Motor vehicles – With means for promoting safety of vehicle – its occupant or... – By preventing unauthorized or unintended access or use
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-08
2001-03-27
Mai, Lanna (Department: 3619)
Motor vehicles
With means for promoting safety of vehicle, its occupant or...
By preventing unauthorized or unintended access or use
C180S279000, C123S333000, C307S010200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06206130
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to vehicle anti-theft devices and more particularly to a device which selectively disables the fuel pump of a motor vehicle.
Anti-theft devices for motor vehicles that include dash-mounted remote keypads with associated harness and fuel cut-off valves are known in the art. Such anti-theft devices require an operator of a motor vehicle to memorize a numeric code that has to be punched into the keypad. Moreover, such devices can include functional components such as cut-off valves that may be accessible to thieves who would have the opportunity to circumvent or disable the anti-theft devices.
The present invention provides an motor vehicle anti-theft device that includes a transmitter operated relay unit that is installed in the fuel pump housing of a vehicle and is therefore in the fuel tank and inaccessible to thieves.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a simple and cost-effective method of effecting complete immobilization of a vehicle so as to prevent theft of the vehicle. The invention involves the use of electronic circuitry similar to that utilized in present-day vehicles. The unit would be installed in the fuel pump assembly housing of a vehicle having the fuel pump in the fuel tank. The invention provides a simple means of shutting down the fuel supply to the engine of a vehicle without requiring a dash-mounted remote keypad (with associated harness) or a fuel cut-off valve, as required in previous anti-theft devices.
The supply voltage used to turn the fuel pump on or off would be controlled by electronic circuitry all contained within the fuel tank. Therefore, the anti-theft device would be essentially tamper-proof. The only recourse for a vehicle thief would be to connect a separate fuel tank and fuel pump to the engine fuel supply line, which would be prohibitive, messy, dangerous and time consuming.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4682062 (1987-07-01), Weinberger
patent: 4690240 (1987-09-01), Russo
patent: 4805722 (1989-02-01), Keating et al.
patent: 4910493 (1990-03-01), Chambers et al.
patent: 5045837 (1991-09-01), Gosker
patent: 5370201 (1994-12-01), Inubushi
patent: 5535844 (1996-07-01), Samford
Baker & Daniels
Mai Lanna
To Toan C
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