GB2218063A

GB2218063A - Vehicle anti-theft device acting on vehicle pedal

Info

Publication number: GB2218063A
Application number: GB8908731A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark Christopher Higginson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-04-19
Filing date: 1989-04-18
Publication date: 1989-11-08
Also published as: GB8908731D0; GB2218063B; GB8809235D0

Abstract

A locking member 12 is advanced towards the free end of a pedal 16 such that plates 32 and 34 are located above and beneath the tip of the pedal. A bar 40 is pushed downwardly to cause the forward end of the plate 32 to bear against the face 16 of the pedal to depress the pedal and the bar 40 is then rocked in an anti-clockwise direction until the spigot 28 passes through an opening 42 whereupon the locking member is then held in position. The locking member is retained in the position by a padlock passing through an opening 30 in the spigot 28. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS.

The present invention relates to a security arrangement and to a method of securing a security arrangement and is particularly, although not exclusively related to the use of security arrangements on the pedals of cars.

In a known security arrangement for a car a pair of telescopically connected bars are provided, each having a U-bend at the free end thereof, with the open ends of the U's facing each other. The arrangement Is attached to a vehicle by sliding the U's away from each other and locating one U underneath the shaft of the clutch pedal and the other end over the steering wheel.

The U's are then moved towards each other by sliding one bar further Inside the other bar and a lock Is applied which prevents further telescopic movement between the bars. Downwards movement of the pedal away from the steering wheel and significant rotational movement of the steering wheel are prevented. However It is possible for determined thieves to winch up the front of the car and tow the vehicle away. Furthermore, the arrangement is difficult to operate as two hands have to be used to respectively pull the bars away from, and push the bars towards each other and It is necessary to ensure that both U's remain correctly aligned as the U's are being slid towards each other. The steering wheel may also tend to become damaged after repeated usage.

According to one aspect of the present invent ion, a security arrangement Includes a pedal engagement portion and releasable locking means arranged to cooperate with a part of the arrangement remote from the pedal engagement portion such that, when the pedal engagement portion engages a pedal and the locking means are locked, significant movement of the pedal engagement portion In a direction extending from the pedal engagement portion towards the locking means Is prevented by the locking means. When the pedal engagement portion engages a pedal and the locking means are locked the arrangement may be arranged to depress the pedal.

According to another aspect of the present Invention, a security arrangement Includes a pedal engagement portion and releasable locking means, the pedal engagement portion belng arranged to engage a pedal and, when the locking means are locked, to hold that pedal In a depressed position. The locking means may be located remote from the pedal engagement portion, and significant movement of the pedal engagement portion towards the locking means, when a pedal Is engaged by the pedal engagement portion and the locking means are locked, may be prevented by the locking means.

The locking means may include an anchor portion fixed relative to the vehicle with which an anchor engagement portion fixed relative to the pedal engagement portion Is arranged to co-operate, with a releasable lock being arranged to retain the anchor engagement port Ion in co-operatlon with the anchor portion.

The pedal engagement portion may Include a portion arranged to be located in front of the pedal and may further Include a port Ion arranged to be located behind the pedal. When the engagement portion Includes portlons arranged to be located both In front of and behind the pedal, those portions may be connected by a portion arranged to extend over the free end of the pedal. It will be appreciated that the terms "In front of" and "behind" are respectively meant to include the face of the pedal which, In normal use, Is arranged to be engaged to depress the pedal and the opposed face of the pedal.The pedal engagement portion may also include a pair of side portlons each arranged, In use, to extend over a different side of an intermediate portion of a pedal which Is reduced in width from a portion of the pedal located more towards, or at the free end of the pedal. There may be some free movement between the portions of the engagement arrangement which are arranged to be located both In front of and behind the pedal and a pedal whereby the side portlons may be moved to extend over a different side of the pedal or be moved to a position In which the side portions do not extend over the sides of a pedal.

