Communications: electrical – Land vehicle alarms or indicators – Of burglary or unauthorized use
Reexamination Certificate
2002-10-18
2004-04-27
Wu, Daniel J. (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Land vehicle alarms or indicators
Of burglary or unauthorized use
C340S687000, C340S438000, C116S02800A
Reexamination Certificate
active
06727806
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle indicator for use in connection with monitoring the tailgate position on a truck, and more specifically to indicate to the user whether or not the truck tailgate is open or closed. The truck tailgate position indicator has particular utility in connection with allowing the user to be notified, while in the cab of the truck, if the tailgate is open or closed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pickup trucks manufactured today are normally equipped with a latch system for securement of the tailgate which is operated by a center latch handle. While the center latch handle is visible to the owner or operator of the truck, the latching members are typically hidden or embedded into the interior of the tailgate. In order to verify whether or not the tailgate is closed properly, the owner or operator usually grasps the tailgate and pulls to ensure that the inner workings of the latching system are locked in to place. Additionally, the owner or operator can perform visual verification by intermittently inspecting the position of the tailgate via the rearview mirror located in the operator's compartment. However, with the advent of a variety of pickup truck box covers, neither of the above tailgate verification methods can be used.
Today, owners and operators of pickup trucks often use these vehicles as an everyday means of transportation instead of cars. To make this a viable mode of personal transportation, an enclosed cargo compartment is needed in order to serve as a trunk. A variety of pickup truck box covers are available today that come in many shapes and sizes that include both rigid and soft material. But no matter what the style or material used for the cargo box covers, there are two commonalities that can cause problems for the owner or operator of a pickup truck. First, the cargo box covers extend over the edge of the tailgate making it impossible to grasp the tailgate and pull in order to verify that the latching mechanism is in place. Second, the covers completely block the view of the tailgate from the rearview mirror in the operator compartment. These two drawbacks can occasionally result in the owner or operator being unaware that the tailgate is open or has opened while the truck is in motion, leading to possible loss or damage of items stored in the bed of the truck.
The use of pickup truck tailgate monitors is known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,137,419 to Christina M. Lennox, Bradford M. Lennox and Paul J. Huber discloses a tailgate monitor, which includes a control panel, an audible alarm, a master switch and a monitor switch. An indicator light is illuminated when the system is operational, and an audible alarm is activated when the tailgate is open. However, since current warning and indicator lights provided in production vehicles are activated only when a particular function is not operational, the Lennox, et al. '419 device could cause operator confusion since it functions in the opposite manner as most other indicators in the vehicle by activating when a certain function is operational. Additionally, the Lennox, et al. '419 patent has a manual override button, but does not automatically reset the system when the vehicle is restarted. Without an automatic reset of the system, an operator could easily forget to enable the system, which could result in the tailgate being in an unexpected position without the user's knowledge. Furthermore, the Lennox, et al. '419 device uses only an audible buzzer to indicate when the tailgate is down. A warning system with only an audible buzzer may not be noticed in the compartment of a pickup truck where other loud noises, such as the radio or road noise, are present or if the driver is hearing impaired.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,177,866 B1 to Patricia O'Connell discloses a tailgating warning system that indicates, via a warning sign, to other vehicles when they are too close to the rear of the vehicle. However, the O'Connell '866 B1 patent cannot determine if the tailgate of a pickup truck is up or down since it only measures distance from the vehicle to another vehicle directly behind it. Furthermore, the indicator on the O'Connell '866 B1 device fails to notify the driver if a vehicle is tailgating, instead warning only the occupants of the vehicle directly behind.
Moreover, the O'Connell '866 B1 patent does not discuss any method for measuring or determining the status of a compartment or door on the vehicle. Finally, complex features such as the photo-electric cells and the apparatus used for communication between the accelerator and the photo-electric cells and the illumination devices would cause the O'Connell '866 B1 design to be excessively complicated and cost prohibitive for most users.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,423 to Raymond L. Hensel discloses the design for an indicator device that alerts the driver of a pickup truck as to the orientation of the by utilizing a rod, in several embodiments, that extends out and to the side in order for the driver of the pickup truck to determine the position of the tailgate. However, the Hensel '423 patent requires that the operator frequently check the side view mirrors in order to determine the position of the tailgate. An additional deficiency in the Hensel '423 patent is that it makes no provision for activating a warning buzzer or light when the tailgate is down. Furthermore, the Hensel '423 patent requires the rod to extend outward past any part of the pickup truck in order for the driver to visually inspect the position of the rod. This extension could be excessive and would be impossible to implement in some pickup truck models, such as dual wheeled versions. Finally, the rod extension suggested by the Hensel '423 patent would not be suitable for use at construction sites, farms, ranches or in heavily wooded areas where an object extended from a truck could cause damage or become easily dislodged.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,924,558 to Alfred Di Grazia discloses a door position indicator mounted on the frame of the rear pull-down door of a truck. This indicator device would be exposed to the view of the driver via the side view mirrors of the truck. However, the Di Grazia '558 patent requires that the operator frequently check the side view mirrors in order to determine the position of the tailgate and does not address a method of notifying the operator with a buzzer or warning light. Additionally, the Di Grazia '558 patent suggests that the rod indicator extend out past any part of the truck in order for the rod to remain in plain view to the driver. This extension of the rod would be excessive in the case of some truck models such as dual wheeled versions. Finally, due to the low placement of the rod in the Di Grazia '558 patent, it would not be visible via the rear view mirror located in the operator compartment of the truck, and any view of it could possibly be obstructed by obstacles in the bed of the truck.
Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. Des.323, 788 to Ken Roberts, Miles Conklin, Doug Wolff and Mark T. Salander discloses the ornamental design of a door or window signal transmitter for alarm systems. However, the Roberts, et al. '788 patent does not mention any method or capability to indicate to the user of a vehicle the position of the tailgate on a pickup truck. Furthermore, the Roberts, et al. '788 patent does not provide a method for installing the device into pickup trucks.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 2,576,017 to John Jeffery and Thomas T. May discloses a vehicle hood position warning indicator. The primary drawback of using the Jeffery, et al. '017 patent in conjunction with monitoring the status of the tailgate position is that it makes no provision for an override capability in the event that the driver of the vehicle wishes for the tailgate to remain in the lowered position. A further deficiency is that the Jeffery, et al. '017 patent provides an emerg
Massie Jerold L.
Mitchell George C.
Nguyen Phung
Wu Daniel J.
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