Driver safety and swimming pool safety device

• US 5,923,263 A
• Filed: 09/30/1997
• Issued: 07/13/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Luis G. Rodriguez
• Original Assignee: Luis G. Rodriguez
• Inventors: Rodriguez, Luis G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US08/941,332
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 340/575, 340/686, 340/687, 340/689, 340/690, 340/506, 340/669, 340/670, 340/671, 340/693, 340/568, 340/440, 340/573, 340/686.1, 340/573.1, 340/573.4, 200/61.52, 200/61.93, 200/61.45 R, 200/61.51, 33/366.13, 33/365
• US Class Current: 340/689
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1436 with motion detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/06 indicating a condition of sleep, e.g. anti-dozing alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/084 by monitoring physical movement characteristics of the water

Abstract

Versatile safety device that detects tilting usable in combination with a hat for driver alertness or in combination with a floatation device for swimming pool safety. Device is composed primarily of two lightweight metallic cups resting on a generally flat base that complete an electric circuit when the device is tilted at least to a certain adjustable angle either because (i) a driver'"'"'s head is tilted due to drowsiness or (ii) because of waves as device supportably rests on water surface. Tilting of device causes a spherical metallic object to roll from the apex of the inner cup along the side of inner cup toward the edge of the inner cup and thereby touch the outer cup while simultaneously remaining touching the inner cup. Inner metallic cup is upright cone. Outer cup is upside down metallic cover surrounding inner cup on all sides except bottom where flat base appears. Standard lightweight battery, buzzer, wires are used for circuit. When circuit is completed buzzer sounds. In certain embodiments, the angle of inner cup to flat base is adjustable because inner cup is made of malleable metal having pleats running along cone surface from apex to top. Accordingly, degree of driver drowsiness necessary to trigger alarm can be adjusted. As swimming pool safety device in combination with a floatation device on water surface, device can detect motion caused by waves due to a child falling into the swimming pool or an intruder.

Claims

1. A safety device for detecting tilting for use in combination with a hat or a swimming pool floatation device comprising:

a switch made of an inner cup, an outer cup and a metal ball,

a buzzer for sounding an alarm,

a battery and electric wires connected thereto and forming a circuit in series with said buzzer,

a flat base for mounting thereon the switch, the buzzer, the battery, said flat base securely attached to the hat,

said inner cup being metallic and shaped as a cone whose apex abuts and is mounted on the flat base,

said outer cup being metallic and shaped as a hollow uncovered upside down box facing the flat base and surrounding said inner cup on all sides with an air gap between them smaller, when measured from a side of the inner cup to the outer cup, than the diameter of the metal ball,

said metal ball situated at the apex of said inner cup when the device is upright and off and capable of rolling to an edge of said inner cup when the device is tilted so that the metal ball simultaneously touches the inner cup and the outer cup thereby completing the circuit and sounding the alarm.

2. A sleep inhibiting device for keeping drivers of vehicles alert for use in combination with a hat comprising:

a switch made of an inner cup, an outer cup and a metal ball,

a buzzer for sounding an alarm,

a battery and electric wires connected thereto and forming a circuit in series with said buzzer,

a flat base for mounting thereon the switch, the buzzer, the battery, said flat base securely attached to the hat,

said inner cup being metallic and shaped as a cone whose apex abuts and is mounted on the flat base,

said outer cup being metallic and shaped as a hollow uncovered upside down box facing the flat base and surrounding said inner cup on all sides with an air gap between them smaller, when measured from a side of the inner cup to the outer cup, than the diameter of the metal ball,

said metal ball situated at the apex of said inner cup when the device is upright and off and capable of rolling to an edge of said inner cup when the device is tilted so that the metal ball simultaneously touches the inner cup and the outer cup thereby completing the circuit and sounding the alarm.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the device has means to adjust the angle at which the device need be tilted in order for the alarm to be sounded.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein in order to adjust the angle between the sides of the cone and the flat base and thereby adjust the angle at which the device need be tilted for the alarm to be sounded, the inner cup has pleats running along the sides of the cone which when opened reduce the angle between the sides of the cone and the flat base in an amount proportionate to the degree the pleats are opened.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein the base is attached to a top part of the hat by means of brackets.

