External seat belt indicator light

• US 9,260,054 B1
• Filed: 04/08/2014
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Antonio Jamaal Mchomes, Joe Lewis Mchomes, Josef Rasheed Mchomes
• Original Assignee: Antonio Jamaal Mchomes, Joe Lewis Mchomes, Josef Rasheed Mchomes
• Inventors: McHomes, Joe Lewis, McHomes, Josef Rasheed, McHomes, Antonio Jamaal
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US14/247,908
• Time in Patent Office: 679 Days
• Field of Search: 340/468, 340/457.1, 340/461, 340/458, 340/425.5, 180/268, 180/273
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/503 using luminous text or symbol displays in or on the vehicle, e.g. static text
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/509 specific to unauthorised use, e.g. for indicating stolen vehicles or infringements of traffic rules
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/544 for indicating other states or conditions of the vehicle occupants, e.g. for indicating disabled occupants
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2022/4875 on vehicle exterior
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 22/48 Control systems, alarms, or interlock systems, for the correct application of the belt or harness

Abstract

An external seatbelt indicator provides a red indicator light that appears on the front and rear of the vehicle when the driver'"'"'s seat is occupied, the vehicle'"'"'s ignition switch is in the on position, the vehicle is in any forward or reverse gear, and the driver'"'"'s seatbelt is unfastened. The red indicator light may include, but is not limited to a written message, such as, “No Seat Belt,” or it may be in another form, such as a silhouette of a seated person wearing a seatbelt and shoulder harness.

Claims

1. A system for detecting whether a vehicle driver is wearing a fastened seat belt while the vehicle is in operation, comprising:

(a) a control unit;

(b) said control unit being affixed to the interior of the vehicle cabin within the front half of the passenger compartment of the vehicle;

(c) said control unit being connected to four switches; and

(d) said control unit being connected to a plurality of external seatbelt indicator lights;

(e) said plurality of external seatbelt indicator lights emit light comprising a machine-readable component whereby said machine-readable component is detectable to law enforcement equipment and is placed in electronic communication with law enforcement data systems

whereby the simultaneous activation of all four of said four switches would cause said control unit to activate said plurality of external seatbelt indicator lights, and deactivation of any of said four switches would cause said control unit to deactivate said plurality of external seatbelt indicator lights.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first of said four switches activates when the ignition switch of the vehicle is in the “

on”

position, and deactivates when the ignition switch of the vehicle is in the “

off”

position.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the second of said four switches activates when the transmission of the vehicle is in any forward or reverse gear, and deactivates when the transmission of the vehicle is in “

park”

or “

neutral”

.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the third of said four switches is a pressure switch, activating when it detects sufficient pressure on the driver'"'"'s seat of the vehicle to approximate the weight of any adult occupying said driver'"'"'s seat of the vehicle, and deactivating when it detects a sufficient decrease in said pressure to indicate that the adult occupant of said driver'"'"'s seat of the vehicle has exited the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the fourth of said four switches activates when the driver'"'"'s seatbelt of the vehicle is unfastened, and deactivates when said driver'"'"'s seatbelt of the vehicle is fastened.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein one of said plurality of external seatbelt indicator lights is mounted on the front of the vehicle, in such a manner as to be visible from a substantial distance in front of the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein one of said plurality of external seatbelt indicator lights is mounted on the rear of the vehicle, in such a manner as to be visible from a substantial distance behind the vehicle.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of external seatbelt indicator lights are red in color.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said plurality of external seatbelt indicator lights display the printed message, “

No Seat Belt”

.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein said plurality of external seatbelt indicator lights display a silhouette of a seated person wearing a seatbelt and shoulder harness.