Vehicle anti-theft device and system

• US 5,635,899 A
• Filed: 10/17/1994
• Issued: 06/03/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Winner International Royalty LLC
• Original Assignee: Winner International Royalty LLC
• Inventors: Voiculescu, Danut, Carlo, L. David, Rutkowski, John
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US08/322,478
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 340/426, 70/209, 70/238, 180/287, 307/10.2
• US Class Current: 340/426.31
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/0225 using a rod locked on the steering wheel rim B60R25/0221 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5765 Rotary or swinging
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5889 For automotive vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/5894 Plural point
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/7915 Tampering prevention or attack defeating

Abstract

A vehicle anti-theft system comprises a mechanical anti-theft device adapted to be attached to a vehicle steering wheel to limit rotation thereof, and an electrical anti-theft device remotely controlled by a transmitter in the mechanical device and operable to inhibit starting of the vehicle engine when the mechanical device is in its mounted position. The mechanical device includes a key operated lock mechanism for locking the device to the steering wheel and a supplemental lock mechanism for maintaining the locked condition of the device in response to tampering with either the key operated or the supplemental lock mechanism.

Claims

1. An anti-theft system for a motor vehicle comprising an anti-theft device mountable in a vehicle to limit rotation of a vehicle steering wheel and including first and second attachment means displaceable relative to one another between mounting and storage positions, control signal transmitting means on said device having a first condition for transmitting a control signal when said attachment means are in said storage position and a second condition inhibiting transmission of a control signal when said attachment means are in said mounting position, a vehicle control unit mounted on said vehicle and having a first condition enabling operation of said vehicle and a second condition inhibiting operation of said vehicle, said control unit being in said second condition thereof when said attachment means are in said mounting position, and means including control signal receiving means remote from said transmitting means for shifting said control unit into said first condition thereof in response to a control signal transmitted by said transmitting means when said attachment means are displaced from said mounting position to said storage position.

2. An anti-theft system according to claim 1, wherein said anti-theft device includes key operated lock means for releasably locking said first and second attachment means in said mounting position against relative displacement toward said storage position, and supplemental lock means having locked and unlocked conditions with respect to said first and second attachment means, said supplemental lock means normally being in said unlocked conditioned, and means for shifting said supplemental lock means to said locked condition in response to tampering with one of said key operated lock means and said supplemental lock means.

3. An anti-theft system according to claim 1, wherein said anti-theft device includes tubular housing means supporting said first attachment means and rod means slidably received in and supported by said tubular housing means for displacement inwardly and outwardly relative thereto, said rod means supporting said second attachment means for displacement therewith toward and away from said first attachment means, and said housing means and said rod means including interengaging means for limiting displacement of said rod means outwardly relative to said housing means.

4. An anti-theft system according to claim 3, wherein said housing means supports lock means including keeper means and said rod means includes notch means, said lock means having locked and unlocked conditions in which said keeper means is respectively engaged with and disengaged from said notch means, said notch means and said keeper means in said locked condition precluding displacement of said rod means inwardly of said housing means and enabling displacement of said rod means outwardly of said housing means, and said rod means including stop means interengaging with said keeper means to limit said outward displacement.

5. An anti-theft system according to claim 4, wherein said lock means includes key operated tumbler means for displacing said keeper means into and from engagement with said notch means.

6. An anti-theft system according to claim 5, wherein said lock means further includes supplemental lock means in said housing means including supplemental keeper means, said supplemental lock means having locked and unlocked conditions in which said supplemental keeper means respectively engages with and is disengaged from said notch means, said notch means and said supplemental keeper means in said locked condition of said supplemental lock means precluding displacement of said rod means inwardly of said housing means and enabling displacement of said rod means outwardly of said housing means, and said supplemental keeper means interengaging with said stop means to limit said outward displacement.

7. An anti-theft system according to claim 1, wherein said anti-theft device comprises tubular housing means having opposite ends and supporting said first attachment means, said second attachment means including rod means slidably received in one of said opposite ends and having inner end means displaceable toward and away from the other of said opposite ends to respectively position said first and second attachment means in said storage position and said mounting position thereof, said control signal transmitting means being in said housing means between said other of said opposite ends thereof and said inner end means of said rod means, and means for shifting said control signal transmitting means from said second condition thereof to said first condition thereof in response to displacement of said rod end means to position said first and second attachment means in said storage position.

