IL94635A - Emergency warning device - Google Patents

Description

094635/2 αιτπ η-ιπτκ^ viz;an EMERGENCY WARNING DEVICE M. ASHER HABIB C: 09813 098l3ash.hvv I-788 04jun90 FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to emergency warning devcies generally and to emergency warning devices with flashing lights in particular.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A motorist is often required by law to carry a red reflective upright triangle in his car for placing near his car in situations when the car is immovable at the side of a road. The triangle acts as a warning to other motorists that the car so marked is inoperative.

It is known in the art to add to an emergency warning triangle a lighting system, flashing or otherwise, to make the triangle more noticeable to other motorists. For example, W. German Gebrauchsmusters 88 03 564.6, 85 23 829.5 and 82 03 47 .3 describe emergency warning triangles with flashing lights run from stand-alone or vehicle batteries. W. German Patent Publication 2,326,952 describes an emergency warning triangle with rechargeable batteries in which the light flashes around the triangle.

World Patent Publication WO 88/07606 describes a raised depressible pavement marker which is operative only in darkness. Additionally, in an alternative embodiment, the marker is only operative upon receipt of an enabling transmission.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an-emergency warning device with flashing lights which is operative to provide to flashing patterns. It is a second object of the present invention that it is generally operative during low level light conditions and that the flashing patterns change in response to the approach of a moving vehicle.

There is thus provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, emergency warning apparatus including a housing, flashable lights located in the housing and apparatus for flashing the flashable lights in two patterns.

Additionally, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the emergency warning apparatus also includes low level light sensing apparatus for detecting the absence of low level light and directed beam sensing apparatus for detecting the presence of a directed beam of light.

Moreover, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus for flashing chooses a first of the two patterns in response to detection of the absence of low level light by the low level light sensing apparatus and a second of the two patterns in response to additional detection of the presence of a directed beam of light by the directed beam sensing apparatus.

Further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, both of the apparatus for detecting are photosensors.

Still further, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the housing is in a triangular shape. It typically includes a multiplicity of connectable parts which can be foldably connected together or can be fixed in a triangular shape.

There is additionally provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method for emergency warning for an emergency warning device having a multiplicity of lights including the steps of providing a first flashing pattern in response to detection of absence of low level light and providing a second flashing pattern in response to detection of presence of a directed beam of light.

Finally, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the first flashing pattern flashes one of the multiplicity of lights at a given time and wherein the second flashing pattern flashes more than one of the multiplicity of lights at a given time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which: Fig. 1A is a pictorial illustration of an emergency warning device constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. IB is a schematic- diagram of the device of the present invention; Q, agram of electronic Fig. 3 is a schematic illustration of elements of a housing of the device of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a pictorial illustration of an alternative embodiment of the device of Fig. 1A. 094635/2 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PRESENT INVENTION Reference is made to Pigs. 1A and IB which illustrate the emergency warning device of the present invention. The device comprises a box 10 , typically in a triangular shape and made of plastic or other suitable material which will survive being outdoors, a cover 12 , typically of red translucent plastic, and supports l'l, typically of metal, for maintaining the device in an upright position on the ground. Supports .14 fold up under the box 10 for ease in storage.

Inside the box 10 are located six flashable lights 16 , such as standard 3 · 8 V lights, which can flash for a long time, and two photosensors 18 and 20 , such as general purpose pho toresis ors , respectively for sensing the absence of daylight and for sensing the presence of light during darkness such as the light from the headlights of an oncoming car. Photosensor 18 is directed to face upwardly towards the sky so as to respond to l ow level l i ght , only. Photosensor 20 , on the other hand, is directed to face towards the expected direction of an oncoming car and is more sensitive to light than is photosensor 16 so as to respond to the lower light level of the headlights of a car.

When photosensor 18 senses the absence of daylight, it turns on the circuitry of the device, stored on a circuit board 22. The flashable lights 16 will then flash in a manner such that only one flashable light 16 is operative at any one time. In this way, battery power, in the form of rechargeable batteries 2Ί and/or' dry batteries 26 , is conserved. The rechargeable batteries 2'» are typically 'lxl.2V NiCd batteries and are recharged via a standard European house voltage of 220V or via a standard car battery voltage of 12V through an appropriate transformer (not shown). Alternatively, batteries 2Ί and/or 26 can be replaced with solar batteries and a solar recharger.

