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GB2119880A - Braking indicator - Google Patents

Braking indicator Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2119880A
GB2119880A GB08213582A GB8213582A GB2119880A GB 2119880 A GB2119880 A GB 2119880A GB 08213582 A GB08213582 A GB 08213582A GB 8213582 A GB8213582 A GB 8213582A GB 2119880 A GB2119880 A GB 2119880A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
braking
brake
indicator
vehicle
lights
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB08213582A
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GB2119880B (en
Inventor
Peter Burton
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to GB08213582A priority Critical patent/GB2119880B/en
Publication of GB2119880A publication Critical patent/GB2119880A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2119880B publication Critical patent/GB2119880B/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
    • B60Q1/26—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
    • B60Q1/44—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating braking action or preparation for braking, e.g. by detection of the foot approaching the brake pedal
    • B60Q1/444—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating braking action or preparation for braking, e.g. by detection of the foot approaching the brake pedal with indication of the braking strength or speed changes, e.g. by changing shape or intensity of the indication

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Lighting Device Outwards From Vehicle And Optical Signal (AREA)

Abstract

The indicator, intended for use on a braked vehicle, comprises a sensor for sensing braking of the vehicle (e.g. a deceleration sensor) and indicator means (e.g. hazard warning lights) arranged to be activated by the sensor when the braking of the vehicle reaches a predetermined intensity.

