Automobile warning light improvement

• US 4,922,225 A
• Filed: 03/20/1987
• Issued: 05/01/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Partnership of Norman Dankert
• Original Assignee: Partnership of Norman Dankert
• Inventors: Dankert, Norman H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Orsino, Joseph A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TUMM, BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US07/028,677
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 340/66, 340/67, 340/70-73, 340/87, 340/97, 340/479, 340/468, 340/475, 340/467, 200/67 E, 200/153 V, 200/61, 200/89, 200/342, 200/538
• US Class Current: 340/467
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/52 for indicating emergencies

Abstract

An improved system for lighting an automobile central rear window warning, or "third" red light, employs an unlimited linear motion switch coupled to the accelerator-carburetor linkage and a logic unit coupled to the switch and the electric lines for the conventional brake, turn signal and back-up signal maps, and, optionally, to a clutch switch, so as to light the "third" warning lamp. The linear switch unit receives a rod in its housing, which rod is coupled to the carburetor or accelerator linkage. The rod rolls a spring-mounted roller to an off center position, thus activating or deactivating a pair of contacts upon any movement of the rod beyond a small increment. The linear switch rapidly responds to any reversing movement of the accelerator pedal, no matter what absolute position the rod is in at the time. The linear switch, in conjunction with the logic unit, serves to maintain the rear "third" red light "on" for all occasion when the automobile is being operated or is commencing to be operated in a manner which could be a danger to another vehicle approaching it from the rear. Thus, it lights in all normal conditions, plus reverse or turn signaling which may flash or hold steady depending on the positioning of the accelerator pedal. With a slight release of the accelerator pedal, any activation is maintained until the pedal is again depressed.

Claims

1. A signal light system for use in an automobile having a conventional rear window "third" brake light, accelerator linkage, a brake light control line, right and left turn signal control lines, a reverse light control line, and a source of electrical energy, by extending the conventional automobile "third" brake light to signal not only while braking but also during other adverse conditions, comprising:

a roller activated switch for developing an accelerator motion signal;

means for operably mounting the roller activated switch to the accelerator linkage in the automobile;

a logic circuit having an output terminal and at least an input for a brake signal and an input for a reverse signal, which when properly connected produce an output on the output terminal, the logic circuit including means for latching the output on the output terminal when the accelerator motion signal from the roller activated switch is energized in conjunction with the brake signal input or the reverse signal input;

means for inter-connecting the accelerator motion signal, the brake light control line, the reverse light control line, the turn signal control lines, and the source of electrical current with the logic circuit;

means for connecting the logic circuit output to the "third" brake light so as to control it to be "on" or "off" depending on the output from the logic circuit.

2. The signal light system of claim 1, wherein the roller activated switch has a pair of terminals and is activated by a roller member which is positioned by a moving member such that the switch changes its state of conduction or non-conduction between the terminals in response to the reversal of direction of travel of the moving member, regardless of the position of the moving member when such reversal occurs.

3. The signal light system of claim 2 wherein the logic circuit includes isolation diodes connected from the brake and the reverse signal inputs so that electrical energy from one of the inputs is not fed out to the other inputs.

4. The signal light system of claim 3, having said right and left turn signal control lines wherein said logic circuit includes right and left turn signal inputs with isolation diodes in the right and left turn signal inputs.

5. The signal light system of claim 1 wherein the switch comprises:

a moveable member which is to be driven from outside a housing of the switch to move back and forth along a defined path;

a roller member within the housing and having means for contacting the moveable member and being moved thereby, the roller member being mounted for movement between a first and a second position;

the roller member being so coupled to the moveable member that movement of such moveable member in one direction for a short distance will move the roller member over a pivotal point of a fulcrum from its first position to its second position, but continued movement of the moveable member in that one direction will result in the roller member remaining in the second position, and wherein movement of the moveable member in its other direction for a short distance will move the roller member over the fulcrum from the second position to the first position, but continued movement of the moveable member in the other direction will result in the roller member essentially remining in the first position; and

the housing, which is composed of non-conductive materials, encloses and mounts a pair of conductive terminal members which serve as a pair of electrical terminals, and the terminal members projecting from within the closed housing to the outside of the housing, and said housing receives the moveable member and defines the path therein for the moveable member which projects out of the housing; and

electrical contact means responsive to the movement of the roller member between said first and second positions for closing and opening an electrical conduction path between the terminals.

6. In combination with an automobile having a rear window-high "third" brake light, accelerator linkage, a brake light control line, a reverse light control line turn signal light control lines, and a source of electrical energy comprising:

roller activated switch for developing an output signal in response to movement of the accelerator linkage;

means for mounting the roller activated switch in the automobile;

a logic circuit having, a roller activated switch input, a brake signal input, and a reverse signal input, and an output terminal, wherein the logic circuit produces a signal on the output terminal when said inputs are energized, and also produces a held on signal on the output terminal when the roller activated switch output signal is received in combination with a brake signal or a reverse signal has been inserted;

means connecting the roller activated switch to the source of electrical energy and to the logic circuit, and for connecting the brake signal input to the automobile brake light control line, and the reverse signal input to the reverse light control line; and

turn signal inputs to the turn signal control lines; and

means connecting the logic circuit output to the "third" light so as to control it to be "on" or "off", depending on the output from the logic circuit.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein the roller activated switch is a switch unit having a pair of terminals, and the switch is activated by a roller member positioned by a moveable member such that the unit changes its state of condution or non-conduction between the terminals in response to the reversal of direction of travel of the moveable member, regardless of the position of the moveable member when such reversal occurs.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein the logic circuit includes means for latching on its output so as to produce the held on signal on the output terminal to operate the "third" brake light.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein the logic circuit includes isolation circuits so that electrical energy from one of the inputs is not fed out to the other inputs.

10. The combination of claim 8, wherein the logic circuit includes isolation diodes connected to the inputs.