Abstract:
A device for shielding a coupling includes a generally central opening in which the coupling is disposed and at least one socket hole into which only a thin wall deep socket can operate to engage and disengage a screw into and from said socket hole. The device prevents tampering with the coupling.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a disconnection preventing device and more particularly to a device for preventing disconnection of a vehicle odometer cable.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    It is often desirable, by business concerns that rent vehicles, and charge “by the mile,” to know how many miles a rented automobile has traveled. This is typically done by noting the odometer reading at the beginning and end of a trip. However, disconnection of the odometer from either the transmission end or the odometer end permits driving of the automobile without indication on the odometer.  
           [0003]    In order to prevent disconnection of the odometer cable, locks and security devices have been devised. Prior disconnection prevention devices are often complex and very difficult to install or remove. Removal often requires destroying the device using a saw or the like. Other prior disconnection devices, on the other hand, are easily removable by readily available tools.  
           [0004]    A need exists for an odometer cable disconnection prevention device that is simple in design and easy to install and remove with the proper, non-readily available tools.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a device for shielding a coupling. The device includes a generally central opening in which the coupling is disposed and at least one socket hole into which a thin wall deep socket can operate to engage and disengage a screw into and from said socket hole.  
           [0006]    In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a device for preventing disconnection of a coupling. The device includes first and second halves that are mateable to form an opening and surround the coupling. Each half has a plurality of holes defined therethrough including a first socket hole defined in one of the first and second halves, a first threaded hole defined in the other of the first and second halves that is opposed to the first socket hole, a second socket hole defined in one of the first and second halves, and a second threaded hole defined in the other of the first and second halves that is opposed to the second socket hole. The first and second socket holes are defined on opposite sides of the opening and each socket hole is aligned with a corresponding threaded hole. Each half also includes two threaded fasteners that respectively engage one of the socket holes and threadedly engage the aligned threaded hole.  
           [0007]    Preferably, in accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided a vehicle including an odometer and an odometer cable having a length and at least one coupling disposed along the length of the odometer cable, wherein a device for preventing disconnection of the coupling partially surrounds the coupling.  
           [0008]    In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention there is provided a device for preventing disconnection of a coupling that includes first and second halves that are mateable to form an opening and surround the coupling. The device includes a plurality of holes defined through the first and second halves including a socket hole defined in the first half, and a threaded hole defined in the second half that is opposed to the socket hole. The device also includes a threaded fastener that engages the socket hole and threadedly engages the threaded hole.  
           [0009]    Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description. It is to be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the present invention, are given by way of illustration and not limitation. Many changes and modifications within the scope of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    The invention may be more readily understood by referring to the accompanying drawings in which  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a disconnection prevention device in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a cross sectional elevation of the device of FIG. 1.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is an exploded elevation of the device of FIG. 1.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the device of FIG. 1 and an odometer cable threadedly engaged with a transmission via a coupling in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a disconnection prevention device surrounding the coupling of FIG. 4.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a disconnection prevention device in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 7 is a cross sectional elevation showing a disconnection prevention device having both socket holes formed in one half and both threaded holes formed in the opposite half in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional elevation showing a disconnection prevention device having means for preventing the halves from rotating relative to one another in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0019]    Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0020]    Referring to FIGS.  1 - 3 , a first embodiment of a device  10  for preventing disconnection of a coupling  12  in an odometer cable assembly is shown. It will be understood that similar couplings other than those located on odometer cables can be protected by the device  10  described herein. A conventional odometer cable coupling is described herein simply for exemplary purposes.  
         [0021]    Preferably, the device  10  is comprised of a glass reinforced resin or other plastic. Alternatively, the device  10  can be cast, stamped or machined from aluminum steel or other rigid metal or other material that is strong enough to prevent unauthorized persons from damaging, cutting through or breaking the device  10 . Device  10  includes first and second halves  14  and  16  which are mateable to form a generally central opening  18  and surround the coupling  12 . In operation, the coupling  12  is at least partially disposed in the opening  18 . The device  10  has a longitudinal axis A that extends axially through opening  18 , and transverse axis B which is generally perpendicular to axis A  
         [0022]    The first and second halves  14  and  16  are preferably identical to one another according to the first embodiment of the invention and, therefore, for ease of description, like numerals will be used to describe similar elements of the first and second halves  14  and  16 . However, it will be understood that variations of either or both halves are within the scope of the invention depending on the coupling that the device is provided to surround. Each half  14  and  16  has a generally semi-circular middle portion  19  with opposing ends  20  and  22  that extend laterally therefrom along axis B, as best shown in FIG. 3. Formed in one end  20  of each half  14  and  16  is a threaded hole  24  adapted to threadedly receive a threaded fastener  28 , and formed at the opposite end  22  is a socket hole  26 . Preferably, threaded hole  24  and socket hole  26  extend substantially perpendicularly with axis B.  
         [0023]    The middle portion  19  of each half has an inner surface  30  with a pair of opposing, preferably semi-circular flanges  32  projecting therefrom. Preferably, the flanges  32  extend from the inner surface  30  at a substantially right angle, as shown in FIG. 1. When the two halves  14  and  16  are mated, the exposed ends  32   a  of each opposing flange  32  engage one another, thereby forming a continuous surface that partially defines opening  18 . Opposite ends  20  and  22  have inner surfaces  34  and  36  respectively, which are mateable with the inner surface  36  and  34 , respectively, of an opposite half.  
