Electrical transmission or interconnection systems – Vehicle mounted systems – Automobile
Patent
1987-08-06
1989-03-14
Shoop, Jr., William M.
Electrical transmission or interconnection systems
Vehicle mounted systems
Automobile
307 101, 180283, 180289, 200 52R, 340429, 70241, H01H 500
Patent
active
048126705
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a theft protection electric cable of the type comprising a conductive inner core and an insulating outer sheath, and also to a circuit including said cable and intended particularly, but not exclusively, for self-propelled land, water, or air vehicles.
These days, motor vehicle theft is reaching epidemic proportions. The existence of an ignition key which the owner takes away constitutes a first precaution, with said ignition key acting simultaneously to switch off the engine's ignition circuit and to mechanically lock the steering column. Vehicles are usually stolen by fraudulently switching on the engine, either by means of counterfeit ignition keys, or else by means of temporary electrical connections which short-circuit the security devices, and in particular the key-operated switch block. The aim of the present invention is to prevent this second type of theft.
In order to establish temporary electrical connections to the starter and to the engine, the most usual technique consists in stripping the ends of an electric cable and in making a connection to its core. The present invention seeks to remedy this drawback by preventing access to the core of an electric cable when a portion of the cable is stripped.
French patent document FR-A-647 129 already describes an elastic electrical conductor. Regardless of its diameter or its length, this conductor is constituted by a steel wire wound in tight coils to constitute a genuine traction spring which may be bare or insulated when in use. When the conductor is insulated, it is housed inside an elastic insulating tube. An elastic electrical conductor is thus obtained capable of being elongated to several times its initial length without damaging or fatiguing its metal coils.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,820,149 (ROTH) describes a device for preventing motor vehicle theft whereby the ignition key block is connected to the contact breaker by a cable comprising a metal sheath, an insulating layer, and a rectilinear core. The insulating layer is spiral-wound and under tension such that when the cable is broken, the insulating sheath retracts, thereby giving rise to a short-circuit between the conductive core and the outer metal sheath which is connected to ground. Such a circuit does not prevent a parallel connection being set up between the ignition key housing and the contact breaker, which is in turn connected to the ignition coil.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,563,335 (ISTRATI) describes a security device controlled by a lever located inside the vehicle cabin, which device disconnects the ignition system from the battery when the lever is in a given position. Here again, the device does not prevent parallel connections from being established, thereby enabling the vehicle to be used fraudulently.
The electrical supply circuit of a vehicle is in the form of a succession of lengths of interconnecting members each providing a particular function, and in particular there are the following lengths: battery to ignition keys; ignition key to starter relay; ignition key to ignition coil; ignition coil to contact breaker; etc...
When a wire has been cut or ripped out at one end, its other end remains connected, and as a result it may be used for bypassing a member, e.g. the ignition key block.
A first aim of the present invention is to prevent a portion of the original circuit being used to establish a parallel circuit after a connection has been disconnected.
However, if the contactors remain in condition, it would naturally still be possible to connect a replacement cable between the two end contactors. Thus, a second aim of the present invention is to prevent the connectors or contactors delimiting a length which has been disconnected at one of its ends or which has been interrupted at some point along the cable from being used after such a disconnection.
To this end, the present invention provides not only for interruption of the current path by means of end contactors for the cable, but also for contactor locking to prevent further use thereof without disass
REFERENCES:
patent: 2563335 (1951-08-01), Istrati
patent: 2820149 (1958-01-01), Roth
patent: 3692965 (1972-09-01), Gardner
patent: 3820361 (1974-06-01), Leitner
patent: 4049073 (1977-09-01), Gebert
patent: 4099593 (1978-07-01), Schultz
patent: 4102164 (1978-07-01), Barbush
patent: 4306126 (1981-12-01), Howard
patent: 4410775 (1983-10-01), Howard
patent: 4538135 (1985-08-01), Turner
Ip Paul
Shoop Jr. William M.
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