DESCRIPTION

Technical field

The present invention relates to the field of mechanical antitheft systems with "loop" type closure, such as chains, padlocks etc., and more in particular to an antitheft device, of closable "loop" type, particularly but not exclusively for bicycles, motorcycles, etc.

State of the art

As is known, there are various antitheft systems for bicycles, motorcycles and the like. The more conventional have a flexible body, such as a chain or metal rope element, associated at the end of which is a lock apparatus for closing the end of the flexible body. There are also systems formed by a rigid U- shaped body, associated with which is a rigid lock apparatus to be associated with the ends of the U-shaped body, to form a closed "loop".

The use of these loop devices is particularly unwieldy. In fact, in the case of chain or rope type flexible bodies, these must be wound around a structure, for example the crossbar of the bicycle or the saddle post of the bicycle, or the handlebar, and the lock apparatus must always be closed at the ends of the flexible body to prevent it from becoming detached from the support. This is al- so the case for U-shaped bodies, with the addition of problems relating to their overall dimensions. Moreover, these operations cause the metal parts of the devices to come into contact with the bicycle frame, with the inevitable problem of rubbing thereon giving rise to signs of wear on the paint of the frame.

Furthermore, these devices are heavy, above all when they must offer a high level of resistance.

Object and summary of the invention

The aim of the present invention is to solve problems linked to antitheft devices of known type.

Within this aim, an important object of the present invention is to provide an antitheft device of mechanical type that is easy to associate with the structure to be protected.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide an antitheft device of mechanical type that is sturdy and light.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide an antitheft device of mechanical type that is easy and rapid to use.

Yet another important object of the present invention is to provide an an- titheft device of mechanical type that does not damage the structure to which it is applied.

These and other objects, which will be more apparent below, are achieved with an antitheft device according to the appended claims.

According to a first aspect, the invention relates to an antitheft device comprising an elongated tubular body, provided with two opposite parts reversi- bly constrainable to each other by means of a lock apparatus, characterized in that said tubular body can be modeled along its axis to take desired forms curved in any direction of the space and is provided with means for maintaining its shape subsequently to modeling that comprise a plurality of elements cou- pled to one another adapted to cooperate with one another by friction and/or by deformation to maintain the desired forms.

Preferably, this tubular body comprises a first flexible spiral-shaped element in which the central axis of the turns coincides substantially with the axis of said tubular body; said means for maintaining the modeled shape of said tubular body comprising a second spiral-shaped element wound on said first spiral-shaped element, made of a malleable material; said first spiral-shaped element being adapted to allow the flexibility of the tubular body and said second spiral-shaped element being adapted to guarantee that the modeled shape of the tubular body is maintained.

Preferably, the second spiral-shaped element is a strip wound in a spiral in a manner concordant with the spiral-shaped extension of said first spiral- shaped element and arranged between the turns thereof.

Preferably, the second spiral-shaped element has a wedge-shaped section, with the converging sides of the wedge shape inserted and in contact be- tween the turns of said first spiral-shaped element, so that there is friction between said sides and said turns.

Preferably, the first spiral-shaped element is made of a first metal material and said second spiral-shaped element is made of a second metal material more malleable with respect to the first material.

Preferably, the first material is steel, preferably spring steel.

Preferably, the second material is among one of the following: mild steel, annealed mild steel, annealed steel, brass, aluminum.

Preferably, the second spiral-shaped element is compressed on the first spiral-shaped element, between the turns of this latter.

Preferably, the device comprises a lock apparatus of this kind formed by a first member permanently fixed on a first part of said flexible tubular body, in which a lock mechanism is provided, and a second member permanently fixed to a second opposite part of said tubular body adapted to couple with said first member and close the lock.

Preferably, the first member comprises a fixing portion of an end of said tubular body, the lock cylinder and an insertion seat for said second member, this latter fixed to the opposite end of said tubular body.

Preferably, the tubular body is covered by a sheath made of polymer or plastic material, preferably silicone; preferably said sheath being co-molded to said tubular body.

Preferably, the second member of the lock apparatus is provided with a pin-shaped portion for insertion into the seat of said first member of the lock apparatus, said sheath extending with an end part thereof at least up to the terminal end of said pin-shaped portion, defining an annular gap around said pin- shaped portion; said terminal part of sheath being elastically deformable in the opposite direction with respect to the terminal end of the pin-shaped portion; in this way said pin-shaped portion being able to be released from the sheath for insertion into the seat associated with the first member of the lock apparatus.

Preferably, the device is characterized by being completely covered by a sheath made of polymer or plastic material, preferably silicone, with the exception of the area of interaction of the user with the lock cylinder, of the insertion seat of said second member of the lock apparatus and of an area in front of said second member.

According to another aspect, the invention concerns a method of con- straining an antitheft device according to one or more of the preceding embodiments to a bicycle tube, characterized by plastically modeling said tubular body in a spiral around the bicycle tube.

Brief description of the drawings

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description of a preferred but non-exclusive embodiment thereof, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of an antitheft device according to the invention, closed in a loop;

Fig. 2 shows a portion of the device of Fig. 1 , open;

Fig. 3 represents an end of the device of Fig. 1 , in configuration with the device not closed;

Fig. 4 represents the same end as Fig. 3, deformed to highlight the clos- ing pin of the lock;

Fig. 5 represents an axial section of a first end of the device of the preceding figures;

Fig. 6 represents an axial section of a second end of the device of the preceding figures (corresponding to the end in Fig. 3);

Fig. 7 represents an axial section of an intermediate portion of the device of the preceding figures;

Fig. 8 represents a bicycle with a device according to the preceding figures fixed to the central tube.

