Warning light device

• US 5,010,319 A
• Filed: 10/02/1989
• Issued: 04/23/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dambach-Werke GmbH A Company With Limited Liability
• Original Assignee: Dambach-Werke GmbH (SWARCO Traffic Holding GmbH)
• Inventors: Killinger, Erich
• Primary Examiner(s): Orsino, Joseph A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TUMM, BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US07/416,061
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 340/468, 340/470, 340/472, 340/473, 340/487, 340/471, 340/815.06, 340/815.07, 340/815.31, 340/795, 340/908, 340/908.1, 340/693, 40/592, 40/547, 362/80
• US Class Current: 340/472
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2611 Indicating devices mounted on the roof of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/3015 combined with a lamp
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 7/02 to be attached to overhanging loads or extending parts of vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/662 mounted on vehicles, e.g. service vehicles; Warning vehicles travelling along with road-maintenance, e.g. remotely controlled

Abstract

A warning light device having a directional warning panel to regulate traffic, which is attached in a vertical position near the rear of a vehicle. The warning light device displays traffic symbols for following traffic, with controllable electric luminous elements. An autonomous, mobile warning light device with great versatility of display is provided since the warning panel includes a controllable optical fiber display matrix having a plurality of traffic symbols. The warning light device is attached or attachable to the roof, extending as far as the rear, of a motor vehicle. Power is supplied to the warning light device with an electric power supply system of the motor vehicle or a supplementary electric power pack mounted in the motor vehicle. An operating panel is disposed near the dashboard of the motor vehicle, or is built into the dashboard, and has operating elements for switching the warning light device on and off. The operating panel also initiates the displays of various traffic symbols on the optical fiber display matrix. The operating panel, the power supply and the fiber optic display matrix are interconnected with connecting cables installed within the motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A warning light device having a warning panel (25), for regulating traffic, attached in a vertical position near a rear of a motor vehicle and various traffic symbols being displayed on said warning panel (25) with controllable electric luminous elements, the warning light device comprising:

said warning panel (25) having a controllable optical fiber display matrix (12), said matrix having a plurality of optical fiber bundles (50,

     51) illuminated at one end by individually triggerable light sources (40-43) to define said various traffic symbols, and said optical fiber bundles (50,

     51) at their opposite ends having free ends of individual optical fibers (29-32) near said optical fiber display matrix (12), said free ends terminating in positions to display said various traffic symbols (17,

     18), said warning panel (25) being attached to a roof of and extending to said rear of said motor vehicle (14);

at least one of an electric power supply system (11) of said motor vehicle (14) and a supplementary electric power pack (23) mounted in said motor vehicle (14) for supplying power to the warning light device (10), an operating panel (13) disposed near a dashboard of said motor vehicle (14) for switching the warning light device (10) on and off and for initiating displays of said various traffic symbols (17,

     18) on said optical fiber display matrix (12);

said operating panel (13), at least one of said electric power supply system (11) and said supplementary electric power pack (23), and said optical fiber display matrix (12) being connected through connecting cables (16,

     19) installed within said motor vehicle (14); and

a spoiler (214) pivotally attached to a rooftop stand construction, remote from a swivel shaft of a holder (202), said spoiler (214) covering said optical fiber display matrix (12) which is folded onto said roof both in an operating position and in a folded-down position, with a cross section of said spoiler (214) converging toward a front of said motor vehicle (14).

2. A warning light device according to claim 1, wherein said optical fiber display matrix (12) with said rooftop stand construction and said spoiler (214) is secured to said motor vehicle (14), and said connecting cables (16, 19) are hardwired and permanently installed in said motor vehicle (14).

3. A warning light device according to claim 1, wherein said optical fiber display matrix (12) comprises said warning panel (25) having light-emitting pixels (27, 28) each connected to one end of each of a plurality of said optical fibers (29, 30;

31,

     32), said optical fibers (29,

     30) assigned to at least one of said various traffic symbols and one color of said various traffic symbols are joined into one of said plurality of optical fiber bundles (50,

     51) which is individually illuminable, and said optical fiber bundles (50,

     51) are assigned at least one of said individually triggerable light sources (40,

     43) and color filters.

4. A warning light device according to claim 3, wherein said optical fiber display matrix (12) is mounted in a housing (20) which is pivotally connected transverse to a vehicle axis onto said rooftop stand construction connectable to said motor vehicle (14), and said housing (20) can be folded toward a front of said motor vehicle (14) down onto said roof.

5. A warning light device according to claim 4, wherein said optical fiber display matrix (12) with said rooftop stand construction and said spoiler (214) is secured to said motor vehicle (14), and said connecting cables (16, 19) are hardwired and permanently installed in said motor vehicle (14).

6. A warning light device according to claim 1, wherein said optical fiber display matrix (12) is mounted in a housing (20) which is pivotally connected transverse to a vehicle axis onto said rooftop stand construction connectable to said motor vehicle (14), and said housing (20) can be folded toward a front of said motor vehicle (14) down onto said roof.