Strobe light warning system for school busses

• US 6,064,300 A
• Filed: 03/11/1999
• Issued: 05/16/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Clayton D. Jones
• Original Assignee: Clayton D. Jones
• Inventors: Jones, Clayton D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LA, ANH V
• Application Number:
  US09/267,021
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• Field of Search: 340/433, 340/468, 340/470, 340/471, 340/472, 340/473, 340/458, 180/271, 307/10.8, 362/542, 362/459
• US Class Current: 340/433
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/324 for signalling that a door is open or intended to be opened
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/52 for indicating emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/544 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle occupants, e.g. for indicating disabled occupants

Abstract

A strobe light warning system for school busses for visually notifying a passerby of an emergency when an emergency door of a school bus is opened. The strobe light warning system for school busses includes a first pair of strobe lights adapted for mounting on opposite sides of an emergency door of a school bus. Each of the strobe lights is in communication with a power source of the school bus. A first switch contacts the emergency door. The first switch is electrically connected to the strobe lights such that the first switch closes a circuit when the emergency door is opened thereby permitting power to flow to the strobe lights.

Claims

1. A warning system for a school bus having a front, a back, a chassis extending between the front and back, a set of operating lights and an emergency door, the warning system comprising:

a first pair of strobe lights adapted for mounting on opposite sides of an emergency door of a school bus;

each of said strobe lights being in communication with a power source of said school bus; and

a first switch contacting said emergency door, said first switch being electrically connected to said strobe lights such that said first switch closes a circuit when said emergency door is opened thereby permitting power to flow to said strobe lights, said first switch and said strobe lights being electrically connected independently of the set of operating lights of the bus for preventing failure in operation of said strobe lights due to a failure in operation of the operating lights of the bus under emergency conditions.

2. The warning system of claim 1, further comprising a second pair of strobe lights being positioned above said emergency door.

3. The warning system of claim 1, further comprising a second switch being operable by a driver, said second switch being electrically connected to said strobe lights such that said second switch closes a circuit thereby permitting power to flow to said strobe lights.

4. The warning system of claim 1, wherein said strobe lights positioned towards said emergency door are positioned on said back of said school bus towards lateral sides of said chassis.

5. The warning system of claim 4, wherein said strobe lights positioned towards a first emergency door are positioned on said back between about 3 and 10 inches from lateral sides of a chassis of said bus.

6. The warning system of claim 1, wherein said first pair of strobe lights are positioned at a point about midway between a top and a bottom of a back of said school bus.

7. The warning system of claim 1, wherein said first switch is positioned towards an upper edge of a door jamb of said school bus.

8. The warning system of claim 1, wherein each of said strobe lights comprises a protective outer housing, a bulb disposed in said housing, and a translucent covering extending across an opening of said outer housing.

9. The warning system of claim 8, wherein said translucent covering curves outwardly from said outer housing and directs portions of light outwardly at an angle of 90 degrees from a peripheral sidewall of said outer housing.

10. The warning system of claim 8, wherein said translucent covering magnifies visible light passing therethrough.

11. A school bus with warning system, comprising

a school bus having a front, a back, and a chassis extending between said front and back;

said back of said school bus having a first emergency door positioned centrally therein;

said chassis of said school bus having a second emergency door positioned in a lateral side thereof;

a plurality of operating lights being mounted on said chassis of said bus for indicating the normal driving operations performed by a driver of said bus;

a first strobe light system being positioned towards said first emergency door;

a second strobe light system being positioned towards said second emergency door;

each of said strobe light systems comprising;

a first pair of strobe lights being positioned on opposite sides of said emergency door;

a second pair of strobe lights being positioned above said emergency door on opposite sides of the door towards the flashers for preventing the emergency door from covering one of the strobe lights when opened;

each of said strobe lights being in communication with a power source of said school bus;

a first switch being positioned on a door jamb for contacting said emergency door, said first switch being electrically connected to said strobe lights such that said first switch closes a circuit when said emergency door is opened thereby permitting power to flow to said strobe lights; and

a second switch being operable by a driver, said second switch being electrically connected to said strobe lights such that said second switch closes a circuit thereby permitting power to flow to said strobe lights;

said strobe lights positioned towards said first emergency door being positioned on said back of said school bus towards lateral sides of said chassis;

wherein said strobe lights positioned towards said first emergency door are positioned on said back between about 3 and 10 inches from said lateral sides of said chassis for making the width of the bus more discernable under low visibility conditions;

wherein said first pair of strobe lights positioned towards said first emergency door are positioned at a point about midway between a top and a bottom of said back of said school bus, said first emergency door having a lower window therein for permitting view of a strobe light covered by said first emergency door when said first emergency door is open;

wherein each of said first switches is positioned towards an upper edge of said door jamb;

wherein said first pair of strobe lights positioned towards said second emergency door are positioned at a point about midway between a top and a bottom of said chassis of said school bus, said second emergency door having a lower window therein for permitting view of a strobe light covered by said second emergency door when said second emergency door is open;

each of said strobe lights comprising a protective outer housing, a bulb disposed in said housing, and a translucent covering extending across an opening of said outer housing;

wherein said translucent covering curves outwardly from said outer housing and directs portions of light outwardly at an angle of 90 degrees from a peripheral sidewall of said outer housing;

wherein said translucent covering magnifies visible light passing therethrough;

wherein said first strobe light system and said second strobe light system being electrically connected independently of the set of operating lights of the bus for preventing failure in operation of said first strobe light system and said second strobe light system due to a failure in operation of the operating lights of the bus.