Method and apparatus for advance warning signalling to a motorist of an ice condition on a driving surface

• US 4,926,163 A
• Filed: 02/01/1989
• Issued: 05/15/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: BlueStar Inc.
• Original Assignee: IceAlert, Inc.
• Inventors: Beebe, Russell B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Orsino, Joseph A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US07/305,304
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 340/581, 340/580, 340/584, 340/593, 340/594, 340/691, 340/815.1, 340/815.26
• US Class Current: 340/581
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 19/02 Alarm responsive to formation or anticipated formation of ice

Abstract

A method and apparatus for advance warning signaling to a motorist of an ice condition on a driving surface. The method steps include mounting a plurality of traffic signalling devices along a driving surface for sensing the prevailing temperatures and thereby continuously signal a motor vehicle operator of the changes in temperature as he approaches a driving surface subject to freezing to permit him to take any necessary precautionary corrective action in driving the motor vehicle. The signalling devices utilize thermostat elements for sensing a narrow temperature range adjacent the freezing temperature and provide visible signals, preferably two colors for signalling a warm or nonhazardous temperature, a cold temperature signalling a frozen driving surface or a combination or mixture of the colored signals to permit the motor vehicle operator to be warned, in advance, as he approaches a driving surface that is becoming colder, leading to a stretch of a driving surface that may be frozen.

Claims

1. A traffic signalling device for detecting the presence of a hazardous driving condition and for signalling either a hazardous or safe driving condition at a preselected distance therefrom, the device comprising a bidirectional, thermal sensitive sensor adapted to provide preselected mechanical forces in response to a preselected temperature range relative to the freezing temperature, and signalling means coupled to said thermal sensitive sensor to be bilaterally movably responsive to the mechanical forces generated by the sensor with increases and decreases of temperatures over said temperature range, said signalling means being adapted for signalling the temperature changes sensed by the thermal sensor over the preselected temperature range to provide a visual signal representative of either a safe or hazardous driving condition in response to the mechanical forces generated by said sensor in response to the sensed temperatures whereby a "warm" sensed temperature provides a first signal and sensed freezing temperature provides a second signal and any sensed temperature between warm and freezing temperature provides a third signal that is a combination of the first and second signals proportioned in accordance to their relationship to the freezing temperature.

2. A traffic signalling device for detecting the presence of a hazardous driving condition and for signalling either a hazardous or safe driving condition at a preselected distance therefrom, as defined in claim 1 wherein said bidirectional, thermal sensitive sensor comprises a thermostat element adapted for providing mechanical operating forces to control the signalling means.

3. A traffic signalling device for detecting the presence of a hazardous driving condition and for signalling either a hazardous or safe driving condition at a preselected distance therefrom, as defined in claim 2 wherein said bidirectional, thermal sensitive sensor comprises a coiled, thermostat element adapted for coupling bidirectional, rotary motion to said signalling means.

4. A traffic signalling device for detecting the presence of a hazardous driving condition and for signalling either a hazardous or safe driving condition at a preselected distance therefrom, as defined in claim 2 wherein said bidirectional, thermal sensitive sensor comprises a coiled thermostat element adapted for coupling bidirectional, linear motion to said signalling means.

5. A traffic signalling device as defined in claim 1 wherein a plurality of said devices are mounted and spaced apart a preselected distance along a driving surface for signalling the driving conditions at each of said devices.

21. A traffic signalling device as defined in claim 3 including means for mounting the traffic signalling device above a supporting surface to be viewed by a passing motorist.

22. A traffic signalling device as defined in claim 3 wherein the traffic signalling device is constructed and defined to be mountable on a supporting surface to be viewed by a passing motorist.

