Communications: electrical – Land vehicle alarms or indicators – External alarm or indicator of movement
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-14
2001-07-31
Hofsass, Jeffery (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Land vehicle alarms or indicators
External alarm or indicator of movement
C340S463000, C340S464000, C340S468000, C340S479000, C073S488000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06268792
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to brake lights and more particularly pertains to a new progressive brake light gauge for providing an indication of the extent to which the vehicle in front is decelerating.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of brake lights is known in the prior art. More specifically, brake lights heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art brake lights include U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,098; U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,424; U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,723; U.S. Pat. Des. 311,962; U.S. Pat. Des. 361,962; and U.S. Pat. Des. 332,234.
In these respects, the progressive brake light gauge according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing an indication of the extent to which the vehicle in front is decelerating.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of brake lights now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new progressive brake light gauge construction wherein the same can be utilized for providing an indication of the extent to which the vehicle in front is decelerating.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new progressive brake light gauge apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the brake lights mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new progressive brake light gauge which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art brake lights, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises an accelerometer situated within a vehicle. During use, the accelerometer is adapted to detect a deceleration of the vehicle from an amount of change in momentum thereof with respect to the force of gravity. This being significantly different to all previous patents, in that the new brake lights display a guide to the actual rate of deceleration by the vehicle.
FIG. 3
shows a lamp assembly including a plurality of horizontally oriented, linearly aligned lamps. An illuminateable peripheral lamp may be situated about a perimeter of the linear aligned lamps. Preferably, the lamp assembly is mounted on a rear of the vehicle. In use, each lamp of the lamp assembly is adapted to illuminate upon the actuation thereof. A mode selection switch is provided for allowing a user to select the operation of the system in one of four modes. Such modes include a first mode of operation, a second mode of operation, a third mode of operation, and a fourth mode of operation. Further included is memory means for continuously monitoring the deceleration detected by the accelerometer and further storing the maximum deceleration detected. The memory means is adapted to be reset. Connected between the accelerometer, lamp assembly, mode selection switch and memory means is control means. In each mode the control means actuates the lamps of the lamp assembly as a function of a percentage of the maximum deceleration.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new progressive brake light gauge apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the brake lights mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new progressive brake light gauge which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art brake lights, either alone or in any combination thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new progressive brake light gauge which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new progressive brake light gauge which is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new progressive brake light gauge which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such progressive brake light gauge economically available to the buying public.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new progressive brake light gauge which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new progressive brake light gauge for providing an indication of an extent to which the vehicle in front is slowing down.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new progressive brake light gauge that includes an accelerometer situated within a vehicle and adapted to detect a deceleration of the vehicle from an amount of change in momentum thereof with respect to the force of gravity. A lamp assembly includes a plurality lamps each adapted to illuminate upon the actuation thereof. Also included is a control mechanism adapted to actuate the lamps in a predetermined, but selectable, sequence as the detected deceleration increases.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4556862 (1985-12-01), Meinershagen
patent: 5089805 (19
Hofsass Jeffery
Pham Toan
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