Driver seat lock mechanism for preventing vehicle theft

• US 5,415,458 A
• Filed: 09/21/1993
• Issued: 05/16/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ki I. Kim
• Original Assignee: Ki I. Kim
• Inventors: Kim, Ki I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorner, Kenneth J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nelson, Jr., Milton
• Application Number:
  US08/123,909
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 297/378.14, 297/378.1, 297/353, 297/354.1, 297/299, 297/300, 297/285, 297/291-293, 297/304, 297/306, 70/256, 70/257, 70/261
• US Class Current: 297/378.14
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/20 the back-rest being tiltable, e.g. to permit easy access B60N2/04, B60N2/22 , B60N2/3002 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5996 For seats

Abstract

A mechanism to lock the driver seat in a vehicle in a forward position to prevent a thief from getting on the seat and driving away in the vehicle. The seat adjuster is positioned such that the seat back portion is at an angle with the horizontal seat portion. A lock mechanism mounted on the seat back plate and either manually or electronically operated, causes a lock pin to enter coaligned apertures formed in the front and back plates of the seat adjuster, an intermediate plate member preventing the seat back portion from being moved. In order to enable the seat adjuster to resume its normal operation, the locking pin is withdrawn from the coaligned apertures.

Claims

1. A vehicle anti-theft system, a vehicle having a front driver seat comprising a seat portion and a rotatable back seat, the back seat being adjustable to a first position to allow a driver to utilize the vehicle and a second forward position which prevents normal vehicle operation comprising:

means for enabling the back seat to rotate between said first position and said second forward position comprising a back plate, a front plate, an intermediate plate member and a spring loaded central base-bar, the back seat being rotatable about said base-bar;

locking means mounted on said back plate and positioned adjacent a first aperture formed on said intermediate plate member when said back seat is in said second position, a second aperture being formed in said intermediate plate member and spaced arcuately from the first aperture; and

means for activating said locking means whereby a lock pin is withdrawn from said first aperture to allow said back seat to move from said second position to said first position, said second aperture engaging said pin when said back seat is in said first position.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said lock pin is activated by a computer controlled data entry device.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said back seat is retained at an angle in the range from about 10°

to about 70°

to said seat portion when in said second position.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein spring means are provided to automatically position said lock pin in said first aperture thereby locking said back seat in said second position.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said lock pin is activated by a remote controlled device.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said front and back plate members each have an aperture formed therein which is aligned with said first aperture in said intermediate plate member when said back seat is in said second position and aligned with said second aperture when said back seat is in said first position.