According to a further aspect of the present Invent ion, a method of securIng a security arrangement Including a pedal engagement portion and locking means located remote from the pedal engagement portion comprises engaging a pedal with the pedal engagement portion and locking the locking means to prevent significant movement of the pedal In a direction extending from the pedal engagement portion towards the locking means. The method may comprise depressing the pedal and holding the pedal In the depressed position when the locking means are locked.

According to another aspect of the present Invention, a method of securing a security arrangement Including a pedal engagement portion and locking means comprises engaging and depressing a pedal with the pedal engagement portion and locking the locking means.

The method may comprise first engaging the pedal with the pedal engagement portion and subsequently locking the locking means. The method may further comprise first engaging and depressing the pedal with the pedal engagement portion and subsequently locking the locking means. The method may comprlse engaging the pedal with the pedal engagement portion and rocking or pivoting the arrangement about the pedal engagement portion and subsequently locking the locking means.

The present invention also includes a method of securlng a security arrangement as herein described.

The present Invention may be carrled Into practice In various ways, but one embodiment will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, In which: Figure 1 is a schematic perspective vlew of a vehicle pedal 10, a locking member 12 and a bracket 14, and Figures 2, 3 and 4 are schematic side views showing the progressive securing of the pedal 10 of a vehicle.

The brake pedal 10 Is normally blased in an anticlockwise direction to the position shown under the force of a spring (not shown). The pedal Includes an enlarged upper face 16 which, in normal use, Is arranged to be engaged by the foot of the driver such that, when the pedal Is depressed, the pedal moves In a clockwise direction to apply the brakes of the vehicle. The pedal includes a neck 18 of less width than the face 16. The neck 18 Is located between the face 16 and a pivot 20 of the pedal.

The bracket 14 Is detachably mounted on the vehicle by means of a pair of bolts 22 which extend through inwardly directed flanges 24 at the rear of the bracket. Extending from the front face 26 of the bracket Is a spigot 28 which Includes an opening 30 extending through the spigot towards its free end.

The locking member 12 includes, at Its lower region, a forwardly extending plate 32 which turns back underneath Itself to end In a rearwardly extending plate 34. Also at the lower region of the locking member 12, another plate 36 extends rearward ly, and a pair of flanges 38 extend downwardly from elther side of the plate 36.

The securing of a vehicle will now be described with reference to Flgures 2, 3 and 4. The locking member 12 Is advanced towards the free end of the pedal 16 such that the plates 32 and 34 are respectively located above and beneath the tip of the pedal. The locking member Is manoeuvred by manual engagement of an upwardly extending flat bar 40 and, once the end of the pedal is engaged by the locking member, the bar 40 can be pushed downwardly to cause the forward end of the plate 32 to bear against the face 16 of the pedal to depress the pedal, as shown In Figure 3. The bar 40 can then be rocked or pivoted In an antl-clockwlse direction until the spigot 28 passes through an opening 42 located towards the top of the flat bar 40, and the locking member Is then held In position.

In order to lock the locking member in the positlon shown in Flgure 4, the hasp 44 of a padlock 46 is passed through the opening 30 In the spigot.

In an alternative arrangement (not shown) four openings 42 are formed along the bar 40. The four openings may be slot shaped to enable the device to be fitted to different vehIcles In which the distance from the spigot 28 to the depressed pedal varIes, with the spigot passing through a correctly aligned opening.

Removal of the locking member is achieved by removing the hasp 44 from the opening 30 in the spigot and subsequently manoeuverlng the locking member In a reversal of the above descrlbed securlng sequence.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown) a pair of plates project to the right of the bar 40, when viewed In Figure 4, on either side of the bar to strengthen the pedal engagement portion and protect the shackle and padlock from attack by bolt cutters or hacksaw.

Although the locking member has been described as depressing the brake pedal when the locking member Is belng applied, and thereby applies the brakes to the vehicle to prevent a vehicle from being towed away with the locking member attached, It will be appreciated that the locking member may also be applled to be Irremovable from the brake pedal or other pedal, without depressing, or without depressing significantly that pedal.

