DE8902121U1 - Road vehicle - Google Patents

Description

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./Road vehicle^*^

Description

The innovation concerns a road vehicle, in particular a passenger car.

Locked in his vehicle, the driver cannot give any signal to the road users behind him, except by using the brake and indicator lights and possibly the rear fog light. The most that is possible is to indicate to the overtaken vehicle that he would like to thank them for a favour by honking the horn. This is often done by truck drivers, although it is a misuse of the horn and can frighten or confuse other road users. In the interests of road safety, there is therefore a need to give a random signal at least to the road user driving directly behind, without this creating a real communication that would endanger the attention of road users. Especially in situations in which a road user is consciously or unconsciously forced to show consideration, e.g. when accidentally pushing off the road, pulling in too quickly, backing out of a driveway, hesitantly merging, etc., experience shows that the road user who is forced to show consideration often experiences a strong feeling of aggression, while the perpetrator is overcome by a feeling of guilt.

Both the aggression and the feeling of guilt can impair the concentration and caution of the drivers to such an extent that they

■* As a result, unintentionally endanger traffic.

Insights from psychology and human

|s behavior now show that such aggression or

&igr;?' Guilt feelings are relatively easy to reduce if

rs, the perpetrator sends a conscious signal to the person affected

through which the person concerned learns that the

The person responsible is aware of his misconduct, .· and through which the perpetrator has a certain

&psgr; This can sometimes be achieved by lifting two

Signs given with fingers: sorry, are often misunderstood as a signal or not perceived at all and can easily distract the person responsible. But other signals that serve road safety in the broadest sense would also be appropriate in some traffic situations, e.g. the signal: ABS, in poor road conditions, etc.

The innovation is based on the task of creating a road vehicle with which it is possible to send a clear signal at random to at least one road user following behind, without creating a real communication that would impair the attention of those concerned.

In essence, this task goes so far that, in order to increase road safety, only a single, unambiguous and clear signal should be given to a specific recipient, i.e. misuse should be prevented just as much as an inadvertently constant signal. The signal should neither frighten nor distract other, unaffected road users.

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The problem posed is solved according to the innovation by the features specified in the characterizing part of claim 1.

In a road vehicle, the person responsible for an accident, e.g. Conflict situation using the display device in the hand,

at least thanks to the following road user to express that he has taken into consideration/ because he was more or less forced to do so.

The information/ which is only available for a limited period

and clearly for the following road user is made visible/ expresses as a signal the gratitude of the

the perpetrator, which causes aggression in the affected person

helps to reduce and the cause of a feeling of guilt at least largely relieves them. The person concerned will After recognizing the signal, say: "Good/ that you

Misbehavior at all"/ during the The perpetrator will admit: "On the man behind

I was now really dependent". The person concerned is then fail to seek legal action against the person responsible, e.g. by tailgating, harassing or for other

to overtake road users dangerously. He will

Do not get excited by the positive signal or again ^

calm down if the situation was actually tricky Both road users will continue their journey continue calmly. In this way, a noticeable contribution to increasing road safety But another signal is also used to

road safety, for example when under extreme

bad road conditions the driver in front of him |

The person behind indicates that he has a special equipment, e.g. ABS, or indicates to him that he

a generally dangerous situation has already been recognized which the person behind cannot yet see.

It is expedient, according to claim 2, to

Recording medium 1m or on the vehicle must be arranged so that it can be seen from the rear outside / Particularly if the recording medium or the display device is subsequently attached to the vehicle and not already attached by the manufacturer from the outset.

According to claim 3, the display device can be set to the language of the country in which the vehicle is used, or the signal is shown in a pictorial form, so that there are no communication difficulties. Moreover, the internationally known signal "Thank you, Merci..." would also be understood everywhere, at least in Europe and in cross-border traffic.

A simple embodiment is shown in claim A. The light illuminates or shines through the information so that the driver behind can clearly recognize the signal.

The measure in claim 5 is also important, as the timer ensures that the duration of the active state is limited so that the driver does not accidentally leave the signal switched on. The timer also relieves the driver of the task of activating the signal for a sufficiently long time because it is sufficient to operate the actuating device so that the signal remains activated for a period of time determined by experience and then disappears automatically.

A simple embodiment is shown in claim 6. The insert part carries, for example, the information in the respective national language or as an

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A sign that is understandable in the respective country. Before starting the

Trip can be adapted to specific conditions Insert part can be inserted, whereby the The display device's application area has been expanded in a palette-like manner

The threshold control device according to claim 7 makes it possible to control the intensity of the signal output, e.g. to increase it in sunlight or to increase ^it at night, ie the signal is alternately visible and then invisible again in the active state, which makes it more clearly recognizable ^for the following road user. It is also conceivable to vary the intensity in the reading direction, so that the impression of a scrolling text or a character pulsating in the direction of vision is created, which the following driver can clearly recognize. In this case it would also be sufficient to keep the recording medium relatively small.

