Safe start system for automotive vehicles
First Claim
1. In combination with an automotive vehicle having a body, a source of electrical energy, an engine and an engine starting circuit including a starter solenoid and an ignition switch connected to the electrical voltage source, a safe start system comprising a plurality of switch devices mounted on the body of the vehicle for actuation externally of the vehicle, signal controlled means connected to the starting circuit for normally preventing operation of the engine, and timing means connected to said switch devices and the signal controlled means for enabling the starting circuit through the signal controlled means in response to sequential actuation of said switch devices within a predetermined interval of time.
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Abstract
Manually actuated switches mounted externally at spaced monitoring locations on a vehicle are actuated in sequence by a vehicle driver during inspection at each of such locations. Actuation of such switches triggers operation of timers having overlapping timing cycles for enabling the engine starting circuit of the vehicle during a period of sufficient duration to permit the driver to enter the vehicle and initiate the starting operation by actuation of the ignition switch.
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Citations
11 Claims
- 1. In combination with an automotive vehicle having a body, a source of electrical energy, an engine and an engine starting circuit including a starter solenoid and an ignition switch connected to the electrical voltage source, a safe start system comprising a plurality of switch devices mounted on the body of the vehicle for actuation externally of the vehicle, signal controlled means connected to the starting circuit for normally preventing operation of the engine, and timing means connected to said switch devices and the signal controlled means for enabling the starting circuit through the signal controlled means in response to sequential actuation of said switch devices within a predetermined interval of time.
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9. In combination with a plurality of manually actuated switch devices and a plurality of timers respectively triggered into operation by actuation of said switch devices, a method of operating the engine starting circuit of a vehicle having an ignition switch, including the steps of:
- externally inspecting the vehicle at a plurality of spaced monitoring locations;
sequentially actuating said switch devices at said monitoring locations upon completion of the inspection;
enabling the engine starting circuit during a period while the timing cycles of the triggered timers overlap; and
entering the vehicle and actuating the ignition switch to effect operation of the enabled engine starting circuit following the sequential actuation of all of the switch devices before termination of the overlap period. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
- externally inspecting the vehicle at a plurality of spaced monitoring locations;
Specification