The present teachings relate to a locking device, and in particular, to a seat locking device for use in a motor vehicle. More specifically, the present teachings relate to a seat locking device and methods of locking a seat that prevent or deter the theft of third row seats from a sport utility vehicle.
The unauthorized removal and theft of third row seats on certain sport utility vehicles is a pervasive and expensive problem. High-rates of stolen third row seats are known to occur on full-sized SUVs built by GENERAL MOTORS including the following models: CHEVROLET TAHOE, CHEVROLET SUBURBAN, CADILLAC ESCALADE, CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV, GMC YUKON, GMC YUKON XL, GMC YUKON DENALI, and GMC YUKON DENALI XL. Each of these vehicles incorporates the use of the GMT900 Model third row seats.
The replacement cost of third row seats is extremely high which has resulted in a large market for stolen third row seats. Once a thief is inside one of these aforementioned sport utility vehicles, all that is needed to remove the third row seat is to release the clamps that secure the third row seat to the floorboard. Easy removal of third row seats occurs because the manufacturer does not provide a locking mechanism that allows owners to prevent the unauthorized removal of third row seats. As a result, a thief just needs to gain entry into the vehicle and they can then readily release and remove the third row seat.
Accordingly, there exists a need for devices and methods that can prevent the unauthorized release and theft of third row seats from sport utility vehicles.
The present teachings provide a seat lock device including a lock body configured to straddle a seat bracket of at least one of a left-hand third row seat and a right-hand third row seat clamped to a floorboard. The lock body can include a series of coaxial bores. A pin assembly can include a pin configured to be inserted through the series of coaxial bores of the lock body such that the pin is also extendable through a pre-existing hole formed in the at least one seat bracket thereby preventing the at least one seat bracket from releasing from the floorboard.
The present teachings also provide a seat lock device including a lock body defining at least one of a left channel and a right channel. Each of the left channel and the right channel can be shaped to fit about the bracket mechanism of a left-hand seat and a right-hand seat holding the seat to a floorboard. The lock body can include a series of coaxial bores. The seat lock device can further include a pin assembly including a pin arm and a pin. The pin can be configured to extend through at least one pre-existing hole formed in the bracket mechanism of the left-hand seat and the right-hand seat to prevent the bracket mechanism from releasing from the floorboard when the pin is inserted through the series of coaxial bores formed in the lock body.
The present teachings still further provide a method of locking a seat to a floorboard of a vehicle. The method includes providing a lock body configured to straddle a seat bracket of at least one left-hand seat and right-hand seat, the seat lock body including a series of coaxial bores. The method further includes inserting a pin through the series of coaxial holes formed in the lock body and through a pre-existing hole formed in the seat bracket of the at least one left-hand seat and right-hand seat thereby preventing the release of the seat bracket that secures the least one left-hand seat and right-hand seat to a floorboard.
Additional features and advantages of various embodiments will be set forth, in part, in the description that follows, and will, in part, be apparent from the description, or may be learned by the practice of various embodiments. The objectives and other advantages of various embodiments will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the description herein.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are intended to provide an explanation of various embodiments of the present teachings.
The present teachings relate to a seat lock device that can prevent the unauthorized removal and theft of third row seats. In particular, the seat lock device of the present teachings can be used to prevent the unauthorized theft of third row seats from full-sized GENERAL MOTORS sport utility vehicles (SUV) manufactured from 2007 through 2013. In use, the seat lock device of the present teachings can operate to prevent the operative movement and release of the brackets or clamps that secure the third row seats to the floorboard of the SUV, hence rendering the seat assembly unremovable from the vehicle. While the seat lock device of the present teachings is disclosed for locking a seat to and within a motor vehicle, it could be used in various other environments where unauthorized tampering and removal of any object is desired.
As will be described in more detail below, when the lock body 20 is arranged about the brackets of the left-hand and right-hand third row seats and the pin 42 is inserted through the series of coaxial bores 22, the pin 42 also extends through pre-existing openings formed in the seat brackets. In this installed position of the seat lock device 10, the pin 42 of the pin assembly 40 acts as a block to stop the clasps of the brackets from opening thereby preventing the third row seats from being released from the floorboard of the vehicle. The lock 50, in combination with the structure and shape of the lock body 20 and pin assembly 40, prevent unauthorized tampering with the bracket mechanisms securing the third row seats to the vehicle.
Referring to
Furthermore, the lock body 20 can include a lock arm 28 that can extend from the lock body 20. The lock arm 28 can include any type of flange or extension onto which the lock 50 can be secured to or rest against to prevent removal of the pin assembly 40. For example, a lock arm 28 can be arranged to extend outwardly from a rearward portion of the lock body 20 and can include a bore 38 through which the shackle of the lock 50 can be inserted.
Referring to
As best shown in
The pin 42 can have a length that allows it to extend through the coaxial bores 22 in each of the left arm 32, the center body section 34, and the right arm 36 of the lock body 20. In other words, the pin 42 can have a length substantially equal to the width of the lock body 20. The pin 42 can include a round cross-section but could include any cross-sectional shape. The distal end of the pin 42 can end in a point.
