WO1996009940A2

WO1996009940A2 - Car theft-proof lock

Info

Publication number: WO1996009940A2
Application number: PCT/KR1995/000111
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tae Hyung Kim
Original assignee: Tae Hyung Kim
Priority date: 1994-09-22
Filing date: 1995-08-30
Publication date: 1996-04-04
Also published as: WO1996009940A3

Abstract

A car theft-proof lock includes a main body (1) for shackling a steering wheel (30) of a car, and a fastening member (20) having an end fastened to the main body (1) and another end which penetrates through a wall of a casing (42) for a steering column and shaft (40) of the car and which is fixed to a member located within the casing (42) so that the steering wheel (30) may not be rotated with respect to the casing (42). The main body (1) has a fixed jaw (3), a movable jaw rotatably (4) fixed to an end of the fixed jaw (3), and a lock (7) for locking a free end of the movable jaw (4) to another end of the fixed jaw (3). The fastening member (20) which is made of a steel bar has a first member (21) fixed to the steering column and shaft (40) in a non-rotatable manner, a second member (25) which penetrates through a wall of the casing (42) from outside and which is joined to the first member (21), and a third member (26) for connecting the second member (25) to the main body (1). And the present invention provides a foldable cutting tool.

Description

CAR THEFT - PROOF LOCK

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a car theft-proof lock which, when a car is parked, keeps the car from being stolen by fixing the motion of the steering wheel with respect to a casing for the steering column and shaft of the car. Also, the present invention relates to a car theft-proof lock which, in emergency, can be used as a car escape tool.

DESCRIPTION OF THE CONVENTIONAL ART

A conventional car locking device consists of two metal rods. The ends of the rods are curved in a hook form and the rods are joined together to lock the vehicle by fixing the steering wheel with respect to the brake pedal. The locking device of this type is disadvantageous in that: it is inconvenient to hook the curved ends of upper and lower rods to the steering wheel and the brake pedal respectively; a user must be cautious when assembling and locking the device at its center; and it is also inconvenient to carry this locking device, measuring greater than 1 meter in length, inside the car when not in use.

In an effort to eliminate the above disadvantages, the inventor of the present invention proposed a car theft-proof device by the International Patent Application NO. PCT/ KR 93 / 00105 .

This device has a frame of a suitable shape for surrounding the steering column and shaft casing in a non-rotatabie manner, the inventor found a problem that this device can not successfully keep the car being stolen because the steering column and shaft casing is fragile, Therfore,when struck by a heavy object.e.g. a hammer.the casing will be broken and then the frame can become loose. Also, the frame can disturb the tilting of the steering column and shaft.

Espicially , a section of a thickness of a chain is slender than a section of a thickness which the same bulk steel bar has. Therefore, the chain can cut more easily than the same bulk steel bar. so the chain is not suitsble device for a car theft-proof lock. This was principal weak point of chain which is device as a car theft-proof lock . If the chain is made thick enough so that it may not be cut by a hand cutter , it is inconvenient to handle the car theft-proof lock due to the bulk and the weight of the chain .

Under these circumstances, it is concluded that a successful solution to this problem must include the finding of an object which is structurally strong enough to support the steering wheel against rotation not to mention the simplicity of installing operation and a smart appearance.

In case of a collision, the car door may be crushed or deformed due to impact, barring escape from the car. If the car becomes submerged in flood or river water, it will not be able to open the door from the inside due to external water pressure. These circumstances call for an adequate tool to break the window glass in order to make an escape passage. Also, a tool for cutting the safety belts will be necessary when it is unable to unfasten the belts in emergency.

By the above-mentioned International Patent Application.the inventor of the present invention proposed a car theft-proof device having a cutting blade attached on an indentation provided on the movable jaw of the main body, but the inventor found a problem that the cutting blade attached on the indentation provided on the movable jaw is difficult to cut the safety belt because the indentation provided on the movable jaw can't be made wide when compared with the size and hardness of the movable jaw.

Also.it is difficult to put the safety belt to the indentation provided on the movable jaw.and it is difficult to move the safety belt within the indentation provided on the movable jaw In an effort to eliminate the above disadvantages, the present invention provides an adquate tool for cutting the safety belt easily

Even though the tools for these purposes are provided in the car, there is no promise that the tools are kept in a place within the reach of the user always, and this means that the tools must have a fixed location near to the driver's seat, preferably.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Therefore, it is an object of ^' the present invention to provide a car theft-proof lock which can be carried and used conveniently and has a sufficient structural strength and smart appearance. Also, it is another object of the present invention to provide a car theft-proof lock which has additional functions for use in emergency.

In order to accomplish these and other objects of the invention, a car theft-proof lock comprising a main body for shackling a steering wheel of a car, and a fastening member which is made of a steel bar having an end fastened to the main body and another end which penetrates through a wall of a casing for a steering column and shaft of the car and which is fixed to a member located within the casing so that the steering wheel may not be rotated with respect to the casing is provided.And the present invention provide a foldable cutting tool .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the car theft-proof lock according to the present invention in use.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a main body of the car theft-proof lock of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a fastening member of the car theft-proof lock of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a movable jaw of the main body of Fig. 2 released from a fixed jaw.

