GB2282499A - Vehicle hazard warning system - Google Patents

Vehicle hazard warning system Download PDF

Info

Publication number
GB2282499A
GB2282499A GB9400967A GB9400967A GB2282499A GB 2282499 A GB2282499 A GB 2282499A GB 9400967 A GB9400967 A GB 9400967A GB 9400967 A GB9400967 A GB 9400967A GB 2282499 A GB2282499 A GB 2282499A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
hazard warning
warning system
lights
vehicles
braking
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB9400967A
Other versions
GB9400967D0 (en
Inventor
Peter Edward Michael Peggie
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of GB9400967D0 publication Critical patent/GB9400967D0/en
Publication of GB2282499A publication Critical patent/GB2282499A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H35/00—Switches operated by change of a physical condition
    • H01H35/14—Switches operated by change of acceleration, e.g. by shock or vibration, inertia switch
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
    • B60Q1/26—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
    • B60Q1/44—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating braking action or preparation for braking, e.g. by detection of the foot approaching the brake pedal
    • B60Q1/445—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating braking action or preparation for braking, e.g. by detection of the foot approaching the brake pedal controlled by inertial devices
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q—ARRANGEMENT OF SIGNALLING OR LIGHTING DEVICES, THE MOUNTING OR SUPPORTING THEREOF OR CIRCUITS THEREFOR, FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60Q1/00—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor
    • B60Q1/26—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic
    • B60Q1/50—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating other intentions or conditions, e.g. request for waiting or overtaking
    • B60Q1/52—Arrangement of optical signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor the devices being primarily intended to indicate the vehicle, or parts thereof, or to give signals, to other traffic for indicating other intentions or conditions, e.g. request for waiting or overtaking for indicating emergencies
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01H—ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES
    • H01H36/00—Switches actuated by change of magnetic field or of electric field, e.g. by change of relative position of magnet and switch, by shielding
    • H01H36/0006—Permanent magnet actuating reed switches
    • H01H36/0013—Permanent magnet actuating reed switches characterised by the co-operation between reed switch and permanent magnet; Magnetic circuits

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Lighting Device Outwards From Vehicle And Optical Signal (AREA)

Abstract

When the vehicle is subjected to hard braking and/or an impact, a magnet 1 slides forward and is latched in position. The contacts of a reed relay 2 are therefore closed causing energisation of a relay 3 which operates the hazard lights. The system is reset by pushing the button of a toggle mechanism. <IMAGE>