Typically, the lights 16 are organized into two alternating groups each of which flashes in a clockwise manner. Thus, if the two flashing groups are l 6a , l 6c , l 6e and l 6b , l 6d , 094635/2 l6 f , a typical flashing pattern might be l 6a , l 6c , l 6 e , l 6b , l 6d , I6f .

When photosensor 20 senses the presence of a beam of light, such as comes from the headlights of an oncoming car, the method of flashing is changed to one where all of the lights l b of one group flash in concert alternately with all of the lights 16 of the second group, thereby to warn the oncoming car. of the presence of a danger marked by the device. The flashable lights 16 typically are bright enough so as to be seen from a distance.

It will be appreciated that photosensor 20 is operative only when photosensor .18 senses l ow 1 i ght l evel s . Thus , the device of the present invention only works during the hours of low level light intensity so as to conserve battery power.

Reference is now made to Fig. 2 which illustrates the electronic circuit diagram for operating the device of Fig. 1A. The electronic circuit comprises a switching circuit 5 for switching the device between on-off states or between power sources, a light circuit 52 for flashing lights 16 , a daytime circuit 5Ί end an oncoming car circuit 56 .

Switching circuit 5 comprises a switch S2 which serves as an on-off switch and a switch which switches the source of power from the dry batteries 26 , typically four 1.5V batteries, to the rechargeable batteries 2'» . Switching circuit 50 also comprises a manual-automatic switch S/j which, in the manual or on state, disables the operation of photosensors 18 and 20 and enables the device of the present invention to operate during the day. A light-emitting diode Dg is lit when photosensor l 8 senses the absence of low level -Light and when the device is switched on (i.e. switch S2 is in the on position) Light circuit 2 comprises the six flashable lights 16 connected generally in parallel so that if one light l 6 stops working for any reason, the other lights l 6 will continue to flash. Connected in series with each flashable light l6 is a transistor 60 for switching on the light 16. A diode 62 is connected in parallel with an input wire of each transistor 60 and light l 6 . Thus, there are two input sources for each 094635/2 transistor 60. The diodes 62 connected to lights l6a, 16c and l6e are connected together as are the diodes 62 connected to lights 16b, l6d and l6f.

The input wire of each transistor 60 is connected to an integrated circuit chip 6Ί , such as a CMOS Ί017 counter, for consecutively flashing, each light 16.

Each set of diodes 62 is connected to an integrated circuit chip 66, such as a CMOS Ί017 counter, for alternatively flashing the two sets of lights 16.

Both integrated circuit chips 6Ί and 66 are, in turn, connected to an oscillating circuit 70 comprised of three NAND gates 72, such as are in a CMOS ΊΟΙΙ chip, connected in parallel with a potentiometer P1 and a capacitor C^. The setting of the potentiometer sets the frequency of oscillating circuit 70 which is the frequency of action of chips 6Ί and 66 and therefore, is the frequency of flashing of the lights l6.

Daytime circuit 5'* comprises a light circuit 80 for detecting low level light and a toggle switch for switching off the operation of the electronic circuit in response to the detection of low level light. Light circuit 80 comprises photosensor l8 and a relay 82 which is attached to switch S^. When the photosensor 18 senses light, it activates relay 82 to open switch Sj . To that end, an RC circuit comprised of and R2 maintains the voltage level on a transistor 84. The relay 82 is attached to the collector of transistor 82 and a diode 86 is connected in parallel to the relay 82 for protecting the transistor 8Ί against back current from C^.

When switch is open, the device of the present invention is inoperative. When the photosensor 18 does not sense light, relay 82 closes switch S^, thereby enabling the operation of the device. Typically, the closing of switch causes the integrated chip 6Ί to commence operation.

