Vehicle lock guard
AssigneeJames S. Chong
InventorHerbert William Hoeptner, III
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Unlocking of a vehicle door by insertion of implements other than the door key into the door is prevented by a guard housing within the door into which the key turnable inner end of the lock cylinder extends and which also encloses an otherwise vulnerable portion of the linkage which interconnects the lock cylinder and the door latching means. In a preferred form of the invention, the housing has an extension which extends below the lock cylinder and which is angled to extend to the outer shell of the door and then downward along the inner surface of the shell and which extends between the shell and the side impact beam of the door. The guard may secured in place by the same bolt that secures the handle assembly to the door and is wholly within and concealed by the door.
Claims15
A guard device for preventing unlocking of a vehicle door by insertion of implements other than a door key into the door, said guard device having a housing adapted for disposition within said door at the location of a key turnable inner end of a lock cylinder of the door, said housing having an interior chamber adapted to receive said key turnable inner end of said lock cylinder and an end of a link that is coupled thereto, said housing having first and second openings which respectively enable entry of said key turnable inner end of said lock cylinder and entry of said end of said link into said chamber, wherein said housing has spaced apart first and second opposite side walls and a top wall and spaced apart first and second end walls bounding said interior chamber, wherein first side wall including an edge thereof that is adjacent said first end wall extends down from said top wall for a distance that exceeds the length of said first end wall, said first opening for enabling entry of said inner end of said lock cylinder being a horizontal slot which extends into said first side wall from said edge thereof at a location which is below said first end wall.
In a vehicle door which includes latching means having a locking member which is shiftable to lock the door, a lock cylinder disposed at an opening in an outer shell of the door and having an outer end that is accessible from the outside of said vehicle and an inner end which is within the door and which is turnable by use of a door key, a pivoting arm extending radially from said inner end of said lock cylinder within said door and a link coupling said pivoting arm to said locking member of said latching means, the improvement comprising:
- a guard device for preventing unlocking of the door by insertion of implements other than the door key into the door, said guard device having a housing with first and second spaced apart side walls and a top wall and first and second end walls forming a chamber proportioned to contain said inner end of said lock cylinder and said pivoting arm, said first side wall having a first opening through which said lock cylinder extends into said housing which first opening extends to an edge of said first side wall and wherein said first end wall extends downward from said top wall along the portion of said edge which is above said first opening, said housing having a second opening at the underside thereof through which said link extends into said housing, said guard device being wholly contained within and concealed by said door.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.