In an alternative construction (not shown) the bolts 22 which secure the bracket 14 to the vehicle may be locking bolts, or may be arranged to be Inaccessible when the locking member Is secured to a pedal

Claims

CLAIMS 1. A security arrangement Including a pedal engagement portion and a releasable locking means, the pedal engagement portion being arranged to engage a pedal and, when the locking means are locked, to hold that pedal in a depressed positlon.

2. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 1 In which the locking means are located remote from the pedal engagement portion, and significant movement of the pedal engagement port Ion towards the locking means, when a pedal is engaged by the pedal engagement portion and the locking means are locked, is prevented by the locking means.

3. A security arrangement Including a pedal engagement portion and a releasable locking means arranged to co-operate with a part of the arrangement remote from the pedal engagement port Ion such that, when the pedal engagement portion engages a pedal and the locking means are locked, significant movement of the pedal engagement portion In a direction extending from the pedal engagement port Ion towards the locking means is prevented by the locking means.

4. A security arrangement as claimed In Claim 3 In which, when the pedal engagement portion engages a pedal and the locking means are locked, the arrangement is arranged to depress the pedal 8. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim including an anchor portion fixed relative to the vehicle with which an anchor engagement portion fixed relative to the pedal engagement portion is arranged to co-operate.

6. An arrangement as claimed In Claim 5 Including a plural I ty of anchor engagement portlons located at different extents from the pedal engagement portion, a selected one of which engagement portions Is arranged to engage the anchor portion.

7. An arrangement as claimed In elther of Claims 5 or 6 Including a proJection or projections arranged to extend at least partlally in the same direction as the anchor portion when the anchor engagement portion cooperates with the anchor portion.

8. An arrangement as claimed In Claim 6, 6 or 7 including a releasable lock arranged to retain the anchor engagement portion In co-operation with the anchor portion.

9. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claIm in which the pedal engagement portion includes a portion arranged to be located In front of the pedal.

10. An arrangement as claimed In any preceding claim In which the pedal engagement port Ion Includes a portion arranged to be located behind a pedal.

11. An arrangement as claimed in Claim 9 and Claim 10 In which the portlons arranged to be located both in front of and behind the pedal are connected by a portion arranged to extend over the free end of the pedal.

12. An arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim In which the pedal engagement portion Includes a pair of side portions each arranged, in use, to extend over a different side of an intermedlate portion of a pedal which is reduced In width from a portion of the pedal located more towards, or at the free end of the pedal

13. An arrangement as claimed Claim 12 in which there Is arranged to be a degree of free movement between the portions of the engagement arrangement which are arranged to be located both in front of and behind the pedal and the pedal whereby the side portions may be moved to extend over a different side of the pedal, or may be moved to a position In which the side portions do not extend over the sides of a pedal.

14. A security arrangement substantially as herein descrlbed with reference to, and as shown in Flgures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

15. A method of securing a security arrangement Including a pedal engagement portion and locking means comprlsing engaging and depressing a pedal with the pedal engagement portion and locking the locking means.

16. A method of securing a security arrangement Including a pedal engagement port Ion and locking means located remote from the pedal engagement port Ion comprising engaging a pedal with the pedal engagement portion and locking the locking means to prevent significant movement of the pedal In a direction extending from the pedal engagement portion towards the locking means.

17. A method as claimed In Claim 16 comprising depressing the pedal and holding the pedal In the depressed position when the locking means are locked.

18. A method as claimed in any of Claims 15 to 17 comprising first engaging the pedal with the pedal engagement portion and subsequently locking the locking means.

19. A method as claimed In any of Claims 15 to 18 comprising first engaging and depressing the pedal with the pedal engagement portion and subsequently locking the locking means.

20. A method as claimed in any of Clalms 15 to 19 comprlsing engaging the pedal with the pedal engagement portion and rocking or pivoting the arrangement about the pedal engagement portion and subsequently locking the locking means.

21. A method of securlng a security arrangement with a pedal substantlally as herein descrlbed with reference to, and as shown In Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

22. A method as claimed In any of Claims 15 to 21 when using a security arrangement as claimed In any of Claims 1 to 13.