Automobile steering wheel and turn signal buttons with turning indicia and/or indicators thereon

• US 6,144,297 A
• Filed: 07/02/1999
• Issued: 11/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Renaissance Group IP Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Irah H. Donner
• Inventors: Donner, Irah H.
• Primary Examiner(s): POPE, DARYL C
• Application Number:
  US09/347,191
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 340/475, 340/477, 340/478, 340/468, 340/309.15, 200/61.27, 200/61.32
• US Class Current: 340/475
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/1484 mounted on the steering wheel

Abstract

An automobile steering wheel and turn signal indicator for allowing a driver of an automobile to signal for a turn, includes a handle/hub arrangement adapted to be coupled to a steering column of the automobile, spokes disposed about the handle/hub and horizontally extended outward therefrom to the handle, and left and right turn signal indicators disposed on at least one of the handle, hub and spokes of the steering wheel. Each of the left and right turn signal indicators is equipped with or positionally near with at least one of indicia indicative of the appropriate direction when the steering wheel changes orientation, turn signal lights indicative of a working status of the left and right turn signal indicators, indicia indicative of the appropriate direction when the steering wheel changes orientation and substantially simultaneously indicative of a working status of the left and right turn signal indicators, an optional vibration device vibrating the turn signal buttons, and an optional hazard function activating substantially simultaneously the left and right turn signal indicators.

Claims

1. An automobile including an automobile steering wheel and turn signal indicator for allowing a driver of the automobile to signal for a turn, the automobile steering wheel comprising a handle/hub arrangement adapted to be coupled to a steering column of the automobile, at least one spoke disposed about the handle/hub and horizontally extended outward therefrom to the handle/hub, and left and right turn signal indicators disposed on at least one of the handle/hub and spokes of the steering wheel, and each of the left and right turn signal indicators equipped with or positionally near first indicia disposed on or near said left and right turn signal indicators indicating the appropriate direction when the steering wheel changes orientation, said first indicia comprising left and right indicia at least one of disposed on and directly corresponding to said left and right turn signal indicators, said left and right indicia indicating at least substantially corresponding left and right directions to direct the automobile even when the steering wheel changes orientation including a 180 degree change in orientation, and each of the left and right turn signal indicators optionally equipped with a first turn signal device responsively connected to said left and right turn signal indicators indicating a working status of said left and right turn signal indicators, a second turn signal device responsively connected to said left and right turn signal indicators indicating the appropriate direction when the steering wheel changes orientation and substantially simultaneously indicating a working status of said left and right turn signal indicators and substantially within a peripheral vision of the driver, and a hazard device responsively connected to said left and right turn signal indicators activating substantially simultaneously said left and right turn signal indicators.

2. An automobile steering wheel and turn signal indicator according to claim 1, wherein said left and right turn signal indicators comprise or substantially comprise or partially comprise transparent or substantially transparent material.

3. An automobile steering wheel and turn signal indicator according to claim 1, wherein said left and right turn signal indicators comprise or substantially comprise or partially comprise one or more windows.

4. An automobile steering wheel and turn signal indicator according to claim 1, wherein said left and right turn signal indicators form an interface area with the steering wheel, permitting light to pass therethrough to indicate the working status of at least one of the left and right turn signal indicators.

5. An automobile steering wheel and turn signal indicator according to claim 1, wherein said left turn signal indicator include the indicia L thereon to indicate a left directional, and said right turn signal indicator includes the indicia R thereon to indicate a right directional.

6. An automobile steering wheel and turn signal indicator according to claim 5, wherein said left and right turn signal indicators comprise or substantially comprise or partially comprise transparent or substantially transparent material.

7. An automobile steering wheel and turn signal indicator according to claim 5, wherein said left and right turn signal indicators comprise or substantially comprise or partially comprise one or more windows.

8. An automobile steering wheel and turn signal indicator according to claim 1, wherein said left and right turn signal indicators are shaped respectively as an L and an R and form a respective L and R shaped interface area with the steering wheel, permitting light to pass therethrough to indicate the working status of at least one of the left and right turn signal indicators.

9. An automobile steering wheel and turn signal indicator according to claim 1, wherein said turn signal lights comprise left and right turn signal lights, and the left and right turn signal lights are disposed underneath or substantially underneath or partially underneath the left and right turn signal indicators respectively, to facilitate passage of light at least one of therethrough and around thereof.

10. An automobile including an automobile steering wheel and turn signal indicator for allowing a driver of the automobile to signal for a turn, the automobile steering wheel comprising a handle/hub arrangement adapted to be coupled to a steering column of the automobile, at least one spoke disposed about the handle and the hub and horizontally extended outward therefrom to the handle and the hub, and left and right turn signal indicators comprising at least one user actuation device to actuate the left and right turn signal indicators, the left and right turn signal indicators disposed on at least one of the handle, the hub and the at least one spoke of the steering wheel, and each of the left and right turn signal indicators equipped with or positionally near first indicia disposed on or near said left and right turn signal indicators indicating the appropriate direction when the steering wheel changes orientation, said first indicia comprising left and right indicia at least one of disposed on and directly corresponding to said left and right turn signal indicators, said left and right indicia indicating at least substantially corresponding left and right directions to direct the automobile even when the steering wheel changes orientation including a 180 degree change in orientation, and each of the left and right turn signal indicators optionally equipped with a first turn signal device responsively connected to said left and right turn signal indicators indicating a working status of said left and right turn signal indicators, a second turn signal device responsively connected to said left and right turn signal indicators indicating the appropriate direction when the steering wheel changes orientation and substantially simultaneously indicating a working status of said left and right turn signal indicators and substantially within a peripheral vision of the driver, and a hazard device responsively connected to said left and right turn signal indicators activating substantially simultaneously said left and right turn signal indicators.

11. An automobile steering wheel and turn signal indicator according to claim 10, wherein said left and right turn signal indicators comprise or substantially comprise or partially comprise at least one of transparent material, substantially transparent material, and one or more windows.

12. An automobile steering wheel and turn signal indicator according to claim 10, wherein said left and right turn signal indicators form an interface area with the steering wheel, permitting light to pass therethrough to indicate the working status of at least one of the left and right turn signal indicators.

13. An automobile steering wheel and turn signal indicator according to claim 10, wherein said left turn signal indicator includes the indicia L thereon to indicate a left directional, and said right turn signal indicator includes the indicia R thereon to indicate a right directional.

14. An automobile steering wheel and turn signal indicator according to claim 10, wherein said left and right turn signal indicators are shaped respectively as an L and an R and form a respective L and R shaped interface area with the steering wheel, permitting light to pass therethrough to indicate the working status of at least one of the left and right turn signal indicators.

15. An automobile steering wheel and turn signal indicator according to claim 10, wherein said turn signal lights comprise left and right turn signal lights, and the left and right turn signal lights are disposed underneath or substantially underneath or partially underneath the left and right turn signal indicators respectively, to facilitate passage of light at least one of therethrough and around thereof.