Rear motor vehicle alerting bright light dimming signal and control system
First Claim
1. In a motor vehicle of the type having headlights on the front of the vehicle and stop lights, tail lights, back-up lights and turn signalling lights on the rear of the vehicle, a system for signalling a driver of a vehicle behind another vehicle to dim his bright headlights comprising:
- at least one signalling light mounted on the rear of a vehicle, said light being adapted when operative to display a visual signal for requesting a driver who is operating a vehicle behind the signalling vehicle to dim his vehicle'"'"'s bright headlights;
a power supply for supplying electrical power to said signalling light; and
a control circuit for controlling the operation of said signalling light, said control circuit including a means for preventing said signalling light from being operative when the stop lights or turn signal lights of said signalling vehicle are operative.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A rear motor vehicle alerting bright light dimming signal and control system for alerting a driver of a vehicle behind a signalling vehicle to dim his bright lights. The signalling system is low in cost, improves vehicle safety, promotes driver courtesy and is adaptable to all motor vehicle styles and models. A control system permits the signalling system to operate only when the stop lights and turn signal lights of a signalling vehicle are inoperative. The signal system comprises one or more flashing lights mounted at the rear of a vehicle and a control circuit for operating the lights. In one aspect of the invention, a signalling light is mounted on a rear package tray in a common housing with an "eye level" stop light and, when operative, transmits a flashing high intensity beam of colored light to alert the driver of the rear vehicle. The control system has two states, a normally off state and an operating state wherein the signal light flashes for a predetermined time. In an alternate embodiment the signal lights are automatically activated by a bright light from a rear vehicle.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. In a motor vehicle of the type having headlights on the front of the vehicle and stop lights, tail lights, back-up lights and turn signalling lights on the rear of the vehicle, a system for signalling a driver of a vehicle behind another vehicle to dim his bright headlights comprising:
- at least one signalling light mounted on the rear of a vehicle, said light being adapted when operative to display a visual signal for requesting a driver who is operating a vehicle behind the signalling vehicle to dim his vehicle'"'"'s bright headlights;
a power supply for supplying electrical power to said signalling light; and
a control circuit for controlling the operation of said signalling light, said control circuit including a means for preventing said signalling light from being operative when the stop lights or turn signal lights of said signalling vehicle are operative. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13)
- at least one signalling light mounted on the rear of a vehicle, said light being adapted when operative to display a visual signal for requesting a driver who is operating a vehicle behind the signalling vehicle to dim his vehicle'"'"'s bright headlights;
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12. The vehicle headlight dimming signalling system wherein said manual control system as described in claim B includes a driver operated switch, said switch having an inoperative state wherein said signalling light is continuously off, a first operating state for flashing said signalling light "on and off" for a predetermined time and a second operating state for flashing said signalling light "on and off" continuously.
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14. In a motor vehicle of the type having headlights, stop lights, turn signal lights, back-up lights and tail lights, a system for alerting a driver of a vehicle behind another vehicle to dim his vehicle'"'"'s bright lights comprising:
- a pair of signalling lights mounted at the rear of a vehicle, each of said lights being mounted in a housing which si common with a housing of a back-up light of said signalling vehicle; and
a manual control, said control being operative to flash said signalling lights only when said vehicle'"'"'s turn signals and stop lights are inoperative and having a driver operated switch for actuating said manual control for flashing said signalling lights "on and off", said driver operated switch having a first operative state for flashing said signalling lights for a predetermined time and a second operating state for flashing said signalling lights "on and off" continuously. - View Dependent Claims (15)
- a pair of signalling lights mounted at the rear of a vehicle, each of said lights being mounted in a housing which si common with a housing of a back-up light of said signalling vehicle; and
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16. In a motor vehicle of the type having a pair of headlights, stop lights, tail lights, turn signal lights an back-up lights, a system for requesting a driver of a vehicle behind a vehicle to dim his vehicle'"'"'s bright lights comprising:
- a pair of lights mounted a the rear o a vehicle in common housings with said vehicle'"'"'s back-up lights, said lights having an operative state only when said stop lights and back-up lights are inoperative wherein said lights flash "on and off" to alert a driver who is operating a vehicle behind the signalling vehicle to dim the headlights of the rear vehicle; and
an indicator light inside of said vehicle for informing the driver of the signalling vehicle that his vehicle'"'"'s signalling system is operative.
- a pair of lights mounted a the rear o a vehicle in common housings with said vehicle'"'"'s back-up lights, said lights having an operative state only when said stop lights and back-up lights are inoperative wherein said lights flash "on and off" to alert a driver who is operating a vehicle behind the signalling vehicle to dim the headlights of the rear vehicle; and
- 17. In a motor vehicle of the type having a pair of back-up lights mounted on the rear of the vehicle which are operative when said vehicle is travelling in a reverse direction, turn signal lights and stop lights, the improvement which comprises a means for flashing said back-up lights "on and off" when said vehicle is travelling in a forward direction to request a driver who is operating a vehicle behind the signalling vehicle to dim his vehicle'"'"'s bright lights, said means being operative only when said signalling vehicle'"'"'s stop lights and said turn signal lights are inoperative.
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19. A motor vehicle headlight dimming signalling system for requesting a driver of a rear vehicle to dim his headlights comprising in combination:
- a housing mounted on the rear of a first vehicle having a first compartment, a bulb mounted in said first compartment for informing a driver of a vehicle behind said first vehicle that the brakes of said first vehicle are applied, a second compartment, a bulb mounted in said second compartment for requesting said driver of said rear vehicle to dim his vehicle'"'"'s headlights; and
a control for operating said headlight dimming signalling bulb, said control being operative only when said bulb in said first compartment is inoperative and having a first operating state wherein said headlight dimming signaling bulb flashes "on and off" and a second state wherein said headlight dimming signaling bulb is inoperative. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
- a housing mounted on the rear of a first vehicle having a first compartment, a bulb mounted in said first compartment for informing a driver of a vehicle behind said first vehicle that the brakes of said first vehicle are applied, a second compartment, a bulb mounted in said second compartment for requesting said driver of said rear vehicle to dim his vehicle'"'"'s headlights; and
Specification