| 摘要 |
<p>An antitheft device for a steering shaft of a motor vehicle has a latch which is movable between a latching and an unlatching position with respect to said steering shaft. A stop element in the form of a ball is provided in a radially extending opening in a stationary cylinder. The ball overhangs a projecting portion of the latch to prevent the projecting portion of the latch from moving past the ball. A rotating cylinder into which a key is inserted is rotatably mounted on the inside of the stationary cylinder and has a pair of circumferentially and longitudinally spaced detents into which the ball moves as the rotating cylinder moves past the radially extending opening. When the ball drops in the remote one of the detents, the projecting portion of the latch moves past the ball whereupon movement of the rotating cylinder moves the ball out of the detent to prevent the projecting portion of the latch from accidentally moving past the ball. The stop element or ball holds the latch retracted to prevent accidental locking of the steering shaft when a key is in the lock. The other detent permits the ball to move radially when the key is removed from the lock so that the latch can be moved to lock the steering shaft.</p> |
