Locks – Special application – For control and machine elements
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-23
2003-01-21
Knight, Anthony (Department: 3676)
Locks
Special application
For control and machine elements
C070S252000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06508088
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motor vehicle antitheft system of the type comprising an antitheft mechanism comprising a housing in which a member, particularly a key, for manually controlling the starting of the vehicle engine and the locking of the vehicle steering column is inserted and used in order, on the one hand, to unlock, or release, one shaft of the vehicle steering column in terms of rotation and, on the other hand, to control the starting of the engine and, conversely, to stop the engine and lock or immobilize the steering column shaft again.
2. Description of the Related Art
More particularly, the manual control member is mounted so that it can move axially between a pulled back position in which it locks the steering column and a pushed forward position in which it unlocks the steering column.
It is mounted so that it can rotate between at least one angular position of rest and one angular position of use, for example of starting or operating the engine, in which, so as to avoid accidentally immobilizing the steering column during use, particularly when the vehicle is traveling along, it cannot be pulled axially back.
The manual control member is connected in terms of rotation to a rotary output member forming a cam which is capable of collaborating with a control finger carried by a latch bolt to control the movements of the latter which is mounted to slide in the housing between a deployed antitheft position toward which it is elastically urged and in which it projects through an opening of the housing to immobilize in terms of rotation one member of the steering column when the control member is in the angular position of rest and in the pulled back locked position, and a pushed-in position retracted inside the housing.
Finally, it is connected in terms of rotation to a multi-position switch/interrupter assembly for powering various corresponding electrical circuits, of which there are usually four, and which include, in succession, a “STOP” position (corresponding to the extreme angular position of rest of the manual control member), a “+ACCESSORIES” position, a “+CONTACT” position and a “START” position (corresponding to the other opposite extreme angular position).
In a so-called “mechanical” design of such an antitheft system, the manual control member is a key, the shank of which is accommodated axially in the barrel of a lock which, when the key is the right key, allows an output rotor to be turned to control the antitheft latch bolt and the multi-position rotary interrupter.
Successive evolutions in such a type of antitheft system have culminated in particularly reliable and compact designs, it being possible in particular for the entire antitheft mechanism with its lock to be housed as a single unit in a tube adjacent to the steering column of reduced dimensions with, in particular, in the case of the products marketed by the applicant, an inside diameter of the order of about 35 mm.
The general desire among motor manufacturers to standardize components and equipment within a range of vehicles, and for the various versions of the same model, in particular culminates in a standardization of the overall design of the steering column and of its antitheft mechanism, more particularly the design of the electromechanical cam-latch bolt-interrupter assembly which, in addition, has to meet a collection of legal standards which further complicate its design and homologation.
However, it has also been found that it is desirable for certain vehicles to be fitted with more reliable, so-called “secure” antitheft systems, while at the same time improving the comfort of use and in particular the ergonomics of manipulation while at the same time meeting the standards, which entails resorting to a manual control member that can move axially and in terms of rotation in order to carry out the aforementioned maneuvering cycles.
In an “electronic” antitheft system of this type, the coding of the antitheft system is no longer obtained by the matching of the right key with a barrel-type lock, but is obtained by means of an electronic identification device which in particular comprises an electronic identifier belonging to the authorized user and a unit for identifying an authorized user of the vehicle, fitted onboard the vehicle and which supplies an encoded antitheft signal when the correct identifier is recognized.
The electronic device is of the so-called “hands-free” type where all of the interrogation and recognition or identification steps are performed without the user having to perform any maneuver or particular action other than those which allow him to enter the vehicle.
It may also be of the type in which the user has possession of an identifier in the form of a badge which he introduces manually into a housing onboard the vehicle.
Designs have thus been proposed in which the manual member for controlling the antitheft mechanism is a control knob replacing the key and which is permanently on the vehicle and in which designs it is associated with a motorized, particularly electromagnetic, member for immobilizing the control knob in terms of rotation, disabling or retraction of which, with a view to releasing the knob, is controlled by an electronic control circuit when an encoded antitheft signal is supplied by the identification unit.
Various examples of such a design are described for example and depicted in document EP-A-0742127. It is noted, however, that these examples do not meet the legislation because the immobilization or release of the steering column shaft are not brought about by an axial movement of the operating knob.
Another example is described and depicted in document WO-A-99/14,085 in which the manual control member is of a design that meets the standards whereby it is necessary for it to be manipulated axially and in terms of rotation in order to release or to immobilize the steering column shaft. It will, however, be noted that the overall ergonomics of the system are not satisfactory as far as the user is concerned because it is impossible for the user to determine whether the inability to rotate the operating knob is the result of defective operation of the identification system and/or of the identification.
In general, the ergonomics are not the same, from the user's point of view, as those of a “mechanical” antitheft system to which he may have been accustomed, and in which introducing the key into the lock then starting to turn it corresponds to an identification step.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to remedy these drawbacks while at the same time offering a great deal of compactness allowing a mechanical system or an electronic system to be adapted easily to one and the same vehicle, the invention proposes a motor vehicle antitheft system of the type comprising an antitheft mechanism comprising a housing in which a member for manually controlling the starting of the vehicle engine and the locking of the vehicle steering column
is mounted so that it can move axially between a pulled back position in which it locks the steering column and a pushed forward position in which it unlocks the steering column,
is mounted so that it can rotate between at least one angular position of rest and one angular position of use (particularly for starting the engine), in which it cannot be pulled axially back,
is connected in terms of rotation to a rotary output member forming a cam which is capable of collaborating with a control finger carried by a latch bolt to control the movements of the latter which is mounted to move with respect to the housing between a deployed antitheft position toward which it is elastically urged and in which it projects through an opening of the housing to immobilize in terms of rotation one member of the steering column when the control member is in the angular position of rest and in the pulled back locked position, and a pushed-in position retracted inside the housing,
and is connected in terms of rotation to a switch/interrupter assembly, which sy
Barbier Stephane
Canard Louis
Giacomin Fabrice
Knight Anthony
Kyle Michael J.
Liniak Berenato & White
Valeo Securite Habitacle
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