6. A traffic signalling device for detecting the presence of a hazardous driving condition of a road surface as a result of the freezing temperature at the road surface, the device comprising mechanical, thermal sensitive temperature sensing means having a coiled configuration with flat ends to provide preselected mechanical, bidirectional forces in response to the sensing of temperature changes causing changes in the curvature of the coiled configuration of said sensing means thereby producing said forces, plate means having a mounting stud securing one of the flat ends of the coiled, mechanical sensing means, a light member securing the remaining end of the coiled, mechanical sensing means to one side thereof to be movable in accordance with the generated forces provided by said sensing means, the opposite side of the light member having light reflective areas of preselected, different colors so that the areas of the same colors are spaced apart by an area of a different color on said opposite side of the member to provide light reflective areas, one of the colors being representative of an above freezing temperature and the other color being representative of a freezing temperature, mask means mountable with said opposite side of the light member and constructed and defined with light transmitting areas spaced between light blocking areas wherein each of the areas are substantially coextensive with the reflective areas of different colors, so that when the light transmitting areas are in overlying, substantial alignment with the reflective areas of a single color on the light member the areas of a different color are in overlying, substantial alignment with the light blocking areas of the mask means, and cover viewing means secured to said plate means with the mask means mounted with the opposite side of the light member and having the light transmitting areas aligned with the reflective areas of the light member having the color representative of an above freezing temperature so that the areas of the different color are substantially non-visible from the opposite side of the mask means and outside of the cover means, the light member being constructed and arranged within the cover means to permit it to be movable in response to the forces provided by the sensing means relative to the mask means, and normally arranged with the mask means to display only the colored areas representative of an above freezing temperature, the exposure of the thus defined signalling device to temperatures around the freezing temperature causing the mechanical sensing means to provide forces moving the light member relative to the mask means when the device is exposed to temperatures adjacent to and approaching a freezing temperature and to continuously move the light member to cause the device to display both colors as the temperatures change toward freezing until a freezing temperature is sensed whereby the device displays only the color representative of a freezing condition.

7. A traffic signalling device as defined in claim 6 wherein said mounting stud is adjustable for controlling the temperature range of the sensing means.

8. A traffic signalling device as defined in claim 6 wherein the light member is a disk having a central shaft extending from opposide sides of the disk, the plate means mounting stud being constructed and defined relative to one end of the central shaft to accommodate the shaft for permitting relative rotary motion between the disk and the plate means, the mask means being constructed and defined relative to the opposite end of the central shaft for said disk to accommodate said shaft for permitting relative rotary motion between the disk and the plate means when secured with the cover means.

9. A traffic signalling device as defined in claim 6 wherein the light member is a rectangular plate having a central securing element for securing one of the flat ends of the coiled sensing means and secured thereto for providing linear movement of the light member between the light member and the mask means when secured with the cover means.

10. A traffic signalling device as defined in claim 8 or 9 wherein said mounting stud has a semi-circular configuration and adapted to be rotatable for adjusting the temperature range of the sensing means.

11. A traffic signalling device as defined in claim 6 wherein the sensing means is constructed and defined for signalling temperatures over a small range of temperatures above and below the freezing temperature.

23. A traffic signalling device as defined in claim 6 including means for mounting the traffic signalling device above a supporting surface to be viewed by a passing motorist.

24. A traffic signalling device as defined in claim 9 wherein the cover viewing means is constructed and defined in the form of a pavement marker to be directly mountable on a supporting surface.

12. A method of early warning signalling to a motorist in anticipation of ice formation on a driving surface including the steps of mounting in a spaced relationship a plurality of self-contained temperature sensing and signalling devices along a driving surface for visibly signalling in response to the sensed temperatures an ice condition, a non-ice condition or an intermediate condition between the ice and non-ice conditions and the direction of change between said two conditions at each of said signalling devices, and continuously signalling an advancing motorist of the ice or frosting and non-ice or non-frosting condition of the road surface at each location of said devices and the continuous changes in road condition between the ice and non-ice conditions and vice-versa and the direction of the changes at each location of the devices as viewed by the motorist viewing in sequence each of the plurality of signalling devices while traveling along the driving surface.

13. A method of early warning signalling to a motorist in anticipation of ice formation on a driving surface as defined in claim 12 wherein the signalling is provided by two preselected colors, one of the selected colors being representative of a "hot" temperature above freezing and a different color being selected to represent a "cold" temperature representative of a freezing temperature and the mixture of the two colors being proportioned between the "hot" and "cold" colors in accordance with the direction of change towards a completely "hot" signal or a completely "cold" signal in accordance with the direction of change of the temperatures relative to the freezing temperature and the distance from the portion of the driving surface that is exposed to a freezing or lower temperature whereby the signals change from a "hot" signal to a "cold" signal gradually as the motorist views the signals of the spaced signalling devices to alert the motorist of the changing temperature prior to reaching the driving surface having the ice formation signalled by the "cold" color.

