Electrical actuator assembly for hinged vehicle safety devices

• US 7,005,973 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2004
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Specialty Manufacturing Inc. (Safe Fleet Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Transpec, Inc. (White Mountains Insurance Group Limited)
• Inventors: Wolf, Kevin L. Jr., Haigh, James A., Iminski, Richard J., Rabine, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung T.
• Application Number:
  US10/828,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20040201498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 340/433, 340/425.5, 340/545.4, 340/456, 340/480, 340/487, 340/545.6, 340/552, 340/545.1, 116/28.R, 180/271
• US Class Current: 340/433
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/04 by land vehicles

Abstract

A school bus has a stop sign hinged on an electrical actuator assembly that is attached to the side of the bus. The actuator assembly includes an electric motor that pivots the hinged stop sign from a stored position adjacent the bus to an operative position extending outwardly of the bus in perpendicular fashion and back to the stored position and an electrical control unit that includes Hall effect sensors for controlling the electric motor. These and other components are protected in an outer sealed housing that has a removable cover to facilitate installation and repair. Installation and repair is further enhanced by a removable inner housing sub-assembly that carries the electric motor and the electric control unit and that provides additional protection for these two components. The school bus also has a crossing arm hinged on an identical electrical actuator assembly, that is attached to the front bumper of the bus near the passenger doors.

Claims

1. An electrical actuator assembly for attaching a hinged safety device to a body panel of a vehicle and pivoting the hinged safety device between retracted and extended positions comprising:

a housing that is adapted for attachment to a vehicle and a cover,

an electric motor disposed in the housing,

a drive mechanism in the housing coupled to the electric motor for pivoting the safety device,

first and second magnets carried by the drive mechanism, and

an electronic control unit in the housing for controlling the electric motor,

the electronic control unit having first and second Hall effect sensors cooperating with the first and second magnets for deactivating the electric motor at respective ends of a predetermined stroke.

2. The electrical actuator assembly of claim 1 wherein the drive mechanism includes a rotary member driven by the electric motor, the rotary member carrying the first magnet to a predetermined location with respect to the first Hall effect sensor when the safety device is at one end of the respective ends of the predetermined stroke, and the rotary member carrying the second magnet to a predetermined location with respect to the second Hall effect sensor when the safety device is at an opposite end of the respective ends of the predetermined stroke.

3. An electrical actuator assembly for attaching a hinged safety device to a body panel of a vehicle and pivoting the hinged safety device between retracted and extended positions comprising:

a housing that is adapted for attachment to a vehicle and a cover,

an electric motor disposed in the housing,

a drive mechanism in the housing coupled to the electric motor for pivoting the safety device,

first and second magnets carried by the drive mechanism for pivoting with the safety device, and

an electronic control unit in the housing for controlling the electric motor,

the electronic control unit having first and second Hall effect sensors cooperating with the first and second magnets for deactivating the electric motor at respective ends of a predetermined stroke.

4. An electrical actuator assembly for attaching a hinged safety device to a body panel of a vehicle and pivoting the hinged safety device between retracted and extended positions comprising:

a housing that is adapted for attachment to a vehicle and a cover,

an electric motor disposed in the housing,

a drive mechanism in the housing including a rotary member coupled to the electric motor for pivoting the safety device,

first and second magnets affixed to the rotary member carried by the drive mechanism, and

an electronic control unit in the housing for controlling the electric motor,

the electronic control unit having first and second Hall effect sensors cooperating with the first and second magnets for deactivating the electric motor at respective ends of a predetermined stroke.