8. An anti-theft system according to claim 7, wherein said means for shifting said control signal transmitting means includes switch means having closed and open conditions corresponding respectively to said first and second conditions of said control signal transmitting means, and means including said end means of said rod means for shifting said switch means to said closed condition in response to displacement of said rod means to position said first and second attachment means in said storage position.

9. An anti-theft system according to claim 8, wherein said switch means includes contact means having closed and open positions corresponding respectively to said closed and open conditions of said switch means, said means for shifting said switch means including actuator means displaceable by said inner end means of said rod means to close said contact means in response to displacement of said rod means to position said first and second attachment means in said storage position.

10. An anti-theft system according to claim 8, wherein said anti-theft device includes key operated lock means for releasably locking said first and second attachment means in said mounting position against relative displacement toward said storage position, and supplemental lock means having locked and unlocked conditions with respect to said first and second attachment means, said supplemental lock means normally being in said unlocked condition, and means for shifting said supplemental lock means to said locked condition in response to tampering with one of said key operated lock means and said supplemental lock means.

11. An anti-theft system according to claim 8, wherein said housing means and said rod means include interengaging means for limiting displacement of said rod means outwardly relative to said one end of said housing means.

12. An anti-theft system according to claim 11, wherein said housing means supports lock means including keeper means and said rod means includes notch means, said lock means having locked and unlocked conditions in which said keeper means is respectively engaged with and disengaged from said notch means, said notch means and said keeper means in said locked condition precluding displacement of said rod means inwardly of said housing means and enabling displacement of said rod means outwardly of said housing means, and said rod means including stop means interengaging with said keeper means to limit said outward displacement.

13. An anti-theft system according to claim 12, wherein said lock means includes key operated tumbler means for displacing said keeper means into and from engagement with said notch means.

14. An anti-theft system according to claim 13, wherein said lock means further includes supplemental lock means in said housing means including supplemental keeper means, said supplemental lock means having locked and unlocked conditions in which said supplemental keeper means respectively engages with and is disengaged from said notch means, said notch means and said supplemental keeper means in said locked condition of said supplemental lock means precluding displacement of said rod means inwardly of said housing means and enabling displacement of said rod means outwardly of said housing means, and said supplemental keeper means interengaging with said stop means to limit said outward displacement.

15. An anti-theft system according to claim 1, wherein said control signal transmitting means includes means for transmitting said control signal in a coded pattern unique to said control signal transmitting means.

16. An anti-theft system according to claim 1, wherein said control signal transmitting means includes means for intermittently transmitting said control signal for a given period of time.

17. An anti-theft system according to claim 16, wherein said control signal transmitting means includes means for transmitting said control signal in a coded pattern unique to said control signal transmitting means.

18. An anti-theft system according to claim 1, wherein said control signal transmitting means includes means for transmitting said control signal in a coded pattern unique to said control signal transmitting means and said control signal receiving means includes means for recognizing said coded pattern.

19. An anti-theft system according to claim 1, wherein said motor vehicle has electrical starting circuit means and said vehicle control unit includes means for inhibiting said starting circuit means when said control unit is in said second condition thereof.

20. An anti-theft system according to claim 19, wherein said means for shifting said control unit into said first condition includes means for validating said control signal transmitted by said transmitting means.

21. An anti-theft system according to claim 20, wherein said motor vehicle includes key operated ignition switch means having on and off modes and said means for shifting said control unit includes means for detecting said switch means in said on mode and means operable only in response to a validated control signal and said ignition switch means in said on mode to shift said control unit into said first condition.

22. An anti-theft system according to claim 1, wherein said anti-theft device comprises tubular housing means having opposite ends and supporting said first attachment means, said second attachment means including rod means slidably received in one of said opposite ends and having inner end means displacable toward and away from the other of said opposite ends to respectively position said first and second attachment means in said storage position and said mounting position thereof, said control signal transmitting means being in said housing means between said other of said opposite ends thereof and said inner end means of said rod means, transmitter actuating means in said housing means, said actuating means being supported for displacement by said inner end means of said rod means in the direction toward said other of said opposite ends of said housing means to shift said signal transmitting means from said second condition thereof to said first condition thereof in response to displacement of said rod means to position said first and second attachment means in said storage position, and positioning means for interengaging said rod means and said housing means to preclude displacement of said actuating means to shift said signal transmitting means to said first condition thereof when said first and second attachment means are near said storage position.

