Hazard warning means for vehicles

• US 20050154501A1
• Filed: 01/13/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kum Wheang Richard Yeck
• Original Assignee: Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Inventors: Lo, Kok Keung, Yeck, Kum Wheang Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,493,217 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/34 for indicating change of drive direction B60Q1/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/445 controlled by inertial devices

Abstract

A hazard warning means for a vehicle, including:—deceleration triggered actuation means, controlling means, and visual indicators, wherein said deceleration triggered actuation means including means for detection of a deceleration of a prescribed threshold and means for generating an actuation signal upon detection of said deceleration, said controlling means includes means for causing said visual indicating means to generate visible signals representing hazard conditions for a predetermined time.

Claims

1. A hazard warning means for a vehicle, including:

—

deceleration triggered actuation means,

controlling means, and

visual indicators,

wherein said deceleration triggered actuation means including means for detection of a deceleration of a prescribed threshold and means for generating an actuation signal upon detection of said deceleration, said controlling means includes means for causing said visual indicating means to generate visible signals representing hazard conditions for a predetermined time.

2. A hazard warning means according to claim 1, wherein said threshold of said deceleration relates to the response time that adjacent road users will require to take responsive action when the deceleration of said vehicle exceeds said predetermined threshold.

3. A hazard warning means according to claim 1, wherein said hazard warning means being automatically activated upon braking of said vehicle over a predetermined braking threshold.

4. A hazard warning means according to claim 1, wherein said hazard warning means being automatically activated upon detection of deceleration exceeding a predetermined rate.

5. A hazard warning means according to claim 1 and including visible display means, hazard condition detection means and control means, said control means being adapted to cause operation of said visible display to operate in a hazard warning state upon detection of braking exceeding a predetermined rate by said hazard condition detection means.

14. A vehicle including the combined indicator and hazard warning means of claim 1.

15. A vehicle including the combined indicator and hazard warning means of claim 2.

16. A vehicle including the combined indicator and hazard warning means of claim 3.

6. A combined indicator and hazard warning means for a vehicle including visible display means, hazard condition detection means and control means, said control means causes said visible display to operate in at least two alternative operating states, wherein, in the first operating state, said visible display means operates as a vehicle indicator and, in the second operating state, said visible display means operates as a hazard warning means for warning other road users, said hazard condition detection means generates an actuation signal upon detection of a rate of deceleration beyond a prescribed rate, said control means causes said visible display means to display hazard warning upon receipt of said actuation signal.

7. A combined indicator and hazard warning means for a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein said hazard condition detection means includes an inertia actuator.

8. A combined indicator and hazard warning means for a vehicle according to claim 7, said inertia actuator includes an actuating lever with a free end and a fixed end, said free end includes a conductive contact for making electrical contact with a contact detector, said free end being resiliently movable with respect to said free end.

9. A combined indicator and hazard warning means for a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the output of said contact detector is connected to said control means.

10. A combined indicator and hazard warning means for a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein said inertia actuator includes a mechanical inertia actuator which is activated when the deceleration exceeds 2 g.

11. A combined indicator and hazard warning means for a vehicle according to claim 7, said visible display means includes at least a pair of light-emitting devices which blink alternatively when operating as an indicator, both said light-emitting devices are turned on intermittently at predetermined intervals when operating as hazard warning means, wherein operating as hazard warning means takes precedent over operating as an indicator.

12. A combined indicator and hazard warning means for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said light-emitting devices include LEDs, lamps and the like or similar devices.

13. A combined indicator and hazard warning means for a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein said first operating state being user actuatable and said second operating state being both user and automatic actuatable.

17. A vehicle including the combined indicator and hazard warning means of claim 6.

18. A vehicle including the combined indicator and hazard warning means of claim 8.

19. A vehicle including the combined indicator and hazard warning means of claim 10.

20. Control means for vehicle indicating and hazard warning including:

—

driving means for driving visible signal display means,

signalling means for sending signals corresponding to at least first and second alternative operating states of a vehicle to said driving means,

detection means for detecting a deceleration triggered actuation signal corresponding to the activation of said first operating states,

decision means to output signals to be generated by said signalling means indicating said first operating state upon detection of said deceleration triggered actuation signal and regardless whether said visible signal display means is operating in second operating state.