Description

VEHICLE HAZARD SYSTEM This invention relates to automatic operation of a vehicles hazard warning lights on either, or both emergency braking and vehicle impact. This is achieved by sensing either the vehicles 'g' force (acceleration or deceleration) and/or the vehicles braking force.
Hazard warning lights are intended to give early warning to other vehicles of a potentially hazardous situation, often a vehicle braking strongly or actually stopped after braking hard or after a collision. Hazard warning lights as currently configured sometimes do not achieve adequate warning. On severe braking, by the time the driver has struggled to control the steering, actually come to a stop, collected his wits, remembered where the hazard warning lights are and then pressed them it may be too late for the following driver who could be closing the gap at 70MPH and not realize anything is wrong.--BRAKE LIGHTS TELL YOU NOTHING ABOUT THE SEVERITY OF THE BRAKING OF THE CAR IN FRONT OR SOMETIMES EVEN THAT THE CAR IS REDUCING SPEED AT ALL In a 'crash' scenario the likelihood of the driver being able to operate the hazard lights in time to warn following vehicles is even less than the severe braking scenario.
An automatic hazard warning system would however virtually instantaneously switch on the hazard system giving maximum warning to following vehicles. Manual operation of the system would not need to be sacrificed SENSING THE 'G' FORCE This aspect of the invention utilises the 'g' force generated in severe braking or during vehicle impact to automatically activate the hazard warning lights.
The methods of sensing the 'g' level and activating the hazard lights are numerous as are the combinations and permutations of those methods. Also in use it is possible for the invention to be designed to operate as a hazard warning system which only operates on (a) forward vehicle impact or (b) rear shunts or (c) (a) and (b) together or (d) severe braking + (a) or (e) severe braking +(c) Additionally the system could be added to a vehicle as an accessory or when the car is new. The invention as an accessory may take a different form to that of a system used in a new car.
All these variations on the implementation and usage make it impossible to cover every permutation and combination of the invention, however the following examples show some of the possible implementations of the invention.
Figure 1 shows a breadboarded version of the invention.
The 'g' force experienced on severe braking or vehicle impact causes the weight 3 to operate the switch 1 via the mechanical advantage of lever 2. The switch then supplies voltage to the relay 4 which operates the contacts 7 which are connected in parallel with the vehicles hazard warning switch. The system can be reset directly by manual reset of the switch or the system could be en-cased and an extension to the switch to the dashboard used to rest it.
As an alternative the Rocker / Micro switch could be eliminated by connecting lever 2 and weight 3 to the relay rocker arm 6 and then the relay wired to 'latch' on first contact caused by the 'g' force. This system could be reset by momentarily cutting the supply to the relay. This could be via a simple on/off switch on the dashboard.
Figure 2 shows a 'production concept' version which incorporates the 'g' sensor within the hazard switch. The 'g' force causes weight 2, which is connected to or part of the contact block 1, to move the contact block 1 in relation to the spring contacts 4 and thus make the necessary connections via the wiring loom 3 to operate the hazard warning lights.
Re-pushing the contact block 1 causes the on / off toggle mechanism 5 to reset the system. This version would be either as a direct replacement for an existing hazard switch or fitted in new vehicles instead of the standard 'manual only' hazard switch.
Figure 3 shows a 'flat spiral spring' 'g' sensor which is bidirectional in operation. There are three components within this sensor, the top contact 2, the flat spiral spring and central contact 3 and the bottom contact 1. On 'g' force in either the forward or rearward direction the central contact 3 makes temporary contact with either the top contact 2 or the bottom contact 1. The sensor can be connected to simple latching electronics and contacts or a relay as above.
figure 4 shows another style of 'g' sensitive switch. In operation the weight 1 compresses spring 3 and latches under the sprung ball contacts 5 causing the electrical connection of contacts 4. The contacts 4 are connected to a relay which in turn is connected to the vehicle hazard wiring. Resetting the system is by pushing button 2.
This system could be used either as a replacement of the hazard warning switch or as a separate system connected in parallel.
figure 5 shows another style of 'g' sensitive switch. In operation the magnet 1 slides against spring pressure under the 'g' force and then latches in position. When in the latched position the reed relay 2 is closed causing operation of the relay 3 which operates the Hazard lights. The hazard system can be reset using the 'push on' 'push off' toggle mechanism.
The use of a strain gauge could also be used to sense the 'g' force.
VEHICLE BRAKING FORCE Rather than using the vehicles 'g' force to operate the vehicles Hazard system the braking force could be utilized instead. This method would cope with most emergency braking scenarios except vehicle impact without severe braking. It does however have the advantage over the 'g' sensing system that the hazard lights would operate even in a 'skid' scenario.
A method of sensing a braking force could be by using a pressure sensing switch on the hydraulics of the braking system which when the braking force was sufficiently high to warrant operation of the Hazard system the pressure switch would close and operate the hazard lights via a relay.
Clearly by combining in parallel the sensing of the vehicles 'g' force and the 'Braking' force a more comprehensive system would result, dealing with most, if not all emergency scenarios calling for operation of the Hazard lights.

Claims (9)

1. An Automatic Vehicle Hazard Warning System comprising an impact and/or a 'hard braking' sensor system, and an external visual indication of occurrence of hard braking and/or impact.
2. An Automatic Vehicle Hazard Warning system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein a unidirectional or multidirectional 'g' sensor is used to sense hard braking and/or impact.
3. An Automatic Vehicle Hazard Warning system as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein braking force/pressure is used to sense hard braking.
4. An Automatic Vehicle Hazard Warning system as claimed in Claim 2 and/or Claim 3, wherein the visual indication is by use of the Vehicles Hazard Warning Lights.
5. An Automatic Vehicle Hazard Warning System as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the visual indication is by use of the Vehicles Hazard Warning Lights.
6. An Automatic Vehicle Hazard Warning System as claimed in Claims 1 through to and including Claim 5, wherein the visual indication is by use of additional vehicle lights or the vehicles brake or side light system.
7. An Automatic Vehicle Hazard Warning System as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the visual indication of 'hard braking' and/or vehicle impact is via the Vehicles Hazard Warning Lights.
8. An Automatic Vehicle Hazard Warning System as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the visual indication of 'hard braking' or vehicle impact is via the use of additional vehicle lights or the vehicles brake or side lights.
9. Any Automatic Vehicle Hazard warning system substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying Drawings.
GB9400967A 1993-09-27 1994-01-19 Vehicle hazard warning system Withdrawn GB2282499A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB939319873A GB9319873D0 (en) 1993-09-27 1993-09-27 Vehicle hazard system

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9400967D0 GB9400967D0 (en) 1994-03-16
GB2282499A true GB2282499A (en) 1995-04-05

