Rear signal light system for automotive vehicles

• US 4,894,640 A
• Filed: 03/17/1986
• Issued: 01/16/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jerry W. Beasley, Robert H. Jennings
• Original Assignee: Jerry W. Beasley, Robert H. Jennings
• Inventors: Jennings, Robert H., Beasley, Jerry W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Orsino, Joseph A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US06/840,196
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: 340/66, 340/69, 340/71, 340/62, 340/136, 340/72, 340/94, 340/74, 340/84, 180/271, 180/282, 200/61.89, 200/86.5
• US Class Current: 340/464
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/302 mounted in the vicinity, e.g. in the middle, of a rear window

Abstract

A signal light system for an automotive vehicle including a lamp housing in which is mounted an amber warning lamp and a red warning lamp for support on the rear portion of the vehicle. The system further includes an accelerator pedal housing supporting an accelerator switch member within the housing and adjacent the pedal tread. The accelerator pedal housing is mounted on an existing accelerator link arm in the automotive vehicle and the accelerator switch member is electrically connected between the existing ignition circuit and the amber warning light. The red warning light is connected into the existing brake switch circuit for illumination upon depression of the existing brake pedal.

Claims

1. A signal light system for an automotive vehicle having a rear portion, an electrical brake switch system, a carburetor, an accelerator link arm cooperatively connected to the carburetor, and an electrical ignition system, comprising:

(a) an electrical amber warning lamp,

(b) means mounting said amber warning lamp in the rear portion of an automotive vehicle and visible to the rear of said vehicle,

(c) an accelerator pedal member comprising a pedal housing having an upper portion and a lower portion, an enclosing bottom wall and side walls, and a treadle on said upper portion, defining a hollow space within said pedal housing, guide post means connecting said treadle to said bottom wall, and spring coil means surrounding said guide post means and biasing said treadle upward upon the absence of downward pressure by the operator'"'"'s foot,

(d) means mounting said bottom wall of said pedal housing on the accelerator link arm of a motor vehicle,

(e) an accelerator electrical switch member comprising a microswitch having a switch casing,

(f) means fixing said switch casing on said bottom wall within said hollow space,

(g) said microswitch having a normally closed circuit position and an open circuit position,

(h) said microswitch member comprising a movable switch actuator projecting upward from said switch casing in the upper portion of said pedal housing and adapted to change the mode of said microswitch between said closed circuit position and said open circuit position,

(i) said microswitch being electrically connected in series solely between the electrical ignition system of the automotive vehicle and said amber warning lamp,

(j) an electrical red warning lamp,

(k) means mounting said red warning lamp in the rear portion of said automotive vehicle, and visible to the rear of said vehicle,

(l) said red warning lamp electrically connected in the electrical brake switch system of said automotive vehicle for illumination solely when said brake switch system is energized,

(m) said switch actuator being adapted to move downward to change the mode of said microswitch to said open circuit position simultaneously with the downward pressure on said switch actuator by the operator'"'"'s foot on said treadle, whereby said amber lamp is not illuminated, and

(n) said switch actuator being adapted to move upward to change the mode of said microswitch to said closed circuit position when the downward pressure on said switch actuator by the operator'"'"'s foot on said treadle has been removed, to continuously illuminate said amber lamp as long as said microswitch is in said closed circuit position, the illumination of said amber warning lamp and said red warning lamp being independent of each other.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which said treadle is in continuous contiguous engagement with said switch actuator.

3. The invention according to claim 1 further comprising protective resin material filling said hollow space within said pedal housing and encapsulating said microswitch.