Patent ID: 6941781

Claim:
An electrically-operated steering lock device having a lock shaft which is movable between a protruded position where a steering shaft is locked and a retracted position where the steering shaft is unlocked, and a lock shaft moving device coupled to an electric locking motor and serving to move said lock shaft, the electrically-operated steering lock device further comprising: a protrusion blocking device which, when said lock shaft is placed in a retracted position, engages with a receiving portion formed in said lock shaft to block said protrusion of said lock shaft; and a holding part for holding said protrusion blocking device in a position where protrusion of said lock shaft is blocked; wherein said protrusion blocking device comprises a protrusion blocking plunger movable between an extended position in which said plunger is engageable with said receiving portion and a retracted position in which said plunger is withdrawn from said receiving portion; wherein said protrusion blocking device further comprises an electric safety motor which is operable, upon activation, to perform a plunger withdrawal operation for withdrawing said protrusion blocking plunger from said extended position to said retracted position in order to withdraw said protrusion blocking plunger from said receiving portion so as to allow protrusion of said lock shaft to said protruded position; and wherein said holding part comprises an engagement portion formed on said lock shaft and arranged to prevent said protrusion blocking plunger from being withdrawn from said blocking device receiving portion even upon activation of said electric safety motor to perform a plunger withdrawal operation for withdrawing said protrusion blocking plunger, to thereby prevent movement of said lock shaft from said retracted position to said protruded position due to an electrical malfunction.