14. A method of early warning signalling to a motorist of the ice or non-ice condition of a driving surface and the direction of change between the two driving conditions, including the steps of providing a plurality of self-contained temperature sensing and signalling devices for continuously signalling a motorist travelling on a driving surface of the driving condition of the surface as he travels therealong of either an ice condition on the surface, a non-ice condition on the surface or the intermediate conditions between the ice and non-ice conditions and the continuous direction of changes towards or away from an ice condition at each of said signalling devices, and mounting a sufficient number of the signalling devices in a preselected spaced apart relationship along a driving surface for viewing of the devices by the motorist as he approaches each of the signalling devices and so that when the motorist sequentially views the signals thereof and any intermediate sequential changes in the signals to permit the motorist to recognize in advance a change towards an ice condition on the surface or away from an ice condition on the surface as he travels on the driving surface to thereby alert the motorist of an ice driving surface in advance of reaching said iced surface.

15. A method of advance warning signalling to a motorist as defined in claim 14 wherein each of the signalling devices displays a signal of a preselected color representative of a sensed ice condition or freezing temperature condition or a signal of another color representative of a sensed non-ice or non-freezing temperature condition or displays a signal having a combination of the preselected color and the another color in accordance with the sensed driving condition and advancing in the direction of one of the colors in accordance with the direction of change of the sensed driving conditions.

16. A method of early warning signalling to a motorist in advance of the presence or absence of an ice or frosting condition on a driving surface at a point forward of the motorist'"'"'s driving position on a driving surface, including the steps of selecting a driving surface or surfaces having locations thereon where icing conditions are likely to arise or have been known to occur along a preselected distance or distances of the driving surface along with non-icing locations along the same driving surface, mounting a plurality of early warning self-contained temperature sensing and signalling devices along the non-icing driving surface immediately prior to the selected location on the driving surface subject to icing conditions including along the surface subject to an icing condition, each of the early warning signalling devices providing a visible indication to an approaching motorist of the presence or absence of an ice condition adjacent thereto by providing an indication of the absence of an ice condition or the presence of an ice condition or the intermediate conditions indicating the directions of change between the ice condition and non-iced condition and vice versa as the motorist approaches the selected driving surface and drives thereon, spacing the early warning signalling devices a preselected distance apart along the driving surface for the continuous signalling to a motorist of the driving condition of the surface along the driving surface as the motorist views each of the spaced early warning devices sequentially in approaching and driving along the selected location on the driving surface.

17. A method of early warning signalling as defined in claim 16 wherein each of the signalling devices provides a signal of a preselected color representative of an ice condition or a signal of a different color representative of a non-icing condition and signals that are a combination of said colors representative of driving conditions advancing in the direction of an ice condition or in the direction away from an ice condition in accordance with the direction of temperature changes along the driving surface.

18. A method of early warning signalling to a motorist in anticipation of ice formation on a driving surface to be encountered by the motorist including the steps of providing a thermal sensitive element adapted for sensing the ambient temperature of the air or a surface exposed to the ambient temperature and providing visible signals representative of a freezing temperature or a nonfreezing temperature or intermediate temperatures changing between the freezing and non-freezing temperatures and vice versa and the direction of change, mounting a plurality of the thermal sensitive elements in a spaced relationship along a driving surface for sensing and signalling the ambient air temperature at the driving surface and providing a visible signal representative of an icy driving condition, a non-icy driving condition or an intermediate condition changing between the freezing and non-freezing driving conditions and vice versa, and continuously signalling an advancing motorist by means of the spaced arrangement of thermal sensitive elements when the motorist views the visible signals sequentially during the advancement along the driving surface to warn the motorist of the changing condition of the driving surface as the sensed temperatures signal changes toward a freezing condition to alert the motorist of an approaching iced driving surface prior to reaching the iced driving surface to thereby allow the motorist to reduce the motor vehicle speed prior to driving on the iced surface.

19. A method of early warning signalling to a motorist as defined in claim 18 wherein the visible signals comprise at least two preselected colors, one of the colors representative of a "hot" temperature representative of an above freezing temperature and another color representative of a "cold" temperature representative of a freezing temperature or below freezing temperature.

20. A method of early warning signalling to a motorist as defined in claim 19 wherein said "hot" color is a silver or the like color and said "cold" color is a blue or the like color.