GB2207401A

GB2207401A - Collision prevention arrangement

Info

Publication number: GB2207401A
Application number: GB08717571A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yng-Lang Lin
Original assignee: LIN YNG LANG
Current assignee: LIN YNG LANG
Priority date: 1987-07-24
Filing date: 1987-07-24
Publication date: 1989-02-01
Anticipated expiration: 2007-07-24
Also published as: GB2207401B; GB8717571D0

Abstract

The arrangement includes an infra-red transmitter unit mounted on a vehicle steering wheel which senses an impending collision situation which, when arises, sounds an alarm mounted within the unit. The arrangement further includes means for cancelling the alarm in a switch 1 incorporated in the unit which also activates a circuit to apply the brakes by way of an electric motor and a rack and pinion device mounted adjacent the brake pedal (Fig. 2). In another embodiment the brakes are applied by a motor and cable pulling the brake pedal. It is reported that the brakes are applied more quickly than by the driver's foot. <IMAGE>

Description

A DEVICE OF AVOIDING BUMP THAT CAN PREVENT ANY DEMAGE FROM THE REMISSNESS OF THE DRIVER AND FROM HIS FAILING TO BRAKE INSTANTLY IN EMERGENCY This invention relates to a devide of avoiding bump that can prevents any demage from the remissness of the driver and from his failing to brake instantly in emergency.

Most of the vehicular accidents are caused by the remissness of the drivers (for example, one does not have, in his mind, the preparation that to watch out from time to time the traffic in front of the car), or are caused by the driver's failing to brake instantly in emergency when he suddenly sees the danger. (On seeing the danger, the driver has to raise his foot to tread the brake pedal, and it already takes at least half a second for the foot moving from the accelerator to the brake pedal.

The accidents mentioned above are happened especially in high speed. The applicant perceived the threat of the peril, so he studied hand and experimented, and finally succeeded to invent this invention, which nct only can prevent from the remissness of the driver, but also can prevent from his failing to brake instantly when in emergency.

The said invention consists of a button switch, an alarm, the infrared transmitter and infrared sensor, the brake machine, and so on.

The button switch (see FIG.1 NO. 1), the alarm (see FIG.1 NO.2', and the infrared transmitter (see FIn.1 NO.3), etc, are installed in a circular arc box (see FIG.1 NO.4). On the range of the box,there is a circular arc that is like a semi-circle pipe (see FIG.1 NO.5). The cir-.

cular arc that is like a semi-circle pipe (see FIG.1 No.

5). The circular measure of the circular arc corresponds to that of the inner circumference of the steering wheel.

This design can stick the circular arc, by using either glue or screw (see FIG.1 NO.6), together with the box firmly on the steering wheel.

All the electricity needed by the said alarm and the said infrared transmitter is provided by the dry battery (see FIG.1 NO.7). The said button switch controls the convey of all the electricity needed by the alarm and the infrared transmitter. This is to say, on the button switch there are two sets of contact point, the upper and down sets respectively, which will link with the source of electric current by contacting a copper coin (see FIG.1 NO.8) of a circle. The said copper coin normally touches the upper set of contact point to link with the positive electricity needed by the alarm. When the thumb touches lightly on the button, the copper coin will be presssed down and will depart from the said upper set of contact point and will turn off the electricity needed by the alarm.

When one adds a little more force to press the said button switch, the said copper coin will be pressed down in a certain distance to contact with the down set of the contact point and to lint: with the positixre electricity needed by the infrared transmitter. Since the said button is supported against an compression spring that can be easily pressed down with little force (see FIG.1 No.9), the force given from where the thumb touches lightly is strong enough to press down the copper coin away from the upper set of contact point. And from under the said copper coin to a certain distance there is another compression spring that requires heavier pressure to push down (see FIG.1 NO.10).In this regard, in spite of the fact that the said copper coin will be pressed down away from the upper set of the contact point by the force of the thumb, the copper coin can be stopped by the other compression spring from touching with the down set of the contact point (which means the touch between 1. he copper coir) and the down set. of contact oint, if needed, requires heavier force to press the said button attempt).

All the positive electricity needed by the alarm and the said infrared transmitter links through a switch (see FIG.1 NO.11) to input the said button switch.

Therefore, the positive electricity can be turned off when it is not needed. The said alarm and the said infrared transmitter and supplied normally with negative electricity, and, once the positive electricity is supplied from the said button switch, they will effect the function mentioned above.

