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Title:
MECHANICAL ANTITHEFT DEVICE AGAINST FRAUDULENT ROTATION OF A CONTROL PIN
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2016/203384
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
Mechanical antitheft device (31) against fraudulent rotation of a control pin (21), comprising a cylindrical body (33) in which there are defined, at opposite ends, a control portion (35) and an engaging portion (37), the control portion (35) being provided with engaging means (39) for a control key (41) for controlling rotation of the device and the engaging portion (37) being provided with a cylindrical bushing (49) eccentrically coupled to the engaging portion (37), so that the relative rotation of the body (33) of the device with respect to the bushing (49) determines radial compression or expansion of said bushing (49).

Inventors:
GROPPO LAZZARO (IT)
GROPPO MATTEO (IT)
Application Number:
PCT/IB2016/053522
Publication Date:
December 22, 2016
Filing Date:
June 15, 2016
Export Citation:
Click for automatic bibliography generation   Help
Assignee:
GROPPO LAZZARO (IT)
GROPPO MATTEO (IT)
International Classes:
B62D43/04; B25B13/48; F16B41/00
Foreign References:
US4848113A1989-07-18
US6067825A2000-05-30
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
ROBBA, Pierpaolo et al. (Via Caboto 35, Torino, IT)
Download PDF:
Claims:
CLAIMS

1. Mechanical antitheft device (31) against fraudulent rotation of a control pin (21), comprising a cylindrical body (33) in which there are defined, at opposite ends, a control portion (35) and an engaging portion (37), the control portion (35) being provided with engaging means (39) for a control key (41) for controlling rotation of the device and the engaging portion (37) being provided with a cylindrical bushing (49) eccentrically coupled to the engaging portion (37), so that the relative rotation of the body (33) of the device with respect to the bushing (49) determines radial compression or expansion of said bushing (49). 2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the bushing (49) comprises a radial slot (53).

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bushing (49) comprises an axial hole with square or lobed cross-section. 4. Device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cylindrical bushing (49) has an axis that is parallel to and non-coincident with the one of the cylindrical body (33).

5. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the bushing (49) is received in a seat (51) provided in the engaging portion (37).

6. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein there is further provided a ferrule (55) idly rotatable about the cylindrical body (33).

7. Device according to claim 6, wherein the idly rotatable ferrule (55) extends over the whole length of the cylindrical body (33).

8. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the engaging means (3) comprise an annular groove formed in the base (45) of the control portion (35). 9. Capstan mechanism for retaining a spare wheel of a vehicle, comprising:

- a capstan (13) provided with a control pin (21),

- a flexible member (15),

- a yoke or anchor (17) firmly fixed to the free end of the flexible member (15) and adapted to be engaged into the rim (25) of a vehicle spare wheel (27), characterized in that it includes an antitheft device (31) made in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 8 and firmly connected to said control pin (21).

10. Use of an antitheft device made in accordance with any one of claims 1 to 8 for preventing fraudulent rotation of a control pin (21) of a capstan mechanism (11) for retaining a spare wheel (27) of a vehicle.

Description:
Mechanical antitheft device against fraudulent rotation of a control pin

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a mechanical antitheft device against fraudulent rotation of a control pin. More particularly, the present invention relates to a mechanical anti- theft device adapted to prevent fraudulent rotation of control pin of a capstan mechanism for retaining a spare wheel of a vehicle.

Prior Art

Within the field of vehicles it is known to use antitheft bolts and nuts in order to prevent fraudulent removal of vehicle parts. A special use of these nuts and bolts regards the fixing of vehicle wheels. According to prior art, in order to prevent theft of the wheels of a vehicle, at least one of the standard nuts or bolts is replaced with a corresponding one of the antitheft type. An example of these antitheft devices in the form of nuts or bolts is described in EP2469106 (Al). As can be appreciated from the description and from the drawings of said prior art reference, these antitheft devices comprise a cylindrical body in which a control portion is defined at a first end and an engaging portion is defined at the opposite end. The control portion includes an annular groove capable of receiving a proprietary key for setting into rotation the cylindrical body. The engaging portion includes either a threaded stem, in the case in which the device is made as a bolt, or a threaded seat, in the case in which the device is made as a nut. The device is equipped with a proprietary key provided with an extension having a shape compatible with the groove. The key is also provided with an outer surface having a shape suitable for the engagement of a standard key, for example a tubular box wrench with hexagonal head. The cylindrical body is also externally provided with a bushing which is associated to the cylindrical body in such a way that it cannot be removed with ease, but it is arranged to freely rotate relative to said body. Fraudulent rotation of the cylindrical body is mainly prevented by the absence of surfaces suitable for engagement with tools such as fixed or adjustable pliers and wrenches, and by the fact that the bushing rotates idly relative to the cylindrical body. Such a device can be rotated only by coupling it with the proprietary key, which is in practice an interface between the device and the traditional key that would normally be used to rotate a standard bolt or nut, i.e. a bolt or nut not of the antitheft type.

Still with reference to the field of vehicles, capstan mechanisms for retaining a spare wheel are also known. These mechanisms include a capstan on which a cable or a chain is wound. The free end of the cable is engaged with the spare wheel rim, for example by means of an anchor or a yoke. The wheel is firmly held against the chassis or the body of the vehicle by turning the capstan for winding the cable by means of the control pin. The rotation of the control pin in the opposite direction causes unwinding of the cable and consequent disengagement of the spare wheel. The control pin of the capstan generally includes one end configured to receive a tool with which a human can rotate the pin. This tool can be for instance a crank or a rod equipped with a handle. The coupling between the tool and the control pin is generally carried out with simple expedients known within the field of mechanics. For example, control pins with square cross-section and, correspondingly, tools having a hollow end with equally square inner cross-section and size such as to allow to accommodate the control pin with a slight interference are known. Control pins with lobed or hexagonal or triangular cross-section, and tools having a cavity with corresponding or compatible cross-sections are also known. Control pins having an axial female seat provided with a transverse diametrical notch are also known. The corresponding tool is provided with a male end to which a transverse peg arranged to be housed in the notch of the control pin is fixed.

Mechanisms of this type are generally incorporated in vehicles of medium and large size and placed under the vehicle, for example in the back under the load floor. The control pin of the capstan therefore remains generally accessible on the outside of the vehicle and can be potentially rotated by anyone with a suitable tool.

Capstan mechanisms for retaining spare wheels of vehicles equipped with anti-theft devices to prevent fraudulent rotation of the capstan are also known. CN 201446935 describes an example of these mechanisms equipped with antitheft devices. The known devices, however, are mainly suitable for incorporation in capstan mechanisms from the outset. However, no anti-theft devices that can be mounted easily as aftermarket accessories on already existing capstan mechanisms or after installation of the mechanism on the vehicle, for example by the end user, are known.

A main object of the invention is therefore to solve the aforementioned problem of how to facilitate installation of the antitheft device on the capstan mechanism.

The known devices are also often ineffective against burglary attempts carried out by expert subjects, endowed with high physical strength or specific tools. Another object of the invention is therefore to provide an antitheft device which is able to resist burglary attempts carried out with expertise and/or with high strength.

The known devices are also complex to manufacture and expensive. A further object of the invention is therefore to provide an antitheft device of the aforementioned type, which can be industrially produced in large numbers with ease and at low cost. A not least object of the invention is to provide a protective housing that can be easily mounted manually even by an individual who is not expert and has no specific tools.

These and other objects are achieved with the antitheft device as claimed in the appended claims.