23. An anti-theft system according to claim 22, wherein said housing means supports lock means including keeper means and said rod means has an outer end and includes notch means between said outer end and said inner end means, said lock means having locked and unlocked conditions in which said keeper means is respectively engaged with and disengaged from said notch means, said notch means and said keeper means in said locked condition precluding displacement of said rod means inwardly of said housing means and enabling displacement of said rod means outwardly of said housing means, and said notch means including an outermost notch in said outer end of said rod means interengaging with said keeper means to provide said positioning means.

24. An anti-theft system according to claim 23, wherein said inner end means on said rod means includes stop means for interengaging with said keeper means to preclude removal of said rod means from said housing means.

25. An anti-theft system according to claim 23, wherein said lock means includes key operated tumbler means for displacing said keeper means into and from engagement with said notch means.

26. An anti-theft system according to claim 25, wherein said lock means further includes supplemental lock means in said housing means including supplemental keeper means, said supplemental lock means having locked and unlocked conditions in which said supplemental keeper means respectively engages with and is disengaged from said notch means, said notch means and said supplemental keeper means in said locked condition of said supplemental lock means precluding displacement of said rod means inwardly of said housing means and enabling displacement of said rod means outwardly of said housing means, and said supplemental keeper means interengaging with said outermost notch to provide said positioning means.

27. An anti-theft system according to claim 26, wherein said inner end means on said rod means includes stop means for interengaging with said keeper means and said supplemental keeper means to preclude removal of said rod means from said housing means.

28. An anti-theft system according to claim 27, wherein said motor vehicle has electrical starting circuit means and said vehicle control unit includes means for inhibiting said starting circuit means when said control unit is in said first condition thereof.

29. An anti-theft system according to claim 28, wherein said means for shifting said control unit into said first condition includes means for validating said control signal transmitted by said transmitting means, said motor vehicle includes key operated ignition switch means having on and off modes and said means for shifting said control unit includes means for detecting said switch means in said on mode, and means operable only in response to a validated control signal and said ignition switch means in said on mode to shift said control unit into said first condition.

30. An anti-theft device according to claim 1, wherein said anti-theft device comprises tubular housing means having an axis and axially opposite ends and rod means axially slidably received in said housing means and having an inner end therein and an outer end extending outwardly from one of said opposite ends, one of said first and second attachment means being on said housing means and the other on said outer end of said rod means, key operated lock means supported in a mounted position on said housing means for locking said rod means against axial displacement inwardly of said housing means for locking said rod means against axial displacement inwardly of said housing means relative to said one of said opposite ends of said housing means, and supplemental lock means supported in said housing means for locking said rod means against axial displacement inwardly of said housing means in response to tampering with one of said key operated lock means and said supplemental lock means.

31. An anti-theft system according to claim 30, wherein said supplemental lock means has locked and unlocked conditions, and shifting means for shifting said supplemental lock means from said mounted position.

32. An anti-theft system according to claim 31, wherein said rod means has notch means therein between said inner and outer ends thereof, said key operated lock means includes keeper means for engaging said notch means for lodging said rod means against said axial displacement, and said supplemental lock means includes supplemental keeper means displaceable between a first position disengaging said notch means and a second position engaging said notch means to lock said rod means against said axial displacement, said shifting means normally maintaining said supplemental keeper means in said first position.

33. An anti-theft system according to claim 32, wherein said shifting means has a first position maintaining said supplemental keeper means in said first position thereof and a second position releasing said supplemental keeper means for movement to said second position thereof engaging said notch means.

34. An anti-theft system according to claim 33, wherein said shifting means engages said key operated lock means in said mounted position thereof for said key operated lock means to position said shifting means in said first position thereof, and means for displacing said shifting means to said second position thereof in response to displacement of said key operated lock means from said mounted position thereof to disengage said shifting means.

35. An anti-theft system according to claim 34, wherein said means for displacing said shifting means includes biasing spring means.

36. An anti-theft system according to claim 33, wherein said shifting means has a third position releasing said supplemental keeper means for movement to said second position thereof, said second and third positions of said shifting means being in opposite directions from said first position thereof.

37. An anti-theft system according to claim 32, wherein said key operated lock means has a lock axis and said shifting means includes shifting member means reciprocable transverse to said lock axis between first and second positions and having an end engaging said key operated lock means in said mounted position thereof to position said shifting member means in said first position, said shifting member means in said first position thereof engaging with said supplemental keeper means to maintain said supplemental keeper means in said first position thereof, means for displacing said shifting member means from said first to said second position thereof in response to displacement of said key operated lock means out of engagement with said end of said shifting member means and said shifting member means in said second position thereof releasing said supplemental keeper means for displacement to said second position thereof.