(The symbol "---- " in the s3id box stands for the electric line or the print electric circuit.! There is a lid (see FIG.1 N5.'2) to cover the box. On the lid, there is a hole (see FIG.1 N0.13) for crossing through the said button switch, and there are also spotted with some tiny holes (see FIG.1 No.14) for letting go the voice out of the alarm. Besides, there is a protecting glass (see FIG.1 No.15) on the said lid for protecting the LED of the said infrared transmitter.

The siad LED may also be added with a magnifying glass (namely, convex lens) to reinforece the infrared ray that is transmitted. The infrared ray transmitted from the LED is designed will special frequency.

The said button switch can be naturally touched to serve as a guard because it is placed within the reach of the driver's thumb at any moment. A standard is set that the figure and the setting position of the said box and the said circular arc can not affect the operation of the steering wheel.

There are two ways of insta!lation of the said infrared receiver (see FIG.2 NO.1) : one way is to settle it on the ceiling inside the car with the sensor (see FIG.2 NO.2) facing down, the other way is t settle it in a moderate place where the infrared ray transmitted from the LEIn is easy to be received, because the LED transmits the infrared ray towards the ceiling inside the car, from where the infrared ray is apt to be reflected within the car to be received by the said sensor. The said infrared receiver is supplied with electricity from the battery of the car.

The said infrared receiver is designed with special frequency, too. It can be coated, if nezessary, in a hollow cone of moderate specification (see FIG.2 N0.3) to be free from interference. If it is needed, too, the said hollow cone can be added with a magnifying glass (namely convex lens, see FIG.2 NO.4) in order to condense the infrared ray reflected from the ceiling of the car into the said hollow cone.

In front of the sensor, there is a filter to protect the sensor from being interfered. (As for the design of electric circuit of the said infrared transmitter and the said receiver, it has been a public known technique, and is outside the field of the said claim. So the applicant encloses no map of the electric circuit.) The said brake machine consists of a frame, a motor, a reducing gear, a device of moving rack, a device of auto-returned rack, a starting device, and so on.

The said frame is a flat case (see FIG.2 No.5).

The said motor is a direct current and high speed motor (see FIG.2 NO.6).

The said reducing gear that has the said motor to move a pinion (see FIG.2 NO.7) to tooth a gear (see FIG.2 N0.8).

The said device of-moving rack is a set that the said gear drives another gear (see FIG.2 NO. 9) to tooth the rack (see FIG.2 NO.10).

The said device of auto-returned rack is a set that one end of the said rack is housed in a compression spring (see FIG.2 No.11). And one end of the compression spring is against the supporting stand that settles the rack (see FIG.2 NO.12), and the other end of it is against the washer (see FIG.2 NO.13) that coats the end of the rack.

The said starting device is that a magnetic switch (see FIG.2 NO. 14, a switch to push the contact point by means of the electromagnet) links with a source of the positive electricity (see FIG.2 NO.15) needed by the motor. The electricity for the said magnetic switch (see FIG.2 NO. 16) transfers through a relay (see FIG.2 NO.17). And the said infrared receiver suppliers all the electricity needed by the relay (see FIG.2 NO.18). The rack is crossing a rectangular hole of the said supporting stand and another rectangular hole of the said frame (see FIG.2 NO.19, 20).

There are holes on the bottom of the said fram (see FIG.2 NO. 21,22) for crossing cap screws to equip the brake machine. The said brake machine is placed in the space right under the chair of the driver, or in a suitable place that is ahead of that space (for example, the place behind the heels of the driv-, i.e., under his legs, where there is enough space), and will not b touched by the driver's feet during his drive.

On the rack, there is one out-stretching section without teeth (see FIG.2 NO.23) that covers considerable length. The top of the said section without teeth is touched with a sidely-stretching part from the brake pedal (see FIG.2 NC. 24), or is touched with a sidely-stretching and then down-stretching part from the brake pedal (see FIG.2 NO.25) so as to push the brake pedal. The driver will not step on the section without eet because of adding the sidely-stretching and down-stretching parts.The sidelystretching part stretches moderately len that the orlver hardly will tread on the section when he steps upon the clutch pedal with hes left foot. (Nowadays, cars graduately change to be without clutch pedal.) Even if that there is an incline for the steel sheet in front of the brake pedal in a contemporary car, the stretching part can match the incline to be adjusted to be bevel or arc ciurcular, so that the said stretching part will not touch the said incline. The said section without teeth can alsobe covered by a pipe, one of whose end is fixed on the frame.OF course the brake machine is covered with a lid (see FIG.2 NO.5A) The said rack is pushed forwards te press the brake pedal When it stops pressing, it will rebound to its formal position by the elasticity of the compression spring (see FIG.2 NO.11), then ceases moving because that the rubber (see FIG.2 NO. 26) on the end of the rack is stopped by the frame.