Fig. 5 is an illustration showing how to cut a safety belt by using a foldable knife provided on main body. Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing another example of the main body of the car theft-proof lock of Fig. 1 .

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the main body having a pair of foldable scissors.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the main body having a foldabld saw.

Fig. 9 shows the main body having a double acting lock.

Fig.10 illustrates the structure of the double acting lock of Fig. 9.

Fig. 1 1 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the fastening member of the. car theft-proof lock of Fig. 1.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the car theft-proof lock.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of the fastening member of the car theft-proof lock of Fig. 1. Fig. 14 is a perspective view showing a fourth embodiment of the fastening member of the car theft-proof lock of Fig. 1.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing still another embodiment of the car theft-proof lock having the fastening member of Fig. 14 in use. Fig. 16 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the car theft-proof lock according to the present invention in use.

Fig. 17 is a perspective view showing a frame for fastening around the steering column and shaft casing as provided by the International Patent Application NO.PCT/KR 93/00105. Fig. 18 is an illustration for showing the car theft-proof device by using the frame of FigJ7.

Fig. 19 is a perspective view showing a section of a thickness of a chain and a section of a thickness which the same bulk steel bar has . Fig. 20 is a cross section view showing a section of the chain and a section of a thickness the same bulk steel bar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Further features of the car theft-proof lock according to the present invention are described next with reference to the attached drawings. In the drawings, same numbering systems are used to represent the same component parts.

Referring to Fig. 1 , the car theft-proof lock has a main body 1 for shackling a steering wheel 30 and a fastening member 20 having an end fastened to the main body 1 and another end which penetrates through a wall of a casing 42 for a steering column and shaft 40 of a car (not shown) and which is fixed to a member located within the casing 42. The member whereto the fastening member 20 is fixed may be the steering column and shaft 40 or any other structurally strong member located within the casing 42 as shown in Figs. 1 or 13, respectively. Referring to Fig. 2 and 4, the main body 1 has a fixed jaw 3 and a movable jaw 4 rotatably attached to an end of the fixed jaw 3 by a pin 6. To shackle the steering wheel 30, the movable jaw 4 is turned around the pin 6 and a free end of the movable jaw 4 is locked to the fixed jaw 3 by a lock 7 provided on the main body 1. Figs. 2 and 4 show the movable jaw 4 in locked and released states, respectively.

It is preferable to make the car theft-proof lock usable as a cutting tool and/or an impacting tool.

Fig. 5 illustrates how to cut the belt 50 by using the car theft-proof lock as a foldable knife 12 provided on the main body 1. Alternately, a pair of scissors 13 , or a saw 16 , all foldable, may be provided on the main body 1 as illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, respectively.

Referring to Fig. 9, the lock 7 mounted on the main body 1 may be a double acting lock by which a free end 15 of the movable jaw 4 can be locked to the fixed jaw 3 and a free end of the fastening member 20 can be locked in the main body 1. For this purpose, it is preferable to form the free end of the fastening member 20 to have an indentation with which the lock 7 is engaged as shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 10 illustrates the structure of the double acting lock 7 in cross section.

Referring back to Fig. 6, it is preferable to attach covers 14 made of a flexible sheet material on both side surfaces of the main body 1 to give soft and smooth touch. Referring back to Figs. 1 and 3 showing a first embodiment of the fastening member 20, the fastening member 20 has a first member 21 , a second member 25, and a third members 26. The first member 21 is fixed to the steering column and shaft 40 or any other structurally strong member located within the casing 42 in a non-rotatabie manner. The second member 25 penetrates through a wall of the casing 42 from outside and is connected to the first member 21. The third member 26 connects the second member 25 with the main body 1.

To provide an electric insulation between the steering column and shaft 40 and the fastening member , it is preferable to coat the first member 21 with an insulating material as shown in Fig. 3.

In the second embodiment of the fastening member 20 shown in Fig. 11 , the first member 21 of the first embodiment of the fastening member 20 of Fig. 3 is replaced by a hook-shaped member 22 and an intermediate member 23 connected to the hook-shaped member 22. It is preferable to connect the intermediate member 23 with the hook-shaped member 22 by a thread-joint.

In the third embodiment of the fastening member 20 shown in Fig. 13, the third member 26 of the first embodiment of the fastening member which is made of a steel bar 20 of Fig. 3 is replaced by a retractable connector assembly including a guide member 27 connected to the second member 25 and a connector 29 guided by the guide member 27 for connection to the main body 1. The connector 29 is biased by an elastic member 28 by which the connector 29 moves back to a retreated position with respect to the main body 1 when the connector 29 is not connected to the main body 1.

