GB2322485A - Warning system for vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

A warning signal on a vehicle is varied in dependence on the speed or force of activation of a driver operated control, such as a pedal or other device, particularly a brake pedal 1. A signal controller 6 may incorporate a motion sensor such as a linear variable differential transformer or displacement transducer. The controller 6 may sense the rate of depression of the brake pedal 1 via a piston 4. The rate of depression of the brake pedal may determine which of a range of warning or alert signals or light patterns is activated. The warning signal may be given by a rear light or lights operable in variable predetermined configurations. The signal may be given by existing or additional lights - for example, by flashing the brake lights or adjacent lights several times or by activating the hazard warning lights.

Description

STOP WARNING DEVICE This invention relates to warning lights in cars and other instances where driver control is used.

In the sphere of automotive vehicles, the use of brake or other warning lights to alert other drivers of a slowing down or stopping of a vehicle is universal in the car industry and many other industries where a regulation of speed or motion is required to be transmitted visually.

However at present such stop lights only indicate a vehicle in motion is slowing via the use of it's braking system, and not the degree to which this is so. The use of the brakes may therefore be urgent and radical or gentle and progressive with no indication to the following driver as to which is the case. Such lack of a variable indicator as the degree to which a vehicle is stopping results in following drivers having to gauge the degree of slowing purely on the basis of perspective or rate of closing of the two vehicles. Such a system has no means of alerting following drivers of an emergency situation where radical braking and slowing are in progress. The result of this lack of variable warning increases the chance of slow reaction by following drivers and consequential failure to stop in time. This is generally true but more so in conditions where judgement of speed is difficult due to poor visibility or other similar factors. The present invention seeks to address this problem by introducing a variable indicating system which alerts other drivers as to the degree of urgency with which a driver is seeking to stop or slow a given vehicle.

According to the present invention there is provided an electronic/electrical/mechanical unit containing an adjustable variable calibrated switch combined or connected to a motion registration/measurement device such example as a Linear Variable Differential Transformer or Displacement Transducer or a sprung loaded piston or similar integral or additional electronic measuring device, optionally similar to that utilised in an electronic keyboard where a variable volume of sound is created via a variable rate of key depression or a dynamo where the pressure of input determines a given output.

Such unit being so positioned within a given automotive vehicle or system as for the piston or other motion registration device to be released engaged or activated when a brake pedal or other control pedal/device is depressed or engaged and the said unit being so designed and calibrated as to gauge measure and calculate the speed and/or force of such depression or engagement of the brake or other control pedal/device and thereby activate according to a pre-determined pre-calibrated scale an optional alert or warning signal or device, such for example as rear vehicle light or lights and such signal or device being operable in variable predetermined configurations. Such optional alert or warning signal being either specially installed or already in place as for example automatic activation of vehicle hazard warning lights such that the variable braking or control of a vehicle or system is readily communicable.

Such electronic/electric al/mechanical unit with piston or other motion registration device being designed so as to register and discriminate the rate or tempo of a given system or automotive vehicle when stopping within either ordinary or normal bounds as for example in the case of an automotive vehicle when judged by normal driving or an abnormally high rate of depression of the brake pedal, or other control device whereby the registered rate of release of the piston or similar motion measurement device determines which of a range of warning or alert signals or light patterns will be engaged. Such warning lights/alert signals being additional or integral and on an either separate or linked circuit.

Such patterns of warning and alert signals as are optionally engaged in rapid braking of for example an automotive vehicle being designed so as to enhance or amplify the warning effect of normal warning signals or lights by for example in the case of an automotive vehicle flashing the rear brake light or adjacent placed light several times in rapid succession or activating the hazard warning lights or engaging all or varied patterns of installed or additional lights and disengagement of the unit's activation being also variable and adjustable so as to be automatic or manually controllable.

In addition, the above described invention may be operable in connection with a system permitting the creation of warning or alert signals utilising given system parameters such as motorcycle turning indicators as hazard warning lights to be engaged optionally with manual or automatic activation.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 Shows a standard and common arrangement of a brake warning light indicator or activator mechanism operable via a foot pedal and with the calibrating and reactive additional electronic warning light regulator/stop-warning-device attached.

Referring to the drawings the unit comprises an calibrated electronic variable switch and activating warning light regulator 6 connected to a housing 5 and containing a piston 4 arranged in depressed mode by the pressure of a brake pedal arm 2 swivelling on a hinged joint 3 and connected to a brake pedal 1 whereby the depression of the brake pedal 1 moves the swinging arm 2 on the swivel hinge 3 releasing the piston 4 such that piston moves outwards within the housing 5 permitting the variable electronic switch unit 6 to respond by gauging the fate of depression and sending a signal to brake lights or optional variable light units via the wiring loom 7. Such brake or warning lights being deactivated either by a release of pressure on the pedal 1 or by other optional methods either manual or automatic.

Claims (4)

1. An electronic/electrical/mechanical unit containing an adjustable variable calibrated switch together with a motion registration/measurement device positioned within a given vehicle or system activated when a brake pedal or other control pedal/device is depressed so as to gauge measure and calculate the speed and/or force of such depression or engagement according to a pre-calibrated scale and thereby activate an optional alert or warning signal or device, in variable predetermined configurations such that the variable braking or control of a vehicle or system is readily communicable internally/externally.
2. 2 An electronic/electrical/mechanical unit/variable switch as claimed in claim 1 and positioned in the place of the normal vehicle warning light activator or connected to it, or in similar configuration and independent and/or parallel to it, such unit/switch having the means to register force/speed in similar principle to the key on an electronic organ creating a variable volume of sound when depressed at different rates or similar to a dynamo whereby the strength of input varies the strength of current/voltage created. Such electronic measuring unit being constructed so the rate of depression of a brake pedal or similar warning device manual or automatic is registered and the unit being so calibrated as to then dispense a variable alert signal or signals.
3. 3 An electronic/electrical/mechanical unit as claimed in claims 1 and 2 optionally engaged in rapid braking being designed to behave so as to add to or enhance and/or amplify the warning effect of normal warning lights by for example flashing several times in rapid succession or activating the hazard warning lights of an automotive vehicle or engaging all or varied patterns of installed or additional lights for the duration of the period of depression or activation, or activating special arrays of lights surrounding the brake lights for a given duration.
4. 4. An electronic/electrical/mechanical unit as claimed in claims 1 and 2 and 3 utilising an adjustable variable calibrated switch together with a motion registration/measurement device such as for example a Linear Variable Differential Transformer or Displacement Transducer or a sprung loaded piston or similar integral or additional electronic/mechanical sensing/measuring device