GB2270333A

GB2270333A - Collapsible illuminated traffic warning triangle.

Info

Publication number: GB2270333A
Application number: GB9218753A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Wayne Dawe; John Holmes
Original assignee: Bolan Trading Inc
Current assignee: Bolan Trading Inc
Priority date: 1992-09-04
Filing date: 1992-09-04
Publication date: 1994-03-09
Anticipated expiration: 2012-09-04
Also published as: GB2270333B; GB9218753D0

Abstract

A collapsible reflective warning triangle formed by interconnected side members (2, 4, 6) with reflex reflective lens strips (24) illuminated by spaced light emitting diodes (28) or other light sources powered through a flasher unit (30) from batteries (40) in a battery housing (36). The battery housing is releasably connected with the triangle during erection of the latter, this action serving both to power the diodes through the flasher unit, and to provide a support and ballast weight for maintaining the triangle in a near vertical plane. <IMAGE>

Description

ILLUMINATED REFLECTIVE WARNING TRIANGLE This invention relates to reflective warning triangles of the type used to provide warning of road hazards, particularly at night.

Such triangles have been used for a number of years, and commonly are folding or collapsible to facilitate storage when not required for use. A shortcoming of such triangles is that they are entirely dependent for their efficiency upon reflection of light from oncoming vehicles, Proposals have been made for the incorporation of lights into such triangles, for example in EP 0135756A, but the resulting units are bulky and not self contained.

The present invention seeks to provide an illuminated warning triangle which can be stored compactly and yet is conveniently erected and becomes effective automatically on erection, and accordingly the invention provides an illuminated warning triangle as set forth in claim 1.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a triangle in accordance with the invention, in an erected and operative condition; Figure 2 is a front view of the triangle; Figure 3 is a rear view of the triangle; Figure 4 is a detail of part of the triangle with a battery housing removed, and Figure 5 shows end views of the triangle and battery housing in unerected condition.

Referring to the'drawings, the triangle itself is of generally conventional construction, having a base side member 2, interconnected with further side members 4 and 6.

The side member 2 is joined at one end to one end of the side member 4 by a first hinge 8, and the other end of the side member 4 is joined to one end of the side member 6 by a second oppositely folding hinge 10. A tab 14 formed at the other end of member 2 enters an aperture 16 formed at the other end of member 6 so that a pin 18 may engage in a slot 20, thus locking the three side members together to form a triangle.

Each side member consists of a synthetic plastic strip 22 overlaid by reflex reflective reflector and lens strip 24 moulded from transparent red synthetic plastic material. A flexible cord 26 having two conductors links a number, typically four per side member, of spaced light emitting diodes 28 arranged so as to radiate into and illuminate the lens strips 24, typically by being located between the strips 22 and 24. Loops of the cord 26 bridge the hinges 8 and 10. The strips 22 and/or the strips 24 may be moulded on their facing surfaces with recesses to receive the diodes 28. The cord is also connected to a flasher circuit 30 housed between the strips 22 and 24 of the base side member 2. The flasher circuit has power supply terminals 32 and 34 protruding through the rear surface of strip 22 of side member 2 (see Figure 4).The flasher circuit itself may be constructed as generally described in our International Application WO 92/04206, using a driver circuit adapted to drive a number of light emitting diodes in parallel. Whilst this arrangement is preferred because of its efficiency and effectiveness, other flasher circuits could be utilized, driving either light emitting diodes or incandescent lamps.

The triangle, when erected, is both powered and supported by a battery housing 36. The housing 36 is cylindrical, and provided with a removable cap 38 through which dry cells 40 may be inserted. Typically, two "D" type cells will provide power to flash the LEDs at least for several hours, and also have sufficient mass to ballast the housing 36 and firmly support the triangle when a flange 42 at a front end of the housing is pressed into a socket formed by a semicircular slot 44 defined in a semicircular protuberance 46 from the rear surface of the base side member 2. The front end of the housing has contacts 48 and 50 connected to internal contacts with the cells.The contact 48 is central and presses against the terminal 32, which is at the centre of the protuberance 46, whilst the contact 50 is annular so as to assure contact with the terminal 34 which is radially displaced from the contact 32 relative to the protuberance 46. If a switching action is desired, the contact 50 may be part annular so that the power to the flasher circuit 30 may be switched on or off simply by rotating the battery housing in the slot 44. It is preferred however to ensure that the triangle is illuminated whenever it is erected by using a full annulus as shown, bearing in mind that the unit can be turned off simply by removing the battery housing. When installed, the battery housing also acts as a support strut and a ballast weight for the triangle, maintaining it in a substantially vertical plane.

For storage, the battery housing may be removed and the triangle folded as shown in Figure 5. Other forms of quick engagement coupling may of course be employed between the battery housing and the triangle, provided that they combine the function of establishing electrical connections to the triangle, and that of providing a secure and easily operated mechanical connection by means of which the battery housing can support and act as a ballast for the triangle. Although the flasher circuit 30 has been shown within the member 2, it could instead be located within the battery housing 36 provided that it is arranged to draw no significant current when the battery housing is not connected to the triangle. The members 2, 4 and 6 could be provided with strips 24 on both sides, with the diodes 28 or other light emitting devices housed in apertures in the strips 22. The number, size and arrangement of cells 40 in the housing could of course be different. The terminal 34 could be made annular instead of the contact 50.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A collapsible illuminated traffic warning triangle, comprising interconnected side members erectable into a triangle and provided on at least front sides with reflex reflective lens strips, multiple electrically powered light emitting devices located around the triangle and radiating into the lens strips, and an electric circuit connecting the light emitting devices to terminals on a bottom side member of the triangle, and a combined battery holder, support and ballast releasably securable behind said bottom side member in a position which establishes contact between said terminals and contacts on said battery holder in an electrical circuit with battery cells within the holder, and which supports said triangle in a substantially vertical plane.

2. A warning triangle according to claim 1, wherein the battery holder is cylindrical and one end is engageable with a socket on a rear surface of the bottom side member to form a strut extending rearwardly of and perpendicular to the plane of the triangle.

3. A warning triangle according to claim 2, wherein the socket is formed by a semicircular groove in a semicircular protuberance from the rear surface of the bottom side member, engageable by a peripheral nm on the battery holder.

4. A warning triangle according to claim 3, wherein one terminal on the triangle is at the centre of the protuberance, and the other is radially outward of it, and one contact is at the centre of said one end and the other is radially outward of it, one of the radially outward terminal and the radially outward contact forming at least part of an annulus.

5. A warning triangle according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a flasher circuit included in the electrical circuit of one of the triangle and the battery holder.

6. A warning triangle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the light emitting devices are light emitting diodes.

7. A collapsible illuminated traffic warning triangle, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.