AUTOMATIC ANTICOLLISION AND ACCIDENT MARKER SYSTEM FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE

• US 3,641,491 A
• Filed: 06/10/1968
• Issued: 02/08/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James Reynolds Bath
• Original Assignee: James Reynolds Bath
• Inventors: Bath, James Reynolds
• Primary Examiner(s): Caldwell, John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mooney, Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US04/735,776
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 340/52,61,105,115,52H,65,64,366 315/76
• US Class Current: 340/436
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/445 controlled by inertial devices

Abstract

An impact switch mounted on a vehicle controls high-intensity condenser discharge lights (hereinafter called strobe lights) also mounted on the vehicle. The strobe lights may be turned on in response to operation of an impact switch, through circuit interruption, or manually at will. Strobe lights emit light having a spectrum which is largely in the blue, which is readily visible in rain and fog, and peak intensity of light emission is at least 10 times greater than that of a standard beam.

Claims

1. In an automotive vehicle:

a source of supply voltage;

an emergency device, actuable in response to current flow therethrough;

a normally open deceleration switch responsive to said vehicle experiencing a predetermined forward deceleration and additionally responsive to said vehicle experiencing a predetermined rearward deceleration for completing a first current path for said supply voltage through said emergency device;

a bistable element having first and second stable states;

first means responsive to said bistable element in said first stable state for providing an alternative current path for said supply voltage through said emergency device, and responsive to said bistable element in said second stable state for interrupting said alternative current path; and

circuit means for normally maintaining said bistable element in said second stable state and responsive to breakage of at least one current lead in said first current path for switching said bistable element to said first stable state, said circuit means including a further current lead connected between said source and said bistable element.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said emergency device includes at least two condenser-discharge lights mounted on said vehicle.

3. In an automotive vehicle:

a source of supply voltage;

at least first and second condenser-discharge lamps mounted on the exterior of said vehicle, each lamp being responsive to current flow therethrough to flash on and off repetitively;

a normally open impact switch actuable in response to said vehicle experiencing a sudden force above a preestablished force;

first circuit means interconnecting said impact switch and said lamps to permit current flow through both of said lamps in response to actuation of said impact switch, said first circuit means including a first current lead connecting said first lamp in series with said source and said impact switch, and a second current lead connecting said second lamp in series with said source and said impact switch;

a relay including a coil and normally closed contacts, said relay being responsive to current flow above a predetermined level through said coil for opening said normally closed contacts;

second circuit means for connecting said normally closed contacts in parallel with said impact switch;

third circuit means including a third current lead disposed coaxially with said first current lead, and a fourth current lead disposed coaxially with said second current lead, said third and fourth leads being connected in parallel between said source and said relay coil, the combined parallel resistance of said third and fourth current leads being sufficiently low to permit current above said predetermined level to flow through said source and said relay coil, the individual resistances of said third and fourth current leads being sufficiently high to cause current below said predetermined level to flow through said source and relay coil when one of said third and fourth leads is broken.

4. A combination according to claim 3 further comprising a manually actuable switch connected in parallel with said impact switch.