Steering wheel lock

• US 4,935,047 A
• Filed: 12/20/1988
• Issued: 06/19/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Winner International Royalty LLC
• Original Assignee: Donna C. Winner, James E. Winner
• Inventors: Wu, Jinn F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wolfe, Robert L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dino, Suzanne L.
• Application Number:
  US07/287,105
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 70/209-211, 70/215, 70/225, 70/226, 70/252
• US Class Current: 70/209
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/0225 using a rod locked on the steering wheel rim B60R25/0221 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5765 Rotary or swinging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5841 Rotation blocking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5889 For automotive vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5894 Plural point

Abstract

A motor vechicle steering wheel lock for mounting diametrically across the rim of the steering wheel and having an extended portion adapted to block complete rotation of the steering wheel has locking means which simplify and reduce the number of manual manipulation required to mount and remove the steering wheel lock. A locking means is provided to permit only axial extension of the elongated steering wheel lock when in the locked condition, and to permit axial contraction of the elongated steering wheel lock only when in the unlocked condition.

Claims

1. In a vehicular steering wheel mounted lock device of the type which includes a sleeve member aligned along an axis and having first hook means affixed thereto for engaging the rim of said steering wheel from the inside thereof;

an elongated rod member telescopically received within said steering wheel and having second hook means affixed thereto oppositely facing said first hook means for engaging the rim of said steering wheel from the inside thereof;

one of said members having a portion extending beyond its hook means for causing interference with the interior of said vehicle upon continued rotation of said steering wheel when said device is applied thereto;

lock means including a lock housing associated with said sleeve member permitting telescopic movement of said rod member from a collapsed position whereat said rod member is substantially received within said sleeve member to a locked position whereat said rod member is axially displaced from said sleeve such that said hook means contact said rim from the inside thereof, the improvement comprising;

said rod having a plurality of circumscribing ratchet teeth spaced longitudinally about the portion thereof adapted to be telescopically received within said sleeve member, each tooth including a flat annular stop surface perpendicular to said axis and terminating in a longitudinally extending cylindrical surface, a frusto-conical surface extending from the opposite side of said cylindrical surface radially inwardly with its minor diameter portion thereof adjacent said stop surface of an adjacent ratchet tooth, said ratchet teeth oriented such that said frusto-conical surface increases in diameter as said rod member is telescoped out of said sleeve member;

pawl means within said lock housing spring biased into contact with said ratchet teeth surfaces to permit relative rotation between said rod and said sleeve when said rod is drawn out of said sleeve while preventing axial movement of said rod into said sleeve member by contact with said stop surface;

a key lock for disabling said spring bias when said key is actuated to permit said rod to telescopically move in either direction within said sleeve member while permitting said pawl means to be spring biased in an unactuated position whereby said device can be moved to said locked position from said collapsed position without actuating said key lock;

said lock housing has a passageway extending therethrough which is coaxial with said axis and adapted to telescopically receive said rod member, said housing having a first blind bore with a closed end internally within said housing and an open end opening into said passageway, said first blind bore generally perpendicular to said passageway;

a cylindrical pawl disposed within said blind bore, said pawl having a spring retaining end, an angularly shaped pawl end and a slot of predetermined width and length intermediate said ends;

spring means within said closed end of said blind bore in contact with said spring retaining end to bias said angular end into said passageway;

said housing having a second bore intersecting said first bore at a position overlying said slot at one end thereof and with its opposite end opening in the surface of said housing, a lock cylinder in said second bore at its surface open end, a torque blade member within said slot and affixed to said lock cylinder, said torque blade movable by said lock cylinder from an unlocked position having no effect on said spring means to a locked position whereat said spring means is compressed and said angular end is retracted from said passageway;

said sleeve member comprises a cylindrical tube, said tube having diametrically opposed, circular openings formed therein corresponding in size to said first bore,

said first bore in said lock housing extending through said passageway and said circular openings to the exterior surface of said lock housing, said passageway in said lock housing receiving said tube, said first bore aligned with said circular openings and a plug extending from the external surface of said lock housing and into one of said circular openings in said tube to pin said lock housing to said tube;

said ratchet tooth having a second cylindrical, longitudinally extending surface with one end contiguous with said minor diameter portion of said frusto conical surface and the other end contiguous with said stop surface and an adjacent tooth;

said angular pawl end including a flat radially extending surface adapted to seat in face-to-face relationship with said stop surface;

said lock housing having a bottom portion substantially aligned with the bottom of said sleeve member and said first hook means extending from said bottom of said sleeve member to avoid interference with the hub portion of said steering wheel; and

said lock housing having a cylindrical portion diametrically opposed to said plug containing said lock cylinder whereby the dimensional size of said lock housing perpendicular to said axis is minimized to avoid interference with the steering wheel while maintaining ease of assembly.

