AU640651B2

AU640651B2 - Vehicle pedal lock

Info

Publication number: AU640651B2
Application number: AU55738/90A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Maxwell John Clark
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-05-18
Filing date: 1990-05-18
Publication date: 1993-09-02
Anticipated expiration: 2010-05-18
Also published as: AU5573890A

Description

A U S T R A L I A PATENTS ACT40 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION OR IG INAL (FOR OFFICE USE), ClIa Ss Irit Class Application Number: Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: 'Priority: Related Art: Name of Appli 1cant Address of App i cant R 10, jt Actual Inventor(s) Address for Servi ce: PATENT ATTORNEY SERVICES 26'Ellingworth Parade, Box Hill, Victoria 3128 Complete specification for the invention entitled- VEH ICLE PEDAL LOCK The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me,, VEHICLE PEDAL LOCK This invention relates to vehicle pedal locks for inhibiting unauthorised use of vehicles.

Various types of devices have been proposed in the past for disabling motor vehicles, particularly automobiles, by enabling locking of various operating components. For example steering locks, gear change lever locks and pedal locks have all been proposed. The problem with some proposed pedal locks has been difficulty of installation and/or operation. For example, in Australian Patent Specification No. 79,539/87 there is proposed a hinged plate which normally Iies on the floor but which can be hinged upwardly and locked in position over the front of the operating pedals of the vehicle. This system would be difficult and costly to install in a vehicle since it must be *o ~5 permanently and securely mounted to the vehicle. Also because penetration of panels of the vehicle can be required, this can lead to rust developing in those places. Also the device would be unsightly.

c* In Australian Patent Specification No. 58,003/86 there is disclosed a vehicle pedal lock which comprises a base portion e which is located beneath the control pedals to inhibit depression of the pedals and a horizontally sliding component which must be located over and slid past the support arm for the brake or clutch pedal. The user must reach down effectively behind the pedals to move this slidable component and a padlock must then be passed through two aligned holes and latched to lock the components in position. It can be difficult for the user to reach down to such a low level and at the same time see the components and their relationship to enable manipulation.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle pedal lock which is effective in use to prevent or inhibit unauthorised operation of a vehicle and which can be installed and removed with relative ease by being readily accessible.

According to the present invention there is provided a vehicle pedal lock for inhibiting normal operation of the accelerator and brake pedals of a motor vehicle, the vehicle pedal lock including a base portion for location between the brake pedal of the motor vehicle and the floor of the vehicle near to the pedal so to inhibit depression of the brake pedal at least to the normal extent during normal operation of the vehicle, a confining portion which is selectively movable between a release position in which the base portion can be inserted into and removed from its position between the brake pedal and the floor and a confining position in which the base portion and confining portion co-operate to enclose a part of the brake pedal to resist disengagement of the base and confining portions from the brake pedal, the confining portion being movable generally towards and away from the floor in moving between its release position and confining position so j that the user can move the confining portion generally directly S away from himself towards the floor in moving from its release position to its confining position and vice versa, the base portion further including an elevated portion which in use is located directly beneath the accelerator pedal of the vehicle so that an attempt to depress the accelerator pedal will cause the accelerator pedal to contact the elevated portion and thereby 6* inhibit normal depression of the accelerator pedal, the confining portion, when in its confining position enclosing a part of the brake pedal, not confining the accelerator pedal so that the elevated portion only serves to impede normal operation of the accelerator pedal, the vehicle pedal lock further including locking means which is selectively operable to lock the confining portion against movement from its confining position to its release position.

Preferably the confining portion is movable telescopically in relation to the base portion, the base portion being provided with a bore which in use is directed generally towards the user, the confining portion being provided with a elongated shaft portion which is in use located in the bore and is movable within the bore. Alternatively, the base portion may be provided with an elongated shaft portion which is in use located in a bore in the confining portion and is movable within the bore.

The base portion may include a ledge arranged to lie immediately beneath the brake pedal of the vehicle so that normal movement of the brake pedal is inhibited by coming into contact with the ledge in being depressed normally towards the floor.

In this embodiment, the confining portion may comprise a cover piece arranged in use to overlie the ledge so as to confine the brake pedal and thereby resist disengagement of the confining portion and base portion from the associated pedal.

The base portion may include a bottom portion for engaging w* with the floor of the vehicle and a post which extends upwardly

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from the bottom portion generally towards the user, one side of the post being provided with a confining notch arranged to receive the support arm of the associated pedal. The post may be provided with a bore extending along the height of the post, the bore intersecting and passing through the notch, the confining portion comprising a shaft which is arranged to be telescopically moved within the bore in the post so that the shaft when fully inserted into the bore closes the laterally opening mouth of the notch so as to confine the support arm of the brake pedal when received within the notch.

