GB2125600A - Audio-visual warning device - Google Patents

Abstract

An alarm device (1), which is mountable on a handlebar (3) of a bicycle or a motorcycle, comprising a twist grip (2), a housing (1a, 1b) connected to the twist grip, visual alarm means (26, 40) and audible alarm means (4, 12) disposed in the housing for producing visual and audible alarm signals, respectively, when the twist grip is rotated in response to the rotation of the twist grip. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Audio-visual warning device The present invention relates to an audio-visual warning device and more particularly to a duplex audio-visual alarm for a bicycle or a motorcycle.

Known warning devices are used on bikes and motorcycles so as to give advance warning signals en route have structural limitations, such that an audible warning of approach with a known horn or bell is often futile because of the similarity of the audible working signal with like warning signals produced by nearby bicycles, motorcycles or vehicles particularly when traffic is intense.

The present invention provides an alarm device which is mountable on a handlebar of a bicycle or a motorcycle, comprising a twist grip, a housing connected to the twist grip, visual alarm means and audible alarm means disposed in the housing for producing visual and audible alarm signals, respectively, when the twist grip is rotated, in response to the rotation of the twist grip.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanied drawings, in which: Figure 'shows a warning device according to a first embodiment of the present invention as it is mounted onto the handle of a bicycle; Figure 2 shows the inside of a unit 1 a as shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows the inside of a unit 1 b as shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 shows a section through the warning device as shown in Figure 1; Figure 5 shows a warning device according to a second embodiment of the present invention as it is mounted onto the handle of a bicycle; Figure 6 shows the inside of a unit 1 a as shown in Figure 5; Figure 7shows the inside of a unit 1 b as shown in Figure 5; and Figure 8 shows a section through the warning device as shown in Figure 5.

Referring to Figures 1 to 4 in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention a audiovisual warning device for a bicycle or a motorcycle comprises a housing, which is preferably substantially rectangular in shape and which can be mounted onto the handlebar 3 of a bicycle or a motorcycle. The housing 1 is comprised of two halves, shell 1 a and shell 1 b, the former being attached to hand grip 2 on one side thereof. The two halves la, 1 b of housing 1 are joined together by bolts passing through fixing holes 5 provided one at each of the four corners of halves la and 1 b respectively. A gear wheel section 7 is mounted in the lower section of shell la and is attached to hand grip 2.When hand grip 2 is manually rotated in the direction shown in Figure 1, gearwheel section 7 is caused to rotate also, as shown by the arrows in Figure 2, against the bias of a spring 6, mounted between gear wheel section 7 and shell 1a. Gear teeth on the circumferential edge of gear wheel section 7 engage corresponding teeth on gear wheel 8. Gear wheel 8 and an outer concentric gear wheel 9 are both mounted on an axle 17 and are fixedly attached together, with gear wheel 8 being smaller in diameter than gear wheel 9. Rotation of gear wheel 9 causes rotation of a pinion gear 11 which is mounted on an axle 19. Pinion gear 11 is attached to a disc 18 which is also mounted on axle 19, with pinion gear 11 being much smaller in diameter than disc 18. A second embossed disc 10 covers and is attached to disc 18.

When shells 1 a, I b are joined together by means of fixing holes 5, axle 19 is inserted into a corresponding round notch 13 in shell 1b and axle 17 is located into the U shaped fix hole 14 provided in shell Ib.

Flanges 4 are provided on the outer plane surface of and are disposed radially and periodically around the circumference of embossed disc 18. When shells 1 a and 1 b are joined together a conical metal piece 12 disposed on shell 16 becomes arranged over a portion of the circumferential band of embossed disc 10 which includes flanges 4. When embossed disc 10 is caused to rotate by rotation of pinion gear 11, the flanges 4 successively strike conical metal piece 12.

Conical metal piece 12 is attached to a sound plate 21 such that when conical metal piece 12 is struck by a flange 4, the sounding plate 21 is set into vibration so as to emit a loud sound. This rotation of gear wheel section 7 causes rapid rotation of flanges 4 so as to give a loud and effectively continuous warning sound.

On the other hand, on the circumferential periphery of the disc 18 there is provided an abrasive particle layer 20. Particle layer 20 has a flint 26 disposed against it, with flint 26 being mounted on a rod 23 and being spring biased against the particle layer 20. When disc 18 is set into rotation flashing effects are produced by the rapid abrasive movement between particle layer 20 and flint 26. Thus both audio and visual warning signals are emitted simultaneously.

The warning device is mounted to the handlebar 3 of the bicycle or motorcycle by means of mounting clips 15 heldtogether by bolts 16,the mounting arrangement being disposed at the bottom of shell lb.

In operation the hand grip 2 is rotated so as to drive the internal gear transmission system thereby causing rotation of disc 18 resulting in a scintillation effect due to contact between the particle layer 20 and flint 26. Such a scintillation effect can be observed very well a hundred meters away according to tests carried out in various road conditions at night, thus providing increased safety for travelling at night. Whilst the scintillation effects take place, the flanges 4 provided on the embossed disc 10 mounted on disc 18 will successively strike the conical metal piece 12 on sounding plate 21 to result in a continuous self-vibration of the sounding plate 21 that sounds like a warning signal thus complementing the visual warning effects.

