Car door latch release tool

• US 5,642,648 A
• Filed: 07/29/1996
• Issued: 07/01/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hpc Acquisitions, LLC
• Original Assignee: HPC Incorporated
• Inventors: Wendt, Adulbert, Goeke, Alan, Kalvelage, Giles II
• Primary Examiner(s): Meislin, D. S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANGANAN, JONI BALDOS
• Application Number:
  US08/681,881
• Time in Patent Office: 337 Days
• Field of Search: 81/15.9, 81/488, 81/18, 81/19.1, 294/26, 70/465, 70/394
• US Class Current: 81/15.9
• CPC Class Codes: B25B 33/00 Hand tools not covered by any other group in this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 19/20 Skeleton keys; Devices for picking locks; Other devices for similar purposes ; Means to open locks not otherwise provided for, e.g. lock pullers forcing doors open A62B3/005

Abstract

A tool for non-destructively unlatching the door handle of a vehicle which has been locked with the window upraised. The tool comprises a relatively rigid elongate tube which is insertable into the door cavity, and the tube has a relatively rigid gripping rod slidably positioned therein. At its front end, the gripping rod has an eyelet which is adapted to hook onto a latching linkage rod located within the vehicle door. An operating handle is secured to the rear end of the gripping rod and, by pulling and withdrawing the gripping rod, a positive gripping force is exerted on the latching link rod so that the same may be moved to unlatch the door handle. Two embodiments are disclosed whereby the tool is effective for use with vertically or horizontally oriented linkage rods.

Claims

1. A tool for releasing the latch of locked doors of vehicles when the door window is closed, said vehicle having a latching linkage rod within the door cavity, said tool comprising:

an elongate one-piece tube having a distal end and a proximal end, said tube being of uniform dimension over its length and said tube being relatively rigid and having a gradual arcuate bend at the distal end thereof;

a thin one-piece rod reciprocally mounted in said tube having distal and proximal ends projecting outwardly from the distal and proximal ends of the tube, said tube being of uniform dimension over its length,

said tube and rod being in close fitting sliding relationship with one another over the length of the tube;

hook means on the outwardly projecting distal end of said thin rod adapted to engage the linkage rod;

a slot in the distal end of said tube adapted to sheathe portions of said hook means in a retracted position; and

an operating handle on the outwardly projecting maximal end of the thin rod and adapted to reciprocate said rod relative to said tube so that said hook means is movable between said retracted position, a linkage rod engaging position spaced from the distal end of said tube and a linkage rod gripping position adjacent the distal end of said tube,

said tube being insertable into the door cavity alongside the window and movable for engaging said linkage rod with said hook means in said engaging position, and said rod being thereafter reciprocable by said operating handle to move said hook means into said gripping position wherein said hook means cooperates with the distal end of said tube to positively grip said linkage rod for unlatching movement thereof.

2. A tool according to claim 1 wherein said thin rod comprises a relatively rigid metal.

3. A tool according to claim 2 comprising a fixed handle on said tube inwardly of the proximal end thereof, said operating handle being slidably mounted on the tube providing for two-hand operation of the tool.

4. A tool according to claim 1 wherein said slot and hook means lie in a common substantially horizontal plane for gripping of a substantially vertical latching linkage rod.

5. A tool according to claim 1 wherein said slot and hook means lie in a common substantially vertical plane for gripping a substantially horizontal latching linkage rod.

6. A tool for releasing the latch of locked doors of vehicles when the door window is closed, said vehicle having a latching linkage rod within the door cavity, said tool comprising:

an elongate tube adated to be inserted into the door cavity, said tube being of uniform outer diameter over its length and said tube being relatively rigid and having a gradual arcuate bend at the distal end thereof;

a thin one-piece rod reciprocally mounted in said tube, said rod being relatively rigid and of uniform diameter over its length,

said tube and rod being in close fitting sliding relationship with one another over the length of the tube;

gripping means on distal ends of said rod and tube adapted to engage and exert a positive grip on the linkage rod for moving the same to release the door latch;

sheath means on said tube for selectively protecting said gripping means; and

handle means on the proximal ends of said rod and tube operable to reciprocate said rod relative to said tube so that said gripping means is movable between a linkage rod engaging position spaced from the distal end of said tube and a linkage gripping position adjacent the distal end of said tube,

said tube being insertable into the door cavity alongside the window and movable for engaging said linkage rod within said gripping means in said engaging position, and said rod being thereafter reciprocable by said handle means to move said gripping means into said gripping position to positively grip said linkage rod for unlatching movement thereof.

7. A tool according to claim 6 wherein said gripping means comprises an eyelet on the distal end of said thin rod adapted to hook the linkage rod whereupon retraction of the thin rod from said engaging position brings the eyelet and distal tip of the tube into positive gripping engagement with the linkage rod.

8. A tool according to claim 7 wherein said sheath means comprises a slot in the distal end of said tube, said slot adapted to sheathe portions of said eyelet when the thin rod in a fully retracted position.

9. A tool according to claim 8 wherein said slot and eyelet are substantially horizontal and adapted to engage and grip a substantially vertical latching linkage rod.

10. A tool according to claim 8 wherein said slot and eyelet are substantially vertical and adapted to engage and grip a substantially horizontal latching linkage rod.

11. A tool according to claim 6 wherein said handle means comprises a first handle fixedly mounted on said tube inwardly of the proximal end of the tube.

12. A tool according to claim 11 comprising a segment of said thin rod extending from the proximal end of said tube and said handle means comprises a second handle secured to the extending segment of said thin rod for reciprocating movement of said rod within said tube, said second handle being slidable on said tube wherein said handles are cooperable for two-handed operation of the tool.