Description

SPECIFICATION Braking indicator The present invention relates to a braking indicator for use on a braked vehicle, whether self-propelled or not.
Braking indicators are known operated by the brake pedal of the vehicle and conventionally illuminating red brake lights situated at the rear of the vehicle. A disadvantage about the conventional brake indicator is that it provides an indication merely of the fact that braking is taking place but it does not indicate the intensity or severity of the braking and therefore provides no indication of when the braking has reached any given level of intensity. Thus, illumination of the brake lights can mean simply that the vehicle is reducing speed or that the braking effort being made is sufficient to bring the vehicle to a stop. In the latter case, it would be dangerous for the driver of the following vehicle to attempt to pull out of the way of the vehicle being braked since it may be facing an obstruction which any overtaking vehicle itself would then face.
Accordingly, in these circumstances, it is important that the driver of the following vehicle keep behind the vehicle being braked and this requires that he make at least the same braking effort. It would be desirable, therefore, to avoid any ambiguity that arises at the instant the brake lights are illuminated.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a braking indicator to indicate braking when the braking effort being made reaches a predetermined intensity or severity.
There is provided by the present invention a brake indicator for a vehicle, comprising a sensor for sensing braking of the vehicle and an indicator arranged to be activated by the sensor when the braking of the vehicle reaches a predetermined intensity.
The sensor need not sense the braking effort directly and, indeed, it is presently preferred to use a sensor sensing deceleration forces during braking.
In this case, the sensor is arranged to sense when the decelaration forces reach a predetermined level and then to activate the indicator to cause the latter to provide an indication thereof.
The indicator is preferably one providing a visual indication and, preferably, a visual indication in the form of a light. For this purpose, the present invention could modify the ordinary brake lights of a vehicle so that when the braking effort made reaches the predetermined intensity, the intensity of the brake light is increased. For this purpose, the conventional braking light could be equiped either with a further bulb or with a bulb containing a further element to be activated when the predetermined intensity of braking has been sensed. It is presently preferred, however, that the visual indication be provided by means of a light other than that of the conventional brake lights. Thus, the indicator may comprise a set of lights, preferably formed as a linear array, to be illuminated sequentially on activation by the sensor.In this instance, it is preferred that two sets of the lights be provided, one for use at each side of the rear of the vehicle.
As a further alternative, and one which may in practice prove to be the most preferable for vehicles equipped with hazard warning lights, the indicator is constituted by the hazard warning lights of the vehicle and the sensor is arranged, on sensing the predetermined intensity of braking, to activate the hazard warning lights. Preferably, in such an arrangement, the hazard warning light circuit incorporates a timer to provide for a minimum period of operation of the hazard lights on activation by the sensor.
As will be evident from the above, the visual indication may be provided in different ways, but it is of considerable practical importance that, whatever way is chosen to provide the visual indication, it should be capable of distinguishing the indication from that of the normal operation of the brake lights and that it should be provided so that the indication is visible to a following vehicle.
It will be understood that the indicator need not be one providing a visual indication and that, even in the instance in which the indicator is one providing a visual indication, it need not provide only a visual indication. Thus, the indication could also consist or include an audible indication such as a high-pitched intermittent tone.
It will also be understood that the present invention could also use a direct sensing of braking pressure, for instance, by the instailation of a pressure-operated switch in a brake fluid line, as an alternative to sensing deceleration of the vehicle being braked. The latter, however, appears to have the advantage of simplicity and it has been found that a practicable form of a deceleration sensitive sensor is an inclined mercury switch.
CLAIMS (filed on 10 May 1983) 1. A braking indicator for a vehicle, cmprising a sensor for sensing braking of the vehicle and indicator means arranged to be activated by the sensor when the braking of the vehicle reaches a predetermined intensity.
2. A braking indicator according to claim 1, wherein the sensor senses the braking intensity indirectly by sensing deceleration forces during braking.
3. A brake indicator according to claim 1, wherein the sensor senses the braking intensity directly by sensing the braking pressure.
4. A brake indicator according to claim 3, wherein the sensor is a pressure-operated switch and, in use, is installed in a brake fluid line.
5. A braking indicator according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the indicator means provide a visual indication.
6. A brake indicator according to claim 5, wherein the indicator means comprise a light to provide the visual indication.
7. A brake indicator according to claim 6, wherein the indicator means comprise the brake lights of a vehicle and the latter are arranged so that, when the sensor senses that the braking effort has reached the predetermined intensity, the intensity of the brake
