Patent Application
20200055485
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(2) Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98.
The disclosure and prior art relates to locking devices and more particularly pertains to a new locking device for keeping a parking brake engaged on a vehicle with airbrakes.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a vehicle that has airbrakes which include a parking brake plunger. The parking brake plunger is positionable in an actuated position and an un-actuated position. A collar is provided that has a first half being pivotally coupled to a second half. The collar is positionable around the parking brake plunger when the parking brake plunger is positioned in the actuated position. Moreover, the collar inhibits the parking brake plunger from being urged into the un-actuated position when the collar is positioned around the parking brake plunger. In this way the vehicle is retained in a parked position thereby enhancing safety for individuals entering and exiting the vehicle. A lock is coupled to first half of the collar and releasably engages the second half.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A collar 24 is provided that has a first half 26 being pivotally coupled to a second half 28. A collar 24 is positionable around the parking brake plunger 16 when the parking brake plunger 16 is positioned in the actuated position. Thus, the collar 24 inhibits the parking brake plunger 16 from being urged into the un-actuated position when the collar 24 is positioned around the parking brake plunger 16. In this way the airbrakes 14 are engaged to retain the vehicle 12 in a parked position thereby enhancing safety for individuals entering and exiting the vehicle 12. Moreover, the collar 24 inhibits the airbrakes 14 from being inadvertently disengaged and potentially exposing the individuals to injury due to the vehicle 12 rolling. The collar 24 may be brightly colored with a color that contrasts to the color of the parking brake plunger 16 for enhancing visibility of the collar 24.
The first half 26 has a first end 30, a second end 32 and a first surface 34 extending therebetween. The first surface 34 is concavely arcuate between the first 30 and second 32 ends such that the first half 26 forms a U shape. Additionally, the first end 30 is concavely arcuate and the second end 32 is convexly arcuate. The second half 28 has a primary end 36, a secondary end 38 and a primary surface 40 extending therebetween. The primary surface 40 is concavely arcuate between each of the primary 36 and secondary 38 ends such that the second half 28 has a U shape. Additionally, the primary end 36 is convexly arcuate and the secondary end 38 is concavely arcuate.
The first end 30 of the first half 26 has the primary end 36 of the second half 28 being pivotally positioned therein such that the curvature of the primary end 36 conforms to the curvature of the first end 30. A pin 42 or the like extends through each of the first end 30 and the primary end 36 to pivotally couple the first half 26 to the second half 28. The second end 32 has the secondary end 38 positioned therein when the collar 24 is positioned in a closed position such that the collar 24 forms a closed ring. Moreover, the curvature of the secondary end 38 conforms to the curvature of the second end 32 when the collar 24 is closed.
Each of the first 26 and second 28 halves extends around the stem 22 of the parking brake plunger 16 when the collar 24 is positioned around the parking brake plunger 16. In this way the head 20 abuts the collar 24 when the head 20 is engaged thereby inhibiting the head 20 from being urged toward the dashboard 18. Thus, the parking brake plunger 16 is inhibited from being urged into the un-acuated position. The second end 32 is spaced from the secondary end 38 when the collar 24 is positioned in an open position thereby facilitating the collar 24 to be removed from the stem 22 or positioned around the stem 22. Additionally, the secondary end 38 of the second half 28 has a well 44 extending therein.
A lock 46 is provided and the lock 46 is coupled to first half 26 of the collar 24. The lock 46 releasably engages the second half 28 when the collar 24 is positioned around the parking brake plunger 16 thereby inhibiting the collar 24 from being removed from the parking brake plunger 16. The lock 46 is selectively disengaged from the second half 28 thereby facilitating the collar 24 to be removed from the parking brake plunger 16. The lock 46 comprises a key tumbler 48 that is positioned within the first half 26. The key tumbler 48 is aligned with the second end 32 of the first half 26 and the key tumbler 48 has a key slot 50 therein for insertably receiving a key 52. The key 52 actuates the key tumbler 48 between a locked position and an unlocked position.
A finger 54 is coupled to the key tumbler 48 having the finger 54 extending outwardly from the second end 32 of the first half 26. The finger 54 extends into the well 44 in the secondary end 38 of the second half 28 when the collar 24 is the closed position. Moreover, the finger 54 engages an engagement 56 in the well 44 in the secondary end 38 of the second half 28 when the key tumbler 48 is acuated into the locked position. In this way the collar 24 is retained in the closed position around the parking brake plunger 16. The finger 54 disengages the engagement 56 in the well 44 when the key tumbler 48 is actuated into the unlocked position thereby facilitating the collar 24 to be urged into the open position.
In use, the parking brake plunger 16 is pulled outwardly from the dashboard 18 to engage the airbrakes 14 in the vehicle 12 for parking. The collar 24 is positioned around the stem 22 of the parking brake plunger 16 and the collar 24 is closed around the stem 22. Thus, the finger 54 engages the engagement 56 in the well 44 thereby locking the collar 24 around the stem 22. The head 20 abuts the collar 24 when the parking brake plunger 16 is pushed toward the dashboard 18. In this way the collar 24 inhibits the parking brake plunger 16 from being fully pushed toward the dashboard 18 and consequently disengaging the airbrakes 14. Thus, the collar 24 reduces the likelihood the individuals, such as passengers on and around a bus, are struck by the vehicle 12 if the vehicle 12 begins to roll due to the airbrakes 14 being disengaged. Additionally, the collar 24 cannot be removed from the parking brake plunger 16 without the key 52. In this way the airbrakes 14 cannot be disengaged until the key 52 is inserted into the key tumbler 48, the collar 24 is unlocked and the collar 24 is removed from the stem 22.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