Disclosure of the Invention

The antitheft device according to the invention comprises a cylindrical body in which there are defined, at opposite ends, a control portion and an engaging portion. The control portion is provided with engaging means for a control key. The control key allows to rotate the device and apply thereto the torque required by the associated mechanism. According to the invention, the engaging portion is provided with a cylindrical bushing eccentrically coupled to the engaging portion. The eccentric coupling between the engaging portion and the bushing takes place in such a way that the relative rotation of the body of the device relative to the bushing determines radial compression or expansion of said bushing. The eccentricity is preferably chosen so that the maximum radial compression or expansion is determined for a rotation of about one quarter of turn. Advantageously, thanks to this measure, the device can be firmly engaged on a rotatable control pin. In particular, according to the invention, there can be two configurations, depending on whether the control pin is of the male or female type. In the first case, the bushing is housed inside a seat provided in the engaging portion of the device and is inserted on the outside of the control pin. The rotation of the device relative to the bushing determines radial compression of the latter against the outer surface of the control pin. In the second case, the bushing is held on the outside of the engaging portion of the device and is inserted inside an axial seat provided in the control pin. The rotation of the body of the device relative to the bushing determines radial expansion of the latter against the inner surface of the seat of the control pin. In both configurations, the secure engagement of the antitheft device on the control pin is obtained. The antitheft device may possibly be disengaged from the control pin by turning the body of the device, relative to the bushing, in the opposite direction, which bushing preferably takes the starting configuration of disengagement due to the elasticity of the material of which the bushing is made. In the absence of such elasticity characteristic, or in case of jamming of the bushing due to the long time elapsed since installation of the device, the device can be disengaged for example by means of a lever.

The engaging means preferably comprise a groove extending annularly on the base of the engaging portion. The groove extends axially in the body so as to define a corresponding annular seat for a projection provided on the control key. According to the invention, the groove preferably extends continuously or it may comprise interruptions. The engaging means may also have seats, for example in the form of holes, variously distributed on the base of the engaging portion. The engaging means are also preferably configured differently for each device or for each batch of devices, so as to make it impossible or very unlikely that the same control key can be coupled with more than one antitheft device.

According to the invention, the cylindrical body of the device is surrounded by a rotatable ferrule. The ferrule is associated to the cylindrical body so as to be substantially unmovable, but so as to be free to rotate idly with respect to the cylindrical body. The purpose of the ferrule is to prevent that the cylindrical body can be rotated without using the specific key. The ferrule therefore extends axially over at least that part of the length of the cylindrical body that is exposed on the outside when the device is associated to the control pin of a capstan mechanism.

According to the invention, the body of the device and the ferrule are preferably made of high-strength steel. The bushing can be made of steel or plastics.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Some preferred embodiments of the invention given by way of non-limiting examples will be described with reference to the annexed figures, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a side view of the device in a first embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal section of the device of Fig. 1 taken along the plane A-A;

Fig. 3 shows a cross-section of the device of Fig. 1 taken along the plane B-B;

Fig. 4 shows a longitudinal section of the device in a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 5 shows a longitudinal section of the device of Fig. 4, without key and along a plane rotated by 90° ;

Fig. 6 shows a bottom plan view of the device of Fig.5;

Fig. 7 shows a top plan view of the device of Fig.5;

- Fig. 8 shows an overall view of a capstan mechanism for spare wheels of vehicles.

In all the Figures, the same reference numerals have been used for denoting same or functionally equivalent parts.