**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (17)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Braking indicator The present invention relates to a braking indicator for use on a braked vehicle, whether self-propelled or not. Braking indicators are known operated by the brake pedal of the vehicle and conventionally illuminating red brake lights situated at the rear of the vehicle. A disadvantage about the conventional brake indicator is that it provides an indication merely of the fact that braking is taking place but it does not indicate the intensity or severity of the braking and therefore provides no indication of when the braking has reached any given level of intensity. Thus, illumination of the brake lights can mean simply that the vehicle is reducing speed or that the braking effort being made is sufficient to bring the vehicle to a stop. In the latter case, it would be dangerous for the driver of the following vehicle to attempt to pull out of the way of the vehicle being braked since it may be facing an obstruction which any overtaking vehicle itself would then face. Accordingly, in these circumstances, it is important that the driver of the following vehicle keep behind the vehicle being braked and this requires that he make at least the same braking effort. It would be desirable, therefore, to avoid any ambiguity that arises at the instant the brake lights are illuminated. It is an object of the present invention to provide a braking indicator to indicate braking when the braking effort being made reaches a predetermined intensity or severity. There is provided by the present invention a brake indicator for a vehicle, comprising a sensor for sensing braking of the vehicle and an indicator arranged to be activated by the sensor when the braking of the vehicle reaches a predetermined intensity. The sensor need not sense the braking effort directly and, indeed, it is presently preferred to use a sensor sensing deceleration forces during braking. In this case, the sensor is arranged to sense when the decelaration forces reach a predetermined level and then to activate the indicator to cause the latter to provide an indication thereof. The indicator is preferably one providing a visual indication and, preferably, a visual indication in the form of a light. For this purpose, the present invention could modify the ordinary brake lights of a vehicle so that when the braking effort made reaches the predetermined intensity, the intensity of the brake light is increased. For this purpose, the conventional braking light could be equiped either with a further bulb or with a bulb containing a further element to be activated when the predetermined intensity of braking has been sensed. It is presently preferred, however, that the visual indication be provided by means of a light other than that of the conventional brake lights. Thus, the indicator may comprise a set of lights, preferably formed as a linear array, to be illuminated sequentially on activation by the sensor.In this instance, it is preferred that two sets of the lights be provided, one for use at each side of the rear of the vehicle. As a further alternative, and one which may in practice prove to be the most preferable for vehicles equipped with hazard warning lights, the indicator is constituted by the hazard warning lights of the vehicle and the sensor is arranged, on sensing the predetermined intensity of braking, to activate the hazard warning lights. Preferably, in such an arrangement, the hazard warning light circuit incorporates a timer to provide for a minimum period of operation of the hazard lights on activation by the sensor. As will be evident from the above, the visual indication may be provided in different ways, but it is of considerable practical importance that, whatever way is chosen to provide the visual indication, it should be capable of distinguishing the indication from that of the normal operation of the brake lights and that it should be provided so that the indication is visible to a following vehicle. It will be understood that the indicator need not be one providing a visual indication and that, even in the instance in which the indicator is one providing a visual indication, it need not provide only a visual indication. Thus, the indication could also consist or include an audible indication such as a high-pitched intermittent tone. It will also be understood that the present invention could also use a direct sensing of braking pressure, for instance, by the instailation of a pressure-operated switch in a brake fluid line, as an alternative to sensing deceleration of the vehicle being braked. The latter, however, appears to have the advantage of simplicity and it has been found that a practicable form of a deceleration sensitive sensor is an inclined mercury switch. CLAIMS (filed on 10 May 1983)
1. A braking indicator for a vehicle, cmprising a sensor for sensing braking of the vehicle and indicator means arranged to be activated by the sensor when the braking of the vehicle reaches a predetermined intensity.
2. A braking indicator according to claim 1, wherein the sensor senses the braking intensity indirectly by sensing deceleration forces during braking.
3. A brake indicator according to claim 1, wherein the sensor senses the braking intensity directly by sensing the braking pressure.
4. A brake indicator according to claim 3, wherein the sensor is a pressure-operated switch and, in use, is installed in a brake fluid line.
5. A braking indicator according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the indicator means provide a visual indication.
6. A brake indicator according to claim 5, wherein the indicator means comprise a light to provide the visual indication.
7. A brake indicator according to claim 6, wherein the indicator means comprise the brake lights of a vehicle and the latter are arranged so that, when the sensor senses that the braking effort has reached the predetermined intensity, the intensity of the brake lights is increased.
8. A brake indicator according to claim 7, wherein each brake light is equipped either with an additional bulb or with a bulb containing an additional element to be activated when the predetermined intensity of braking has been sensed.
9. A brake indicator according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the indicator means comprise a light other than that of the brake lights.
10. A brake indicator according to claim 9, wherein the indicator means comprise a set of lights.
11. A brake indicator according to claim 10, wherein the set of lights is in the form of a linear array arranged to be illuminated sequentially on activation by the sensor.
12. A brake indicator according to claim 10 or 11, wherein two sets of the lights are provided, one for use at each side of the rear of the vehicle.
13. A brake indicator according to claim 9, for vehicles equipped with hazard warning lights, wherein the indicator means are constituted by the hazard warning lights of the vehicle and the sensor is arranged, on sensing the predetermined intensity of braking, to activate the hazard warning lights.
14. A brake indicator according to claim 13, wherein the hazard warning light circuit incorporates a timer to provide for a minimum of operation of the hazard lights on activation by the sensor.
15. A brake indicator according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the indicator means comprises means providing other than a visual indication.
16. A brake indicator according to claim 15, wherein said means provide an audible indication.
17. A brake indicator according to claim 16, wherein the audible indicator is a high-pitched intermittent tone.
GB08213582A 1982-05-11 1982-05-11 Braking indicator Expired GB2119880B (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB08213582A GB2119880B (en) 1982-05-11 1982-05-11 Braking indicator