All the electricity needed by the magnetic switch (see FIG.2 NO.16) is controlled by a control switch, which may be turned off, if necessary, to stop the motion of the motor. The control switch is installed on a moderate place in the left (or right) of the instrument board or on other suitable place for the convenience of the driver to turn on or off.

A notice device is invented for the purpose of reminding the driver of keeping it in mind to pay attention to any situations in front of the car. The notice device is controlled by the delay timer. The function of the delay timer is effected by linking with the electricity needed by the engine (in another word, supplying the electricity needed by the starting switch), or by starting the equipment of the engine, or by opening or closing the door.

The function of the delay timer is to supply an auto-phonic machine or an alarming device with the necessary electricity to remind the driver of the traffic in front of the car through the speaker with voice or sound. So to speak, the said notice device can remind the driver of tunring on the switch (see FIG.1 NO.11) at the minute when he gets on to use the said invention and to pay attention carefully to the traffic in front of the car.

If the said alarm (see FIG.1 NO.2) is required to emit a roar of inLermittent warning for noticing more effectively, or if the said motor (see FIG.2 NO.6) is required to work intermitten'tlytomovetherack intermittently pressing the brake pedal in order to avoid the car going into a deviating skid (namely, to avoid gliding), it can use timer switch to control the electricity of the said alarm and of the said motor. That means to have the aid motor an-d the said alarm function intermittently. Besides, the timing function of the said delay timer is adjustable.

The invention mentioned above is used mainly when the car is in high speed (such as in highway). Because in high speed, the driver is apt to be careless and to fail to brake instantly in emergency. G-nerally speaking, in high speed, the steering wheel usually keeps upright without turning in large measure and at most turns slightly, so that the hands on it may not move. For this reason,as long as the said button switch is placed on the steering wheel where the driver's hand habitually holds,it can be naturally touched by the driver's thumb for being on guard at any time, and can be pressed quickly when in emergency. If the steering wheel does not turn in large measure, the thumb can touch the said button switch with the turning of the steering wheel.Because that the thumb is seldom used when operating the steering wheel unless when the steering wheel turns in great circular measure that usually happens when the.car is on a curve roeid. Bu ats that time the car run slowly, and somehow, the said invention works as well under such circumstances as long as to set several more button switches along with the inner circumference of the steering wheel as the way to fix the said box and button switch on the steering wheel does, and to arrange the electric circuit to match with button switch inside the box, and to gouge channels of semicircular or "U" form (see FIG.1 NO.1 on the surface of all the buttons. Then to set in (to inlay) the said channels of semicircular of "U" form with a circular arc of a ring. Thus,no matter how large measure the steering wheel turns, one may press down at any time one of the buttons of the button switches by means of pressing the said circular arc of the ring. Bccause oE the driver is asked to be guard by touching to button at any moment, button switch must be installed on the steering wheel.

But, if we use the electric wires as a mean to transfer the electricity from the said button switch to the said brake machine then the electric wire will be wound when the steering wheel turns in large measure, so we apply instead the device of remote controller that functions by "pressing the said button switch to let'the infrared transmitter transmit the infrared ray to be revived by the infrared receiver". It is difficult for contemporary cars to use the way that all the electrcity needed by the horn is supplied from the steering wheel.Therefore, the device of remote controller is used herewith. (The newly designed car can be applied to the way that all the electricity needed by the horn is supplied from the steering wheel.) The said device of remote controller has an additional use to be the control device of the "brake through auto-induction" which is an aiready invented device that settles the receiver in the front part of the car for auto induction and auto brake. Through the device of remote controller, the driver can conveniently turn off the function of the "brake through auto-induction", when to brake automatically in the command of the auto-induction apparatus is not desired.

Therefore, the applicant especially must declair that although the said device of distant controller is mainly for supplying all the electricity needed by the brake machine, yet it can be also served as the control device of the "brake through auto-induction", which is within the applicating range of the said distant controller.

