VEHICLE BRAKE LIGHT SYSTEM

• US 3,593,278 A
• Filed: 05/29/1968
• Issued: 07/13/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Frank D. Bower, Gordon B. Baumelster
• Original Assignee: Frank D. Bower, Gordon B. Baumelster
• Inventors: Bower, Frank D., Baumelster, Gordon B.
• Application Number:
  US04/733,101
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• US Class Current: 340/467
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/447 with indication of the braking strength or speed changes, e.g. by changing the shape or intensity of the indication

Abstract

A vehicle brake light system is disclosed wherein a flashing signal of variable frequency indicates the rate of deceleration of a vehicle. The system includes a series of inertia switches and resistors forming a decelerometer, a multivibrator and a transistorized gate circuit which flashes the brake lights at a frequency proportional to the detected rate of deceleration.

Claims

1. A vehicle warning light system for flashing at least one vehicle light on and off at different frequencies proportional to different rates of vehicle deceleration comprising in combination:

a. a brake operated switch, b. a multivibrator connected to and energized by closure of said brake operated switch, said multivibrator including a pair of transistors and a pair of impedance networks connected to said transistors for determining the time constants of said transistors, c. one of said pair of impedance networks including a series of impedances, d. deceleration responsive inertia switch means responsive to a plurality of individual, predetermined deceleration rates, said deceleration responsive inertia switch means being operatively connected to said series of impedances for progressively varying the total number of impedances in said series in response to said predetermined plurality of deceleration rates and thereby varying the time constant of the transistor controlled by said one impedance network, e. at least one vehicle warning light, and f. transistor switching circuit means connected to supply illuminating current to said warning light, and responsive to the output of aid multivibrator, fOr alternately illuminating and extinguishing said warning light at frequencies determined by said deceleration responsive inertia switch means and thereby flashing said warning light on and off at frequencies proportional to the predetermined rates of vehicle deceleration as sensed by said deceleration responsive inertia switch means.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said deceleration responsive inertia switch means are operatively connected to progressively bypass impedances as said vehicle deceleration rate equals each of said predetermined deceleration rates.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said transistor switching circuit means include a power transistor for conducting illuminating current to said warning light, and a driver transistor connected to said power transistor and responsive to the output of said multivibrator for rendering said power transistor conductive and nonconductive to the passage of illuminating current to said warning light at frequencies proportional to different rates of vehicle deceleration.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1 further including current sensing means connected to said vehicle warning light for sensing a decrease in the normal amount of current supplied thereto, and control circuit means responsive to said current sensing means for rendering said transistor switching circuit means continuously conductive.

5. A vehicle warning light system for flashing at least one vehicle light on and off at frequencies proportional to different rates of vehicle deceleration comprising:

a. a brake operated switch, b. a multivibrator connected to and energized by closure of said brake operated switch, said multivibrator including a pair of transistors and a pair of impedance networks connected to said transistors for determining the time constants of said transistors, one of said impedance networks being a fixed impedance network determining the fixed time constant of one of said transistors, the other of said impedance networks being a variable impedance network for determining the variable time constant of said other transistor, c. deceleration responsive circuit means responsive to a plurality of different deceleration rates, said deceleration responsive circuit means being operatively connected to vary the total amount of impedance of said variable impedance network in response to said different deceleration rates, d. at least one vehicle warning light, e. switching circuit means connected to supply illuminating current to said warning light, and f. circuit means connecting the output of said multivibrator to said switching means for alternately extinguishing said warning light for fixed duration periods determined by the time constant of said fixed impedance network, and illuminating said warning light for variable duration periods determined by the variable time constant of said variable impedance network as determined by said deceleration responsive circuit means.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said deceleration responsive circuit means include inertia switch means responsive to a plurality of predetermined deceleration rates, and a series of impedances individually responsive to said inertia switch means for progressively varying the total number of impedances in said circuit in response to said predetermined plurality of deceleration rates.