Now turning to another embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in Figures 5 to 8 it may be seen that this warning device has a similar construction to that shown in Figures 1 to 4, but has a battery cell electric bulb arrangement for producing light flashes instead of the flint/particle layer arrangement which produces scintillations. The arrangement and apparatus for producing audible warning signals is essentially the same in both embodiments.

For producing the visual warning flashes in the warning device as illustrated in Figure 7, battery mounting is provided inside shell 1b and a battery cell 30 is mounted therein. A wire 34 at one end of the mounting is connected to a bulb 40 and another wire 35 at the other end of the mounting is connected to a copper block 50 mounted on shell 1 b.

Athird wire 36 connects a conductive metal piece 38, which is mounted on shell 1b closely adjacent to copper block 50, both metal piece 38 and copper block 50 being positioned such that when shells la and 1 bare joined together, the flanges 4 on embossed disc 10 can successively strike metal piece 38.

When disc 18 is set into rotation so as to cause metal piece 12 to be struck successively by the flanges 4 on the embossed disc 10, conductive metal piece 38 will also be successively struck. Conductive metal piece 38 is a plate which is elastically deflectable by flanges 4so as to successively contact copper block 50 thereby forming a closed circuit and conducting bulb 40 into illumination. As the conductive metal piece 38 receives striking blows from flanges 4 on an intermittent basis due to the structural arrangement thereof, so contact of the copper block 50 with the conductive metal piece is likewise in an continuous on-and-off manner, such that bulb 40 emits alternate flashes as flashing warning signals.The warning device 1 is attached to the handlebar 3 of a bicycle or a motorcycle by means of fixing screws 16 which hold together mounting clips 15 provided in shell 1 b.

In operation the hand grip 2 on the right hand side of the device 1 is rotated as shown so as to drive the internal gear transmission system and rotate disc 18.

Rotation of disc 18 causes flanges 4 on embossed plate 10 to intermittently strike the conductive metal piece 38 such that it intermittently contacts the copper block 50 so as to form intermittently a closed circuit with cell 30 and bulb 40. Thus intermittent flashing effects from the bulb constitute a unique alarm signal for traffic when the bicycle is being ridden at night, such a flashing effect being visible from upto a hundred meters away. As regards the audio alarm, a continuous vibration of the sounding plate 21 so as to produce alarming signals occurs in synchronism with the visual alarm signals as the conical metal piece 12 on the sounding plate 21 receives successive blows from flanges 4 provided on the embossed plate 10.

It is further contended that the two embodiments ofthe present invention described hereinbefore serve as illustrations of the invention only and by no means limit scope of the invention. Any modifications or variation regarding the type of conductive metal piece, type of the bulb or cells used as a part of the invention, as would easily be made possible by skilled technicians, fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (10)

1. An alarm device, which is mountable on a handlebar of a bicycle or a motorcycle, comprising a twist grip, a housing connected to the twist grip, visual alarm means and audible alarm means disposed in the housing for producing visual and audible alarm signals, respectively, when the twist grip is rotated, in response to the rotation of the twist grip.

2. An alarm device as claimed in Claim 1 further comprising a member in the housing which is caused to rotate, when the twist grip is rotated, in response to rotation of the twist grip, the member having a plurality of contact portions on its surface which successively strike a second member of the audible alarm means when the member is rotated so as to produce the audible alarm signal.

3. An alarm device as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the member is a disc and each contact portion is a raised flange disposed around the circumference of the disc on a plane surface thereof and the second member is disposed proximal to a circumferential portion on the plane surface such that it can be struck by each flange in turn on rotation of the disc.

4. An alarm device as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the second member is a hollow cone which is connected to a sounding board disposed at an external surface of the alarm device, which sounding board vibrates when the outer surface of the cone is struck by a flange.

5. An alarm device as claimed in Claim 4 wherein the disc is attached to and pivotally mounted coaxially with a first toothed gear wheel, the teeth thereof engaging corresponding teeth of a larger diameter second toothed gearwheel, the second toothed gear wheel being attached to and pivotally mounted coaxially with a third toothed gear wheel, the third gear wheel being smaller in diameter than the second gear wheel and the teeth thereof engaging corresponding teeth of a sector of a fourth gear wheel, the fourth gear wheel being connected to the twist grip and being biased towards a first position, the arrangement being such that rotation of the twist grip causes rotation of the fourth gear wheel from the first position thereby causing the disc to rotate.

6. An alarm device as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 5 wherein the visual alarm means comprises a flint which is biased against an abrasive surface on the disc such that rotation of the disc causes visible scintillations to be produced between the flint and the abrasive surface.

7. An alarm device as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the abrasive surface is the cylindrical outer edge of the disc.

8. An alarm device as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 5 wherein the visual alarm means comprises an electric power source and an electric bulb which are electrically connected by an electric circuit including a power switch, the switch being operable by contact thereof with each flange of the disc such that when each flange contacts the switch in turn, the electric bulb flashes.

9. An alarm device as claimed in Claim 8 wherein the power switch comprises two relatively movable contact members, the switch being made ON successively by movement of one of the contact members towards and so as to contact the other contact member under the impressed force of each flange on the rotating disc, the switch being made OFF automatically when the force from the respective flange is removed.

10. An alarm device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 or Figures 5 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.