There is another use of the said device that is also within the applicating range of tahe said remote cctrol- ler: That is to add another infrared transmitter whose transmitting frequency is different from that of the first infrared transmitter, and to add another infrared receiver whose receiving frequency is different from that of the first infrared receiver. The said another infrared transmitter is supplied with electricity from the upper set of contact point of the said button switch, while the said another infrared receiver is supplied with electricity from the battery of the car same as the first infrared receiver does, so as to be ready for receiving at any time for controlling the output of the electric circuit from the receiver of the the said "brake through auto-induction".

The said device of remote controller, with adding the said another use, can either be the control device of the "brake through auto-induction" or that of the brake machine to brake automatically. Both of which functions are within the applicating range of the device of remote controller mentioned above.The reason to use both the "brake through auto-induction" and the "auto-brake machine given order from when the button switch is pressed" is that the said "brake through autoinduction" can only respond to the dangers just ahead of the car, and no where else (that is to say, lt is unable to perceive the danger that the pedestrians or cars, for example, suddenly rushout of the fork of a road or other cross, or other danger that happened not directly in front of the car.) Only by the said invention can avoid the remissness of the driver to find the danger suddenly happened as mentioned above, and only by the auto-brake of the said invention can avoid failing to brake instantly without using driver's foot to tread the brake pedal.

The function of the said invention has been tested by the applicant and proven successful. No sooner had the driver gotten on the car, than he was reminded of using the said invention to turn on the said switch (see FIG.1 NO.11) and began to touch the button switch to be aroused with a preparation in mind that "to pay attention to the traffic in front of the car at any moment and to press the button switch to brake automatically in case of danger." Having the preparation in mind, the driver will watch out the traffic in front of the car to avoid his remissness. When the driver misses touching the button switch, he will be warned by a roar of warning emitted from the alarm for reminding the driver of touching the button switch and having the preparation in mind to watch out the traffic in front of the car.

Having the preparation in mind to watch out carefully the traffic in front of the ca to avoid remissness at any time, the driver can avoid the danger and otehr dangerous conditions suddenly happened by either braking with hes foot or by braking automatically without using his foot upon pressing the said button switch. For the automatic brake can waste no time of raising the driver's foot from the accelerator to the brake pedal, and can brake quicker than the driver's foot does to avoid bump or other catastrophy happened in emergency.

1. To apply the technique of the said invention (including ts technic material in the claim) to the motcrized vehicle (namely, motorcycle) is within the atplicating range of avoiding bump, too.

2. There is another device for pulling the brake pedal: That is to install the said motor, the said magnetic switch and the said relay on another frame. And to place the motor by sticking the said frame on one fram of the front wheels (see FIG.2 NO.27), or in a moderate position under the chassis or in the back luggage tank.

The shaft of the motor is used to drive a wheel with groove (see FIG.2 No.28), or to transfer the power through the reducing gear to drive the grooved wheel. On the bottom or on the edge of the groove, there is connected with one side of a wire cable (see FIG. 2 NO.29), the other side of which extends to the brake pedal (see FIG.2 NO. 30). The said another device is based on the theory that when the button switch is pressed to activate the magnetic switch, the motor will drive the grooved wheel to wind the wire cable to pull the brake pedal and to brake automatically. If the said wire cable nneds to turn angular, it can do by the assistance of the idle wheel.

3. Although there is the said another device to pull the brake pedal, yet it suits newly-designed cars better.

For the models of contemporary cars are different from one another. It takes time to install the said another device in some of the cars, hence the applicant invented the brake machine to meet the requirement of contemporary cars.

4. To merely use the alarming device of the said Invention which emits a roar of warning when Lhe driver misscd Louching (or pressing) the button switch (or switch) is within the range of the applicant's invention.

5.The number 7A and 7B on figure 1 refer to the upper set of the contact point of the said button switch: While the number 7C and 7D on the same figure refer to the down set of the contact point of the said button switch.

