SAFETY SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES

• US 3,838,748 A
• Filed: 01/30/1973
• Issued: 10/01/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas A. Gray, Tyree R. Williams
• Original Assignee: Thomas A. Gray, Tyree R. Williams
• Inventors: Gray, Thomas A., Williams, Tyree R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Betts, Kenneth H.
• Application Number:
  US05/328,030
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 180/82C,101,102,99 307/1SB,1R,1AT 317/141R,141S 340/278,52E
• US Class Current: 180/273
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/04 responsive to presence or absence of the driver, e.g. to weight or lack thereof

Abstract

A safety mechanism for protecting the driver of a vehicle by disabling the vehicle engine if the operator vacates his operator station on the vehicle, the mechanism including a manually operable override which disables the safety mechanism for a predetermined limited time period.

Claims

1. A safety mechanism for the protection of the operator of a vehicle having an operator station, comprising:

means responsive to departure of said operator from said operator station for deenergizing said vehicle when said operator vacates said operator station;

manually operable override means for preventing operation of said deenergizing means for a predetermined, limited time period; and

means for automatically resetting said override means whenever said operator returns to said operator station to allow immediate operation of said deenergizing means.

2. A safety mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein said operator station is an operator'"'"''"'"'s seat, and wherein said deenergizing means comprises a switch mounted on said operator'"'"''"'"'s seat and responsive to the weight of the operator on said seat.

3. A safety mechanism for the protection of the operator of a vehicle having an operator station, comprising:

means responsive to the departure of said operator from said operator station for deenergizing said vehicle when said operator vacates said vehicle; and

manually operable override means for preventing operation of said deenergizing means for a first time perioD if said operator vacates said operator station within a predetermined second time period after manual operation of said override means.

4. A safety mechanism as defined in claim 3 additionally comprising:

means for automatically resetting said override means when said operator returns to said operator station, thereby allowing immediate operation of said deenergizing means.

5. A safety mechanism as defined in claim 3 wherein said operator station is an operator'"'"''"'"'s seat, and wherein said deenergizing means comprises a switch mounted on said operator'"'"''"'"'s seat and responsive to the weight of the operator on said seat.

6. A safety mechanism as defined in claim 3 wherein said deenergizing means and said overrride means each include a relay, the relay of said override means being latched to an energized condition in response to energization of said override means relay and deenergization of said deenergizing means relay.

7. A safety mechanism for the protection of the operator of a vehicle having an operator station and primary ignition circuit comprising:

means for sensing the departure of said operator from said operator station;

first switch means connected to said ignition circuit for selectively enabling or disabling said ignition circuit, said first switch means operating in response to said sensing means;

a manually operable switch;

timing means, responsive to said manually operable switch for initiating a predetermined delay period;

second switch means responsive to said timing means and connected to said ignition circuit for selectively enabling or disabling said ignition circuit.

8. A safety mechanism as defined in claim 7 wherein said second switch means latches to a position for enabling said ignition circuit when said second switch means is positioned to enable said ignition circuit and said first switch means is positioned to disable said ignition circuit.

9. A safety mechanism as defined in claim 7 wherein said second switch means disables said ignition circuit when said first switch means is positioned to disable said ignition circuit and said predetermined delay period ends.

10. A safety mechanism as defined in claim 7 additionally comprising:

means for positioning said second switch means to disable said ignition circuit whenever the operator returns to said operator station.