GB2325905A

GB2325905A - Vehicle steering wheel anti-theft device

Info

Publication number: GB2325905A
Application number: GB9711461A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Jonathan Rosenberg
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1997-06-04
Filing date: 1997-06-04
Publication date: 1998-12-09
Anticipated expiration: 2017-06-04
Also published as: GB9711461D0; GB2325905B

Abstract

A steering wheel has an integral arm D which extends from the rim A of the wheel, and is held in the extended position by a lock C, to prevent the wheel rotating. Access to the nut B holding the wheel to the steering column is blocked, to prevent the wheel being removed. Further, when the arm is extended the steering wheel may become free spinning to prevent the vehicle being steered. Embodiments are described with more than one arm, and in which the wheel rim is split to expand.

Description

THE "STACEY LOCK" This invention relates to a product designed to deter and hinder the theft of any vehicle that requires the use of a steering wheel.

At present there are numerous anti theft devices which make use of a vehicles' steering wheel.

These existing products are separate from the car's steering wheel and are fitted by the owner when the vehicle is to be secured. When not in use, they are removed and placed elsewhere in the vehicle. Many can be removed by a thief in a matter of seconds by either cutting the steering wheel rim, or even removing the wheel itself and replacing it with a similar one. The existing products that hinder a thief for longer, tend to be heavy, large and expensive.

According to the present invention (known as the "Stacey Lock") the vehicle will be rendered undrivable by the steering wheel itself changing shape. As oppose to at present, where an add-on/ separate product is fitted. The "Stacey Lock" will be an integral part of the steering wheel itself.

Three things can happen when the "Stacey Lock" is activated and locked in place:1. The steering wheel is enlarged/shape changed snagging the thief's legs, or part of the interior of the vehicle.

2. Access to the "nut" holding the steering wheel onto the steering column is blocked - so the wheel cannot be removed.

3. The steering wheel becomes free spinning - i.e.

when the wheel is turned the steering column doesn't and therefore the vehicle won't. This comes about because when the steering wheel is enlarged/has it's shape changed, it no longer fits the centre of the steering column tightly enough to turn it.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of examples with references to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig 1. Shows a simplistic vertical example of one type of "Stacey Lock" in the deactivated and activated positions. ( With no airbag or horn in place to give greater visibility of how the invention appears. This applies to all the figs).

Fig 2. Shows a horizontal cross section through the activated "Stacey Lock" in Fig 1. on a larger scale than Fig 1.

Fig 3. Shows a horizontal cross section through a modified example of the above "Stacey Lock", in the deactivated and activated positions, achieving greater length to the arm that sticks out of the steering wheel. (on a larger scale than Fig 1).

Fig 4A.Shows various examples of how a "Stacey Lock" could appear, each in deactivated and activated terms.

Fig 4B.As 4A but these examples have arms jutting out in more than one direction.

Fig 5. Shows just one example of how the steering wheel can be made "free spinning" when the "Stacey Lock" is activated. This fig. doesn't show that access to the steering column is also blocked when the "Stacey Lock" is activated - as in the other examples.

REFERRING TO THE DRAWINGS.

"A" is the rim of the steering wheel.

"B" is the access to the nut securing the steering wheel to the steering column.

"C" is a suggested site for the security lock, holding the various examples of "Stacey Locks" in both the deactivated and activated positions.

A visible manuel security lock would be unnecessary if the manufacturers made the "Stacey Lock" electronic. e.g. similar to central locking on a car's doors. The "Stacey Lock", could be activated and deactivated when a cars ignition key was inserted and/or turned.

"D" is the extended arm which would be brightly coloured, making it highly visible and therefore a deterrant to thieves.

Claims

1. A "Stacey Lock" comprising a vehicle's steering wheel, a section spanning the diametre of the steering wheel, a movable arm or arms which travel through/ along the section spanning the diametre of the steering wheel and means by which this arm or arms can be secured when the "Stacey Lock" is both activated and deactivated.

2. A "Stacey Lock" as in Claim 1 where access to the nut securing the said steering wheel is blocked when the "Stacey Lock" is activated.

3. A "Stacey Lock" as in Claim 1 and/or 2 where the steering wheel is rendered free spinning i.e.

useless but still attached to the steering column, when the "Stacey Lock" is activated.

4. A "Stacey Lock" as in Claims 1, 2 and 3, where the outer rim of the steering wheel remains unchanged, but the moveable arm or arms mentioned in Claim 1 extend away from the steering wheel, so making the steering wheel difficult to turn.

5. A "Stacey Lock" as in Claims 1, 2 and/or 3, where the outer rim of the steering wheel is altered, the outer rim expanding along the moveable arm or arms mentioned in Claim 1, so making the steering wheel difficult to turn.

6. A "Stacey Lock" as claimed in any preceeding claim where a steering wheel is manufactured to contain an integral part of itself which, when activated, renders the steering wheel more difficult to use, the vehicle to which it is attached difficult to steal and the steering wheel itself more difficult to remove.

7. A "Stacey Lock" substantially as described herein with reference to figures 1 - 5 of the accompanying drawings.