6.FIG. 7E The Steering Wheel

Claims

CLAIM: 1. A device of avoiding bump, that is in a position on the steering wheel where a switch (or an apparatus that links with or cuts out the electrcity, or an apparatus that commands the function of the alarm) is installed to be touched by the driver's thumb at any time. The switch requires the driver to touch (or press) the button at any moment, or else it will emit a roar of warning (or warn) to remind the driver of taking notice of the traffic in front of the car to prevent from the accident of bump caused by his remissness.
2. A device of avoiding bump, that is by means of the switch (or an apparatus that links with or cuts out the electrcity) as mentioned in claim 1 to activate the brake machine (or brake equipment)to brake automatically in order to avoid failing to brake, instantly in emergency.
3. A device of avoiding bump, that is by means of the switch ( or an apparatus that links with or cuts out the electri city) as mentioned in claim 1 to control the on or off function of the device of "the brake through auto-Induc- tion". Therefore, the device of "the brake through auto-induction" can be conveniently and quickly turned off when it is not wanted.
4. A device of avoiding bump, that installs the transmitter on the steering wheel (such as the infrared or other ray's transmitter, or the radio or ultra-sonic wave transmitter; and that installs a receiver (such as the infrared or other ray's receiver, or the radio or ultra-sonic wave receiver) in a moderate posi tion inside the car. These two equipments are used in a way of wireless remote control to have the function of a controller (or switch) without having the trouble that the electric wire will be wound along with the turning of the steering wheel.
5. The transmitter as mentioned in claim 4, that is supplied with a source of electricity from the dry battery (or from a small battery that can be ins talled on the steering wheel).
6. The transmitter as mentioned in claim 4 and claim 5, that is housed in a box that has an object with the same circular measure as the inner circumference of the steering wheel. By means of this object, the box can be installed on the steering wheel.
7. The switch and alarm as mentioned in claim 1, the transmitter as mentioned in claim 4,5 and 6, and the dry battery as mentioned in claim 5, and so on are placed within the box as mentioned in claim 6.
8. The switch as mentioned in claim 1, that is to ins tall several button switches (or switches) along with the inner circumference of the steering wheel.

There are grooves (or clips or convex parts) on the buttons (heads) of every switch in order to illlay will the circu lar of the ring inside the grooves (cr clips or convex parts). No matter how circular the steering wheel turns, the driver can touch (or press) the ring (or the circular arc) anywhere to conduct one of the button switches (or switches) to function.
9. The transmitter and receiver as mentioned in claim 4: that there are at least two pairs (i.e., each pair has one transmitter and one receiver): One pair is for remote control over the function of the brake machine, the other pair is for remote control over the on or off function of the device of "the brake through auto-induc tion".
10.The two pairs as mentioned in claim 9, that are controlled separately by at least two sets (two pairs) of contact point of the switch to effect the on or off function of the said two pairs.
11.The switch as mentioned in claim 7 and 10, the button of which is supported against a comp-ession spring that requires lighter pressure. And there is another compres sion spring which required heavier pressure to press down, ready to support against the button. This is to identify the difference of the force that effects the function of between the upper set and down set of contact point.
12.The switch as mentioned in claim 10, that will control, when the button of the switch is touched (or pressed lightly), the output of the electricity needed by the alarm as mentioned in claim 7, as well as the output of the electricity needed by the other transmitter as mentioned in claim 9, and that will provide, when the button of the switch is pressed heavily, the electricity needed by the pair of transmitter as mentioned in claim 9 for remoter control over the brake machine to function.
13.A brake machine for avoiding bump, that is by means of the moving force of the motor to drive the gear in tooth the rack and to move the rack to brake automatically herewith.
14.The gear as mentioned in claim 13, that is reinforced moving force from the motion of the speed-reducing device (such as reducing gear).
15.The motor as mentioned in claim 13, all the electricity needed by the said motor is linked through a magnetic switch.
16.The magnetic switch as mentioned in claim 15, all the electricity needed by the said magnetic switch is linked through a relay.
17.A brake machine (or a device of brake) for avoding bump: that has a rack (a bar) that can rush out (push out) to activate the act of brake.
18.A device of avoiding bump, in which an apparatus that can give sign to the driver for using the said device of avoiding bump (such as an apparatus that can speak) is installed in a moderate position in order to remind the driver of using the device of avoiding bump.
19.The apparatus as mentioned in claim 18, that is worked by the delay timer (such as the electric circuit or switch that can automatically turn off the least of the after making the light for a while when opening the door) to speak or to sound to remind the driver of using the device of avoiding bump.
20. The delay timer as 'mentioned in claim I9, that is worked by recieving the electticity needed for starting the engine (such as the electricity that supplies the starting switch), or by starting the equipment of engine, or by opening or closing the door of the car.
21. A device of avoiding bump, that has a timer switch in it to control the time in braking automatically to have an effect of intermittent brake in order to avoid deviating slide.
22. A device of avoiding bump: in which a brake machine or a brake device (such as the motor) is installed on a position that the said brake machine faces the brake pedal (cr brake level) to pull without curving the wire cable, thus the wire cable can be led by the said brake machine to pull the said brake pedal (or brake lever) without curving at all.