Mobile speed awareness device

• US 5,231,393 A
• Filed: 10/18/1988
• Issued: 07/27/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kustom Signals Incorporated (MPD Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: P.A.T., Co.
• Inventors: Strickland, Bill F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent A.
• Application Number:
  US07/259,207
• Time in Patent Office: 1,743 Days
• Field of Search: 340/936, 340/937, 340/933, 340/907, 340/908, 340/908.1, 340/928, 340/431, 340/429, 340/905, 342/104, 280/491.2, 280/491.5
• US Class Current: 340/936
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/08 Arrangements of scales, pointers, lamps or acoustic indicators, e.g. in automobile speedometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/92 for velocity measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/052 with provision for determining speed or overspeed speed measuring in general G01P

Abstract

A speed awareness device for allowing passing traffic to perceive from a source other than their own speedometers their true speed. A trailer supports a container within which a radar source is contained operatively connected to a display panel. A suitable source of power operates the radar and display and includes a battery, an optional photo voltaic source to power the battery and a plurality of instrumentalities to preclude or render less likely that the trailer will be moved by unauthorized personnel. These instrumentalities include a removeable trailer hitch, an axle lock, support stands for elevating the trailer and an internal alarm system.

Claims

1. A speed monitoring and display system, comprising, in combination:

a wheeled trailer which supports a container thereon,

a display board on a trailing portion of said container, providing a reading of passing traffic speed to passing drivers,

a radar gun monitoring passing traffic and operatively coupled to said display board,

and a source of power to drive said radar gun and said display board;

wherein said container is formed as a substantially box shaped hollow member, said display board is supported on an inner surface of a rear wall of said container, a window is strategically placed on said rear wall oriented to allow said display board to provide visual indicia to passing traffic, and a transparency mounted in said rear wall behind which and within said container said radar gun is placed, said transparency allowing signals from said radar gun to monitor passing traffic; and

wherein said wheeled trailer is formed from a framework having a forward portion defining a trailer tongue which coupled to a vehicle for towing said system to various locations, said tongue including a removable trailer hitch which coupled to the towing vehicle and is fixed on a leading portion of said tongue by means of a sleeve integrally formed with said hitch, said sleeve telescopically insertable within a socket contained on a leading portion of said tongue and fixed thereto with locking means, whereby when not in use, said hitch can be removed from said leading portion of said tongue and placed within said container for storage to reduce the likelihood of unauthorized trailer transport.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said radar gun is supported on said rear wall at an interior surface thereof by means of a mounting bracket including a ledge;

interiorly from said ledge, an inverted L-shaped bracket pivotally connected to a shelf extending from said ledge and supporting a vertically upstanding support for a barrel of the radar gun, and a threaded adjustor extending between a handle area of the radar gun and a lower most portion of said L-shaped bracket to adjust the gun in scanning the roadway for appropriately focusing on traffic passing thereby, whereby passing traffic can receive input from said display board.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said container includes a bottom floor surface which has a mesh portion adjacent said source of power, said mesh portion underlying a flap pivotally connected to said floor allowing ventilation into an interior of said container unobtrusively, to allow said source of power to breathe.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein a speed limit sign is connected to sign stand carried on the intersection of a top surface and said rear wall of said container, to provide visual comparison for a passing vehicle between the vehicle'"'"'s actual speed and the maximum permissible speed for a given roadway, said sign stand foldable from a vertically disposed deployed position to a substantially horizontally oriented position on top of said top surface of said container, and photoelectric means on an edge of said sign stand remote from said rear wall to provide a second power source.