         [0024]    Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, in a conventional odometer cable assembly, a cable  80  is threadedly coupled to the transmission  82  by a coupling  12 . To install the device  10 , the first and second halves  14  and  16  are fitted over coupling  12  and mated such that threaded hole  24  and socket hole  26  at opposite ends of the device  10  are aligned. In a preferred embodiment, a pair of threaded fasteners  28  are provided, one with each half  14  and  16 , as shown in FIG. 1. For each half  14  and  16 , the threaded fastener  28  is slipped into the socket hole  26  and threaded into the threaded hole  24 . A washer, lock washer or the like can be provided for use with the threaded fastener  28 .  
         [0025]    In the first embodiment, the threaded fastener  28  is engaged and disengaged into and from the socket hole  26  and threaded into the threaded hole  24  of the opposite half by using a thin-wall deep socket, thereby pulling the opposing inner surfaces  34  and  36  into contact and enclosing coupling  12  within opening  18 . Thin-walled deep sockets are not readily available, thus making removal of the threaded fastener  28  from the device  10  difficult for the typical operator. A thin-walled deep socket is employed because, in a preferred embodiment, the socket hole  26  is sufficiently deep so as to prevent a standard thin-wall short socket from reaching the threaded fastener  28 , and of sufficiently small diameter so as to prevent thick-walled sockets from fitting in socket hole  26 . Standard sized socket sets are well known in the art, and a skilled artisan will understand what standard sized thin-walled and thick-walled sockets are.  
         [0026]    Threaded fastener  28  can be any threaded fastener known to those skilled in the art. For example, a bolt or screw, etc. can be employed. However, the threaded fastener  28  is preferably not a conventional hex-head fastener. In a preferred embodiment, the threaded fastener  28  has a 5-sided head. However, it is within the scope of the invention for the head of the threaded fastener  28  to have any conventional shape or number of sides. For example, the head of the threaded fastener  28  can be triangular, star-shaped, square, etc. A non-conventionally shaped threaded fastener  28  makes the removal of the device  10  even more difficult because the socket must conform to the shape of the threaded fastener head  28 . Sockets that are non-hex-headed are not readily available. It should be understood that the shape of the head of the threaded fastener  28  and the size of socket hole  26  are not limitations on the present invention.  
         [0027]    The shape of the first and second halves  14  and  16  is in no way a limitation on the present invention. Any configuration that includes a plurality of mateable pieces, which are threadedly connected, thereby forming an opening wherein a coupling can be enclosed is within the scope of the present invention.  
         [0028]    Referring to FIG. 6, a second embodiment of a device  100  for surrounding and preventing disconnection of a coupling  12  in an odometer cable assembly is shown. This embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, wherein the opposite ends  20  and  22  are omitted. In the second embodiment, the device  100  includes two generally semi-circular, opposing, mateable halves  114  and  116 . A socket hole  26  and a threaded hole  24  are formed in the semi-circular portion of each half, as shown in FIG. 6, such that, when mated, the socket hole  26  of one half  114  aligns with the threaded hole  24  of the opposite half  116 , and vice versa.  
         [0029]    Referring to FIG. 7, a third embodiment of a device  200  for surrounding and preventing disconnection of a coupling  12  in an odometer cable assembly is shown. This embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment, wherein both socket holes  26  are formed in one half, and both threaded holes  24  are formed in the opposite half.  
         [0030]    It will be understood that the size of the device depends on the coupling  12  that the device is provided to surround. The dimensions of the device are in no way a limitation on the present invention.  
         [0031]    In the exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings, the middle portion  19  and the device  100  are generally circular in shape and the inner surface  30  and flanges  32  are generally semi-cylindrical and semi-circular. However, it is to be understood that the outside shape of the middle portion  19  and device  100  can be square, oval or any other geometric shape, depending on the configuration of the coupling to be surrounded.  
         [0032]    The embodiments of the present invention recited herein are intended to be merely exemplary and those skilled in the art will be able to make numerous modifications to them without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the inner surfaces  34  and  36  can include pegs or the like and opposite holes for aiding in the alignment of the two halves  14  and  16  or for preventing rotation of the two halves  14  and  16  relative to one another. FIG. 8 shows an alternative embodiment wherein a device  300  includes one socket hole  26  defined in end  22  of the first half  14 , and one threaded hole  24  defined in end  20  of the second half  16 . At the opposite end  22  of the second half  16  is a peg  230  extending from the inner surface  34  thereof. The first half  14  has a hole  232  defined in end  20  that is adapted to receive peg  230  when the first and second halves  14  and  16  are mated. In operation, when a threaded fastener  28  is received by socket hole  26  and threaded into threaded hole  24 , hole  232  receives peg  230 , thereby preventing the first half  14  from rotating relative to the second half  16 . Other means for preventing rotation of one half relative to the other are within the scope of the invention. For example, any of the following can be used: a plurality of pegs and corresponding holes, clasp(s), hook(s), flange(s), stop(s) and the like. Alternatively, the device  300  can be hinged, ribbed or splined.