Another simple embodiment is given in claim

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Movement of the recording medium made visible.

Alternatively, the embodiment of claim 9 is also expedient/ in which the signal is visible after the cover has been moved away.

A further/alternative embodiment is evident from claim 10. A string of lights or a fluorescent snake are normally barely visible. When illuminated, lettering or a symbol formed in this way is clearly visible.

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A modern and practical embodiment is also evident from claim 11. Luminous crystal displays are available in a wide variety of forms and are now inexpensive. The signal can be displayed either by making fields of the display that represent writing or a word or a character transparent in the active state and visible by means of a backlight, or by making the area around the signal image opaque in the active state so that the signal image becomes visible. In the latter case, the information cannot be visually recognized during normal operation because it allows the light to pass through completely.

The embodiment according to claim 12 is also advantageous ^because a running text or a moving image is particularly conspicuous.

Another useful embodiment is evident from claim 13. The rear window, which in modern passenger cars is usually produced in a mixed-layer structure because of the rear window heating, can easily be supplemented by adding the recording medium, which then does not even have to be visible from the outside. When the display device is activated, the signal lights up clearly, i.e. even in daylight.

The measure of claim 14 is also important because the driver's attention is not disturbed when he wishes to give the signal. The actuating device is conveniently arranged in an ergonomically favorable manner in the immediate driver area, either on the dashboard or even on the steering wheel.

The variant according to claim 15 is also important because the locking device blocks the signal emission at least as long as the brake or indicator lights are emitted, so that this priority signal of the brake or indicator lights is not diluted or covered by the other signal.

Another advantageous embodiment, in which a license plate with a reflective coating is attached to the rear of the vehicle, is evident from claim 16. License plates with a reflective coating serve to improve road safety anyway, because they reflect light at night and warn road users. This reflective layer can also be used to give out, for example, a thank you signal, in which the reflective layer is designed in such a way that it emits the signal clearly when light is irradiated from the side, e.g. with a special light, while this signal cannot be recognized under normal light and when other road users' headlights are shining from behind.

According to claim 17, a convenient place to store the recording medium is the rear shelf, which is present in almost all vehicles. This method of installation has the advantage that the signal or the recording medium hardly gets dirty and that when the recording medium is active, the signal is directly in the field of vision of the driver following behind.

Another embodiment/ in which a national license plate holder is attached to the rear of the vehicle,

from claim 18. Here the Nationality plate carrier is assigned a secondary function in that it contains the signal and, in the active state, makes it recognizable to the driver behind.

In continuation of this idea, the embodiment of claim 19 is appropriate. The folding slats represent the nationality symbol in the normal position. If they are swiveled, the signal is clearly visible. If necessary, a light source is also provided so that the signal is clearly visible to the person behind, even at night.

A particularly simple and effective embodiment in terms of assembly technology is also evident from claim 20. The recording medium is attached to the rear window in the film or with the film so that it displays the signal when active. Otherwise it is barely visible.

A further embodiment in which a preferably retro-reflective panel is arranged at the rear of the vehicle is shown in claim 21. The lettering or symbol is incorporated into this panel, which in itself serves as a passive safety feature, in such a way that it becomes visible in the active state due to backlighting.

Finally, the embodiment according to claim 22 is also expedient/ because during normal operation no components are required that disturb the vehicle surface or the field of view through the rear window/ but only in the active state is the signal projected visibly from the outside onto the rear window.

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gens with two different embodiments of a display device,

Fig· 2 a supplementary variant to Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 a rear view of a

Vehicle with a different embodiment of a display device,

Fig. A another embodiment/

Fig. 5 a partial section in the rear area of a vehicle, with various embodiments for display devices,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a

further embodiment/ and

Fig. 7 two associated views of a further embodiment.

A road vehicle 1, which can be seen in Fig. 1, here a passenger car with a notchback 2, has a display device 3 for emitting a signal that can be seen from behind and in the direction of view H from a vehicle driving behind. In this case, the signal is the word "THANK YOU", which is made visible for a limited period of time either constantly or flashing. For this purpose, the display device 3 contains a recording medium 5 that can display a written or pictorial

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Information 4 contains/in this case the letters 6 of the word "THANK YOU".

The recording medium 5, which can be a board or a foil or a luminous crystal display, is attached to the inside or outside of the rear window 7. It is also conceivable to integrate the recording medium 5 directly into the rear window 7, and the recording medium 5 is connected to a The control device 9 is connected to an operating device 9 in the driver's area, which has a switch 10 with which the driver U. is able to make the word "THANK YOU" visible for a limited period of time. The operating device 9 is expediently provided with a timer 40 for setting the duration of the active state of the recording medium 5 and a signal control device 46 with which the intensity of the clarity of the image can be changed, possibly even cyclically, so that the signal is displayed in a pulsating manner.

