EMERGENCY SIGNALING SYSTEM

• US 20070197084A1
• Filed: 08/14/2006
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: D&R Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: D&R Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Darolfi, Rinaldo, Darolfi, Alfredo, Tari, Massimo
• Application Number:
  US11/464,375
• Publication Number:
  US 20070197084A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/470
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2611 Indicating devices mounted on the roof of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2692 retractable lights retractable headlights B60Q1/05

Abstract

A signaling device comprises a housing, the housing being arranged for mounting on a roof section of an emergency vehicle, the housing having an upper housing portion and a lower housing portion, a transfer portion for transferring the upper housing portion relative to the lower housing portion between a closed position and an open position, the upper and lower housing portions being further provided with complementary peripheral regions which, when engaged in the closed position, form a weather resistant inner chamber, the upper housing portion having an inner surface, a plurality of signaling elements mounted on the inner surface, the inner surface and/or the signaling elements being operable to be visible to oncoming traffic when the upper housing portion is in the open position.

Claims

1. A signaling device, comprising a housing, the housing being arranged for mounting on a roof section of an emergency vehicle, the housing having an upper housing portion and a lower housing portion, a transfer portion for transferring the upper housing portion relative to the lower housing portion between a closed position and an open position, the upper and lower housing portions being further provided with complementary peripheral regions which, when engaged in the closed position, form a weather resistant inner chamber, the upper housing portion having an inner surface, a plurality of signaling elements mounted on the inner surface, the inner surface and/or the signaling elements being operable to be visible to oncoming traffic when the upper housing portion is in the open position.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, the lower housing portion further including a plurality of side wall portions and a base wall portion.

3. A device as defined in claim 2, the lower housing portion including a first outer peripheral edge region, the lower housing portion further including a top wall portion with an inner peripheral edge region.

4. A device as defined in claim 3, wherein the upper portion has a second outer peripheral edge region to engage the inner peripheral edge region.

5. A device as defined in claim 4, the upper housing portion being substantially planar.

6. A device as defined in claim 5, the second outer peripheral edge region further comprising a skirt member.

7. A device as defined in claim 4, at least one of the inner and second outer peripheral edge regions including a weather barrier element.

8. A device as defined in claim 7, wherein the side wall portions include at least one outer display surface, the display surface including a plurality of signaling elements.

9. A device as defined in claim 8, wherein the signaling elements include one or more than one speaker, buzzer, light or graphical or numerical readout.

10. A device as defined in claim 9, wherein the one or more than one light includes one or more than one LED, incandescent light element and fluorescent light.

11. A device as defined in claim 2, wherein the transfer portion is operable to transfer the upper housing portion about at least one pivot axis.

12. A device as defined in claim 11, wherein the transfer portion is operable in a first phase to translate the upper housing portion between the closed position and a first intermediate position and a second phase between the first intermediate position and the open position.

13. A device as defined in claim 12, wherein the transfer portion includes a plurality of pivot links

14. A device as defined in claim 13, wherein the transfer portion includes at least one spring element.

15. A device as defined in claim 14, wherein the spring element is operable to bias the transfer portion from the first intermediate position to the closed position and/or from the first intermediate position to the open position.

16. A device as defined in claim 15, wherein the transfer portion includes a support portion extending along the base wall portion, the pivot links include a pair of pivot links of unequal length pivotally connected between the upper housing portion and the support portion.

17. A device as defined in claim 16, wherein the support portion includes an anchor flange, the spring element being coupled between the upper housing portion and the anchor flange.

18. A device as defined in claim 12, the transfer portion including a linear actuator acting between the lower and upper housing portions.

19. A device as defined in claim 18, the linear actuator being removable from the lower and/or upper housing portions to permit manual closure thereof.

20. A device as defined in claim 19, further comprising a control portion for controlling the signaling elements.

21. A device as defined in claim 20, wherein the control portion includes a processor portion operable to communicate with the signaling elements.

22. A device as defined in claim 21, wherein the control portion includes a control housing enclosing the processor portion.

23. A device as defined in claim 22, wherein the control housing is positioned on the base wall panel.

24. A device as defined in claim 23, further comprising a plurality of cables between the processor portion and the signaling elements to form a plurality of communication paths therebetween.

25. A device as defined in claim 24, wherein the upper housing portion includes an outer skin element and an inner skin element, the outer and inner skin elements being spaced to form a space to receive the cables.

26. A device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a heating element for heating the inner chamber.

27. A method of providing emergency signaling on an emergency vehicle, comprising the steps of providing a housing, arranging the housing to be mountable on a roof section of the emergency vehicle, providing the housing having with an upper housing portion and a lower housing portion, transferring the upper housing portion relative to the lower housing portion between a closed position and an open position, providing the upper and lower housing portions with complementary peripheral regions which, when engaged in the closed position, form a weather resistant inner chamber, providing the upper housing portion with an inner surface, locating one or more signaling elements on the inner surface, and arranging the inner surface and/or the signaling elements to be visible to oncoming traffic when the upper housing portion is in the open position.