Oncoming car circuit 56 has a light circuit 90 similar to light circuit 80 which is attached to a toggle switch S^. Light circuit 0 comprises a relay 9 and photosensor 20 which senses the presence of an oncoming car and typically is more 094635/2 sensitive to light than photosensor 18. When the photosensor 20 senses light, it activates relay 92 to close switch . Similarly to light circuit 80, light circuit 90 additionally comprises an RC circuit comprised of C2 and Rj^ for maintaining the voltage level on a transistor ^ . The relay 92 is attached to the collector of transistor 4 and a diode 96 is connected in parallel to the relay 2.

When switch is closed, a signal is sent to integrated chip 6Ί to stop operation and to integrated chip 66 to start operation. Thus, the flashing of the lights 16 changes to one of alternating between two groups pf. three lights 16. When the oncoming car passes the device of the present invention, relay 92 causes switch Sjj to open and the flashing returns to one of flashing only one light 16 at a time.

Reference is now made to Fig. 3 which illustrates a preferred embodiment for box 10. In this embodiment, box 10 is comprised of three sections 100 typically mechanically connected together, typically via screws 102. Male-female connections 10 Supports 1Ί are rotatably connected to a bottom one of the sections 100, typically via a nail (not shown) driven through holes 106. Supports ΐΊ additionally comprise holes 108 for connecting the housing 10 to a surface, such as the ground, via a nail. This enables the emergency warning device to stand upright on the surface in the presence of winds. ' Reference is briefly made to Fig. 4 which illustrates a foldable alternative embodiment of housing 10. Each section, labelled 110, is rotatably connected to the other through pivots 112. A screw ll1* is utilized to hold the housing in the unfolded position shown in Fig. 4. When the screw 114 is removed, sections 110a and 110b fold towards 110c in the directions marked by arrows ll6a and 116b respectively.

As in the previous embodiment, male-female connections (not shown) are used to connect the electronic components. In this embodiment, they are placed so as to rotate with the rotation of the sections 110.

It will be appreciated that the emergency warning device of the present invention can be utilized in many ways. By converting the supports 14 to suitable mounting devices, the emergency warning device can be mounted on a ship's life-belt, a bicycle, a stroller, a hiker's backpack or any other device which typically needs a warning device.

Additionally, a series of emergency warning devices of the present invention can be placed along the roadside of an unlit highway for indicating to passing vehicles the edge of the road. As a vehicle passes the series of devices, its headlights cause the lights of the devices to flash one after another.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the present invention is defined only by the claims which follow:

Claims (2)

1. CLAIMS 1. Emergency warning apparatus comprising: a housing; flashable lights located in said housing; means for flashing said flashable lights in two patterns; and low level light sensing means for detecting the absence of low level light.

2. Emergency warning apparatus according to claim 1 and also including directed beam sensing means for detecting the presence of a directed beam of light. 3· Emergency warning apparatus according to claim 2 and wherein said means for flashing chooses a first of said two patterns in response to detection of the absence of low level light by said low level light sensing means and a second of said two patterns in response to additional detection of the presence of a directed beam of light by said directed beam sensing means. . Emergency warning apparatus according to claim 2 and wherein both of said means for detecting are photosensors. 5. Emergency warning apparatus according to claim 1 and wherein said housing is in a triangular shape. 6. Emergency warning apparatus according to claim 1 and wherein said housing is comprised of a multiplicity of connectable parts. 7. Emergency warning apparatus according to claim 5 and wherein said housing is a foldable housing. 8. A method for emergency warning for an emergency warning device comprising a multiplicity of lights comprising the steps of: providing a first flashing pattern in response to detection of absence of low level light; and providing a second flashing pattern in response to detection of presence of a directed beam of light. 9. A method for emergency warning according to claim 8 and wherein said first flashing pattern flashes one of said multiplicity of lights at a given time and wherein said second flashing pattern flashes more than one of said multiplicity of lights at a given time. 10. Apparatus substantially as shown and described hereinabove. 11. Apparatus substantially as illustrated in any of the drawings . 12. A method substantially as shown and described hereinabove . For the Applicant, Sanford T. Colb C:Q9813 I-788