5. A mobile speed awareness device, comprising, in combination:

a trailer supporting speed indicating means apprising passing traffic of traffic speed,

a posted speed limit sign,

means for removably connecting said sign to said trailer,

a trailer tongue removably connected to said trailer,

and free standing means for temporarily immobilizing said trailer in one location;

wherein said speed indicating means includes a radar source for monitoring bypassing traffic speed carried on said trailer, a display means operatively coupled to said radar source for receiving speed related signals therefrom, a source of power to operate both said display means and said radar source, whereby bypassing traffic can compare the speed of the vehicle with the posted speed limit sign;

wherein said speed indicating means is encapsulated within a container supported on said trailer for security; and

wherein said means for removably connecting said trailer tongue includes a trailer hitch having a sleeve which telescopes within a leading edge socket of said trailer tongue, a pin coupling said hitch and tongue together at said socket and sleeve area, whereupon after removal of said trailer tongue, said mobile speed awareness device cannot be transported by a conventional ball-type trailer hitch.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said free-standing means includes a pair of legs adjacent a rear portion of said trailer deployable from a stored to a downwardly extending position, and a forwardly disposed telescoping stand depending from a tongue portion and vertically extensible to support said trailer between said rear legs and said stand.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said trailer is towed from various deployment areas and includes a pair of road contacting wheels, said wheels capable of being locked into position by means of an axle lock extending between said wheels to preclude unauthorized removal.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein said radar source and said display means are secured within said container carried on said trailer, a photo voltaic energy transfer medium is disposed on a top surface of said container, said source of power includes a battery power pack contained within an interior of said container, means for coupling said sources together to drive said radar source and display means, whereby said trailer is self-contained for monitoring traffic.

9. A velocity indicator, comprising, in combination:

a trailer containing velocity indicating means,

a container placed on said trailer having an access portal,

a display board mounted on a window in an interior of said container with a display board face exposed to an exterior of said container through said window,

velocity sensing means mounted near said display board and monitoring passing traffic through a container transparency,

and a source of power coupling said sensing means to said display board to exhibit sensed velocity to the traffic being monitored;

wherein said source of power includes a plurality of batteries contained within said container and communicating with ventilation means associated with said container for breathing; and

wherein a photo voltaic panel provides a power input to said batteries and is controlled as to its voltage when feeding said batteries through voltage controlling means, said photo voltaic panel monitored as to the presence of actinic radiation whereupon in its absence, a light oriented to shine on said display board will be energized thereby.

10. The indicator of claim 9 wherein said photo voltaic panel is carried above a top surface of said container and is supported by link means pivoted between said photo voltaic panel and a top surface of said container to allow folding of said photo voltaic panel for storage adjacent a top surface of said container.

11. The indicator of claim 10 wherein said velocity sensing means includes a radar gun mounted within an interior of said container by means of a mounting bracket that allows rotation of said gun about a vertical axis and a horizontal axis for aligning said radar gun sufficiently along a road pathway to allow passing traffic to read a posted speed on said display board face of their own speed by easily addressing said board display face.

12. A speed monitoring and display system, comprising, in combination:

a wheeled trailer which supports a container thereon,

a display board on a trailing portion of said container, providing a reading of passing traffic speed to passing drivers,

a radar gun monitoring passing traffic and operatively coupled to said display board,

and a source of power to drive said radar gun and said display board; and

wherein said wheeled trailer is formed from a framework having a forward portion defining a trailer tongue which couples to a vehicle for towing said system to various locations, said tongue including a removable trailer hitch which couples to the towing vehicle and is fixed on a leading portion of said tongue by means of a sleeve integrally formed with said hitch, said sleeve telescopically insertable within a socket contained on a leading portion of said tongue and fixed thereto with locking means, whereby when not in use, said hitch can be removed from said leading portion of said tongue and placed within said container for storage to reduce the likelihood of unauthorized trailer transport.

