actuator to effectively close or lock the speed lever closure allows the speed lever closure to be automatically set, without driver intervention and despite driver inaction. Automatic closure is preferably based on predetermined criteria, such as a detected condition of the unoccupied vehicle. The electrically controllable actuator or other automatically controllable actuator may also be operative to automatically close or lock the gear lever lock in response to the removal of an ignition key from the ignition switch, the ignition switch off or any other related action with the ignition, with or without a delay. As in the embodiment of Figures 2-5B, it is a particular feature of the present invention that the closure body 60 is mounted on the mounting bracket 62 not only by the bolts 76, but also by a fixing bolt 91 which it is fixedly engaged in the body of the closure by means of a fixing element 92 which is also positioned by the cylinder 77 of the closure. It can be seen that, notwithstanding the separation of the bolts 76, the closure body 60 can not be separated from the bracket 62 as long as the fixing shaft 70 and the fixing bolt 91 are fixedly connected by the respective elements of fastening 74 and 92. Additionally protection is provided against the separation of the fastening bolt 91 by a retaining bolt 93 which engages with a notch 95 in the fastening bolt 91. Reference is now made to Figure 8, which is a flow chart illustration of the automatic operation of the vehicle anti-theft system of the 6A-7B according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The drive of the system is preferably automatic, in response to the detected non-busy condition of the vehicle, as indicated for example by the detectors 24 and 26 (Figure 1). If the fixing axis 70 is blocked or fixed, as detected by the microswitch 90, the system is operated after a relatively short delay, such as 10 seconds. If the fixing shaft 70 is not fixed, as indicated by the microswitch 90, the system is operated after a relatively short delay, such as 5 minutes and the motor 80 is driven to move the fixing shaft 70, such way that is fixed by the fixing element 74. The difference in the delay to the automatic operation is to allow a user to leave the vehicle for a very short time without the operation of the system. Preferably the automatic drive does not occur unless the gear lever is in a non-forward driving position such as parked or in reverse. This is to ensure that the gear lever lock is not inadvertently operated while the vehicle is in motion. Existing microswitches associated with the gear lever mechanism in conventional vehicles can be used to perform this function. After automatic activation of the system, the vehicle's windows close automatically and the doors and windows are automatically locked. The vehicle is preferably immobilized by the interlock apparatus 18. Several indicators sensitive to the burglary indication and warning indicators described above can also be activated. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the deactivation of the anti-theft system of the vehicle requires at least the insertion and preferably the rotation of the key 20. It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been shown and described particularly in the present. Rather, the scope of the present invention is defined only by the claims that follow.

It is noted that in relation to this date the best method for the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention is the conventional one for the manufacture of the objects to which it refers.

Having described the invention as above, property is claimed as contained in the following

Claims (13)

1. Claims 1. A vehicle anti-theft system, characterized in that it comprises: a speed lever closure that is operable by a key and which is secured to the vehicle frame close to a vehicle speed lever element and is located at least partially inside a console of the vehicle's gear lever; the closure has an axially displaceable locking axis which is movable between extended and retracted positions and which is automatically retractable from its extended position to its retracted position in response to actuation of the closing key; the closure has a first mechanical fastener for securing the shaft in its extended position, the first fastener being releasable from the shaft by the action of the key; and the closure has a second mechanical fastener engageable with the bolt, the second fastener is releasable from the shaft by the action of the key, the fastener is positioned in such a way that when the shaft is in its extended position, it is in attachment coupling adjacent to and with the gear lever element and when it is in its retracted position is it outside the fastening coupling.
2. 2. A vehicle anti-theft system according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes a mounting bracket which is fastened with the frame, the closure is fixed to the bracket.
3. 3. A vehicle anti-theft system according to claim 2, characterized in that it includes a fixing bolt for fixing the closure to the bracket and in which the closure has a second mechanical fastener engageable with the bolt, the second fastener is releasable from the shaft by means of the action of the key.
4. 4. An anti-theft vehicle system according to claim 1, characterized in that it includes an actuator for moving the fixing axis axially in at least one direction.
5. 5. An anti-theft vehicle system according to claim 4, characterized in that the fixing axis is automatically moveable by the actuator to its extended position in response to a driving signal.
6. 6. An anti-theft vehicle system according to claim 4, characterized in that the actuator is an electric motor.
7. 7. A vehicle anti-theft system according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it includes an auxiliary vehicle anti-theft subsystem and the closure is operatively associated with the subsystem.
8. 8. A vehicle anti-theft system according to claim 7, characterized in that the closure and the subsystem are operable without the use of a key and both require the use of the key for deactivation.
9. 9. A vehicle anti-theft system according to claim 8, < characterized in that it includes a vehicle occupancy detector for detecting when the vehicle is not occupied and logic circuits sensitive to the occupancy detector of the vehicle to automatically activate the closure and the subsystem in the detection that the vehicle is not occupied.
10. 10. A vehicle anti-theft system according to claim 9, characterized in that it includes a vehicle computer and the computer incorporates the logical circuits.
11. 11. A vehicle anti-theft system according to claim 10, characterized in that the closure has a detector of the position of the axis to detect when the axis is in its extended position and the logic circuit is sensitive to the position detector of the axis, the circuits Logical distinguish between a detected condition of the unoccupied vehicle when the axle is in its extended position and when it is not.
12. 12. A vehicle anti-theft system according to claim 11, characterized in that the actuation occurs more quickly when the axle is in its extended position than when it is in its retracted position.
13. 13. A vehicle anti-theft system according to any of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that the vehicle occupancy detector is a weight detector in the seat of a driver of the vehicle, a vibration detector, a volume detector or a acoustic detector.