Method and apparatus for recording driving characteristics and improving safety control of automotive vehicles

• US 5,000,284 A
• Filed: 12/28/1989
• Issued: 03/19/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Edward C. Heard
• Original Assignee: Edward C. Heard
• Inventors: Heard, Edward C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rice, Kenneth R.
• Application Number:
  US07/458,473
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 280/758, 180/282
• US Class Current: 180/282
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/00 Safety devices for propulsion-unit control, specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles, e.g. preventing fuel supply or ignition in the event of potentially dangerous conditions for electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; road vehicle drive control systems for purposes not related to the control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/00; drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 37/04 by means of movable masses

Abstract

This invention is a method and apparatus for use with automotive vehicles wherein a weight is mounted appropriately toward the rear of the vehicle, which weight has the ability to shift slightly to the right or to the left of the vehicle under forces such as turning at high speed, or the like, in order to add to the control of the vehicle by the driver and wherein the weight therein returns to a centered position with reference to the center line of the vehicle after the unusual stress is relieved, and wherein the driving characteristics of the driver are reported as a result of unusual physical stresses placed upon the vehicle.

Claims

1. An apparatus for aiding in control of an automotive vehicle in motion, said apparatus comprising:

a movable weight;

means for transversely mounting said weight, said mounting means being fixedly secured to the rear of the transverse centerline of said automotive vehicle, said weight being arranged with its center along the longitudinal center line of said automotive vehicle;

said mounting means including means for causing said weight to move from one side of the longitudinal center line of said automotive vehicle to the other side thereof when said automotive vehicle is under stress, with one end of said weight moving in a circular arc in an upward direction and the other end of said weight moving in a circular arc in a downward direction such that said weight is tilted with respect to a horizontal position; and

further comprising an indicating means which acts cooperatively with said weight so as to indicate and record movement of said weight, wherein said indicating means comprises a member mounted on a top surface of said weight and carrying a series of bar indicators, and a bar reader mounted to a top portion of a casing which encloses said weight.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mounting means comprises two pivotally mounted weight carrier devices, the first one of which is mounted at a distance to the right of the longitudinal center line of the automotive vehicle and the second of which is located an equal distance to the left of the longitudinal center line of the vehicle, said carrier devices being inclined towards each other and away from a vertical position when said weight is in a neutral, unstressed position, and in which each of said carrier devices will move in an arc as the weight moves.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the said indicating means is connected to an alarm means so as to sound an alarm upon a predetermined number of movements having been made.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a secondary weight is mounted in cooperative relationship with the first weight and wherein said secondary weight is mounted so as to allow movement of said secondary weight in a longitudinal direction and wherein said secondary weight is associated with indicating means which indicates and records the movement of said secondary weight.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of said carrier devices is inwardly inclined with respect to said vertical position at an angle in a range of 5°

to 15°

.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said range of angles is 9°

to 13°

.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the weight is restrained by compression spring means against movement and in which said compression spring means can be adjusted so that under sufficient pressure the weight will move against the compression spring means.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the weight weighs 411/2 pounds.

9. An apparatus for aiding in control of an automotive vehicle in motion, said apparatus comprising:

a movable weight;

means for transversely mounting said weight, said mounting means being fixedly secured to the rear of the transverse centerline of said automotive vehicle, said weight being arranged with its center line along the longitudinal center line of said automotive vehicle;

said mounting means including means for causing said weight to move from one side of the longitudinal center line of said automotive vehicle to the other side thereof when said automotive vehicle is under stress, with one end of said weight moving in a circular arc in an upward direction and the other end of said weight moving in a circular arc in a downward direction such that said weight is tilted with respect to a horizontal position, wherein the mounting means comprises two pivotally mounted weight carrier devices, the first one of which is mounted at a distance to the right of the longitudinal center line of the automotive vehicle and the second of which is located an equal distance to the left of the longitudinal center line of the vehicle, said carrier devices being inclined towards each other and away from a vertical position when said weight is in a neutral, unstressed position, and in which each of said carrier device will move in an arc as the weight moves, wherein the weight is restrained by compression spring means against movement and in which said compression spring means can be adjusted so that under sufficient pressure the weight will move against the compression spring means; and

further comprising an indicating means which acts cooperatively with said weight so as to indicate and record movement of said weight, wherein said indicating means comprises a member mounted on a top surface of said weight and carrying a series of bar indicators, and a bar reader mounted to a top portion of a casting which encloses said weight.