In the fourth embodiment of the fastening member 20 shown in Figs. 14 and 15, the fastening member 20 of Fig. 3 is replaced by a motor-driven connector assembly including a support 31 fixed to the steering column and shaft 40, by welding, for example, a motor 32 and reducing gears 33 mounted on the support 31 , and a connector 34 for connecting the support 31 to the main body 1. The connector 34 is driven by the motor 32 between a forward position wherein the connector 34 is connected with the main body 1 and a retreated position wherein the connector 34 is not connected with the main body 1 .

In another embodiment of the present invention shown in Fig. 17, the car theft-proof lock has a motor- driven connector assembly including a support 31 fixed to the steering column and shaft 40, a motor 32 and reducing gears provided within a gear box mounted on the support 31 , and a connector 34. There is no main body unlike the embodiments described before. Here, the connector 34 driven by the motor 32 is inserted into an aperture 36 formed on the steering wheel 30. As turning on and off the switch 35, the connector 34 is driven between a forward position wherein the connector 34 isinserted into the aperture 36 of the steering wheel 30 and a retreated position wherein the coαnector 34 is not inserted into the aperture of the steering wheel.

A member is provided between a steering wheel of a car and a steering column and shaft having a casing around the steering column and shaft, the member being passing through the casing from the steering column and shaft to prevent the steering wheel from being steered.

The third and fourth embodiments of the fastening member 20 are advantageous in that they are compact and, hence, are not cumbersome when the theft-proof lock is not in use.

Figs. 1 , 12 and 15 show the car theft-proof lock installed between the steering wheel 30 and the steering column and shaft 40.

In this state, it is impossible to steer the car because the motion of the steering wheel 30 is fixed with respect to the steering column and shaft 40. Fig. 16 is another embodiment of the car theft-proof lock without the main body of Fig.15.

It will be evident to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the foregoing illustrative embodiments and that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

CLAIM

1. A car theft-proof lock comprising: a main body for shackling a steering wheel of a car; and a fastening member having an end fastened to said main body and another end which penetrates through a wall of a casing for a steering column and shaft of the car and which is fixed to a member located within the casing so that the steering wheel may not be rotated with respect to the casing.

2. A car theft-proof lock as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said main body includes: a fixed jaw; a movable jaw rotatably fixed to an end of said fixed jaw; and a lock for locking a free end of said movable jawto another end of said fixed jaw.

3. A car theft-proof lock as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a cutting tool wherein said main body includes..

4. A car theft-proof lock as claimed in _. claim 3, wherein said cutting tool is a foldable knife provided on said main body.

5. A car theft-proof lock as claimed in claim 3, wherein said cutting tool is a pair of foldable scissors provided on said main body.

6. A car theft-proof lock as claimed in claim 3, wherein said cutting tool is a foldable saw provided on said main body.

7. A car theft-proof lock as claimed in claim 2, wherein said lock of said main body is a double acting lock by which said free end of said movable jaw can be locked to said another end of said fixed jaw and a free end of said fastening member can be locked in said main body.

8. A car theft-proof lock as claimed in claim 2, wherein surfaces of said fixed jaw are covered with a flexible sheet material.

9. A car theft-proof lock as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said fastening member includes a first member fixed to the steering column and shaft within the casing in a non-rotatabie manner, a second member which penetrates through a wall of the casing from outside and which is joined to said first member, and a third member for connecting said second member to said main body.

10. A car theft-proof lock as claimed in claim 9, wherein said first member has a hook-shaped member for fastening the steering column and shaft within the casing and an intermediate member connected to the hook-shaped member.

1 1. A car theft-proof lock as claimed in claim 10, wherein said intermediate member is connected to said hook-shaped member by a thread-joint.

12. A car theft-proof lock as claimed in claim 10, wherein said hook-shaped member and said intermediate member of said first member are coated with an insulating material.

13. A car theft-proof lock as claimed in claim 9, wherein said third member of said fastening member is a retractable connector assembly including a guide member connected to said second member, a connector guided by said guide member for connection to said main body, and an elastic member for biasing said connector whereby said connector moves to a retreated position with respect to said main body when said connector is not connected to said main body.

14. A car theft-proof lock as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said fastening member is a motor-driven connector assembly including a support fixed to the steering column and shaft, a motor and reducing gears mounted on said support, and a connector for connecting said support to said main body, said connector being driven by said motor between a forward position wherein said connector is connected with said main body and a retreated position wherein said connector is not connected with said main body.

15. A car theft-proof lock as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said fastening member is made of a steel bar.

16. A car theft-proof lock including a member provided between a steering wheel of a car and a steering column and shaft having a casing around the steering column and shaft, the member being passing through the casing from the steering column and shaft to prevent the steering wheel from being steered.

17. A car theft-proof lock as claimed in claim 16, wherein the member is a motor-driven connector assembly including a support fixed to the steering column and shaft, a motor and reducing gears mounted on the support, and a connector which is inserted into an aperture formed on the steering wheel, the connector being driven by the motor between a forward position wherein the connector is inserted into the aperture of the steering wheel and a retreated position wherein the connector is not inserted into the aperture of the steering wheel.

18. A car theft-proof lock as claimed in claim 16, wherein said member is made of a steel bar.