Device controlled by inclination of the head of a driver preventing his falling asleep

• US 4,354,179 A
• Filed: 04/07/1980
• Issued: 10/12/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jean-Claude Fourcade
• Original Assignee: Jean-Claude Fourcade
• Inventors: Fourcade, Jean-Claude
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, III, Glen R.
• Application Number:
  US06/137,910
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 390/575
• US Class Current: 340/575
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/066 actuating a signalling device B60K28/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms

Abstract

A housing is shaped and sized to conform to the user'"'"'s ear in the manner of a hearing aid. Within the housing is a position-responsive switch and a second generator responsive to the switch. An arm extends from the switch exteriorly of the housing to allow easy adjustment of the switch'"'"'s position relative to the housing. In use, the housing is positioned behind the user'"'"'s ear and the switch adjusted so that the sound generator is off. Should the user'"'"'s head nod, the sound generator will be actuated, alerting the user by both bone conducted and atmospherically conducted sound, to prevent his falling asleep.

Claims

1. A device controlled by the inclination of the head of a driver to prevent the driver from falling asleep, said device comprising detector means for detecting the position of the driver'"'"'s head, warning means operatively connected to said detector means to receive a warning signal therefrom and adapted to emit an audible warning on receiving such signal, and a battery support for supporting a battery serving to power said device, said detector means, warning means and battery support all being housed within a housing and wherein said housing is adapted to match the contour of the ear, said detector means being adapted to pivot relative to said device by movement of finger means extending to the exterior of said housing.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the detector means comprises a small mercury ampule mounted in a rocker adapted to be pivoted about a spindle integral with said housing with the aid of said finger means passing through an opening formed in said housing.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the opening formed is arcuate and wherein one of the edges of said opening is notched to form a curved rack into which at least part of said finger means penetrates.

4. A device controlled by the inclination of the head of a driver to prevent the driver from falling asleep, said device comprising detector means for detecting the position of the driver'"'"'s head, warning means operatively connected to said detector means to receive a warning signal therefrom and adapted to emit an audible warning on receiving such signal, and a battery support for supporting a battery serving to power said device;

said detector means, warning means and battery support all being housed within a housing and wherein said housing is adapted to match the contour of the ear;

said support being pivotable in a passage extending through a wall of said housing, said support being adapted to assume three positions comprising a first position in which said support is completely embedded in said housing and in which the battery powers the device, a second half-embedded position in which the battery does not power the device but cannot be removed, and a third position in which the support is almost completely exterior to said housing and in which the battery can be extracted or replaced.

5. The device according to claim 4 wherein said support is open over a portion of its periphery to communicate with the interior of said housing, said support further comprising an activating lug on its outer periphery for positioning said support, and wherein said support comprises a pip on one of its faces adapted to embed itself in depressions in said housing to hold the support in an embedded or half-embedded position.

6. A device controlled by the inclination of the head of a driver to prevent the driver from falling asleep, said device comprising detector means for detecting the position of the driver'"'"'s head, warning means operatively connected to said detector means to receive a warning signal therefrom and adapted to emit an audible warning on receiving such signal, and a battery support for supporting a battery serving to power said device;

said detector means, warning means and battery support all being housed within a housing, and wherein said housing is adapted to match the contour of the ear;

said device further comprising two contact springs, a first of said springs being arranged to extend laterally through an open portion in the battery support, the second of said springs being secured to said housing and being positioned to contact one face of the battery.

7. The device according to claim 6 wherein said first spring is generally V-shaped having two branches, one of the branches being adapted to be positioned in a seat formed in the wall of said housing facing a support passage provided for passage of the battery support;

the other branch being inwardly directed with its free end being bent to pass into an opening in the battery support to bear laterally against said battery.

8. The device according to claim 6 wherein said second spring has the general shape of a plate which is half split in its longitudinal direction to form two tongues of unequal width, the narrower tongue being inwardly bent and having a rounded attachment bent at right angles towards the battery.

9. A device controlled by the inclination of the head of a driver to prevent the driver from falling asleep, said device comprising detector means for detecting the position of the driver'"'"'s head, warning means operatively connected to said detector means to receive a warning signal therefrom and adapted to emit an audible warning on receiving such signal, and a battery support for supporting a battery serving to power said device, said detector means, warning means and battery support all being housed within a housing, wherein said housing is adapted to match the contour of the ear, and said detector means is mounted in a rocker adapted to be pivoted about a spindle integral with said housing with the aid of finger means which extend through an opening in said housing;

wherein said housing is formed of two elements, one of the elements comprising a seat for the detector means, said detector seat being an arcuate compartment having at its middle the spindle situated near one end of the detector seat, the opening being formed at the end of the seat opposite to the spindle wherein one of the edges of the opening has rounded teeth forming a rack which cooperates with at least part of said finger means of the detector means so as to secure said rocker in a selected position.

10. The device according to claim 9 further comprising a seat within said housing for the warning means whereby the warning means is positioned to emit said warning such that said warning is transmitted to the driver through bone conduction.

11. A device controlled by the inclination of the head of a driver to prevent the driver from falling asleep, said device comprising detector means for detecting the position of the driver'"'"'s head, warning means operatively connected to said detector means to receive a warning signal therefrom and adapted to emit an audible warning on receiving such signal, and a battery support for supporting a battery serving to power said device, said detector means, warning means and battery support all being housed within a housing, and wherein said housing is adapted to match the contour of the ear;

said housing comprising a median seat for the battery and its contacts, and wherein said median seat of said housing comprises one lateral wall of greater thickness on the inside with a spindle portion adapted to contact and retain a spring, and wherein said median seat of said housing comprises a second lateral wall having a portion of reduced height so as to allow for the passage of the battery, said portion of reduced height comprising two depressions for positioning said battery support.