Card – picture – or sign exhibiting – Signs – Automotive vehicle carried
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-14
2001-01-30
Davis, Cassandra H. (Department: 3628)
Card, picture, or sign exhibiting
Signs
Automotive vehicle carried
C040S903000, C116S06300T
Reexamination Certificate
active
06178676
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a warning device for use with automobiles or other vehicles and more particularly to a warning device that can be attached to a disabled vehicle. The warning device of the invention can be readily and securely attached to a vehicle window, provides a clear and unmistakable indication of the condition of the vehicle, is foldable for compact storage and is economically manufacturable.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Many indicating devices have heretofore been used or proposed for use with automobiles or other vehicles for providing an indication that the vehicle is disabled or for other purposes.
In one type of device, warning signal means of various types are hooked onto the window of an automobile to be supported therefrom. Devices of this type are disclosed in U.S. Patents including MacLea U.S. Pat. No. 3,024,552 issued Mar. 13, 1962, DeFuria U.S. Pat. No. 3,738,039 issued Jun. 12, 1973, Zdebski U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,336 issued Feb. 12, 1974, Tuleja U.S. Pat. No. 3,975,849 issued Aug. 24, 1976, Dobala U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,138, issued Jan. 11, 1977, Schulein U.S. Pat. No. 4,015,557, Berns et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,178,874 issued Dec. 18, 1979, Brucato U.S. Pat. No. 4,348,979, Sheetz U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,134, Moon et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,153, issued May 28, 1985, Cox U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,565 issued Jul. 5, 1988, Minotti U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,524 issued Dec. 5, 1989, Reimers et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,451 issued Sep. 17, 1991, Chestnutt U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,380 issued Nov. 5, 1991 and Panossian U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,381. So far as is known, devices of this first type have not been in extensive use.
A second type of device is shown in the May et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,934,541 and 3,934,542 issued Jan. 27, 1976 and includes a reflective base member and a pair of reflective side members which are pivotally connected to opposite ends of the base member to be swingable between folded positions adjacent the base member and inclined erected positions in which the three members form an upright triangular reflective warning device. Devices have been made and sold in which each member has had a length of at least sixteen inches and each has included a red reflective material for providing a nighttime warning and forming part of an outer border of a triangular shape and a portion of an orange fluorescent material for providing a daytime warning and forming part of an inner border of the triangular shape. In such devices, the base member has included legs for support thereof in a horizontal position on a highway surface and has been weighted by auxiliary members connected thereto. This type of device has provided a clear indication of distress and has been used extensively for trucks with considerable commercial success.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention was evolved with the general object of improving upon prior art devices and providing a warning device usable on all types of vehicles to provide a clear and unmistakable indication of a distress condition and of a need for approaching traffic to exercise caution.
Another object of the invention is to provide a device that is rugged, durable and reliable while being economically manufacturable.
An important aspect of the invention relates to the recognition of problems with prior devices and an analysis of what is needed in terms of desired results and of what is needed to achieve such desired results.
The first type of devices, in which warning means are hooked onto a window of an automobile or otherwise supported on an automobile, have many limitations particularly with respect to providing a desired clear and unmistakable distress signal. The most desirable shape is a triangular shape with a horizontal base and upstanding legs, a shape which is universally recognized as a distress signal. The only known disclosures of the first type of device that have such a shape are in the Tuleja and Reimers et al. patents but the devices of those patents are of a small size and have constructions which would present problems if attempts were made to make them in a larger size, especially with respect to storage of the device when not in use.
The second type of device has advantages which account for its success but has disadvantages as well. The success appears to be the result of a number of factors. One is that the devices have the triangular shape that is universally recognized as a distress signal. Another factor is a large size. A further factor is the use of both reflective and fluorescent materials. Still another is that although the device has a relatively large size in its operative condition, it can be folded into a compact size for storage before and after use.
However, the second type of device requires support of the base member on a highway surface, thereby requiring auxiliary members for support and for adding weight thereto, adding to the size of the devices, and adding to problems in storage as well as adding to costs of manufacture.
In accordance with the invention, an assembly of three elongated components is provided that have light reflecting means thereon and that can be selectively positioned in either an operative condition in which said reflecting means form a triangular shape or an inoperable folded condition in which components are in a registering relation to provide a compact assembly for storage, and an attachment structure is provided on one of the components to secure it to a vehicle and for functioning in the operative condition to position one of the reflecting means in a generally horizontal position and to place the other two reflecting means in positions extending upwardly from opposite ends of the horizontal reflecting means to meet and form a triangular shape in a vertical plane for maximum visibility.
The device avoids the aforementioned disadvantages of the base-mounted devices but has the same advantages with respect to producing a clear and unmistakable indication of distress. Each of the light reflecting means can be of a red reflective material for providing a nighttime warning and forming part of an outer border of the triangular shape while each of elongated components can include a portion of an orange fluorescent material for providing a daytime warning and forming part of an inner border of triangular shape. The device has a further advantage over the base-mounted devices in that it can be positioned well above a highway surface for increased visibility.
In accordance with further important features of the invention, the attachment structure is arranged for attachment to a side window of a vehicle and is preferably located at a lower end of an upwardly extending component to position the horizontal reflecting means at the same elevation as the upper edge of the window and it extends out a distance which is no more than a small fraction of the length of the component so as to minimize the size of the assembly when in its inoperable folded condition.
In a preferred arrangement, the attachment structure includes a window-engaging portion that provides a surface for engagement with the upper edge surface of a window and a surface for engagement with a portion of an inner surface of the window adjacent its upper edge. In virtually all cases, the frame of a vehicle window includes a resilient sealing material for engagement with the upper edge portion of the window. When the window is moved upwardly toward a closed position, the window-engaging portion of the attachment structure is clamped between the upper edge portion of the window and the resilient sealing material to resiliently but securely hold the device against excessive tilting in directions parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle as well as in a transverse direction away from the window.
In accordance with additional features of the invention, the attachment structure is arranged for selective use with windows positioned at different angles to the horizontal while positioning one of said reflecting means in a position to provide the horizontal base of a triangular
Cortina Tool & Molding Co.
Davis Cassandra H.
Lund Van Metre
LandOfFree
Warning device for use with vehicles does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Warning device for use with vehicles, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Warning device for use with vehicles will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2529207