Alternatively, it would also be possible to integrate the recording medium 5 into the usually provided nationality identification carrier and connect it to the actuating device 9. The nationality identification carrier normally displays the nationality identification 11. In the active state of the recording medium 5, however, the word "THANK YOU" is displayed from the letters 6 in the form of stored information 4. A light source 12 illuminates the information 4 at night so that it is clearly visible. The lighting can be provided from outside. It is also conceivable that Make nationality markings transparent and design them in such a way that when scanned from the inside of the trunk, the word "THANK YOU" is clearly visible.

The recording medium 5 can contain the word "THANK YOU" in the relevant national language. It is also possible to provide inserts in different languages or for different information 4 optionally and interchangeably. Instead of a written image, a sign signaling "THANK YOU" or an image (e.g. clasped hands) could also be shown in order to avoid communication difficulties in foreign countries.

In Fig. 1 it can also be seen that a license plate 13 is attached to the rear 2, which bears the license plate 14 in the usual way. The license plate 13 is expediently provided with a reflective coating 17, which lights up when light coming from behind hits it. Such retroreflective license plates are already common and permissible. Furthermore, a light source 15 is provided for the license plate 17 and, if necessary, a further light source 16 for illuminating the field of view of the license plate 13 from the side.

Fig. 2 indicates that the license plate 13 contains the letters 6 of the stored information 4 in its reflective coating, in such a way that the information 4 is clearly visible when illuminated from the rear using the light sources 16. The license plate 14 then recedes into the background so that it is temporarily not perceived as disturbing. The light emitted by the light sources 16 can be infrared or UV light, for example. The coating 17 contains areas that only display the information 6 when irradiated with this special light.

Alternatively, it is conceivable to mount the license plate l,d rotatably/ to attach the information 6 to the back, and when the Operating device 9 rotates the license plate 13 so that the information is clearly visible to the rear.

According to Fig. 3, a retro-reflective cover 19, which is common on various vehicles, is attached to the vehicle 1 between the tail lights 18, which in the case shown contains two fog lights 20. Between these, the word "THANK YOU" is formed as information 6 in such a way that the cover 19 functions as a recording medium 5 and, e.g. by backlighting, makes the word clearly visible to the rear.

According to Fig. 4, the recording medium is a fluorescent tube 29, which is attached to a lower part 30 with a fastening plate 31 and is connected to the actuating device 9 via a line 32. The fluorescent tube is designed as lettering that represents the information 4. This recording medium 5 can be attached either to the rear of the vehicle or in the rear window area.

In the embodiment according to Fig. 5, a flap 23 is mounted in a rear shelf 21 adjacent to the rear seats 22 as a recording medium 5, so that it can pivot about an axis. An arm 25 is provided on the underside of the flap, to which a pull 26 engages, which is connected, for example, to the actuating device 9 or to a drive controlled by it. The recording medium 5 with the information 4 attached to it can be folded up into the position shown in dashed lines, so that the information

is shown visible through the rear window 7. A spring (not shown) can swing the flap back into the position shown in solid lines after a predetermined period of time.

Further alternatives for the recording medium 5 are indicated in Fig. 5. For example, a self-adhesive film 27 could be attached to the inside of the rear window 7, which contains the information 4, for example in the form of a luminous crystal display, so that it can be made visible via the connecting line 28. If necessary, a light source 33 is provided, which is supplied with energy via a connecting line 34 and illuminates the information 4. The information medium 5 could also be an integral part of the rear window 7 in the form of a film or a luminous crystal display (indicated by dashed lines), and be connected to the power supply in the same way as the heating filaments for the rear window heating, which are also integrated into the rear window.

Fig. 6 shows a further embodiment in which the field of view on the rear window 7 is free. A projection surface 35 is attached to the inside of the rear window 7, e.g. a film onto which the projection area 39 of a projection device is aligned, which is accommodated in the parcel shelf 21 behind the rear seats 22 in a recess 37. The projection device contains the recording medium 5 in the manner of a slide, the information 6 of which can be projected onto the projection surface 35 and thus can be seen from behind when the display device is in its active state. In the non-activated state, the rear window 6 is normally translucent and also transparent.

Instead of the projection surface 35, a foil could also be used which is fluorescent at least in areas of the surface representing writing or a symbol, so that when irradiated with light it presents the signal at a certain angle.