2. A vehicular locking device for mounting solely to the steering wheel of a vehicle comprising:

a sleeve member elongated along an axis and having first hook means affixed thereto for engaging the rim of said steering wheel from the inside thereof;

an elongated rod member telescopically receivable in said sleeve member and having second hook means affixed thereto oppositely facing said first hook means for engaging the rim of said steering wheel from the inside thereof;

one of said members having a portion extending beyond its hook means for causing interference with the interior of said vehicle upon continued rotation of said steering wheel when the device is applied thereto;

lock means associated with said sleeve member to permit telescopic movement of said rod member out of said sleeve without the use of a key and telescopic movement of said rod member into said sleeve member only with the use of a key so that said device can be actuated from a telescopically collapsed position to a telescopically extended, locked position without having to use any key to actuate said lock means;

said lock means including a lock housing applied to one end of said shaft member and having a passageway extending therethrough which is coaxial with said axis and adapted to telescopically receive said rod member, said housing having a first blind bore with a closed end internally within said housing and an open end opening into said passageway, said first blind bore generally perpendicular to said passageway;

a cylindrical pawl disposed within said blind bore, said pawl having a spring retaining end, an angularly shaped pawl end, and a slot of predetermined length and width intermediate its ends;

spring means within said closed end of said blind bore biasing said angular end of said pawl into said passageway;

said housing having a second bore with one end intersecting said first bore at a position overlying said slot and with its opposite end opening to the surface of said housing;

a lock cylinder in said second bore at said opposite end;

a torque blade member within said slot and affixed to said lock cylinder, said torque blade rotatable by said lock cylinder from said applied, locked position permitting said pawl to be biased into said passageway to an unlocked position retracting said pawl from said passageway; and

said rod member having a series of longitudinally spaced ratchet teeth adjacent one another, each ratchet tooth including an annular stop surface extending perpendicular to said axis and terminating in a longitudinally extending first cylindrical surface, a frusto-conical surface extending from the opposite side of said first cylindrical surface radially inwardly with its minor diameter portion thereof adjacent said stop surface of an adjacent ratchet tooth, said ratchet surfaces oriented such that said pawl contact said stop surface to prevent movement of said rod into said sleeve while said frusto-conical surfaces move said pawl against said spring bias when said rod is telescopically moved out of said sleeve whereby said first and second hook means can swivel relative to one another while said device is attached to said steering wheel to permit said device to be easily applied to a variety of steering wheel configurations.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said sleeve member comprises a cylindrical tube, said tube having diametrically opposed, circular openings formed therein corresponding in size to said first bore,

said first bore in said lock housing extending through said passageway and said circular openings to the exterior surface of said lock housing, said passageway in said lock housing receiving said tube, said first bore aligned with said circular openings and a plug extending from the external surface of said lock housing and into one of said circular openings in said tube to pin said lock housing to said tube;

said ratchet tooth having a second cylindrical, longitudinally extending surface with one end contiguous with said minor diameter portion of said frusto conical surface and the other end contiguous with said stop surface and an adjacent tooth;

said angular pawl end including a flat radially extending surface adapted to seat in face-to-face relationship with said stop surface;

said lock housing having a bottom portion substantially aligned with the bottom of said sleeve member and said first hook means extending from said bottom of said sleeve member to avoid interference with the hub portion of said steering wheel; and

said lock housing having a cylindrical portion diametrically opposed to said plug containing said lock cylinder whereby the dimensional size of said lock housing perpendicular to said axis is minimized to avoid interference with the steering wheel while maintaining ease of assembly.

4. An anti-theft device for attachment to a steering wheel of an automobile comprising:

an elongated tubular member having an outer end and an elongated passageway extending along its axis therethrough, said tubular member having a first U-shaped hook portion extending therefrom, said U-shaped hook portion of said tubular member adapted to engage said wheel from the inside thereof with said outer end of said tubular member extending a substantial distance beyond the periphery of said wheel;

a rod member having an elongated rod adapted to extend in a telescopic manner within said passageway of said tubular member and a second U-shaped hook secured to one end of the rod having an opening facing opposite to the first hook and adapted to engage said wheel from the inside thereof;

a plurality of spaced annular grooves circumferentially formed in said rod, each of which includes a vertical side wall and a frusto conical side wall sloping from said vertical side wall towards side second hook;

a housing means firmly formed around an end portion of the tubular member with said elongated passageway of the tubular member extending therethrough;

a lock having a locking member extending downwardly;

means offset with respect to the axis of the tubular member in the housing means for firmly receiving the lock;

a transverse passageway transversely formed in the housing means and interconnecting said elongated passageway in said tubular member;

rod-like bearing means slidably accommodated in the transverse passageway under the lock and having a pawl attached to an end thereof and arranged to be actuated between a locking position with the pawl protruding into an annular groove in the rod whereat contact is made with said vertical side wall and an unlocking position with the pawl withdrawn from said annular groove, said rod-like bearing means further including a recess to receive said locking member and control the position of the pawl in a locking or unlocking position; and

a spring member disposed in the transverse passageway and biasing said rod-like bearing means towards the passageway in the tubular member.