13. A mobile speed awareness device, comprising, in combination:

a trailer supporting speed indicating means appraising passing traffic of traffic speed,

a posted speed limit sign,

means for removably connecting said sign to said trailer,

a trailer tongue removably connected to said trailer,

and free standing means for temporarily immobilizing said trailer in one location; and

wherein said means for removably connecting said trailer tongue includes a trailer hitch having a sleeve which telescopes within a leading edge socket of said trailer tongue, a pin coupling said hitch and tongue together at said socket and sleeve area, whereupon after removal of said trailer tongue, said mobile speed awareness device cannot be transported by a conventional ball-type trailer hitch.

14. A speed monitoring and display system which is transported by a prime mover vehicle to a site to be monitored and apprises passing cars of their speed, comprising, in combination:

a wheeled trailer which removably couples to the vehicle and supports a container thereon,

a display board on a trailing interior portion of said container, providing a reading of passing traffic speed to passing drivers,

a radar gun monitoring passing traffic and operatively coupled to said display board within said container,

and a source of power to drive said radar gun and said display board whereby passing car traffic receives speed data and said trailer can be recoupled to the vehicle for redeployment;

wherein said radar gun is supported on a near wall of said container at an interior surface thereof by means of a mounting bracket including a ledge;

interiorly from said ledge, an inverted L-shaped bracket pivotally connected to a shelf extending from said ledge and supporting a vertically upstanding support for a barrel of the radar gun, and a threaded adjustor extending between a handle area of the radar gun and a lower most portion of said L-shaped bracket to adjust the gun in scanning the roadway for appropriately focusing on traffic passing thereby, whereby passing traffic can receive input from said display board.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said container is formed as a substantially box shaped hollow member, said display board is supported on an inner surface of a rear wall of said container, a window is strategically placed on said rear wall oriented to allow said display to provide visual indicia to passing traffic, and a transparency mounted in said rear wall behind which and within said container said radar gun is placed, said transparency allowing signals from said radar gun to monitor passing traffic.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said container includes a bottom floor surface which has a mesh portion adjacent said source of power, said mesh portion underlying a flap pivotally connected to said floor allowing ventilation into an interior of said container unobtrusively, to allow said source of power to breathe.

17. A speed monitoring and display system which is transported by a prime mover vehicle to a site to be monitored and apprises passing cars of their speed, comprising, in combination:

a wheeled trailer which removably couples to the vehicle and supports a container thereon,

a display board on a trailing interior portion of said container, providing a reading of passing traffic speed to passing drivers,

a radar gun monitoring passing traffic and operatively coupled to said display board within said container,

and a source of power to drive said radar gun and said display board whereby passing car traffic receives speed data and said trailer can be recoupled to the vehicle for redeployment;

wherein a speed limit sign is connected to a sign stand carried on the intersection of a top surface and said rear wall of said container, to provide visual comparison for a passing vehicle between the vehicle'"'"'s actual speed and the maximum permissible speed for a given roadway a lathe foldable from a vertically disposed deployed position to a substantially horizontally oriented position on top of said top surface of said container, and photoelectric means on an edge of said lathe remote from said rear wall to provide a second power source.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said container is formed as a substantially box shaped hollow member, said display board is supported on an inner surface of a rear wall of said container, a window is strategically placed on said rear wall oriented to allow said display board to provide visual indicia to passing traffic, and a transparency mounted in said rear wall behind which and within said container said radar gun is placed, said transparency allowing signals from said radar gun to monitor passing traffic.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said radar gun is supported on said rear wall at said inner surface thereof by means of a mounting bracket including a ledge;

interiorly from said ledge, an inverted L-shape bracket pivotally connected to a shelf extending from said ledge and supporting a vertically upstanding support for a barrel of the radar gun, and a threaded adjustor extending between a handle area of the radar gun and a lower most portion of said L-shaped bracket to adjust the gun in scanning the roadway for appropriately focusing on traffic passing thereby, whereby passing traffic can receive input from said display board.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said container includes a bottom floor surface which has a mesh portion adjacent said source of power, said mesh portion underlying a flap pivotally connected to said floor allowing ventilation into an interior of said container unobtrusively, to allow said source of power to breathe.