Detailed description of an embodiment of the invention

With reference to the aforesaid figures, an antitheft device, particularly but not exclusively for bicycles and motorcycles, is indicated as a whole with the numeral 10.

This antitheft device 10 comprises an elongated tubular body 1 1 , provided with two opposite parts, namely a first end 12 and a second end 13.

More in particular, this tubular body 1 1 comprises a first elongated flexible spiral-shaped element 14, in which the central axis X of the turns 14A coincides substantially with the axis of the tubular body. Preferably, this first flexible spiral-shaped element 14 is made of spring steel.

A second spiral-shaped element 15 is wound on this first flexible spiral- shaped element 14.

This second spiral-shaped element 15 is for example a metal strip wound in a spiral in a manner concordant with the spiral-shaped extension of the first spiral-shaped element 14 with its turns arranged between the turns thereof.

Advantageously, the second spiral-shaped element 15 has a wedge- shaped section, for example approximately triangular or trapezoidal, with the converging sides 15A of the wedge shape inserted and in contact between the turns 14A of the first spiral-shaped element 14, so that there is friction between the sides 15A and the turns 14A.

The second spiral-shaped element 15 is also made of a metal material and is more malleable with respect to the metal material of the first spiral- shaped element 14.

Advantageously, the strip formed by the second spiral-shaped element 15 is compressed on the first spiral-shaped element 14, between the turns thereof.

For example, the second spiral-shaped element 15 is made of mild steel, i.e. with a large percentage of iron. Other possible metal materials are, for ex- ample, annealed mild steel, annealed steel, brass, aluminum.

In practice, the tubular body 1 1 can be modeled along its axis X to take desired forms curved in any direction of the space and is provided with means for maintaining its shape subsequently to modeling that comprise a plurality of elements coupled to one another (the first spiral-shaped element and the sec- ond spiral-shaped element) adapted to cooperate with one another by friction and/or by deformation to maintain the desired forms.

In the specific example, the first spiral-shaped element 14 is adapted to allow flexibility of the tubular body 1 1 , like "loop" mechanical antitheft devices of known type, while the second spiral-shaped element 15 guarantees that the modeled shape of the tubular body is maintained. The friction between the turns of the second spiral-shaped element and the turns of the first spiral-shaped element also cooperate in maintaining the modeled shape. The antitheft device 10 comprises a lock apparatus 16 formed by a first member 17 permanently fixed on the first end 12 of the tubular body 1 1 , in which a lock mechanism is provided, and a second member 18 permanently fixed to a second opposite end 13 of the tubular body 1 1 adapted to couple with the first member 17 and close the lock, so that the elongated tubular body can be closed in a "loop".

More in particular, in this example, the first member 17 comprises a fixing portion 17A to the first end 12 of the tubular body 1 1 in the form of threaded coupling (for example, a helical thread with pitch corresponding to the pitch of the turns of the first spiral-shaped element 14 is provided on the fixing portion 17A), the lock cylinder 17B (with the keyhole; alternatively to the cylinder it can, for example, be of the type with combination lock) and an insertion seat 17C for the second member 18. This latter is in the form of a pin-shaped portion 18A, suitably shaped, fixed to the opposite second end 13 of the tubular body 1 1 , for example also through threaded coupling (for example, a helical thread with pitch corresponding to the pitch of the turns of the first spiral-shaped element 14 is provided on the fixing portion 17A), adapted for insertion into the insertion seat 17C of the lock apparatus.

Fixing of the first and of the second member of the lock apparatus to the respective ends of the body 1 can also take place in another manner with respect to the one indicated, for example by gluing, heat treatment, welding, etc.

The device is completely covered by a sheath 20 made of silicone, with the exception of the area of interaction of the user with the lock cylinder 17B (in this example, the area of the keyhole), of the insertion seat 17C and of an area in front of the pin-shaped portion 18A of the second member 18. In this way the device is well protected from the weather, but above all, during prolonged use against portions of the bicycle with which it can be associated, it does not damage the paint.

Advantageously, the sheath 20 extends with its end part 20A to the termi- nal end 18A' (but it could extend beyond this end) of the pin-shaped portion 18, defining an annular gap 21 around the pin-shaped portion.

This end part 20A of sheath 20 is elastically deformable, in axial direction, in the opposite direction with respect to the terminal end 18A'; in this way the pin-shaped portion can be released from the sheath for insertion into the seat 17C to allow closing of the lock apparatus, as visible in Figs. 1 and 4 (end deformed) and 3 (end not deformed). In practice, the end part of the sheath is thrust in the opposite direction to the direction of insertion when the lock is closed, releasing the second member (which is instead well protected during use).

The sheath, from a point of view of production, is preferably co-molded to the assembly formed by the tubular body 1 1 and by the first and second mem- ber 17 and 18 of the lock apparatus 16.

From a point of view of use, the antitheft device can be modeled according to requirements, for example, it can advantageously be constrained to the tube T of a bicycle B (as shown in Fig. 8) simply by plastically modeling it in a spiral around the tube T. It should be noted that the device remains open and that the pin-shaped portion 18 is covered by the sheath and does not damage the tube T.

In other embodiments, a cable can be provided inside the elongated tubular body (optionally fixed to the first and second member of the lock apparatus), in order to further increase the resistance of the device.

It is understood that the drawing only shows possible non-limiting embodiments of the invention, which can vary in forms and arrangements without however departing from the scope of the concept on which the invention is based. Any reference numerals in the appended claims are provided purely to facilitate the reading thereof, in the light of the above description and accompa- nying drawings, and do not in any way limit the scope of protection.