Automatic emergency signal means for vehicles

• US 5,831,521 A
• Filed: 08/26/1997
• Issued: 11/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ting-Lung Huang
• Original Assignee: Ting-Lung Huang
• Inventors: Huang, Ting-Lung
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MANNAVA, ASHOK K
• Application Number:
  US08/917,592
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 340/467, 340/468, 340/463, 340/472, 340/473, 340/429, 340/479, 340/469, 200/61.45 R, 200/61.48, 200/61.49, 200/61.51, 200/61.52
• US Class Current: 340/467
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/445 controlled by inertial devices

Abstract

An antomatic emergency signal device for vehicles including: a casing mounted in a vehicle, a movable weight movable in a groove longitudinally formed in the casing, a sensor actuated by the movable weight due to inertia of the movable weight upon a sudden or emergency braking of the vehicle for sensing a trigger signal, a controller electrically connected with the sensor for receiving the trigger signal output from the sensor, and at least a warning light provided at a rear portion of the vehicle and electrically connected to the controller to be controlled for the turning on or off of the warning light, whereby upon an emergency stop of the vehicle, the warning light will be automatically lit for an effective warning for the following car for enhancing traffic safety.

Claims

1. An automatic emergency signal means for vehicles comprising:

a casing mounted in a vehicle and having a groove longitudinally recessed in said casing and defining a starting position in a rear portion in said casing and a target position in a front portion in said casing;

a movable weight movable in said groove in said casing;

a restoring lever pivotally mounted in said casing resiliently contacting said movable weight for normally biasing said weight towards the starting position in said casing;

a sensor provided in said casing at said target position for sensing a trigger signal when the weight is forwardly moved to approximate said sensor due to arm inertia of the weight upon an emergency brake of the vehicle;

an amplifier electrically connected with said sensor for amplifying said trigger signal as output from said sensor; and

a controller electrically connected to said amplifier for receiving and treating said trigger signal far controlling on and off of at least a warning light electrically connected to said controller, said controller electrically connected to a power source far powering said controller;

whereby upon an emergency brake of the vehicle, said movable weight is forwardly moved to sense said sensor to trigger said controller for lighting up said warning light for alerting a following vehicle.

2. An automatic emergency signal means for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said controller is further connected with a buzzer for sounding an alarming voice and sound from said buzzer upon receiving of the trigger signal by said controller.

3. An automatic emergency signal means for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said warning light is at least a yellow light provided at a rear end of the vehicle.

4. An automatic emergency signal means for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said power source is a battery stored in vehicle.

5. An automatic emergency signal means for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said casing includes:

said groove longitudinally formed in the casing in a bottom of the casing and being parallel to a longitudinal axis formed at a longitudinal center of the vehicle, a starting bumper fixed in a rear portion of the casing adjacent to the starting position where the movable weight is normally rested upon, and a target bumper fixed in a front portion of the casing adjacent to the target position where the movable weight reaches due to inertia upon an emergency brake of the vehicle.

6. An automatic emergency signal means for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said movable weight is made of a heavy ball, having a weight dependent upon a moving stroke of the weight from the starting position to the target position, the moment of the weight as forwardly moving when an emergency brake is actuated for suddenly stopping the vehicle, the resistance of the restoring lever resiliently contacting the weight.

7. An automatic emergency signal means for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said movable weight is selected from a ball, a roller, a wheel, a rotor and a cylindrical plunger slidably movable in the groove recessed in the casing.

8. An automatic emergency signal means for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said restoring lever includes:

a pivot for pivotally mounting the lever in the casing, a lower actuating end normally resiliently contacting the movable weight, an upper restoring end formed on an upper portion of the lever having a restoring spring connected on the upper restoring end, and the restoring spring retained in and tensioned to an upper portion of the casing for biasing the lower actuating end for resiliently contacting the weight to have a tendency to be restored to the starting position.

9. An automatic emergency signal means for vehicles according to claim 8, wherein said upper restoring end of the restoring lever is longitudinally drilled with a plurality of perforations each said perforation adapted for fixing an adjustable spring end of the restoring spring in the perforation and said restoring spring having a fixed spring end thereof fixed in the casing 1.

10. An automatic emergency signal means for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said restoring lever has an adjustable resilience of the lever without retarding a forward moving of the movable weight upon emergency brake of the vehicle in order for approximating the weight to sense the sensor.

11. An automatic emergency signal means for vehicles according to claim, 1, wherein said sensor as electrically connected to the controller through the amplifier includes:

a photo emitter for emitting a light, and a photo receiver facing the photo emitter for receiving the light as emitted from the photo emitter for conducting the photo receiver, whereby upon a forward moving of the weight due to emergency brake, the light emitted from the emitter towards the receiver will be shielded by the biasing lever to disconnect the photo receiver to sense and output a trigger signal to the controller to light up said warning light as connected to said controller.

12. An automatic emergency signal means for vehicles according to claim 11, wherein said controller is selected from an integrated circuit, a microprocessor and an electronic circuit For treating the trigger signal and for controlling the on and off of the warning light.

13. An automatic emergency signal means for vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said movable weight is a magnetic ball and said sensor is a trigger switch selected from a normally-open reed switch;

whereby upon a forward rolling of the magnetic ball to close the reed switch, a trigger signal will be sent to the controller for lighting up the warning light.