US 4,301,441 AGranted

Alarm and antitheft system for an automotive vehicle

OwnerBenjamin Baxterinventor

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Abstract

An alarm and antitheft system for an automotive vehicle having a master relay, which defines a running condition and an alarm condition which is assumed when the ignition switch of the vehicle is in the off position, and a cut-out relay, the master relay including an element selectively lockable to maintain the relay in one or the other of these conditions or unlockable for manual actuation of the master relay into the running condition and including contacts which, in the alarm condition, electrically bypass the horn switch of the vehicle to warn of attempted unauthorized operation, open the ignition circuit of the vehicle, and connect the lighting circuit of the vehicle to a device to signal that the lights are on, and the cut-out relay being energized from the horn in the alarm condition to open the starting circuit of the vehicle.

Claims10

Dependent claims

An alarm and antitheft system for an automotive vehicle equipped with a source of electrical energy, a starter motor, a solenoid which connects the motor to the source when the solenoid is electrically energized therefrom, a switch provided with a starting terminal and adapted selectively to energize the terminal from the source, an electrically energizable warning device, and a warning switch selectively actuatable to energize the warning device from the source, the alarm and antitheft system comprising:

A. first switching means having a control terminal and being electrically connected between the starting terminal and the solenoid for opening electrical connection between the starting terminal and the solenoid when the control terminal is energized and for closing such electrical connection when the control terminal is de-energized;
B. second switching means connected in parallel with the warning switch for providing an alarm condition wherein the warning switch is bypassed, energizing the warning device when the warning switch is not actuated, and for providing a running condition wherein the warning switch is not so bypassed;
and
C. a conductor electrically connecting the warning device and the control terminal so that in the alarm condition, the control terminal is energized from the warning device, opening electrical connection between the starting terminal and the solenoid so that the motor is not energized from the source when the starting terminal is energized therefrom.

1 more element

An alarm and antitheft system for an automotive vehicle equipped with a source of electrical energy having a live terminal and a ground terminal, an ignition system, a starting system, a switch having an ignition terminal and a starting terminal individually selectively energizable from the live terminal, an ignition conductor electrically connecting the ignition terminal and the ignition system, a starting conductor electrically connecting the starting system to the starting terminal, and a warning system including a normally open, momentary contact warning switch having a terminal selectively connected to the ground terminal when the warning switch is closed to actuate the warning system, a conductor connected to the warning switch terminal and a warning device having a terminal which is electrically energized from the live terminal when the warning switch is closed to provide a warning exteriorly of the vehicle, the alarm and antitheft system comprising:

A. a cut-out relay having
(1) a pair of normally closed contacts connected in series in the starting conductor, and
(2) a solenoid electrically connected between the warning device terminal and the ground terminal and adapted electromagnetically to open the normally closed contacts when the warning device terminal is energized so that the starting system cannot be energized from the starting terminal;
B. an auxiliary relay having
(1) a pair of normally open contacts individually connected to the conductor of the warning system and to the ground terminal,
(2) a control terminal, and
(3) a solenoid electrically connected between the control terminal and the ground terminal, said solenoid being adapted when energized to electromagnetically close the normally open contacts and bypass the warning switch so as to energize the warning device terminal and the solenoid of the cut-out relay;
C. a master relay having
(1) a frame,
(2) a solenoid mounted on the frame having a terminal electrically connected to the ground terminal and an opposite terminal,
(3) an armature mounted on the frame for movement toward the solenoid into a running position juxtaposed thereto and from the solenoid into an alarm position spaced from the solenoid, the solenoid electromagnetically exerting a force urging the armature toward the running position when said opposite terminal thereof is electrically connected to the live terminal,
(4) first resilient means exerting a force urging the armature toward the alarm position, the relative resilient and electromagnetic forces being such that, in the absence of other forces, the armature remains in a selected one of the positions when the solenoid is energized and assumes the alarm position when the solenoid is de-energized,
(5) a pair of alarm contacts adapted to be closed by movement of the armature into the alarm position and opened by movement of the armature toward the running position,
(6) a pair of running contacts adapted to be closed by movement of the armature into the running position and opened by movement of the armature toward the alarm position,
(7) a conductor electrically connecting said opposite terminal, one of the alarm contacts, and one of the running contacts,
(8) a manually actuatable element mounted on the frame for elective movement between a first position and a second position corresponding, respectively, to the alarm position and the running position, the element engaging the armature as the element moves toward the second position so as to carry the armature into the running position and being manually actuatable for movement from the first position toward the second position,
(9) second resilient means urging the element toward the first position so that when the element is not actuated, the armature moves into the alarm position under the urging of the first resilient means when said solenoid is de-energized, and
(10) Key actuated means selectively for locking the element in the first position, for locking the element in the second position, and for unlocking the element for movement between said positions when the key is remote from the master relay;
D. a conductor electrically connecting the ignition terminal with said opposite terminal;
E. a conductor electrically connecting the other of the running contacts to the ignition system so that the running contacts connect the ignition terminal to the ignition system in the running positions and disconnect the ignition terminal from the ignition system in the alarm position;
and
F. a conductor electrically connecting the other of the alarm contacts to the terminal of the auxiliary relay so that the alarm contacts electrically disconnect the auxiliary relay from the ignition terminal in the running position and electrically connect the terminal of the auxiliary relay to the input terminal in the alarm condition, whereby energization of the ignition terminal in the alarm condition energizes the solenoid of the auxiliary relay to energize the warning device and the solenoid of the cut-out relay and prevent energization of the starting system.

19 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.