Steering wheel lock

Details Steering wheel lock Steering wheel lock

2001-10-31

2002-10-29

Gall, Lloyd A. (Department: 3627)

Locks

Special application

For control and machine elements

C070S056000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06470720

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a steering wheel lock and, more particularly, to such a steering wheel lock, which is easy to use and, effectively prevents the insertion of a pry.
A variety of steering wheel locks have been disclosed for use to lock the steering wheel of a motor vehicle, and have appeared on the market.
FIG. 1
shows a steering wheel lock according to the prior art. This structure of steering wheel lock comprises a shell fitting over the steering wheel, a tubular casing detachably hooked on the shell a rod member slidably inserted into the tubular casing and detachably hooked on the shell, and a lock cylinder provided in the tubular casing and adapted to lock the rod member in the cylindrical casing. This structure of steering wheel lock is inconvenient in use because the shell, the rod member and the tubular casing are not coupled together before use. Further because the hook of the tubular casing and the hook of the rod member are exposed to the outside after locking of the steering wheel lock, a thief can easily damage the hook of the tubular casing and the hook of the rod member with a spry.
FIG. 2
shows another structure of steering wheel lock according to the prior art. This structure of steering wheel lock is similar to the design shown in
FIG. 1
with the exception of the adjustable arrangement of the shell. The shell has a sliding plate coupled thereto to fit different steering wheels. This design has the same drawbacks of the design shown in FIG.
1
. Further, during the installation of the rod member, the hook of the rod member must be selectively hooked in matching holes on the shell and the sliding plate.
FIG. 3
shows still another structure of steering wheel lock according to the prior art. This structure of steering wheel lock comprises two shells coupled together by a slip joint. Because the shells are overlapped on each other, a pry can easily be inserted in between the shells and bent to destroy the slip joint.
The present invention has been accomplished to provide a steering wheel lock, which eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks. It is one object of the present invention to provide a steering wheel lock, which prohibits the insertion of a pry. It is another object of the present invention to provide a steering wheel lock, which is easy to use. According to one aspect of the present invention, the steering wheel lock comprises two shells, a male coupling member, for example, an U-shaped tube and a female coupling member, for example, an U-bar respectively fixedly provided at the shells and coupled to each other for enabling the shells to be moved relatively to each other and closely attached to the top side of the steering wheel, and two locking units respectively disposed inside the shells and controlled to lock the shells. According to another aspect of the present invention, each locking unit comprises a lock body fixedly provided inside one shell, and a shackle inserted through two through holes on a peripheral stop flange of the corresponding shell into respective shackle holes of the respective lock body over the bottom side of the steering wheel and locked by spring latches of the respective lock body. According to still another aspect of the present invention, each shell comprises a smoothly arched positioning groove adapted to receive the smoothly arched middle section of the shackle of the corresponding locking unit, preventing the insertion of a pry into the gap between the shackle and the corresponding shell after locking of the steering wheel lock.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4873849 (1989-10-01), Goodson et al.
patent: 5491990 (1996-02-01), Von-Lambert
patent: 5765414 (1998-06-01), Yu
patent: 5842361 (1998-12-01), Banez
patent: 5868016 (1999-02-01), Duran, Sr.
patent: 5992190 (1999-11-01), Townsend

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