In a typical full-sized SUV, each of the respective bracket mechanisms for the left-hand and right-hand third row seats can be arranged to clamp to a metal bar fixed to the floorboard so as to secure each third row seat to the vehicle. Each of the bracket mechanisms for the third row seats can include a user-actuable handle which when actuated can release or open the respective seat bracket by way of a linkage and/or cable mechanism. The handle enables the bracket mechanisms of each third row seat to be released from clasping the metal bar of the floorboard thereby allowing the third row seats to be independently detached and removed from the vehicle.
In use of the seat lock device 10 of the present teachings, the lock body 20 can be positioned on the floorboard of the SUV with the front portion thereof facing each of the innermost bracket mechanisms at the front end of the left-hand and right-hand third row seats. The lock body 20 can be moved into a position so as to straddle the two innermost bracket mechanisms of the left-hand and right-hand third row seats. The pin 42 of the pin assembly 40 can then be inserted successively through the series of coaxial bores 22 formed in the lock body 20, that is, through the coaxial bores 22 formed in the left arm 32, the center body section 34, and the right arm 36. As the pin 42 is inserted through the series of coaxial bores 22, the pin 42 simultaneously extends through pre-existing holes formed in the respective bracket mechanisms of the left-hand and right hand third row seats. When the pin 42 is situated within these pre-existing holes, the pin 42 acts to prevent the clasps on the respective seat brackets from opening when the user actuates the handle. Accordingly, with the pin 42 is in place, the release function of each of the left-hand and right-hand third row seats is disabled, thereby preventing the release of the third row seats from the floorboard and their removal from the vehicle.
After the pin 42 has been inserted through the coaxial bores 22 formed in the lock body 20 and in the seat brackets, the lock body 20 and the pin assembly 40 can be secured together using the lock 50, see
Furthermore, to prevent the insertion of an instrument between the pin arm 44 and the lock body 20 and prying the pin 42 away from the lock body 20, a security tab 46 can be arranged on either or both sides of the pin arm 44. The security tabs 46 can be flange-like in shape and can extend outwardly from the lateral ends of the pin arm 44. The security tabs 46 can extend over at least a portion of the junction between the pin arm 44 and the end of the lock body 20 when the pin 42 is fully inserted through the series of coaxial bores 22 of the lock body 20. The security tabs 46 operate to block an instrument from being inserted into the junction and using leverage to attempt to remove the pin 42 from the lock body 20.
The lock body 20 and the pin arm 44 can be cut out of ¾ inch steel. The pin 42 can be made from 3/16 inch round steel bar. The pin 42 can be welded to the pin arm 44 to form the pin assembly 40. Alternatively, the pin arm 44 along with the security tabs 46 can be formed from a single block of steel using a routing process. When the lock body 20 is made from ¾ inch plate steel, the distance between the inner walls of the security tabs 46 can be about ¾ inches to allow the pin arm 44 to hug an end of the lock body 20 in an installed position.
According to various embodiments, the lock body 20 can have a width of about 4 inches and a length of about 2.5 inches. With the use of a lock arm 28, the length of the lock body can be about 3.5 inches along one side thereof. The distance from a middle axis of the left channel 24 to the middle axis of the right channel 26 can be from about 2.375 inches to about 2.75 inches, and preferably about 2.5 inches. As previously discussed above, the shape of the channels 24, 26 can correspond to the design and shape of each seat's bracket mechanism to allow the lock body 20 to achieve a close fit about the seat brackets and provide maximum security and protection for the pin 42 when it is inserted into the lock body 20.
According to various embodiments, the width of the pin arm 44 can be about 1.0625 inches and a length of about 3.5 inches. With a length of about 3.5 inches, the pin arm 44 can extend along the entire side of the lock body 20. The pin 42 can extend out of the pin arm 44 about 4.0625 inches.
Moreover, the seat lock device 10 of the present teachings can be used to prevent the unauthorized removal of a single third row seat from the vehicle. With right-hand third row seat 70 removed from the vehicle, the seat lock device 10 of the present teachings can be used in the same manner as discussed above with respect to two third row seats 60, 70 but the pin 42 would be arranged to extend only through the bracket mechanism of the left-hand third row seat 60. Alternatively, with the left-hand third row seat 60 removed from the vehicle, the seat lock device 10 of the present teachings would be flipped over so that the pin arm 44 and the lock arm 28 are oriented on the right side of the device 10, and the pin 42 would then extend only through the bracket mechanism of the right-hand third row seat 70.
The seat lock device 10 of the present teachings has several functions. A first function is to secure the pin 42 within the seat brackets so that it cannot be removed from the seat brackets or the lock body 20. A second function is to limit access or exposure of the pin 42 so the pin 42 cannot be cut or tampered with. The geometric shape of the lock body 20 of the present teachings limits the exposure of the pin 42 while still maintaining the full functionality of the third row seat.
Those skilled in the art can appreciate from the foregoing description that the present teachings can be implemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while these teachings have been described in connection with particular embodiments and examples thereof, the true scope of the present teachings should not be so limited. Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the teachings herein.
The present application claims the benefit from earlier filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/683,785 filed Aug. 16, 2012, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
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