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB08213582A GB2119880B (en) 1982-05-11 1982-05-11 Braking indicator

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB2119880A true GB2119880A (en) 1983-11-23
GB2119880B GB2119880B (en) 1985-11-20

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB08213582A Expired GB2119880B (en) 1982-05-11 1982-05-11 Braking indicator

Country Status (1)

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GB (1) GB2119880B (en)

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2567820A1 (en) * 1984-07-23 1986-01-24 Simard Williams Optical or luminous warning device for detecting a rapid or slow deceleration and distinguishing them from each other
GB2177557A (en) * 1985-06-01 1987-01-21 Nigel Anthony Taylor Warning signal for a motor vehicle
EP0246436A3 (en) * 1986-05-17 1988-03-02 Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft Device for automatically triggering an alarm device
GB2214009A (en) * 1987-12-18 1989-08-23 Lin Jenn Yih Emergency brake indicator
GB2223366A (en) * 1988-07-12 1990-04-04 Nigel Mark Bovis Emergency braking warning system for vehicles
GB2233843A (en) * 1989-05-17 1991-01-16 Ian James Thompson Deceleration responsive vehicle brake light system
GB2282499A (en) * 1993-09-27 1995-04-05 Peter Edward Michael Peggie Vehicle hazard warning system
GB2301954A (en) * 1995-06-05 1996-12-18 Terence Watts Vehicle deceleration indicator system
GB2306063A (en) * 1995-10-10 1997-04-23 Hamel Platerink Gerard Nichola Brake system hydraulic pressure controlled motor vehicle brake light and hazard light switch
GB2337879A (en) * 1998-05-27 1999-12-01 Terence Brian Glover Vehicle deceleration warning system
GB2351858A (en) * 1999-07-07 2001-01-10 Robert Keith Jordan Vehicle deceleration indicator
WO2008007085A3 (en) * 2006-07-12 2008-06-26 Brakesafe Ltd Device for detecting deceleration in automotive vehicles

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1009434A (en) * 1961-11-21 1965-11-10 Reginald Thomas Hamilton Improvements relating to electrical warning devices for braking systems
GB1247421A (en) * 1969-09-19 1971-09-22 Westinghouse Brake & Signal Indicator mechanisms
GB1302928A (en) * 1970-09-21 1973-01-10
GB1374706A (en) * 1971-05-11 1974-11-20 Knorr Bremse Gmbh Indicator device for use with a brake
GB1581829A (en) * 1977-05-16 1980-12-31 Wild & Co Ltd M B Brake apparatus for a winding drum
EP0069280A1 (en) * 1981-07-02 1983-01-12 Knorr-Bremse Ag Indicator device for vehicle brakes, especially disc brakes of railway vehicles

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1009434A (en) * 1961-11-21 1965-11-10 Reginald Thomas Hamilton Improvements relating to electrical warning devices for braking systems
GB1247421A (en) * 1969-09-19 1971-09-22 Westinghouse Brake & Signal Indicator mechanisms
GB1302928A (en) * 1970-09-21 1973-01-10
GB1374706A (en) * 1971-05-11 1974-11-20 Knorr Bremse Gmbh Indicator device for use with a brake
GB1581829A (en) * 1977-05-16 1980-12-31 Wild & Co Ltd M B Brake apparatus for a winding drum
EP0069280A1 (en) * 1981-07-02 1983-01-12 Knorr-Bremse Ag Indicator device for vehicle brakes, especially disc brakes of railway vehicles

Cited By (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2567820A1 (en) * 1984-07-23 1986-01-24 Simard Williams Optical or luminous warning device for detecting a rapid or slow deceleration and distinguishing them from each other
GB2177557A (en) * 1985-06-01 1987-01-21 Nigel Anthony Taylor Warning signal for a motor vehicle
EP0246436A3 (en) * 1986-05-17 1988-03-02 Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft Device for automatically triggering an alarm device
GB2214009A (en) * 1987-12-18 1989-08-23 Lin Jenn Yih Emergency brake indicator
GB2223366B (en) * 1988-07-12 1993-01-27 Nigel Mark Bovis A motor vehicle incorporating an emergency braking warning system
GB2223366A (en) * 1988-07-12 1990-04-04 Nigel Mark Bovis Emergency braking warning system for vehicles
GB2233843A (en) * 1989-05-17 1991-01-16 Ian James Thompson Deceleration responsive vehicle brake light system
GB2233843B (en) * 1989-05-17 1993-12-22 Ian James Thompson Vehicle brake lights
GB2282499A (en) * 1993-09-27 1995-04-05 Peter Edward Michael Peggie Vehicle hazard warning system
GB2301954A (en) * 1995-06-05 1996-12-18 Terence Watts Vehicle deceleration indicator system
GB2306063A (en) * 1995-10-10 1997-04-23 Hamel Platerink Gerard Nichola Brake system hydraulic pressure controlled motor vehicle brake light and hazard light switch
GB2337879A (en) * 1998-05-27 1999-12-01 Terence Brian Glover Vehicle deceleration warning system
GB2351858A (en) * 1999-07-07 2001-01-10 Robert Keith Jordan Vehicle deceleration indicator
WO2008007085A3 (en) * 2006-07-12 2008-06-26 Brakesafe Ltd Device for detecting deceleration in automotive vehicles

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2119880B (en) 1985-11-20

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 19990511