Patent ID: 6240753
Filing Date: 2001-06-05
Classification: B60R,Y10T

Abstract:
An anti-theft device for attachment to a steering wheel of an automobile comprising:an elongated tubular member having an inner end, an outer end and an elongated passageway extending along its axis therethrough, said tubular member having a first U-shaped hook portion extending therefrom with the closed end of the U-shaped portion generally adjacent to but slightly spaced from the inner end of said tubular member and the open end of said U-shaped portion facing said outer end of said tubular but substantially removed therefrom, said U-shaped hook portion of said tubular member further defined by a bottom leg portion generally extending in the direction of said tubular member's axis and terminating at a distance substantially removed from said outer end of said tubular member, said U-shaped hook portion of said tubular member adapted to engage said wheel from the inside thereof with said outer end of said tubular member extending a substantial distance beyond the periphery of said wheel;a rod member having an elongated rod adapted to extend in a telescopic manner within said passageway of said tubular member and a second U-shaped hook secured to one end of the rod, having an opening facing opposite to the first hook and adapted to engage said wheel from the inside thereof;a plurality of spaced annular grooves each of which includes a vertical side wall relatively close to the second U-shaped hook and a convex or slope side wall relatively far from the second U-shaped hook, circumferentially formed in a portion of the rod;a housing means firmly formed around an end portion of the tubular member with the elongated passageway of the tubular member extending therethrough;a lock having a locking member extending downwardly and having at least one side of longer dimension and one side of shorter dimension;means offset with respect to the axis of the tubular member in the housing means for firmly receiving the lock;a transverse passageway transversely formed in the housing means and interconnecting bore means and the passageway in the tubular means in the housing means;rod-like bearing means slidably accommodated in the transverse passageway under the lock and having a tenon member attached to an end thereof and arranged to be actuated between a locking position with the tenon member protruding into an annular groove in the rod and an unlocking position with the tenon member withdrawn from annular groove and opposed vertical side walls between the locking member being controlled to position the tenon member in locking or unlocking position through the rod-like bearing member by means of the locking member; anda spring member disposed in the transverse passageway and biasing the rod-like bearing means towards the passageway in the tubular member whereby said rod can be withdrawn from said housing into a locked position with said tenon in a locking position.