The locking mechanism may comprise a padlock, the base and confining portions being provided with respective apertures which are aligned when the confining portion is in its confining position so that the hasp of the padlock can be passed through the aligned apertures and thereby prevent the confining portion from moving away from its confining position to its release position. Alternatively, the locking means may comprise a cylinder lock located within the confining portion, the cylinder o. lock having a key slot which is in use facing directly towards the user when the confining portion is installed and is in its confining position, the locking means further including a striker which is movable laterally to an extended position upon operation of the cylinder lock, the striker in its extended position co-operating with the base portion to restrain the confining portion against being moved from its confining position towards its release position.

t di, Possible and preferred features of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. However it is to be understood that the features illustrated in and described with reference to the drawings are not to be construed as limiting on the scope of the invention. In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective exploded view of a first embodiment of a vehicle pedal lock according to the present invention, and Fig. 2 is an elevational view of a second possible embodiment of a pedal lock according to the present invention.

In Fig. 1 the vehicle pedal lock is suitable for a vehicle having a manual transmission. The lock includes a base portion 10 comprising an elongated bottom portion 11 which rests S*0 on the floor of the motor vehicle. An elevated portion 12 is stepped upwardly and laterally from the bottom portion 11 and in use lies beneath the accelerator pedal 13 to inhibit depression of the accelerator pedal. The elevated portion 12 has a S'se substantial transverse width so that the pedal lock can be used 6 with different makes of motor vehicles having different relative pedal positions and also so that the pedal lock can be installed in an operative position without great precision of placement being needed.

Extending upwardly from the bottom portion 11 is a square section tube 20 having a bore 21 opening at the top so that this opening faces generally directly towards the driver when the base portion 11 is initially located in position for use. The laterally extending ledges 22, 23 are provided on opposite sides of the tube or post and these ledges 22, 23 lie beneath the support arms 24, 25 of the brake and clutch pedals 26, 27 so that normal depression of the brake and clutch pedals 26, 27 is inhibited. Projections 29 extend upwardly from the ledges 22, 23 to laterally confine the support arms 24, 25 of the brake and clutch pedals 26, 27.

The confining portion 30 comprises a transverse cover piece in the form of a plate 31. This plate 31 may be provided with downwardly extending projections 32 shown in broken line to laterally confine the support arms 24, 25 of the brake and clutch pedals 26, 27 as an alternative to the upwardly extending projections 29 shown on the ledges 26, 27. The confining *0 4* portion 30 also includes a square section shaft 33 which is slidably receivable within the bore 21 in the post 20 of the 0''05 base portion 10. The shaft 33 and post 20 are provided with 00 respective apertures 34, 35 which align with each other when the shaft 33 is fully inserted into the bore 21 in the post thereby enabling the hasp of a padlock to be passed through the aligned apertures 34, 35 and thereby secure the confining and base portions 30, 10 together.

Alternatively the upper end of the shaft 33 may be provided with a cylinder lock 40 as shown in broken line and there may be a striker 41 at the bottom end of the shaft 33 which co-operates with an aperture 42 at the bottom end of the bore 21 in the base portion 10* An actuating rod 43 passes along the shaft 33 to advance and retract the striker upon operation of the cylinder lock 40. In either case, the confining portion 30 can be locked to the base portion 10 so that the support arms 24, 25 of the brake and clutch pedals 26, 27 are confined. The pedal lock when assembled in this way restricts normal operation of the accelerator, brake and clutch pedals 13, 26, 27.

The vehicle pedal lock in Fig. 2 is suitable for an automatic or manual transmission vehicle. The lock has a bottom portion 11 and a stepped elevated portion 12 at one side to lie closely beneath the accelerator pedal 13 to inhibit depression of the pedal. The post 50 at the side of the bottom portion 11 extends upwardly away from the floor and generally towards the driver. The base portion 10 can be located in position so that the support arm 24 of the brake pedal is received within the confining notch 51. The confining portion 30 which includes a r.o shaft 52 can then be inserted into the bore 21 in the post 50 Po ee

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1 5 that the shaft 52 confines the support arm 24 and prevents the assembled confining portion 30 and base portion 10 from being detached from the brake pedal support arm 24. The shaft 52 and post 50 have apertures 34, 35 which are aligned when the shaft S is fully inserted. The confiting portion 30 also includes an external arm 55 which lies outside of the post 50 to enable the user to grasp the confining portion 30 and also to substantially fill the gap formed by the hasp of the padlock so that a tool -•can not readily be inserted into the hasp and the padlock forcibly removed. The external arm 55 has a notch 56 opposite the aperture 34 in the shaft 52 so that the hasp passes through 3l 4 the apertureA5& in the shaft and returns through the notch 56 in the external arm I In an alternative to the aligning apertures 34, 35 in the shaft 52 and the post 50 of the base portion 10, the shaft 52 may be provided with a cylinder lock in the upper end thereof similar to the lock of Fig. 1. A lock actuator may extend downwardly through the shaft 52 and at the lower end of the shaft there may be provided a striker 60 which is movable from a retracted position which it occupies when the shaft 52 is being inserted into or withdrawn from the bore 21 and an advanced position in which it co-operates a recess 61 within the base portion 10 to thereby retain the shaft 52 to the base portion Operation of the cylinder lock can be means of a key 0" inserted into key slot provided in the upper end of the shaft 52 so that the key slot faces directly towards the user thereby enabling ready access.