Family

ID=10742571

Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB939319873A Pending GB9319873D0 (en) 1993-09-27 1993-09-27 Vehicle hazard system
GB9400967A Withdrawn GB2282499A (en) 1993-09-27 1994-01-19 Vehicle hazard warning system

Family Applications Before (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB939319873A Pending GB9319873D0 (en) 1993-09-27 1993-09-27 Vehicle hazard system

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (2) GB9319873D0 (en)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2312104A (en) * 1996-04-10 1997-10-15 Stephen George Watson Deceleration warning system for a road vehicle
ES2114804A1 (en) * 1996-01-25 1998-06-01 Buendia Lorente Emergency light automatic lighting system for vehicles
GB2328809A (en) * 1997-08-26 1999-03-03 Huang Ting Lung Emergency braking warning system for a vehicle
GB2337879A (en) * 1998-05-27 1999-12-01 Terence Brian Glover Vehicle deceleration warning system
EP1753002A2 (en) 2005-08-10 2007-02-14 Fredi Alexander Pommer Electrical switch
US7213687B2 (en) * 2002-10-04 2007-05-08 Advics Co., Ltd. Emergency braking apparatus for vehicle

Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB942719A (en) * 1961-03-21 1963-11-27 Julius Stockhausen Warning system for motor vehicles or the like
US3939316A (en) * 1973-10-19 1976-02-17 Stropkay Edward J Panic stoplight system for automobiles using a fluid pressure switching device
GB1463524A (en) * 1973-10-04 1977-02-02 Bouchard C Vehicle automatic emergency signalling device
GB2119880A (en) * 1982-05-11 1983-11-23 Peter Burton Braking indicator
US4723078A (en) * 1986-05-17 1988-02-02 Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft Arrangement for the automatic engagement of a hazard warning system
EP0292633A1 (en) * 1986-12-18 1988-11-30 Gaetano Shettino A device for automatically inserting the emergency lights on vehicles in the case of sudden decelerations
GB2223366A (en) * 1988-07-12 1990-04-04 Nigel Mark Bovis Emergency braking warning system for vehicles
GB2239137A (en) * 1989-09-28 1991-06-19 William James * Bell George Arrangement to warn of braking or swerving of a vehicle
GB2269493A (en) * 1992-08-06 1994-02-09 Peter William Neale Emergency braking warning system
GB2269947A (en) * 1992-07-23 1994-02-23 Davidson Page Gary Anthony System to indicate hard braking of a vehicle

Patent Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB942719A (en) * 1961-03-21 1963-11-27 Julius Stockhausen Warning system for motor vehicles or the like
GB1463524A (en) * 1973-10-04 1977-02-02 Bouchard C Vehicle automatic emergency signalling device
US3939316A (en) * 1973-10-19 1976-02-17 Stropkay Edward J Panic stoplight system for automobiles using a fluid pressure switching device
GB2119880A (en) * 1982-05-11 1983-11-23 Peter Burton Braking indicator
US4723078A (en) * 1986-05-17 1988-02-02 Daimler-Benz Aktiengesellschaft Arrangement for the automatic engagement of a hazard warning system
EP0292633A1 (en) * 1986-12-18 1988-11-30 Gaetano Shettino A device for automatically inserting the emergency lights on vehicles in the case of sudden decelerations
GB2223366A (en) * 1988-07-12 1990-04-04 Nigel Mark Bovis Emergency braking warning system for vehicles
GB2239137A (en) * 1989-09-28 1991-06-19 William James * Bell George Arrangement to warn of braking or swerving of a vehicle
GB2269947A (en) * 1992-07-23 1994-02-23 Davidson Page Gary Anthony System to indicate hard braking of a vehicle
GB2269493A (en) * 1992-08-06 1994-02-09 Peter William Neale Emergency braking warning system

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ES2114804A1 (en) * 1996-01-25 1998-06-01 Buendia Lorente Emergency light automatic lighting system for vehicles
GB2312104A (en) * 1996-04-10 1997-10-15 Stephen George Watson Deceleration warning system for a road vehicle
GB2328809A (en) * 1997-08-26 1999-03-03 Huang Ting Lung Emergency braking warning system for a vehicle
GB2337879A (en) * 1998-05-27 1999-12-01 Terence Brian Glover Vehicle deceleration warning system
US7213687B2 (en) * 2002-10-04 2007-05-08 Advics Co., Ltd. Emergency braking apparatus for vehicle
EP1753002A2 (en) 2005-08-10 2007-02-14 Fredi Alexander Pommer Electrical switch
EP1753002A3 (en) * 2005-08-10 2008-05-07 Fredi Alexander Pommer Electrical switch

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9319873D0 (en) 1993-11-10
GB9400967D0 (en) 1994-03-16

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)