Fig. 7 shows a further embodiment of the nationality identification carrier 41, as can be used in Fig. 1, for example. The carrier 41 is designed with a cavity in which several folding slats 42 are held in lateral supports 45 so as to be pivotable about axes 44. The folding slats 42 carry fragments of the nationality identification 11 on one side, while on the other side they have fragments of the stored information. The folding slats 42 can be folded over using an actuating lever 43, preferably with the actuating device 9, so that the information is then visible for a limited period of time. If necessary, the light source 12 (Fig. 1) serves to make the information 6 clearly visible even at night. In Fig. 7, the nationality plate carrier 41 is shown once in a top view and once in a cross section.

Claims (1)

1. Road vehicle, in particular a passenger car, characterized in that a display device (3) with a recording medium (5) for at least one item of written or pictorial information (4) is arranged in or on the vehicle (1), that the recording medium (5) is connected to an actuating device (9) and can be arbitrarily switched into at least two different states by means of the actuating device (9), and that the information (6) is clearly visible only in an active state of the recording medium (5). 2. Road vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the recording medium (5) of the display device 1m or tr is arranged on the vehicle (1) so as to be visible from the rear outside. &bull;'6L£fON CtmnMtt &Tgr;&Bgr;&bgr;&bgr; »HO MON* O TSLtO(MMMi MONAPAT» TttfMXW SCCTTT K)M » M «r Bwtttonttn H MMuHr. MmMt If i ItJ · ''&bgr;**&PSgr;&Bgr;&bgr;4 M euroosfjeoo,**, ',.1 . Ilz ⁷ T* ⁷⁰⁰ J" BUTO0100 80 &bgr;&Ogr;1 3. Road vehicle according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the recording medium (5) contains the same information (6) in different languages and/or images in a memory and can be optionally switched to a specific language and/or a specific image. 4« Road vehicle according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that at least one light source (16, 12, 33) is arranged in or near the recording medium (5)/that the light source is connected to the actuating device (9), and that the recording medium can be brought into the active state by light. 5. Road vehicle according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a timer (40) is provided in the display device (3) for limiting the duration of the active state. 6. Road vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one information insertion part is provided in the display device (3), for which the recording medium (5) has a holder. 7. Road vehicle according to claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the display device (3) has a threshold control device (46) with which the intensity of the display can be varied, preferably cyclically, over the duration of the active state. 8. Road vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the recording medium (5) is a sign which can be moved/preferably opened or pivoted/ from a position concealing the information to a position presenting the information to the rear of the vehicle. ··· · ·»■ · ItI 9. Road vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the recording medium (5) is a sign with a movable cover, and that the cover is moved away from the field of view of the sign in the active state of the recording medium. 10. Road vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the recording medium (5) is a chain of lights or a fluorescent snake (29). 11. Road vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the recording medium (5) of the display device (3) is a liquid crystal display (LCD). 12. Road vehicle according to claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the recording medium contains the information as a ticker or moving image. 13. Road vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the recording medium (5) is incorporated into the rear window (7) of the vehicle (1) as an integral part thereof. 14. Road vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the actuating device (9) of the display device 1 in the vehicle (1) is arranged in the driver's working area. 15. Road vehicle according to claim 14, characterized in that the actuating device <9) is connected to a locking device connected to the brake and/or indicator lights. 16· Road vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle rear is provided with a reflective coating &bull; · ·<· · · · C ill« provided license plate is attached/ characterized in that the information is arranged in the reflective coating (17) of the license plate and can be displayed visibly by targeted lateral light irradiation, e.g. with infrared or UV light. 17. Road vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the recording medium (5) or the cover is mounted on the parcel shelf (21) of the vehicle (1) so as to be movable back and forth between two positions, preferably foldable. 18. Road vehicle according to claim 2, wherein a nationality plate carrier is attached to the rear of the vehicle, characterized in that the information recording in the
Nationality plate carrier (41) is housed. 19. Road vehicle according to claim 18, characterized in that the visible surface of the nationality plate carrier (41) is composed of folding slats (42) which carry fragments of the information display (6) on one side and fragments of the nationality plate (11) on the other side, and that the folding slats (42) can be folded back and forth by means of the actuating device (9, 43). 20. Road vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the recording medium (5) has a preferably self-adhesive film (27) attached to the inside or outside of the rear window ( ⁷ ) and can be brought into the active state by exposure to current or light. 21. Road vehicle according to claim 2, wherein a preferably retro-reflective screen is arranged at the rear of the vehicle, characterized in that the information (6) is formed in the screen (19) and can be displayed by means of the actuating device, e.g. by illumination. 22. Road vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the recording medium (5) has a projection surface (35), preferably attached to the rear window (7), and a projection device (36) arranged outside the field of view, e.g. through the rear window (7), which is aligned with the projection surface. ■ · tt t &rgr;