6. The device of claim 2, wherein the base is attached to a brim of the hat by means of brackets and the angle sides of the inner cup and the base is approximately between 15 and 30 degrees.

7. An improvement in a sleep inhibiting device for keeping drivers of vehicles alert for use in combination with a hat wherein a buzzer on a base connected to an electric circuit signals an alarm when the device is tilted, the improvement comprising:

a switch made of an inner cup, an outer cup and a metal ball,

said inner cup being metallic and shaped as a cone whose apex abuts and is mounted on the base,

said outer cup being metallic and shaped as a hollow uncovered upside down box facing the base and surrounding said inner cup on all sides with an air gap between them smaller, when measured from a side of the inner cup to the outer cup, than the diameter of the metal ball,

said metal ball situated at the apex of said inner cup when the device is upright and off and capable of rolling to an edge of said inner cup so that it simultaneously touches the inner cup and the outer cup thereby completing the circuit.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the device has means to adjust the angle at which the device need be tilted in order for the alarm to be sounded.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein in order to adjust the angle between the sides of the cone and the base and thereby adjust the angle at which the device need be tilted for the alarm to be sounded, the inner cup has pleats running along the sides of the cone which when opened reduce the angle between the sides of the cone and the base in an amount proportionate to the degree the pleats are opened.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the base is attached to a top part of the hat by means of brackets.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the base is attached to a brim of the hat by means of brackets and the angle sides of the inner cup and the base is approximately between 15 and 30 degrees.

12. A swimming pool safety device for detecting waves caused by unwanted use of the swimming pool for use in combination with a floatation device in the pool, comprising:

a switch made of an inner cup, an outer cup and a metal ball,

a buzzer for sounding an alarm,

a battery and electric wires connected thereto and forming a circuit in series with said buzzer,

a flat base for mounting thereon the switch, the buzzer, the battery, said flat base securely attached to the floatation device,

said inner cup being metallic and shaped as a cone whose apex abuts and is mounted on the flat base,

said outer cup being metallic and shaped as a hollow uncovered upside down box facing the flat base and surrounding said inner cup on all sides with an air gap between them smaller, when measured from a side of the inner cup to the outer cup, than the diameter of the-metal ball,

said metal ball situated at the apex of said inner cup when the device is upright and off and capable of rolling to an edge of said inner cup when the device is tilted by a wave so that the metal ball simultaneously touches the inner cup and the outer cup thereby completing the circuit and sounding the alarm.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the device has means to adjust the angle at which the device need be tilted in order for the alarm to be sounded.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein in order to adjust the angle between the sides of the cone and the flat base and thereby adjust the angle at which the device need be tilted for the alarm to be sounded, the inner cup has pleats running along the sides of the cone which when opened reduce the angle between the sides of the cone and the flat base in an amount proportionate to the degree the pleats are opened.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the angle between the base and the sides of the inner cup is approximately 10 degrees.

16. A method of preventing swimming pool accidents and intrusions, which comprises the steps of placing a floatation device on a surface of water in the swimming pool and then placing a tilt device on the floatation device so that it is securely supported thereon, said tilt device comprising

a switch made of an inner cup, an outer cup and a metal ball,

a buzzer for sounding an alarm,

a battery and electric wires connected thereto and forming a circuit in series with said buzzer,

a flat base for mounting thereon the switch, the buzzer, the battery, said flat base securely attached to the floatation device,

said inner cup being metallic and shaped as a cone whose apex abuts and is mounted on the flat base,

said outer cup being metallic and shaped as a hollow uncovered upside down box facing the flat base and surrounding said inner cup on all sides with an air gap between them smaller, when measured from a side of the inner cup to the outer cup, than the diameter of the metal ball,

said metal ball situated at the apex of said inner cup when the device is upright and off and capable of rolling to an edge of said inner cup when the device is tilted by a wave so that the metal ball simultaneously touches the inner cup and the outer cup thereby completing the circuit and sounding the alarm.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the tilt device has means to adjust the angle at which the tilt device need be tilted in order for the alarm to be sounded.