38. An anti-theft system according to claim 37, wherein said supplemental keeper means is supported in said housing means for reciprocating displacement transverse to said shifting member means and has an end engaging said shifting member means in said first position thereof, said shifting member means having an opening therethrough, and said supplemental keeper means in said second position of said shifting member means extending through said opening and into said second position of said supplemental keeper means engaging said notch means.

39. An anti-theft system according to claim 38, wherein said supplemental keeper means includes a pin, and spring means biasing said pin to extend through said opening in said shifting member means.

40. An anti-theft system according to claim 38, wherein said means for displacing said shifting member means includes biasing spring means.

41. An anti-theft system according to claim 40, wherein said shifting member means has a third position releasing said supplemental keeper means for movement to said second position thereof, said second and third positions of said shifting member means being in opposite directions from said first position thereof.

42. An anti-theft system according to claim 41, wherein said opening through said shifting member means is a first opening and said shifting member means has a second opening therethrough spaced from said first opening, said supplemental keeper means in said third position of said shifting member means extending through said second opening and into said second position of said supplemental keeper means engaging said notch means.

43. An anti-theft system according to claim 42, wherein said first and second openings through said shifting member means are on opposite sides of said supplemental keeper means in said first position of said shifting member means.

44. An anti-theft system according to claim 43, wherein said supplemental keeper means includes a pin, and spring means biasing said pin to extend through said first and second openings in said shifting member means.

45. An anti-theft system for a motor vehicle comprising an anti-theft device mountable in a vehicle to limit rotation of a vehicle steering wheel and including first and second attachment means displaceable relative to one another between mounting and storage positions, control signal transmitting means on said device having a first condition for transmitting a control signal when said attachment means are in one of said mounting and storage positions and a second condition inhibiting transmission of a control signal when said attachment means are in the other of said mounting and storage positions, a vehicle control unit mounted on said vehicle and having a first condition enabling operation of said vehicle and a second condition inhibiting operation of said vehicle, said control unit being in said second condition thereof when said attachment means are in said mounting position, and means including control signal receiving means remote from said transmitting means for shifting said control unit into said first condition thereof in response to displacement of said attachment means from said mounting position to said storage position.

46. An anti-theft system according to claim 45, wherein said control signal transmitting means includes means for transmitting said control signal in a coded pattern unique to said control signal transmitting means.

47. An anti-theft system according to claim 45, wherein said control signal transmitting means includes means for intermittently transmitting said control signal for a given period of time.

48. An anti-theft system according to claim 47, wherein said control signal transmitting means includes means for transmitting said control signal in a coded pattern unique to said control signal transmitting means.

49. An anti-theft system according to claim 45, wherein said control signal transmitting means includes means for transmitting said control signal in a coded pattern unique to said control signal transmitting means and said control signal receiving means includes means for recognizing said coded pattern.

50. An anti-theft system according to claim 45, wherein said motor vehicle has electrical starting circuit means and said vehicle control unit includes means for inhibiting said starting circuit means when said control unit is in said second condition thereof.

51. An anti-theft system according to claim 50, wherein said means for shifting said control unit into said first condition includes means for validating said control signal transmitted by said transmitting means.

52. An anti-theft system for a motor vehicle comprising a mechanical anti-theft device mountable in a vehicle to limit rotation of a vehicle steering wheel, control signal transmitting means on said device having a first condition for transmitting a control signal and a second condition inhibiting transmission of a control signal, said device including means for shifting said transmitting means between said first and second conditions, a vehicle control unit mounted on said vehicle and having a first condition enabling operation of said vehicle and a second condition inhibiting operation of said vehicle, and means including control signal receiving means remote from said transmitting means for shifting said control unit from one of said first and second conditions thereof to the other in response to a control signal transmitted by said transmitting means, said motor vehicle having electrical starting circuit means and said vehicle control unit including means for inhibiting said starting circuit means when said control unit is in said first condition thereof, said means for shifting said control unit into said first condition including means for validating said control signal transmitted by said transmitting means, said motor vehicle including key operated ignition switch means having on and off modes, and said means for shifting said control unit including means for detecting said switch means in said on mode and means operable only in response to a validated control signal and said ignition switch means in said on mode to shift said control unit into said first condition.