Abstract:
A modular access tool for operating door handles and door locks of motor vehicles from the exterior of the motor vehicle. The access tool is provided in sections which are removably attachable to one another such that the overall operative length is adjustable in discrete steps. A working head, such as a loop, a hook, or a magnet is attachable at the end of the access tool. Optionally, an illumination light may be attachable at the end of the access tool. Sections join together by threadless interference based detent devices.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a tool for gaining access to a locked motor vehicle, for example engaging the lock button of the vehicle door. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is not uncommon that the owner or operator of a motor vehicle lock the doors of the motor vehicle for example with the key left in the ignition switch. This leaves the owner or operator with the problem of opening the vehicle without damaging it. Professional motorist assistance services exist and may be brought in to solve the problem, but this may cause an objectionable delay and may incur costs. 
     In past years owners have resorted to attempting to manually open doors if a vehicle window has been left slightly open, or by maneuvering a wire tool past the weather gasket of the door. A wire tool may be fashioned from commonly available materials such as coat hangers for example. However, in an effort to dissuade theft, vehicle manufacturers have attempted to make it more difficult to gain access to the vehicle by such measures. One of the steps many manufacturers have adopted is to eliminate or minimize the enlarged head which in past years characterized door lock buttons. 
     While access through the window to the door lock button and to the door handle remain among the most practical ways to engage a door lock button, current vehicle manufacturing practice now requires tools more adapted to this purpose than was formerly the case. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides an access tool which is well suited for the task of engaging a modern door lock button to open a door of a motor vehicle. The novel tool has a long slender shaft which is sufficiently flexible as to yield to obstacles as it is maneuvered into place, yet which is sufficiently rigid as to be guided while being grasped at one end while causing a snaring loop at the opposite end to be maneuvered over the shaft of a vehicle door lock button. The novel access tool may have an internal stranded metallic cable which is capable of resisting significant manual pulling forces to accommodate opening of the vehicle door lock button. 
     One aspect of the invention is that it is modular in that it comprises a plurality of mutually attachable and removable components. Connections are unthreaded, for example being friction fit and locked by a detent device which does not require threading. A pin may be inserted through the long, slender body of the tool to lock two body sections together. 
     The novel access tool may have a variety of replaceable working heads each adapted for a particular task. For example, the tool may have a flexible loop for engaging a door handle, a rigid hook, a magnet, and a miniature flash light. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide a modular access tool for gaining access to locked motor vehicles. 
     Another object of the invention is to eliminate tedious threading of modular sections together. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof by apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable, and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes. 
     These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of a kit of components which may be assembled to form an access tool according to at least one aspect of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an environmental plan view of an exemplary access tool assembled from the kit of  FIG. 1  in a configuration adapted to engage a door lever of a motor vehicle. 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of a component bearing a loop for engaging a door handle of a motor vehicle. 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view of an alternative component bearing a loop for engaging a door handle of a motor vehicle. 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the component of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a side view, shown partially in cross section, of a working head for holding a magnet. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross sectional side view of a connector sleeve. 
         FIG. 8  is a side cross sectional view of an alternative working head for holding a magnet. 
         FIG. 9  is a side view, shown partially in cross section, of still another holder for a magnet. 
         FIG. 10  is a top view of a connector. 
         FIG. 11  is a side view of the connector of  FIG. 10 . 
         FIG. 12  is an end view of the connector of  FIG. 10 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring first to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , according to at least one aspect of the invention, there is shown a kit  10  of components of the modular access tool of the present invention. The tool is modular in that firstly, it may be assembled by joining selected ones of the components depicted in  FIG. 1  to form a tool having characteristics for performing one of several optional ways of engaging the door handle (see  FIG. 2 ) or a door lock button (not shown) of a motor vehicle (a portion of which is shown in  FIG. 2 ). Secondly, the access tool may include different components so that it takes slightly different forms according to which of the selected ones of the components have been assembled. The access tool may vary in overall length, in the type of working head assembled thereto, or in both ways. Therefore, it must be understood that any one access tool assembled from the components of the kit  10  may leave one or more components unused in any one application. 
       FIG. 2  shows an exemplary assembly of an access tool  100  of the present invention. The access tool  100  may comprise a main body section  102 , an extension  104 , and a working head  106  bearing a loop  108 . In  FIG. 2 , the loop  108  is depicted snaring a door handle  2 . Pulling by hand on the tool  100  will cause the door handle  2  to swing as indicated by the arrow A, thus opening the door. It will be appreciated that the tool  100  has been slipped into the interior of the vehicle, or the cabin, by pushing it past door and body gaskets (not shown) of the vehicle body. The components of the tool  100  are sufficiently slender as to pass through such a space. 
     Some vehicles may have door levers configured so as to be better engaged by a hook such as the hook  110  formed on a component  112  comprising a main arm section  114  which accounts for most of the length of the component  112 , the hook  110 , and an angled section  116  which may be snap fit or otherwise removably connected to the main body section  102 . It will be seen in  FIG. 1  that the angled section  116  may form an angle (indicated by an arrow B) of about one hundred thirty-five degrees with the main arm section  114 . The hook  110  may be formed by straight sections  118 ,  120  arranged at an included angle (indicated by an arrow C) defined between the straight sections  118 ,  120  of about one hundred thirty-five degrees. 
