ANTI-THEFT DEVICE FOR ELECTRICALLY POWERED MOTOR VEHICLES

Abstract

The invention relates to an anti-theft device (1) for an electrically propelled motor vehicle comprising an electrical plug, said plug comprising a block having openings facing outwards, said device comprising said plug, said device further comprising a plug (7) fitable into one of said openings, said plug having an opening (8), and a key (9) adapted to be inserted into said opening, said opening being arranged on the one hand so as to allow rotation of said key once inserted into said opening, and on the other hand such that said key, when subsequently pulled, bears against said plug to allow its removal from said opening. Figure 3

Description

Title of the invention: ANTI-THEFT DEVICE FOR AN ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN MOTOR VEHICLE

[0001] The invention relates to an anti-theft device for an electrically powered motor vehicle.

[0002] An electrically powered vehicle is provided with a powertrain comprising a drive battery supplying electricity to an electric motor. In order to be able to be recharged, the drive battery is connected to an electrical socket integrated into the vehicle and accessible from outside said vehicle, said socket being able to be connected to a complementary socket forming part of an electrical supply system external to said vehicle, said system further comprising an electrical supply device - such as a power terminal or a domestic network - and a cable connecting said supply device to said complementary socket.

[0003] The socket is generally located in a recess in the vehicle bodywork, said recess usually being closed by a movable flap operable between a closed position for masking said socket and an open position allowing access to said socket for the purpose of recharging the vehicle battery. During charging, the flap is in the open position and the socket is connected to the complementary socket.

[0004] According to a known arrangement, the socket comprises a block - for example made of plastic material - supporting a plurality of metal pins, said block being provided with housings opening outwards, each of said housings housing a respective pin.

[0005] In such an arrangement, the complementary socket comprises a complementary block - for example made of plastic material - provided with pads supporting a plurality of complementary pins, the connection of said complementary socket to the socket resulting in a fitting of each of said pads into a respective housing of said socket to establish an electrical connection between each of the respective pins and complementary pins.

[0006] One of the pins of the socket, called the proximity pin, has the function of preventing the vehicle from starting when it is connected to its complementary pin, due to a connection of the complementary socket to said socket. Such an arrangement makes it possible to prevent a driver from attempting to start the vehicle while the battery is still charging, the socket and complementary socket being always connected to each other, which could cause damage to said vehicle and / or the electrical power supply system, in particular at the cable level.

[0007] However, such an arrangement is sometimes diverted from its purpose by one or more individuals seeking to steal under threat a vehicle occupied by a driver, said vehicle being stationary (for example due to the presence of a red light), such a method being sometimes called "car jacking". To do this, the individuals are in possession of an unwanted additional plug - notably stolen from an electrical supply system - which they plug into the vehicle's socket, which prevents the driver from restarting it and allows said individuals to steal it under threat.

[0008] The aim of the invention is to propose an anti-theft device for an electrically powered motor vehicle which is simple, economical, not very visible and difficult to deactivate by an uninformed user.

[0009] To this end, the invention proposes an anti-theft device for an electrically powered motor vehicle, said vehicle comprising a drive battery connected to an electrical socket intended to be connected to a complementary socket forming part of an electrical power supply system external to said vehicle, said socket comprising a block supporting a plurality of pins and said complementary socket comprising a complementary block supporting a plurality of pins complementary to each of said pins, said block being provided with housings opening outwards, each of said pins being housed in a respective housing, and said complementary block being provided with studs respectively nestable in each of said housings, each of said complementary pins being supported by a respective stud, said device comprising said socket,said device further comprising: • a plug in the general shape of a finger capable of being fitted into one of said housings to prevent the connection of an unwanted additional socket to said socket, said plug being provided with an orifice opening outwards, said plug once fitted being substantially non-protruding from said housing so as to be barely visible and not able to be removed by gripping, , • a key capable of being inserted into said orifice, said orifice being arranged on the one hand so as to allow rotational actuation of said key once inserted into said orifice, and on the other hand so that said key, then actuated in traction, bears on said plug to allow its extraction from said housing.

[0010] With such an arrangement, the vehicle user wishing to protect himself against the risk of theft is invited to leave the cap on the socket, said cap being removed, using the key, only when the battery is charging.

[0011] Thus, an individual seeking to prevent a vehicle from restarting, by connecting an unwanted additional socket to the socket, will be prevented from doing so due to the presence of the plug obstructing said connection.

[0012] With such an arrangement, we have a simple, economical anti-theft device, which is not very visible and difficult to deactivate by an uninformed user.

[0013] According to a first embodiment: • the orifice is generally in the form of a slot opening into an internal space provided in the stopper, said space being provided with a wall, • the key has an end in the general shape of a blade capable of being inserted into said slot up to said space, so as to be able to be actuated in rotation so that said blade can bear on said wall in order to allow said plug to be extracted from the housing by traction carried out by an operator.

[0014] According to a second alternative embodiment - making it possible to complicate the task for one or more individuals seeking to steal the vehicle by "car jacking" - the anti-theft device further comprises: • a lock arranged in the hole, the key being able to cooperate with said lock, • a latch actuable by said key between a locking position, where it cooperates with a stop provided in the housing to prevent extraction of the cap from said housing, and an unlocking position where said latch no longer cooperates with said stop so as to allow extraction of said cap from said housing.

[0015] According to an embodiment applicable to all embodiments, the housing receiving the plug is devoid of pins, said housing being solely intended to receive said plug.

[0016] According to an embodiment applicable to all embodiments, the housing receiving the plug is included in a cylindrical envelope, said plug having a complementary cylindrical shape, such an arrangement allowing insertion of said plug in any angular position, which presents advantageous ergonomics.