It will be seen that the embodiments of the vehicle pedal lock according to the present invention as herein described and illustrated can effectively enable the pedals of the motor vehicle to be restricted in movement so that the vehicle cannot be operated normally. The base portion can be readily located in position beneath thti pedals and the confining portion can i" then be inserted by sliding into the base portion. The user can see the bore in the base portion since it faces directly towards the user when the base portion is in its general operative position. The locking means can be readily operated, particularly if the cylinder lock is used with the key slot facing towards the user.

The vehicle pedal lock can be made from robust materials such as steel and forcible removal of the vehicle pedal lock can be made extremely difficult.

It is to be understood that various alterations, modifications and/or additions may be made to the features of the possible and preferred embodiment(s) of the invention as herein described without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

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Claims

1. A vehicle pedal lock for inhibiting normal operation of the accelerator and brake pedals of a motor vehicle, the vehicle pedal lock including a base portion for location between the hlake pedal of the motor vehicle and the floor of the vehicle near to the pedal so to inhibit depression cf the brake pedal at least to the normal extent during normal operation of the vehicle, a confining portion which is selectively movable between a release position in which the base portion can be inserted into and removed from its position between the brake pedal and the floor and a confining position in which the base portion and confining portion co-operate to enclose a part of the brake pedal to resist disengagement of the base and confining portions from the brake pedal, the confining portion being movable generally towards and away from the floor in moving between its release position and confining position so that the user can move the confining portion generally directly away from himself towards the floor in moving from its release Sposition to its confnining position and vice versa, the base ::20 portion further including an elevated portion whi in use is located directly beneath the accelerator pedal of the vehicle so that an attempt to depress the accelerator pedal will cause the 4' accelerator pedal to contact the elevated portian and thereby inhibit normal depress.ien of the accelerator pedal, the 4 confining portion, wher in its conf.Injng f O1itio 1 eclosing a part f the brake medal, not confining the accelerator pedal so *r that the elevated po-tion only serves to impede normal operation S* of the accelerator pedal the vehicle pedal look further '41 including locking means which is selectively operable to lock the ccnfining portion against movement from its confining position to its release position.

2. A vehicle pedal lock as claimedt in Claim I wherein the confining portion is .ovable telescopically in relation to the base portion, the base portion being provided with a bore which i~n use is directed generally towards -the user, the confining portion being provided with a elongated 3haft portion which is in use located iib the bore arid is movable within the bore.

3. A vehicle pedal lock as claimed in claim 1 wherein tha confining portion is movable telescopically in relation to the base portion, the confining portion being provided t'ith a bore which in use is directed generally -towards -the user, the base portion being provided with an elongated shaft portion which is in use located in the bore and is movable within 'the bore.

4. A ,ehicle pedal lock as claimed in any one of thn preceding claims wherein the base portion includes a ledge arranged to lie immediately beneath the brake pedal of -the vehicle so that normal movement of the brake pedal nhibited 4 :oby coming into contact with the ledge in being depressed normally towards the floor.

A vehicle pedal lock as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the confining portion comprises a cover piece arranged in use to overlie the ledge so as to confine the brake pedal and thereby resist disengagement of the confining portion ands ba,,e portionl Comthe associated pedal. 00*66

6. A vehicle pedal lock as claimed in claim 1 wherein the base portion includes a bottom portion for engaging with the f loor of the vehicle and a post which extends upwardly f rom -the bottom portion generally towards -the user, one side of the post being provided with a confining notch arranged to receive the support arm of the associated pedal.

7. A vehicle pedal lock as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the post is provided with a bore extending along the height of the post, the bore intersecting and passing -through -the notch, the confining portion comprising a shaft which is arranged to be telescopically moved within -the bore in the post so -that the shaft when fully inserted in-to -the bore closes the laterally opening mouth of the notch so as to confine the support arm of the brake pedal 'when received within the notch.

B. A vebicle pedal look as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the locking mechanis~m comprises a padlock, -the base and confining portions being provided with respective apertures which are aligned when the confining portion is in its confining position so that the hasp of 'the padlock can be passed through the aligned apertures and thereby prevent the confining portion from moving away from its 2 confining position to its release position.

9. A vehicle pedal lock as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to :7 wherein -the locking meanis comprises a oylinder look located within the confining portiou, the cylinder lock having a key slot which is in uise facing directly towards the user when the confining portion i~s installed and is in its confining position, the locking means further including a striker which is movable laterally 'to an extended position upon operation of the :*.so A cylinder lock, the striker in its extended position co-operating with the base portion to restrain the confining portion against being moved from its confin~ing position towards its release position.

10. A vehiclp pedal lock substantially is herein before described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 22nd day of June 1993 PATENT ATTORNEY SM~lICES Attorneys for MAXWELL JOH-N CLARK go 6I 06 6