Motor vehicles – With means for promoting safety of vehicle – its occupant or... – By preventing unauthorized or unintended access or use
Patent
1991-10-10
1993-01-19
Rice, Kenneth R.
Motor vehicles
With means for promoting safety of vehicle, its occupant or...
By preventing unauthorized or unintended access or use
70186, 70252, B60R 2502
Patent
active
051800292
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to an anti-theft device in the form of a coupling which acts between a steering wheel and a steering-wheel shaft and which includes two coupling-halves which are rigidly connected to an outer end of the steering-wheel shaft and to the centre of the steering wheel respectively, and which further includes connecting means active between the coupling-halves and operative to connect the coupling-halves detachably together, wherein the one coupling-half has provided thereon a plug which widens towards one end thereof and a support surface located at said one end of the plug and projecting outward substantially in the transverse direction of said plug, whereas the other coupling-half includes a sleeve which fits the plug and which, in the mutually coupled state of said coupling-halves, receives the plug and in turn supported by said support surface, and wherein the connecting means comprises locking plungers which are spring-biased in a radially inward direction and which pass through the wall of said sleeve and are intended to be received in recesses provided in said plug. This arrangement enables the steering wheel and the coupling-half mounted thereon to be removed from the steering-wheel shaft with a simple handmanipulation and to be taken away, so as to render steering practically impossible.
The object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved anti-shaft device of the aforedescribed kind in which the risk of play between the coupling-halves is eliminated.
To this end it is proposed in accordance with the invention that with an anti-theft device of the aforedescribed kind each locking plunger and associated recess in the plug are configured as a wedge assembly which, in the mutually coupled state of said coupling-halves, strives to press the sleeve in a direction towards said support surface while preventing movement of the sleeve in a direction away from said support surface, and wherein a pressure-spring device is active between said support surface and the end-surface of the sleeve facing said support surface. This arrangement ensures that the coupling-halves, and therewith the steering wheel and steering-wheel shaft are coupled together in the absence of any clearance or play between said coupling-halves. The pressure-spring device also greatly facilitates removal of the steering wheel, since subsequent to withdrawing the locking plungers from their respective recesses in the plug, the pressure-spring device is operative to move the coupling-halves initially apart.
Other characterizing features of the invention and further advantages afforded thereby will be evident from the depending claims and from the following description, which is made with reference to an exemplifying embodiment of the inventive anti-theft device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the anti-theft device, the shown device also including a cover member which can be locked firmly to the plug; and FIG. 1.
The reference numerals 10 and 11 in FIGS. 1 and 2 identify generally two coupling-halves which are intended to detachably couple a steering wheel (not shown) of, e.g., an automotive vehicle to the steering-wheel shaft (not shown) in a manner which, with the aid of a simple hand-manipulation, will enable the steering wheel to be removed from the steering-wheel shaft and to be connected to the steering-wheel shaft such as to obtain no play therebetween and in an efficient and effective manner from a safety aspect. The anti-theft device illustrated in FIG. 1 also includes a lockable cover member 12, with keys 13, which can be securely locked to the coupling-half 11 when said coupling-half is not coupled to the coupling-half 10, in the manner indicated by the double-headed arrow 14.
The one coupling-half 11 comprises a plug 15 which widens conically towards one end thereof. Adjoining this one end of the plug is a plate or flange 16 which has holes 17 provided circumferentially therearound. In the illustrated embodiment, the flange 16 is intend
REFERENCES:
patent: 4934479 (1990-06-01), Usina
patent: 4936408 (1990-06-01), Melo
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