School bus alarm system

• US 5,128,651 A
• Filed: 01/02/1991
• Issued: 07/07/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mary A. Heckart, Ram Design Services Corp.
• Original Assignee: Mary A. Heckart
• Inventors: Heckart, deceased, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TUMM, BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US07/636,876
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 340/433, 340/425.5, 340/438, 340/457, 340/305-307, 340/328
• US Class Current: 340/433
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission

Abstract

An alarm system for vehicles such as school buses which forces the driver to walk through the vehicle to silence the alarm at the end of each route so that he will detect the presence of passengers remaining on board. An ignition relay is energized whenever the ignition switch is on. An arming relay for the alarm is energized when the door switch of the bus is first activated. An override relay is also energized when the door switch is first activated. Alternative circuits for the arming relay include one set of the override relay contacts and a disable switch for the alarm located at the back of the bus. The alarm sounds when the ignition switch is turned off and can be deactivated only by depressing the disable switch at the rear of the bus.

Claims

1. An alarm system for a bus having a plurality of passenger seats and an ignition switch with on and off conditions, said system comprising:

alarm means for generating an alarm signals, said alarm means having a disarmed state in which said alarm means is disabled to prevent generation of the alarm signal and an armed state in which said alarm means is enabled to generate the alarm signal when he ignition switch is placed in the off condition after having been in the on condition;

means for effecting the armed state of said alarm means; and

an alarm disable switch for interrupting the alarm signal, said disable switch being located to the rear of the seats and being operated manually.

2. The alarm system of claim 1, wherein said disable switch is operable to effect the disarmed state of said alarm means.

3. The alarm system of claim 2, including means for preventing operation of said disable switch from effecting the disarmed state of said alarm means unless the ignition switch has first been placed in the off condition after having been in the on condition.

4. The alarm system of claim 1, wherein:

the bus includes a safety system having a door switch activated by opening a door of the bus; and

said means for effecting the armed state of said alarm means is activated upon activation of the door switch and thereafter maintains the armed state of the alarm means until the ignition switch is placed in the off condition and said disable switch is operated.

5. The alarm system of claim 4, wherein said disable switch is operable to effect the disarmed state of said alarm means.

6. In a passenger vehicle having plural rows of passenger seats and an ignition switch with on and off conditions, an alarm system comprising:

alarm means for generating an alarm signal when enabled;

means for effecting an armed state of said alarm means;

means for enabling said alarm means in response to the ignition switch being placed in the off condition while the alarm means is in the armed state; and

an alarm disable switch for disabling said alarm means, said disable switch being manually operated and being situated in the vehicle at a location accessible only to an operator who passes the passenger seats, whereby a passenger remaining in one of the seats will be noticed by the operator.

7. The alarm system of claim 6, wherein said disable switch is operable to effect a disarmed state of the alarm means in which the alarm means is disabled.

8. The alarm system of claim 7, including means for preventing operation of the disable switch from effecting the disarmed state of the alarm means unless the ignition switch has first been placed in the off condition after having been in the on condition.

9. The alarm system of claim 6, wherein:

said alarm means comprises a first electric circuit having a completed condition in which the alarm means is enabled and an interrupted condition in which the alarm signal is disabled to prevent generation of the alarm signal;

said means for effecting the armed state of said alarm means comprises a second electric circuit having a completed condition in which the alarm means is armed and an interrupted condition in which the alarm means is disarmed;

said disable switch is normally effective to complete the second circuit but may be manually operated to interrupt the second circuit.

10. An alarm system for a bus having a plurality of seats, an ignition switch with on and off conditions and a safety system with a door switch activated by opening a door of the bus, said alarm system comprising:

alarm means for generating an alarm signal when enabled;

means for arming said alarm means when the door switch has been activated and thereafter maintaining the armed state of the alarm means when the door switch is deactivated, said alarm means being in a condition to be enabled when in the armed state;

means for enabling said alarm means when the ignition switch is placed in the off condition while the alarm means is in the armed state; and

an alarm disable switch for disabling said alarm means, said disable switch being located in the rear of the bus behind the seats and being operated manually.

11. The alarm system of claim 10, wherein:

the bus has an audible horn; and

said alarm means comprises means for activating the horn.

12. The alarm system of claim 10, wherein said disable switch is operable to effect a disarmed state of the alarm means in which the alarm means is disabled.

13. The alarm system of claim 12, including:

disarm override means for preventing the disable switch from disarming the alarm means when said override means is activated; and

means for activating said override means when the door switch has been activated and thereafter maintaining the activated state of the override means until the ignition switch is placed in the off condition.