Patent ID: 7992690

Claim:
A device for locking a lever of a motor vehicle, the lever secured to the motor vehicle by a flange, the lever capable of moving relative to the flange from a disengaged position to an engaged position, the flange defining a flange hole and the lever defining a lever hole, the flange and lever holes aligning in the engaged position, the device comprising: a) a pin comprising a long axis, a flange end, and a retainer end, the flange end secured to a flange retainer, the retainer end secured to a spring retainer; and b) a spring along the long axis of the pin, the spring having a spring constant and operating between the flange retainer and the spring retainer, whereby the long axis of the pin is capable of simultaneously passing through the flange hole and lever hole when the lever is in the engaged position and the spring constant is high enough to support the pin above the lever hole in the disengaged position, and the spring constant is low enough that a lateral force exerted by the lever in the engaged position prevents the pin from lifting from the lever hole.