Vehicle seat lock

An elongated lengthwise extendible and retractable brace is provided and equipped with structure for releasably locking the brace against retraction thereof. The brace includes opposite end portions for telescopic engagement with coacting abutment portions of motor vehicle seat cushion and seat back portions which are engageable with each other to limit rearward swinging of the vehicle seat back portion to its operative position in which it is used when the operator of the vehicle is seated in the driver's seat. The seat back portion is forwardly swingable to a position abuttingly engaged with the steering wheel of the vehicle. During forward swinging movement of the seat back portion, the coacting abutment portions of the seat back portion and seat portion which limit rearward swinging of the seat back portion to the operative position are displaced apart. The brace is telescopingly engageable with these abutment portions and lockable against movement to a fully retracted position and thereby prevents swinging movement of the abutment portions of the seat back and seat portions toward each other. In this manner, rearward swinging of the seat back portion from a position abuttingly engaged with the steering wheel of the vehicle is prevented and unauthorized operation of the vehicle is greatly discouraged.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
In recent years many innovations have been included on motor vehicles to 
prevent unauthorized use thereof. A majority of motor vehicles presently 
being produced are equipped with steering wheel locks and other theft 
preventive devices are available such as hidden fuel line cutoff valves 
and ignition circuitry deactivating devices. However, steering wheel locks 
may be broken and fuel line shutoff valves as well as ignition circuit 
deactivating structures may be bypassed with the result that many 
presently manufactured motor vehicles may be quite easily operated by 
unauthorized persons. Accordingly, a need exists for some means by which 
unauthorized used and theft of a motor vehicle may be seriously 
discouraged. 
Various forms of theft preventive devices for motor vehicles and other 
locking devices including some of the general structural and operational 
features of the instant invention are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 
1,617,985, 3,245,239 and 3,777,518. 
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The vehicle seat lock of the instant invention is operative to lock the 
forwardly swingable seat back portion of a motor vehicle in a fully 
forwardly displaced position in contact with the steering wheel of the 
vehicle and thereby severly discourages unauthorized operation of the 
motor vehicle. 
The seat lock comprises an elongated extendible and retractable brace and 
is equipped with structure whereby the brace may be locked against 
retraction. The brace is releasably engageable with portions of the seat 
back and seat cushion of a motor vehicle which are displaced apart during 
forward swinging movement of the seat back and is thus operative to 
prevent rearward swinging of the seat back from its maximum forwardly 
displaced position in contact with the steering wheel of the vehicle. 
The main object of this invention is to provide an apparatus whereby 
unauthorized use of a motor vehicle will be seriously discouraged. 
Another object of this invention, in accordance with the preceding object, 
is to provide a lock assembly which is operative independent of 
conventional steering wheel locks, hidden gas line shutoff valves and 
ignition circuitry deactivating structure. 
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a lock which may be 
utilized in conjunction with motor vehicles produced by different motor 
vehicle manufacturers. 
A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to 
provide a vehicle seat lock in accordance with the preceding objects and 
which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple 
construction and easy to use, so as to provide a device that will be 
economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble-free in 
operation. 
These together with other objects and advantages which will become 
subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation 
as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to 
the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals 
refer to like parts throughout.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally 
designates a conventional form of motor vehicle, including a forward 
dashboard 12 and a steering wheel 16. The vehicle 10 further includes a 
front seat assembly referred to in general by the reference numeral 18 
including a seat portion 20 and a back rest portion 22 swingably supported 
from the seat portion 20. The back rest portion 22 includes an abutment 
portion 24 and the seat portion 20 includes an abutment portion 26. The 
portions 24 and 26 are releasably engageable with each other when the seat 
back portion is swung rearwardly to a rearwardly and upwardly inclined 
operative position. 
The abutment portion 24 is engageable with the abutment portion 26 in a 
manner to releasably lock the seat back portion 22 against forward 
swinging movement from the rearwardly and upwardly inclined position and 
the seat back portion 22 includes a release structure 28 operatively 
associated with the abutment portion 24 in order to release the latter 
from latched engagement with the abutment portion 26. Therefore, the 
release structure 28 may be actuated to release the abutment portion 24 
from latched engagement with the abutment portion 26 whenever it is 
desired to swing the seat back portion 22 from a rearwardly and upwardly 
inclined operative position to the forwardly and upwardly inclined 
inoperative position with the front surface of the seat back portion 22 
abuttingly engaged with the steering wheel 16. 
The foregoing comprises a description of conventional motor vehicle 
structure presently being manufactured. 
The seat lock of the instant invention is referred to in general by the 
reference numeral 30 and includes a first tube section 32 and a second 
tube section 34. The tube section 34 is snugly and telescopingly received 
within one end of the tube section 32 and the latter includes a diametric 
pin 36 secured therethrough. A compression spring 38 has one end anchored 
relative to the pin 36 and the other end abuts the adjacent closed end of 
the tube section 34 whereby the compression spring 38 yieldingly biases 
the tube section 34 toward an extended position. 
The end of the tube section 32 remote from the tube section 34 is provided 
with an endwise outwardly opening diametric slot 40 and the slotted end of 
the tube section 32 is engageable over the shank portion 42 of the 
abutment portion 26 inwardly of the diametrically enlarged head 44 carried 
by the outer end of the shank portion 42. 
The abutment portion 24 comprises an enlongated shank 46 including a 
laterally opening hook 48 on its free end and the free end portion of the 
shank 46 is telescopingly receivable within the end of the tube section 34 
remote from the tube section 32 in a manner which is believed to be 
obvious from FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 of the drawings. Further, the tube section 
34 includes diametrically opposite radial bores 50 formed therein and the 
hasp 52 of a padlock 54 may be passed through the bores 50 in order to 
lock the tube section 34 against retraction relative to the tube section 
32. 
In operation, when it is desired to lock the seat back portion 22 in the 
forwardly displaced position thereof abutted against the steering wheel 16 
to seriously discourage unauthorized use of the vehicle 10, the seat back 
portion 22 is first released for forward swinging to the position thereof 
illustrated in FIG. 1. Then, the hasp 52 of the lock 54 is withdrawn from 
the bores 50 and the tube section 34 is biased inwardly against the thrust 
of the spring 38 toward a fully retracted position. Thereafter, the free 
end of the tube section 34 is telescoped over the shank 46 and the slotted 
end of the tube section 32 is engaged with the shank portion 42 in the 
manner illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4. Thereafter, the tube section 34 is 
released and the spring 38 biases the tube section 34 toward a fully 
extended position whereby the seat back portion 22 is urged forwardly into 
tight abutting engagement with the steering wheel 16. Thereafter, the hasp 
52 of the lock 54 is passed through the bores 50 and the lock 54 is 
locked. In this manner, the abutment portions 24 and 26 are braced against 
movement toward each other and the seat back portion 22 is thereby locked 
in the forwardly displaced position abutting and overlying the steering 
wheel 16 thereby rendering it very difficult for an unauthorized person to 
operate the vehicle 10. 
As hereinbefore set forth, the seat lock 30 may be used in addition to the 
existing steering wheel lock of the vehicle 10 as well as any other 
locking devices provided on the vehicle. However, the seat lock 30 is 
operative independent of other vehicle locking devices and may be readily 
transferred from one vehicle to another. Further, the lock 30 may be 
readily manufactured so as to be adaptable for use in conjunction with 
motor vehicles produced by different manufacturers. 
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the 
invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily 
occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the 
invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and 
accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, 
falling within the scope of the invention.