AU634258B2 - Safety device for vehicles - Google Patents

Description

634258 CO0M PL E TE S PE C IF IC A TI0N FOR OFFICE USE Application Number: PJ5'492 Lodged: 31 July 1989 Class: Int. Class: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: Related Art: TO BE COMPLETED BY APPLICANT a Name of Applicant: Address of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: JOHN CHURCHILL THOMAS 25 Stanley Street, Frankston 3199 John Churchill Thomas 25 Stanley Street FRANKSTON 3199 Complete Specification for the invention entitled: .L ~ArI lL~l (CIL~l C0) Sc~~~eta\11 cejce rce FO Ie32 2,C/0)7/90~ The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 2 This invention relates to a safety feature for motor vehicles, and in particular relates to an arrangement for minimising accidents between moving and parked vehicles.

Statistics show that at night there are many accidents, sometimes with fatal results, between moving vehicles and parked vehicles. Fundamentally, such accidents occur because the parked vehicle cannot be seen.

It may not be possible to see a parked vehicle because it does not have its parking lights turned on or the street lighting is inadequate.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved device for minimising such accidents.

The invention provides a safety device for vehicles, including light detection means adapted to be located on a ro oO 15 first vehicle, said light detection means further being i adapted to detect light from a headlamp of a second vehicle when said second vehicle approaches said first vehicle generally from the rear, means for activating a rear light on said first vehicle as a result of said detection, said light 20 detection means consisting of a module including 0 discriminating means to discriminate between sources of o. light, said discriminating means consisting of a passage in °o 0 said module defined by walls, said passage extending from a light entry window to a light focussing means adapted to 25 focus light onto a photocell, at least portion of said walls 04 04 being provided with corrugations.

An embodiment of the invention will be described in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a horizontal cross-section of a lightdetecting module forming part of an embodiment of this invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the module of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an exemplary circuit diagram for the embodiment of this invention; and Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a vehicle with the aforesaid module in place thereon.

I Referring firstly to Figs. 1 and 2, the light-detecting LTe 3 module 10 comprising a casing 12 which is generally cuboidal.

However, side wall 14 of casing 12 is seen to be at an angle to side wall 16 for reasons to be discussed hereinafter.

Thus, walls 12 and 14 are rectangular, and walls 20 and 68 (Fig. 2) are quadrilaterals with two right angles.

Casing 12 is generally hollow. At least the forward portion 18 of each wall (only lower wall 20 is shown in this detail) is provided with corrugations 22, and preferably the inner surface of the upper, lower and side walls are flat black, which may be as a result of painting the said walls.

At rear end 24 of casing 12 there is a light focusing device 26 consisting of angled walls 28, 30, 32, 34.

Preferably each angled wall has a mirror finish.

The angled walls 28 to 34 serve to focus light on a photocell 36. A plate 40 is secured to casing 12 by screws or the like 42, with a seal 44, preferably rubber, between casing 12 and plate 40, to prevent ingress of moisture.

Terminals 54 exit through plate 40 for connection to the circuit of Fig. 3.

At the forward end 46 of casing 12, there is a transparent or translucent window 48, secured by screws or the like 50 to casing 12. A seal 52, preferably rubber, is located between window 48 and casing 12.

Turning now to Fig. 4, there is shown a vehicle 25 parked at the kerb 62 of a street. Located at the rear offside of vehicle 60 is a module 10. The module is preferably located on the underside of the vehicle body, with the forward end 46 of module 10 facing rearwards.

The walls 14, 16, 20 and 68 (Fig. 2) define a passage which is generally long and narrow. The reason for the relative dimensions of the passage 70 is to discriminate between vehicle tl t t 4 headlights and other lights such as street lights, advertising signs and so on.

The matt black internal finish of the walls of passage prevents internal reflection of light entering window 48 at shallow angles (such as shown at 72) which angles one would expect from nearby street lights. Distant street lights would not be sufficiently bright to activate photocell 36.

Headlight ray 74, entering window 48 at an angle nearly normal to the window, strikes angled wall 32 and is reflected to photocell 36. Thus, ray 74 would activate' the device, but ray 72 would not.

The angled wall 14 of casing 12 is preferably included so i '0 that light is still picked up by the module 10 when an 0 0 approaching vehicle is closer to the parked vehicle; a purely .l o' rectangular arrangement may cut-off the headlight beam 76 of such a vehicle. But with angled wall 14, as shown in Fig. 1, beam 76, despite entering window 48 at a shallower angle, still impinges upon wall 28.

As mentioned, the photocell 36 is connected to the circuit of Fig. 3, which in turn is able to turn rear parking lights 64 on and off.

4 In use, some of light rays 66 from an approaching vehicle's headlights enter casing 12 through window 48. They pass down the interior of casing 12, and are focussed by angled walls 28 to 34 on photocell 36.

As a result of the activation of photocell 36, the circuit of Fig. 3 switches on lights 64. Thus the driver of the approaching vehicle will, whilst he or she is still some distance away, the rear parking lights 64 of vehicle 60. This will enable the driver of the approaching car to take evasive action.

The circuit of Fig. 3 has a switch to alter the sensitivity of the device. For example, a preferred range may be metres, but a longer or shorter range could be selected. The electrical componentry of the circuit of Fig. 3 is preferably located in a casing (not shown) which is preferred to be positioned on the dashboard of vehicle 60, so that such a selection may easily be made by the driver.

At, When the moving vehicle has passed, the circuit operates to At, turn off lights 64. Provision may be made for ambient light A levels to be detected, so that the device is activated at dusk, to*t S and de-activated at dawn.

:j The device of this invention may be used on a bicycle.

This would mean that both vehicles would be moving. But in the event that a cyclist wishes his bicycle to be visible or more visible, a device according to this invention scaled down from one designed for a motor vehicle may be fitted to the bicycle in such a position that it detects light from approaching vehicle headlights, and responds as previously described.

It can be seen that the present invention provides an effective way of minimising the incidence of accidents involving parked vehicles.

The entire contents of the provisional specification lodged with Australian Patent Application of which this is the complete specification is hereby imported into this specification and forms part of

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2 -6 the disclosure of this specification. The claims form part of the disclosure of this specification.

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Claims (6)

1. A safety device for vehicles, including light detection means adapted to be located on a first vehicle, said light detection means further being adapted to detect light from a headlamp of a second vehicle when said second vehicle approaches said first vehicle generally from the rear, means for activating a rear light on said first vehicle as a result of said detection, said light detection means consisting of a module including discriminating means to discriminate between sources of light, said discriminating means consisting of a passage in said module defined by walls, said passage extending from a light entry window to a light focussing means adapted to focus light onto a photocell, at least portion of said walls being provided with corrugations.

2. A safety device according to claim i, wherein said walls have a matt finish.

3. A safety device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said passage is flared towards said window.

4. A safety device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein there are four of said walls, said four of said walls being constituted by a first opposed pair of walls and a second opposed pair of walls, each of said first opposed pair of walls being rectangular, and each of said second opposed pair of walls being a quadrilateral containing two right angles.

A safety device according to any preceding claim, including means to automatically switch off said rear light when said second vehicle has passed said first vehicle, and means to activate said device at duiisk and de-activate said device at dawn.

6. A safety device for vehicles substantially as herein defined with reference to the accompanying drawings. JOHN CHURCHILL THOMAS