Vehicle drive recorder

• US 4,460,902 A
• Filed: 02/01/1983
• Issued: 07/17/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jesse W. Beckman
• Original Assignee: Jesse W. Beckman
• Inventors: Beckman, Jesse W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truhe, J. V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Evans, A.
• Application Number:
  US06/462,893
• Time in Patent Office: 532 Days
• Field of Search: 73/491-492, 73/514, 73/510, 346/7, 116/200
• US Class Current: 346/7
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 9/32 there being a common recording element for two or more variables
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/127 for acceleration values

Abstract

A tamper proof, economically constructed, easily installed, drive recorder or instrument for making a permanent record of the manner in which a vehicle is driven is provided, and comprises an instrument which may be located in and secured to the vehicle of a driver whose driving habits are to be recorded. The recorder preferably has two compartments each having inclined bottom surfaces to normally position a heavy ball by gravity. The inclined bottom surfaces are provided with recording paper, and the vehicle'"'"'s acceleration, braking or cornering causes the heavy balls to move from their normal positions up the inclined surfaces and the heavy balls to leave a track on the recording paper to make a permanent recording of the drive.

Claims

1. A vehicle drive recorder comprising a tamper proof box having a pair of compartments therein, each of said compartments having an inclined bottom surface, and low points on each said two inclined bottom surfaces, each of said compartments having guide wall means, said two low points being at opposite ends, a heavy ball in each of said compartments being biased by gravity toward said low point on each of said inclined bottom surfaces, and recording means in said compartments juxposed between said inclined bottom surfaces and said heavy balls, said box being adapted to be mounted in a vehicle, whereby movement of said heavy balls due to acceleration, braking and cornering forces on said vehicle are measured and recorded by movement of said balls over said recording means.

2. In a vehicle drive recorder as in claim 1, wherein said heavy balls are of one inch or larger in diameter and made of a material of a density approximately equal to or greater than that of steel.

3. In a vehicle drive recorder as in claim 1, wherein said recording means further comprises pressure sensitive paper which will leave a mark thereon when said heavy balls roll across.

4. In a vehicle drive recorder as in claim 3, wherein said recording means further comprises carbon type tracing paper or the like.

5. In a vehicle drive recorder as in claim 1, wherein said box has a height greater than that of the diameter of said heavy balls.

6. In a vehicle drive recorder as in claim 1, wherein said compartments are identical but rotated 180 degrees with respect to each other, each of said compartments having guide means in the form of generally upstanding vertical guide walls extending out at right angles from said low point, said guide walls terminating in curved portions away from said low point.

7. A vehicle drive recorder as in claim 1, wherein each of said inclined bottom surfaces is formed by a plane extending upward from said low point toward the opposite ends of said box.

8. A vehicle drive recorder as in claim 1, wherein said inclined bottom surfaces and guide walls means are formed of sheet material.

9. A vehicle drive recorder as in claim 8, wherein said inclined bottom surfaces and guide walls means are formed of sheet metal.

10. A vehicle drive recorder as in claim 8, wherein each of said inclined bottom surfaces has at least two downwardly extending legs located away from said low point, said legs supporting said inclined bottom surfaces in said box.

11. A vehicle drive recorder as in claim 8, wherein said guide walls means have bent tabs for supporting the same on one of said inclined bottom surface or box.

12. A vehicle driver recorder as in claim 1, further comprising a lid, said lid being one of lockable or sealable to said box, whereby said recorder is rendered tamper proof.

13. A vehicle drive recorder as in claim 1, further comprising a seal and a lid for closing said box, said lid and said box having means for receiving said seal, said seal engaging said lid and said box to seal the same and also being adapted to engage an opening in the vehicle to mount said recorder in said vehicle.

14. A vehicle drive recorder as in claim 1, further comprising means for securing said recorder to a vehicle, said means for securing being located beneath one of said inclined bottom surfaces.

15. A vehicle drive recorder comprising a tamper proof box having a pair of compartments therein, each of said compartments having an inclined surface bottom, and low points on said two inclined bottom surfaces, said inclined bottom surfaces lying in a plane extending upwardly from said low points to the opposite ends of said compartments, said compartments being adjacent each other with said two low points being at the middle of the sides of said box, said two compartments being identical but rotated 180 degrees from each other, said guide walls vertically extending upwardly and outwardly at right angles from said low points, said guide walls terminating in curved portions away from said low points, a heavy ball in each of said compartments being biased by gravity toward said low point on each of said inclined bottom surfaces, said heavy balls being of two inches or larger in diameter and made of a material of a specific density approximately equal to or greater than six, a lid and a seal for closing said box, said lid and said box having means for receiving said seal, said seal engaging said lid and said box to seal the same and also being adapted to engage an opening in the vehicle to mount said recorder in said vehicle, and recording means in each of said compartments juxposed between said inclined bottom surfaces and said heavy balls, said recording means including pressure sensitive means which will leave a mark when said ball rolls across, said box being adapted to be mounted in a vehicle, whereby movement of said heavy balls due to acceleration, braking and cornering forces on the vehicles are measured and recorded by movement of said heavy balls up the inclined bottom surfaces and across said recording means.

16. In a vehicle drive recorder as in claim 15, wherein said recording means further comprises carbon type paper or the like, said box having a height at least one and one-half times that of the diameter of said heavy balls, said inclined bottom surfaces and guide walls being formed of sheet metal, each of said inclined bottom surfaces having at least two downwardly extending legs located away from said low point, said legs supporting said inclined bottom surface in said box, said guide walls having bent tabs for supporting the same on one of said inclined bottom surfaces or box.