Communications: electrical – Land vehicle alarms or indicators – External signal light system
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-14
2003-02-04
Trieu, Van (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Land vehicle alarms or indicators
External signal light system
C340S468000, C340S471000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06515584
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
A motor vehicle hazard warning signal which is easily and quickly distinguished from a turn signal flash and which is more eye catching than the current hazard signal could make a significant contribution to highway safety if such improved hazard signal were widely used and thus recognized by drivers as the signal of a stopped or slow-moving vehicle.
As presently designed, automobiles, trucks, and buses use the same flash rate and pattern for hazard flashers as is used for turn signals. A hazard flasher switch causes both the left and right lamps used for turn signals to flashing unison. This “four-way flash” is universally understood to be the hazard signal for a stopped or slow-moving vehicle. Because the hazard signal rate and pattern of flash at present is the same as the turn signal rate and pattern, the only way to distinguish a hazard flash from a turn signal flash is to observe that turn signal lights are flashing on both sides of the vehicle.
Many patents in the field concern improvements and modification of the flashers which signal vehicle turns and/or vehicle hazard warnings. Others relate to freestanding devices to warn of road hazards, e. g., disabled vehicles.
None of them attempts to introduce a distinctive flash rate and pattern of the hazard flash so as to distinguish it from a turn signal as does the present invention.
2. Related Art
Some patents in the field and their claims:
Belcher et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,174 (Oct. 7, 1980). A non-uniform hazard flash intended to indicate a driver in a distress situation and requesting aid, in contrast to a stopped vehicle with a uniform hazard flash rate and not in need of help. The distress flash pattern described is four short flashes followed by one long flash.
Beacom, U.S. Pat. No. 6,034,599 (Mar. 7, 2000). Coupling apparatus for warning lights on trailing unit.
Lucas, U.S. Pat. No. 3,925,759 (Dec. 9, 1975). Five different flash combinations intended to indicate which of five different situations exists.
Effenberger, U.S. Pat. No. 3,493,927 (Feb. 3, 1967). Emergency flash device which permits left and right directional lights to be flashed either synchronously or alternately.
Michelotti, U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,221 (Feb. 8, 2000). System to activate hazard lights upon hard braking.
Ingram, U.S. Pat. No. 4,346,365 (Aug. 24, 1982). Brake lights caused to flash when brakes have been applied continuously for a predetermined length of time.
Ohkuma, U.S. Pat. No. 5,872,511 (Feb. 16, 1999). Second hazard control switch for passenger use. Also built-in sound indicator.
Davis et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,069,559 (May 30, 2000). Hazard flasher control system to detect operational and lamp failures.
Fritz, U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,142 (May 3, 1994). Maintain hazard flash rate when lamp outage occurs.
Incorvaia et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,280 (Sep. 21, 1993). Single control for 6-lamp system which satisfies Federal standard regarding lamp-outage indicator as well as standard for hazard flash rate.
Kimmelman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,210 (Dec. 10, 1991). Single combination electronic control which indicates turn signal lamp outage and maintains flash rate for hazard signal in spite of lamp outage.
Roller, U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,111 (Jan. 9, 1990).Heavy duty flasher with long life and high reliability.
Spiteri, U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,013 (Oct. 30, 1979).Combination flasher in which only control circuit current passes through turn signal/hazard switch and pulse rate is generated by a computer chip.
Schorter, U.S. Pat. No. 3,824,542 (Jul. 16, 1974). A representative electronic flasher unit with only two terminals.
Brusca, U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,876 (Apr. 30, 1996). A device to provide timed lighting on vehicles and on portable emergency triangles.
Dagget, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,754,124 (May 19, 1998). An electrical hazard marker which is cone shaped, has two brightness levels, and fits into the trunk of a car.
Wu, U.S. Pat. No. 5,349,346 (Sep. 20, 1994). Reflective warning triangle incorporating red LED lights.
Gunter, U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,910 (Aug. 28, 1990). Hazard warning triangle with flashing lights.
Saubolle, U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,781 (Jun. 16, 1992). Battery powered, LED-lit hazard warning device for use in place of a conventional flare.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The inventor observed in his experience as an interstate trucker that many times it is not immediately apparent to other drivers whether the flashing lights of a vehicle are intended to signal a turn or to signal a stopped or slow-moving vehicle. This occurs frequently when a truck or car is parked or moving slowly on the shoulder or in a driving lane with four-way lights flashing, but with only one side of the signalling vehicle visible to drivers to the rear, usually because a third vehicle blocks the view from behind. Following drivers who see only one side of the signalling vehicle cannot differentiate between a stopped vehicle with four-way flashers on and a vehicle signalling that it is about to pull into the adjacent traffic lane.
The same thing happens when a bus pulls over to pick up or discharge passengers. Bus drivers often use their four-way flashers while at the curb picking up passengers and then change to a left turn signal as they are about to pull back into traffic. Following drivers who can see only the left signal lights of the bus are unable to tell when the four-ways are turned off and the bus is going to move left.
Even when both flashing rear lights of al stopped or slow-moving vehicle are seen, because turn signals flashing at the same uniform rate are so commonplace, drivers often are not as quickly aware as they could be that they are seeing a hazard warning and not a turn signal. This is especially the case in traffic situations, such as a busy freeway, with many vehicle lights in view. A hazard signal of unique pattern, when it becomes widely recognized, should often alert oncoming drivers more quickly to the hazard posed by a stopped or slow-moving vehicle.
Truckers and other experienced drivers, when driving at highway speeds and coming unexpectedly upon stopped traffic, often turn on their hazard flashers to warn following drivers to expect a very abrupt stop in an unexpected place. A quicker recognition by the following drivers of the hazard alert could make the difference between stopping in time and a having a collision. The distinctive variable rate of the hazard alert flasher could help provide such quicker recognition of the warning signal.
Incorporation of the hazard alert flasher, with its distinctive flash sequence, into free-standing emergency electric lanterns and illuminated warning triangles could have the potential for better and earlier recognition of the signal for a disabled vehicle and could result in increased safety.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the objective of the invention to:
1) Create a hazard alert flash sequence with distinctive flash rates and patterns so that hazard signals can be quickly and easily distinguished from turn signals.
2) Create a unique hazard alert flash sequence, as in 1), to be submitted for approval to highway authorities for adoption as newly accepted hazard flash rates and patterns which are different from rates and patterns presently permitted by highway regulations.
3) Create a unique hazard alert flash sequence, as in 1) and 2), intended to be a universal warning signal of a highway hazard.
4) Provide highway vehicles with a pulse-generating device to control the hazard warning flasher and produce a differential non-uniform flash pattern which is distinctive and readily distinguished from turn signals.
5) Provide pulse-generating devices to convert existing vehicles to the non-uniform hazard flash pattern.
6) Provide pulse generating devices with the non-uniform hazard flash pattern to install in new vehicles.
7) Provide pulse generating devices, for turn signals and hazard warning flashers, with flash patterns and rates controlled by microprocessors, which devices can produce the non-uniform hazard alert sequence.
8) Provide pulse generating devices for
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