     The straight section  118  may be arranged at an included angle (indicated by an arrow D) defined between the straight section  118  and the main arm section  114  of about one hundred thirty-five degrees. 
     The main body section  102  may also have an included angle (indicated by an arrow E) defined between a principal section  122  and a relatively short transition section  124  of about one hundred thirty-five degrees. 
     The main body section  102  may include a handle  125  having a diameter  127  defined along its length which is greater in magnitude than the diameter  129  of the main body section  102 . It will also be appreciated that the diameter  129  of the main body section  102  is substantially similar to the diameter  131  of the extension  104 . Preferably, comparable diameters of other extensions where provided, are similar to the diameter  129 . 
     Other access tools (not shown) may be formed by incorporating additional extensions such as an extension  126  bearing the hook  110 , an extension  128  bearing an illumination lamp  130 , or a working head  132  incorporating a magnet  134 . An illumination lamp may be formed in the dimensions and proportions of a working head such as the working head  132  if desired. Where provided, the illumination lamp may include an electrical power source such as a battery cell (not separately shown) and if desired, an externally accessible switch adapted to switch the illumination lamp on and off. 
       FIG. 3  shows details of the working head  106 . The working head  106  may comprise the loop  108  and a base  136 . The loop  108  may comprise metallic strands, which may be retained within flexible sleeves  138 ,  140 . The free ends  142 ,  144  of the loop  108  may be secured by crimping the base  136  thereover. The base  136  may have a socket  146  formed therein for attachment to an elongated component of the kit  10 , such as the component  112 , or an extension such as the extension  104 . 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  show an alternative working head  150  which may comprise a loop  152  and a base  154  which entraps and retains the loop  152  by being crimped thereover for example. The loop  152  may comprise metallic strands retained and organized by sleeves  156 ,  158 . The working head  150  may engage another component of the kit  10  other than by a socket such as the socket  146  of  FIG. 3 . Instead, the working head  150  may incorporate a mechanical detent device such as a pin  160 . The pin  160  may engage a socket  162  by friction for example. 
     Other mechanical detent devices may be provided in place of the pin  160 . For example, a device wherein a projecting member is spring urged to engage and project outwardly from an opening such as the socket  162 , which may be pressed manually out of interference with a sleeve or other member to release engagement may be provided. This is a well known type of detent device and need not be further described herein. It is merely desirable to note that connection of elongated members such as the component  112  to an extension such as the extension  104  is preferably provided by a detent device which does not rely on screw threading, so that elongated members may be rapidly pressed together and separated when desired. 
       FIG. 6  shows a light tip extension  164 . The light tip extension may have a socket  166  for connection to an elongated member and a socket  168  for receiving a pin or other mechanical detent device (neither shown). 
       FIG. 7  shows a connection arrangement which may be employed to connect elongated members such as the component  112 , extensions such as the extension  104 , and working heads such as the working head  106  if desired. In this arrangement, a sleeve  170  forms a female member into which may be inserted a male member such as an end terminal  172 . The end terminal may have a throughbore  174  which may be aligned with holes  176 ,  178  formed in the sleeve  170  to receive a mechanical detent device such as a pin (not shown). The sleeve  170  may have an aditional hole  180  which may receive a complementing end terminal (not shown, but which may be similar to the end terminal  172 ), so that two end terminals may be retained within the sleeve  170  by pins. It will be appreciated that the end terminal  172  has a tongue  182  which occupies half of the open interior space of the sleeve  170 . This accommodates a corresponding tongue of the complementing end terminal in close cooperation therewith. That is, a complementing tongue may occupy that portion of the sleeve  170  which is left unoccupied by the tongue  182 , where the complementing tongues overlap one another for a portion of the length of the sleeve  170 . 
     The working head  132  is shown in detail in  FIG. 8 . The magnet  134  is seen received within a socket  184  which faces in one direction, with an oppositely opening socket  186  facing an opposite direction. The sockets  184 ,  186  may be separated by an internal flange  188  which limits penetration of the magnet  134  into the socket  184  and by an elongated member such as the component  112  or an extension such as the extension  104  into the other socket  186 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 9 , a magnet (not shown) may be retained within a working head  190 . The working head  190  may comprise a socket  192  which may be crimped over the magnet, and an engagement end  194  comprising a socket  196  and a tongue  198  which is structurally and functionally similar to the tongue  182  of  FIG. 7 . 
       FIGS. 10 ,  11 , and  12  show an adaptor  200  which may be employed to join elongated members such as the component  112 , extensions such as the extension  104 , and working heads such as the working head  106  if desired. The adaptor  200  may comprise a tongue  202 , a socket  204 , and an outwardly projecting low wall  206  which limits penetration of the adaptor  200  into an elongated member or working head by interference fit. 
     While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the present invention is not to be limited to the disclosed arrangements, but is intended to cover various arrangements which are included within the spirit and scope of the broadest possible interpretation of the appended claims so as to encompass all modifications and equivalent arrangements which are possible.