Brake light system

• US 7,400,238 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2006
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Textron Innovations Incorporated (Textron Inc)
• Original Assignee: Textron Inc
• Inventors: Bell, Oliver A. Jr., Clark, Warren, Singletary, Aric
• Primary Examiner(s): La; Anh V
• Application Number:
  US11/421,882
• Publication Number:
  US 20070279207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 340/479, 340/665, 340/463, 340/464, 340/467, 340/468, 340/439, 340/901, 340/903, 340/905, 340/686.1, 303/3, 701/70, 362/487, 362/496
• US Class Current: 340/479
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/441 Electric switches operable by the driver's pedals

Abstract

A lightweight utility vehicle brake lighting system comprising a brake pedal position sensor, a controller and a brake light circuit. The brake pedal position sensor senses the position, e.g., amount of depression, of a vehicle brake pedal. The controller of interprets a brake pedal position signal from the brake pedal position sensor to determine the position of the brake pedal. When the controller determines that the brake pedal has been depressed to initiate a braking operation of the vehicle, the controller transmits a brake light signal to an electronic switching device, such as a relay switch, of the brake light circuit. Upon receipt of the brake light signal, the electronic switching closes to complete, or close, the brake light circuit to enable a current flow through the brake light circuit, thereby illuminating at least one brake light of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A brake lighting system for a lightweight utility vehicle, said system comprising:

a brake pedal rotary position sensor operable connected to a brake pedal shaft having a brake pedal coupled thereto and operable to rotate in conjunction with depression of the brake pedal, the rotary position sensor configured to transmit a brake pedal position signal indicative of an amount of rotation of the brake pedal shaft that is indicative of an amount of depression of the brake pedal;

a controller communicatively connected to the brake pedal rotary position sensor and operable to receive the brake pedal position signal; and

an electronic switching device communicatively connected to the controller.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to transmit a brake light signal to the electronic switching device when the brake pedal position signal from the brake pedal position sensor exceeds a predetermined upper threshold value.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the predetermined upper threshold value is approximately 5% to 15% of a maximum value of the brake pedal position signal.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the electronic switching device closes the brake light circuit when receiving the brake light signal from the controller so that current flows through the brake light circuit illuminating at least one brake light.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is adapted to prevent transmission of the brake light signal to the electronic switching device when the brake pedal position signal from the brake pedal position sensor is less than a predetermined lower threshold value.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the predetermined lower threshold value is approximately 2% to 8% of a maximum value of the brake pedal position signal.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic switching device opens a brake light circuit when not receiving a brake light signal from the controller so that current does not flow through the brake light circuit and a brake light is not illuminated.

8. A method for controlling illumination of a lightweight utility vehicle brake light, said method comprising:

transmitting a brake pedal position signal from a brake pedal rotary position sensor to a controller, the rotary position sensor operably connected to a rotary brake pedal shaft having a brake pedal coupled thereto and operable to rotate in conjunction with depression of the brake pedal, the brake pedal position signal indicative of an amount of rotation of the brake pedal shaft that is indicative of an amount of depression of the brake pedal and variable between a minimum value and a maximum value;

transmitting a brake light signal from the controller to an electronic switching device when the brake pedal position signal exceeds an upper predetermined amount of the maximum value; and

closing the electronic switching device in response to brake light signal to close a brake light circuit and provide current to a brake light for illuminating the brake light.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein transmitting the brake light signal comprises transmitting the brake light signal from the controller to the electronic switching device when the brake pedal position signal exceeds approximately 5% to 15% of the minimum value.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises terminating transmission of the brake light signal when the brake pedal position signal is less than a lower predetermined amount of the maximum value.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises opening the electronic switching device when transmission of the brake light signal is terminated to open the brake light circuit such that current flow through the brake light circuit is terminated and the brake light is extinguished.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein terminating transmission of the brake light signal comprises terminating transmission of the brake light signal when the brake pedal position signal is less than approximately 2% to 8% of the minimum value.

13. A brake lighting system for a lightweight utility vehicle, said system comprising:

a brake pedal rotary position sensor operably connected to a brake pedal shaft having a brake pedal coupled thereto and operable to rotate in conjunction with depression of the brake pedal, the rotary position sensor configured to transmit a brake pedal position signal indicative of an amount of rotation of the brake pedal shaft that is indicative of an amount of depression of the brake pedal, the brake pedal position signal variable between a minimum value and a maximum value;

a controller configured to receive the brake pedal position signal and transmit a brake light signal; and

a brake light circuit comprising a power source, at least one brake light and an electronic switching device configured to receive the brake light signal from the controller and control current flow through the brake light circuit.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the electronic switching device closes the brake light circuit when receiving the brake light signal such that current flows through the brake light circuit illuminating the brake light.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the electronic switching device opens the brake light circuit when not receiving the brake light signal such that current does not flow through the brake light circuit and the brake light is not illuminated.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller comprises programming to transmit the brake light signal to the electronic switching device when the brake pedal position signal exceeds a predetermined upper threshold value indicating a braking operation of the vehicle.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the predetermined upper threshold value is approximately 5% to 15% of a maximum value of the brake pedal position signal.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the predetermined upper threshold value is approximately 10% of a maximum value of the brake pedal position signal.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller comprises programming to prevent transmission of the brake light signal to the electronic switching device when the brake pedal position signal is below a predetermined lower threshold value indicating a non-braking operation of the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the predetermined lower threshold value is approximately 2% to 8% of a maximum value of the brake pedal position signal.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the predetermined lower threshold value is approximately 4% of a maximum value of the brake pedal position signal.

22. A lightweight utility vehicle comprising:

a brake lighting system comprising;

a brake pedal rotary position sensor operably connected to a brake pedal shaft having a brake pedal coupled thereto and operable to rotate in conjunction with depression of the brake pedal, the rotary position sensor configured to transmit a brake pedal position signal indicative of an amount of rotation of the brake pedal shaft that is indicative of an amount of depression of the brake pedal, the brake pedal position signal variable between a minimum value and a maximum value;

a controller configured to;

receive the brake pedal position signal and transmit a brake light signal when the brake position signal exceeds an predetermined upper amount of the maximum value; and

terminate transmission of the brake light signal when the brake position signal is less than a predetermined lower amount of the maximum value; and

a brake light circuit comprising a power source, at least one brake light and an electronic switching device configured to;

receive the brake light signal and enable a current flow through the brake light circuit in response thereto to illuminate the brake light; and

prevent current flow through the brake light circuit upon termination of the brake light signal, to extinguish illumination of the brake light.

23. The vehicle of claim 22, wherein the predetermined upper predetermined upper amount of the maximum value is approximately 5% to 15% of a maximum value.

24. The vehicle of claim 22, wherein the predetermined lower amount of the minimum value is approximately 2% to 8% of a maximum value.