Description of Some Preferred Embodiments of the Invention

Reference will initially be made to Fig. 8 in order to describe a generic capstan mechanism known per se for vehicle spare wheels. The mechanism has been generally indicated by the reference 11. It mainly comprises a capstan 13, a flexible member 15 and a yoke or anchor 17. The capstan 13 is housed in a casing 19 and is provided with a control pin 21. The control pin 21 protrudes from the casing 19 for being rotated by means of an appropriate tool that is usually part of the vehicle equipment. In the illustrated embodiment, the flexible member 15 comprises a cable 23. In other embodiments of the mechanism 11, the flexible member 15 may comprise a chain. The flexible member 15 is usually made of high- strength steel. The yoke 17 is firmly attached to the free end of the cable 23 and can be engaged in the rim 25 of the spare wheel 27. The capstan 13 allows to wind and unwind the cable 23 on a spool contained in the casing 19. When the cable 23 is wound by the capstan 13, the spare wheel 27 is brought against the base of a housing provided in the chassis or body of the vehicle. A guide duct 29, open to the base of said housing, is often provided in order to guide the cable 23 along the desired path. In this arrangement, the spare wheel 27 can be separated from the vehicle by acting on the capstan 13 for unwinding the cable 23. Therefore, those who may want to take possession of the spare wheel 27 in a fraudulent way, could try to rotate said control pin 21 of the capstan 13 to unwind the cable 23. This fraudulent operation is made possible by the fact that the pin 21 generally has a shape adapted to be engaged by a standard tool, such as a fixed wrench commonly available on the market. In order to prevent the pin 21 from being rotated, there is provided the antitheft device according to the invention.

In the Figures 1 to 3, there is illustrated a first embodiment of the antitheft device according to the invention. The device has been indicated as a whole with the reference numeral 31 and comprises a cylindrical body 33. A control portion 35 and an engaging portion 37 are defined at the opposite ends of the body 31. The control portion 35 is provided with engaging means 39 for a control key 41. In the illustrated embodiment, the engaging means 39 comprise a groove 43 extending annularly in a continuous manner on the base 45 of the portion 35. The groove 43 extends axially in the body 33 so as to define a corresponding annular seat for a projection 47 provided on the control key 41.

The engaging portion 37 is provided with a cylindrical bushing 49 which has an axis parallel to and non-coincident with the axis of the cylindrical body 33, but is eccentrically coupled to the engaging portion 37 of said cylindrical body 33. In the illustrated embodiment, the device 31 is configured for being engaged on a control pin 21 having a square cross- section. The bushing 49 therefore preferably has a central bore 49a having a corresponding cross-section. The cross-section of the bore 49a of the bushing 49 is chosen so as to allow to fit the bushing 49 onto the control pin 21 with slight interference by using the physical strength only or for instance a hammer with rubber head.

In this embodiment, the bushing 49 is housed within a seat 51 formed in the engaging portion 37. The bushing 49 is housed within the seat 51 in an eccentric manner so that the reciprocal rotation between the body 33 and the bushing 49 determines radial compression of the bushing 49. The bushing 49 preferably comprises a radial slot 53 allowing radial deformation of the bushing 49 during rotation of the body 33. The radial slot 53 preferably extends longitudinally over the entire length of the bushing 49. A rotatable ferrule 55 is mounted on the body 33. The ferrule 55 is associated to the body 53 by means of a half-ring 57, arranged between the ferrule 55 and the body 33, so as to be freely rotatable. When the device 31 is associated to the control pin 21 of a capstan mechanism 11 for vehicle spare wheels, the ferrule 55 surrounds the portion of the body 33 which remains freely accessible on the outside and, consequently, prevents the possibility for the body 33 to be grasped and rotated fraudulently by a conventional tool.

When the device 31 is disengaged from the pin 21, the bushing 49 is retained within the seat 51 due to the interference between said bushing and the inner surface of the seat 51.

The body 33 of the device 31 can be rotated solely by engaging the key 41 onto the control portion 35 of the body 33. The key 41 is advantageously provided with a control portion 59 which substantially reproduces the shape of the control pin 21. In the illustrated embodiment, therefore, the portion 59 has a square cross-section. A hole 61 can be provided for a radial engaging pin of a control rod (not illustrated) which is part of the vehicle equipment.

Referring now to Figs. 4 to 7, there is illustrated a second embodiment of the device 31 according to the invention, in which the bushing 49 has a central bore 49a having a lobed cross-section. This embodiment is capable of being associated with a control pin 21 having a complementary lobed cross-section or a cross-section that is in anyway compatible. Still with reference to this second embodiment, the idly rotatable ferrule 55 extends axially substantially over the whole length of the body 33 of the device 31.

The device as described and illustrated is susceptible to several variations and modifications, all of them falling within the same inventive principle.