US3611287A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vehicle antitheft control and signal device
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1970-04-24
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Granted: 1971-10-05
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Expires: 1990-04-24
Abstract
Abstract An antitheft system for motor vehicles comprising an electromechanically actuated, normally locked hood latch and a normally open security switch in the ignition circuit in series with the conventional key-operated ignition switch. A cascade of semiconductor-controlled rectifiers (SCR) operate when triggered in series order after closing the key-switch to complete the ignition circuit and unlock the hood latch. A bank of momentarycontact switches at the driver station includes several which, operated in proper coded sequence, trigger the SCR''s in series order and several others, operation of any one of which will prevent completion of the ignition circuit and unlocking of the hood latch until the key-switch is turned off momentarily. A selectively operable switch accessible to the driver permits him to override the ignition security circuit when turning off the engine so as to permit restarting without use of the coded sequence switches while maintaining the hood latched in locked condition and giving an audible signal that the ignition is not in security condition. The audible signal can be terminated only by use of the coded sequence and automatically restoring the ignition to its security condition. Placing the key-switch in the ACCESSORY position permits the hood latch to be unlocked by use of the coded sequence switches without energizing the ignition circuit.
Inventors
- 👤 Marc Hoff
- 👤 Rodney J Solomon
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 10:06
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60R; B60R25/00; B60R25/01; B60R25/04; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T70/00; Y10T70/50; Y10T70/5889; Y10T70/5903; Y10T70/5907
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
283 words
An antitheft system for motor vehicles having an ignition circuit energized from one pole of a DC power source, the other pole of which represents ground potential, comprising: a relay having a first set of normally open contacts interposed in said ignition circuit and a second set of normally open contacts interposed in series with the relay winding between said power source and ground Potential, whereby excitation of the winding and concomitant closure of said first and second sets of contacts respectively enables the ignition circuit and latches the relay; and code circuit means operable to excite said relay winding comprising: a plurality of bistable semiconductor junction devices having anode, cathode, and gate terminals, said devices being connected in series cathode-to-anode; means for applying to the anode of the first of the series of semiconductor devices a bias potential from the positive terminal of said DC source; respective trigger circuits connected to said gate terminals; respective normally open momentary contact switches in said trigger circuits selectively operable to apply a triggering potential from said DC source to the associated gate terminal; impedance means associated with each said semiconductor device to achieve latching thereof in conductive condition when triggered and preclude triggering of the second and succeeding devices until triggered subsequent to triggering of the immediately preceding device, whereby triggering of all said devices can be effected only by actuation of said momentary contact switches in a preset sequence corresponding to the series order of devices beginning with the first; and solid-state switching means in circuit with said relay winding and operative in response to conduction by the last of said series of semiconductor devices to excite said winding from said DC power source.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
283 words
An antitheft system for motor vehicles having an ignition circuit energized from one pole of a DC power source, the other pole of which represents ground potential, comprising: a relay having a first set of normally open contacts interposed in said ignition circuit and a second set of normally open contacts interposed in series with the relay winding between said power source and ground Potential, whereby excitation of the winding and concomitant closure of said first and second sets of contacts respectively enables the ignition circuit and latches the relay; and code circuit means operable to excite said relay winding comprising: a plurality of bistable semiconductor junction devices having anode, cathode, and gate terminals, said devices being connected in series cathode-to-anode; means for applying to the anode of the first of the series of semiconductor devices a bias potential from the positive terminal of said DC source; respective trigger circuits connected to said gate terminals; respective normally open momentary contact switches in said trigger circuits selectively operable to apply a triggering potential from said DC source to the associated gate terminal; impedance means associated with each said semiconductor device to achieve latching thereof in conductive condition when triggered and preclude triggering of the second and succeeding devices until triggered subsequent to triggering of the immediately preceding device, whereby triggering of all said devices can be effected only by actuation of said momentary contact switches in a preset sequence corresponding to the series order of devices beginning with the first; and solid-state switching means in circuit with said relay winding and operative in response to conduction by the last of said series of semiconductor devices to excite said winding from said DC power source.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
44 words
An antitheft system according to claim 1, wherein said solid-state switching means is a transistor having emitter and collector terminals connected in series with said relay winding and having a base electrode connected to the last of said series of semiconductor controlled rectifier devices.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
An antitheft system according to claim 2, where said bistable semiconductor junction devices are controlled rectifiers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
147 words
An antitheft system according to claim 3, including an additional semiconductor controlled rectifier device having its anode and cathode terminals connected between the base of said transistor and ground potential whereby conduction between said anode and cathode maintains said transistor base electrode at ground potential, thus preventing conduction through its emitter-collector circuit and concomitantly precluding excitation of said relay winding; and means for applying a trigger potential to the gate electrode of said additional semiconductor controlled rectifier comprising: a number of identical parallel trigger circuits connected in common at one end to the gate terminal of said additional SCR device; and, additional momentary contact switches, one for each parallel trigger circuit, and in series therewith between the other end of such circuit and a source of trigger potential, the first-mentioned and additional momentary contact switches having identical operating buttons indistinguishably clustered and accessible in the passenger compartment.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
68 words
An antitheft system according to claim 4, wherein all of said trigger circuits are normally identical and consist of a diode polarized for low impedance to current from said trigger potential source to the associated gate terminal, a capacitor in series with the diode between the diode and gate terminal, and a resistive impedance means connecting a point between the diode and momentary contact switch to ground potential.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
58 words
An antitheft system according to claim 1, further comprising a solenoid-operated hood-latching mechanism resiliently biased to locked condition in the absence of excitation of the solenoid; and circuit means connecting one end of the solenoid to ground potential and the other end to said DC power source through said second set of normally open contacts of the relay.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
86 words
An antitheft system according to claim 5 further comprising a winding, a set of normally closed contacts in series with said solenoid, and a set of normally open contacts connected in parallel with the first seT of normally open contacts of the first relay, the switch in series with the second relay winding between one end thereof and ground potential, the other end of the second relay winding being connected to said DC source through said second set of normally open contacts of the first relay.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
40 words
An antitheft system according to claim 6, further comprising a set of normally closed contacts on said first relay and a signal lamp connected between ground potential and said DC source through said normally closed contacts on the first relay.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
An antitheft system according to claim 7 further comprising an electrically operated audible signal generator connected to be energized through the normally open contacts of the second relay.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
91 words
An antitheft system according to claim 8, wherein said ignition circuit includes a key-operated switch having an ACCESSORY ON position and an IGNITION ON position, the contacts of the ACCESSORY ON position of the switch being in series with the bias potential supply to said first SCR anode and closed in the ACCESSORY ON position, the IGNITION ON position having contacts in series with the first said set of normally open contacts of said first relay, said IGNITION ON contacts being open when the switch is in the ACCESSORY ON position.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-10-04 | 1975-04-05 | 1975-10-05 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-10-04 | 1979-04-05 | 1979-10-05 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-10-04 | 1983-04-05 | 1983-10-05 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |