Patent Application
20240200280
The present invention relates to motor vehicles, and in particular, to devices and methods for preventing the theft of catalytic converters.
Automobile 1 has a trackwidth of approximately 5 feet and a wheelbase of approximately 10 feet. Trackwidth and wheelbase varies between vehicle makes and models.
Ride height or ground clearance is the amount of space between the base of an automobile tire and the lowest point of the automobile (typically the axle); or, more properly, to the shortest distance between a flat, level surface, and the lowest part of a vehicle other than those parts designed to contact the ground, such as the tires. The ride height can vary between vehicle makes and models. For example, a road car usually has a ride height around 6.3-6.7 inches, while an SUV usually lies around 7.5-8.7 inches. Two well-known extremes are the Ferrari F40 with a 4.9 inch ride height and the Hummer H2 with a 9.8 inch ride height. In
Speed bumps are known. Speed bumps (also called traffic thresholds, speed breakers or sleeping policemen) are the common name for a class of traffic calming devices that use vertical deflection to slow motor-vehicle traffic to an extremely slow speed. Speed bumps are often found in parking lots.
Speed humps are also known. A speed hump is a rounded traffic calming device used to reduce vehicle speed. Speed humps are placed across the road to slow traffic and are often installed in a series of several humps to prevent cars from speeding before and after the hump. Common speed hump shapes are parabolic, circular, and sinusoidal.
Speed bumps and speed humps can be made from a variety of materials, including asphalt, concrete, recycled plastic, metal, or vulcanized rubber. Rubber products are pre-shaped to standard sizes to meet industry standards. Preformed rubber products are typically bolted down, making them easier to install or remove. Bolt-down products can also be removed or relocated during winter snow periods—where speed bumps are easily concealed and may be damaged by snowplows. To increase visibility at night, speed bumps and speed humps can also include high visibility reflective yellow tape or a special-formulated safety yellow paint with reflective glass beads.
Because of the external location and the use of valuable precious metals including platinum, palladium and rhodium, catalytic converters are a target for thieves. Any vehicle that has a catalytic converter is a potential target for thieves. Some hybrid models, such as the Toyota Prius, are also targeted because their catalytic converters use higher amounts of rare earth metals to better handle hotter-than-normal exhaust. Additionally, commercial vehicles that are higher off the ground, such as vans, late model pickup trucks and SUVs are also targeted. The higher ground clearance allows suspects to more easily get underneath the car or truck to saw off the catalytic converter.
Pipe cutters are often used to quietly remove the converter. Other tools may be also used. For example, a portable reciprocating saw if used can damage other components of the car, such as the alternator, wiring or fuel lines, with potentially dangerous consequences. A catalytic converter can cost more than $1,000 to replace, more if the vehicle is damaged during the theft.
Annual thefts of the catalytic converter jumped from 1,298 in 2018 to 14,433 in 2020, according to data compiled by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB)—an increase of more than 1,000 percent. Stealing a catalytic converter can take as little as 30 seconds, and the parts have continued to remain prime targets for theft thanks to elevated prices on the precious metals they contain.
There have been numerous attempts in the prior art to deter and prevent the theft of catalytic converters. Unfortunately, these attempts are cumbersome, expensive and largely ineffective.
What is needed is a better method and device for deterring the theft of catalytic converters.
The present invention provides a method and device for deterring theft of a catalytic converter connected to a vehicle's exhaust system. A securing device is used to secure a ground clearance reduction device to the ground. The ground clearance reduction device has a width, length and height that is sufficient to decrease the distance between the bottom of a vehicle's catalytic converter and the top of the ground. A vehicle operator drives a vehicle having a catalytic converter over the ground clearance reduction device and parks the vehicle, thereby deterring theft.
Ground clearance reduction device 20 (
As shown in
In a preferred embodiment ground clearance reduction device 20 is fabricated from vulcanized rubber. Ground clearance reduction device 20 also reflective stripes 25 to increase visibility of ground clearance reduction device 20, especially at night. For example, as shown in
In
As an added benefit, in a parking lot ground clearance reduction device 20 functions to properly position each vehicle within the allotted parking space. As the vehicle operator is parking his vehicle, the vehicle is forced to property position itself over ground clearance reduction device 20. Therefore, there is consequently a dramatic reduction in door dings and other undesirable conditions when vehicles are not well parked within the indicated parking slot lines.
Although the above-preferred embodiments have been described with specificity, persons skilled in this art will recognize that many changes to the specific embodiments disclosed above could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, it should be understood that the dimensions of ground clearance reduction device 20 may be adjusted as appropriate. A automobile with a very short ride height (for example, a small sports car), may require a thinner ground clearance reduction device to accommodate the shorter ride height. Therefore, the attached claims and their legal equivalents should determine the scope of the invention.