[0017] According to an embodiment applicable to all the embodiments, the pins are in the form of metal rods intended to cooperate with complementary pins in the form of metal sheaths receiving said pins in a nested manner.

[0018] The invention will be further detailed by the description of non-limiting embodiments, and on the basis of the appended figures in which: [Fig.l] is a schematic perspective representation of a socket according to one embodiment, [Fig.2] is a schematic perspective representation of a additional socket according to an embodiment intended to cooperate with the re- socket presented in [Fig.l], [Fig.3]] is a schematic representation in partial perspective of an anti-theft device according to a first embodiment, the socket not being shown, the cap being shown sectioned so as to visualize its internal arrangement, the key not being inserted into the hole in the cap

[0019] An anti-theft device 1 for an electrically powered motor vehicle is now described with reference to the figures, said vehicle comprising a drive battery connected to an electrical socket 2 intended to be connected to a complementary socket 3 forming part of an electrical power supply system external to said vehicle, said socket comprising a block 4 supporting a plurality of pins 5 and said complementary socket comprising a complementary block 14 supporting a plurality of complementary pins 15 of each of said pins, said block being provided with housings 6 opening outwards, each of said pins being housed in a respective housing 6, and said complementary block being provided with studs 16 respectively nestable in each of said housings, each of said complementary pins being supported by a respective stud 16, said device comprising said socket, said device further comprising: • a plug 7 in the general shape of a finger capable of being fitted into one of said housings to prevent the connection of an undesirable additional socket to said socket, said plug being provided with an orifice 8 opening outwards, said plug once fitted being substantially non-protruding from said housing so as to be barely visible and not able to be removed by gripping, • a key 9 capable of being inserted into said orifice - in the direction shown by arrow A in [Fig.3] -, said orifice being arranged on the one hand so as to allow rotational actuation of said key once inserted into said orifice - as shown by arrow B in [Fig.3] -, and on the other hand so that said key then actuated in traction - in the direction opposite to that shown by arrow A in [Fig.3] - bears on said plug to allow its extraction from said housing.

[0020] According to a first embodiment illustrated in [Fig.3]: • the orifice 8 is in the general shape of a slot opening into an internal space 10 formed in the plug 7, said space being provided with a wall 12, • the key 9 has an end 11 in the general shape of a blade capable of being introduced into said slot up to said space, so as to be able to be actuated in rotation so that said blade can bear on said wall in order to allow said plug to be extracted from the housing 6 by traction carried out by an operator.

[0021] According to a second alternative embodiment not shown, the anti-theft device 1 further comprises: • a lock arranged in the hole 8, the key 9 being able to cooperate with said lock, • a latch actuable by said key between a locking position, where it cooperates with a stop provided in the housing 6 to prevent extraction of the cap 7 from said housing, and an unlocking position where said latch no longer cooperates with said stop so as to allow extraction of said cap from said housing.

[0022] According to an embodiment applicable to all embodiments, the housing 6 receiving the plug 7 is devoid of pins 5, said housing being solely intended to receive said plug.

[0023] According to an embodiment applicable to all embodiments, the housing 6 receiving the plug 7 is included in a cylindrical envelope, said plug having a complementary cylindrical shape.

[0024] According to an embodiment applicable to all the embodiments, the pins 5 are in the form of metal rods intended to cooperate with complementary pins 15 in the form of metal sheaths receiving said pins in an interlocking manner.

Claims

Claims

1. Anti-theft device (1) for an electrically powered motor vehicle, said vehicle comprising a drive battery connected to an electrical socket (2) intended to be connected to a complementary socket (3) forming part of an electrical power supply system external to said vehicle, said socket comprising a block (4) supporting a plurality of pins (5) and said complementary socket comprising a complementary block (14) supporting a plurality of complementary pins (15) of each of said pins, said block being provided with housings (6) opening outwards, each of said pins being housed in a respective housing (6), and said complementary block being provided with studs (16) respectively nestable in each of said housings, each of said complementary pins being supported by a respective stud (16), said device comprising said socket,said device being characterized in that it further comprises: • a plug (7) in the general shape of a finger capable of being fitted into one of said housings to prevent the connection of an undesirable complementary socket to said socket, said plug being provided with an orifice (8) opening outwards, said plug once fitted being substantially non-protruding from said housing so as to be barely visible and not able to be removed by gripping, • a key (9) capable of being inserted into said orifice, said orifice being arranged on the one hand so as to allow rotational actuation of said key once inserted into said orifice, and on the other hand so that said key then actuated by traction bears on said plug to allow its extraction from said housing.,

2. Anti-theft device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that: • the orifice (8) is in the general shape of a slot opening into an internal space (10) formed in the cap (7), said space being provided with a wall (12), • the key (9) has an end (11) in the general shape of a blade capable of being introduced into said slot up to said space, so as to be able to be actuated in rotation so that said blade can rest on said wall in order to allow said plug to be extracted from the housing (6) by traction carried out by an operator.

3. Anti-theft device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises: • a lock arranged in the orifice (8), the key (9) being able to cooperate with said lock, • a latch actuable by said key between a locking position, where it cooperates with a stop provided in the housing (6) to prevent extraction of the plug (7) from said housing, and an unlocking position where said latch no longer cooperates with said stop so as to allow extraction of said plug from said housing.

4. Anti-theft device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the housing (6) receiving the plug (7) is devoid of pins (5), said housing being solely intended to receive said plug.

5. Anti-theft device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the housing (6) receiving the plug (7) fits into a cylindrical envelope, said plug having a complementary cylindrical shape.

6. Anti-theft device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the pins (5) are in the form of metal rods intended to cooperate with complementary pins (15) in the form of metal sheaths receiving said pins in an interlocking manner.

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