Safety or Alert Device

• US 20100148989A1
• Filed: 12/11/2009
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mark P. Hawkins, Martin Khoo
• Original Assignee: Mark P. Hawkins, Martin Khoo
• Inventors: Khoo, Martin, Hawkins, Mark P.
• Application Number:
  US12/635,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20100148989A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/944
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/617 Illuminated or wired-up posts, bollards, pillars or like upstanding bodies or structures for traffic guidance, warning or control E01F9/559 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/006 Portable traffic signalling devices G08B5/004 takes precedence; emergency signalling devices to be placed on roads or vehicles B60Q7/00

Abstract

The invention resides in an alert device, the device including a housing containing one or more flashing light sources and one or more non-flashing light sources, wherein both flashing and non-flashing light sources are arranged to emit light away from the housing, and optionally a detector adapted to detect the movement of an object into an area proximate to the housing, and control circuitry connected or connectable to a power supply, wherein the control circuitry is adapted to light the one or more flashing light sources in response to a signal from the detector indicating that a moving object has been detected.

Claims

1. An alert device, the device including a housing containing one or more flashing light sources and one or more non-flashing light sources, wherein both flashing and non-flashing light sources are arranged to emit light away from the housing.

2. The alert device of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a base and a vertical stalk, and wherein the vertical stalk includes the flashing and non-flashing light sources.

3. The alert device of claim 2, wherein the stalk is approximately 0.8-2.0 metres tall.

4. The alert device of claim 3, wherein the stalk is approximately 0.0-1.5 metres tall.

5. The alert device of claim 4, wherein the one or more flashing light sources and the one or more non-flashing light sources are substantially vertically aligned.

6. The alert device of claim 5, wherein the stalk includes two flashing light sources and one non-flashing light source facing a first direction.

7. The alert device of claim 6, wherein the stalk includes two flashing light sources and one non-flashing light source facing a second direction.

8. The alert device of claim 6, wherein the one non-flashing light source is located between the two flashing light sources.

9. The alert device of claim 8, wherein the two flashing light sources are of different colours.

10. The alert device of claim 9, wherein the two flashing h sources when activated flash in a substantially random sequence.

11. The alert device of claim 10, wherein the one non-flashing light source is larger in size than one of the two flashing light sources.

12. The alert device of claim 11, further including reflective material facing outwards from the housing.

13. The alert device of claim 12, wherein the reflective material is reflective tape positioned between the two flashing light sources.

14. The alert device of claim 13, wherein the device is portable.

15. The alert device of claim 14, wherein the two flashing lights are strobe lights, LED lights, or combination thereof.

16. The alert device of claim 15, wherein the base has a width of approximately 0.5-0.75 metres.

17. The alert device of claim 16, including a detector adapted to detect the movement of an object into an area proximate to the housing, and control circuitry connected or connectable to a power supply, wherein the control circuitry is adapted to light the two flashing light sources in response to a signal from the detector indicating that a moving object has been detected.

18. The alert device of claim 17, wherein the power supply is a battery contained within the housing.

19. The alert device of claim 17, wherein the power supply includes a solar cell.

20. The alert device of claim 9, wherein the detector is a passive infrared (PIR) sensor.

21. The alert device of claim 19, wherein the detector is a pedestrian detector comprising a pressure pad located proximate the housing, and connected to the control circuitry, or a button or other device operable by a pedestrian to indicate his or her presence at the device.

22. The alert device of claim 20, wherein the device further includes a light sensor that detects the level of environmental light about the device and the light sensor controls lighting of the at least one non-flashing light source in response to the detected level of environmental light.

30. A pedestrian alert network comprising two or more alert devices of claim 22, wherein the alert devices are connected such that activation of one alert device also activates the other alert devices in the network.

31. The network of claim 30, wherein after a predetermined time period after activation the network is deactivated.

23. A traffic alert device, the device including:

a housing having a base and a stalk, wherein the stalk extends from the base and is relatively narrow in comparison to the base;

one or more dc powered flashing lights and one or more dc powered non-flashing lights in the stalk, wherein the lights are arranged to emit light substantially away from the housing in a first direction, and wherein the lights are located at different heights along the stalk.

24. The device of claim 23, including a detector that detects the presence of a moving object proximate to the alert device;

and

control circuitry connected or connectable to a dc power supply, wherein the control circuitry is adapted to provide power from the dc power supply to the flashing lights when the detector detects a moving object, causing the flashing lights to light in an apparently random manner.

25. The alert device of claim 24, wherein the alert device includes a switch to activate the non-flashing lights.

26. The alert device of claim 25, wherein the switch is activated manually or activated by a predetermined level of environmental light.

27. A portable pedestrian or traffic alert device, the device including:

a portable housing having a base and a stalk extending from the base;

one or more dc powered flashing lights in the stalk;

one or more dc powdered non-flashing lights in the stalk;

a first detector that is capable of detecting the presence of a moving object proximate to the alert device;

a second detector that is capable of detecting the level of environmental light about the device;

control circuitry connected or connectable to a dc power supply,

wherein the control circuitry is adapted to;

provide power from the dc power supply to the one or more flashing lights, when the first detector detects the presence of a moving object and when the second detector detects the level of environment light about the device below a predetermined level, and

provide power from the dc power supply to the one or more non-flashing lights when the level of environmental light about the device falls below a predetermined level.

28. The alert device of claim 27, wherein two or more flashing lights are positioned at different heights on the stalk and separated by one or more non-flashing lights.

29. The alert device of claim 28, wherein the two or more flashing lights in the stalk are not synchronized with each other when activated by the first detector.