US3493926A

US3493926A - Motor vehicle auxiliary signalling system

Info

Publication number: US3493926A
Application number: US681735A
Authority: US
Inventors: Carmen G Morena
Original assignee: CARMEN G MORENA
Current assignee: CARMEN G MORENA
Priority date: 1967-11-09
Filing date: 1967-11-09
Publication date: 1970-02-03
Anticipated expiration: 1987-02-03

Description

Feb. 3, 1970' c. G. MORENA Filed NOV. 9. 1867 7'0 EX/STl/VG DIRECT/UNA]. LAMPIS MOTOR VEHICLE AUXILIARY SIGNALLING SYSTEM INVENTOR. CARMEN G. MORENA ATTORNEYS United States Patent Oifice 3,493,926 Patented Feb. 3, 1970 3,493,926 MOTOR VEHICLE AUXILIARY SIGNALLING SYSTEM Carmen G. Morena, 48 Columbus St.,

Providence, RI. 02908 Filed Nov. 9, 1967, Ser. No. 681,735 Int. Cl. B60q 1/46 U.S. Cl. 340-76 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A motor vehicle auxiliary signalling system which may be readily added as an accessory item to a motor vehicle having flashing directional signals in which all of the signal lamps on the vehicle may be simultaneously illuminated as clearance lights or may be sequentially flashed on the proper side of the vehicle as turning indicators.

Background of the invention a Most modern motor vehicles are equipped with directional signal lamps which operate from the parking and stop light circuits which lamps are selectively energized by a turn indicator switch. Larger motor vehicles, such as trucks, are required by law to carry clearance or marker lights and as a general rule these clearance or marker lights are steadily illuminated and in addition such larger vehicles also carry turning indicators which are easily flashed to indicate the direction of travel of the vehicle.

Summary The invention is directed to an auxiliary signalling system which may be added to a motor vehicle having the usual flasher interrupter of the thermal type. A switching system is provided for energizing the auxiliary signal lamps directly from a source of voltage within the vehi cle but under control of the output from the thermal flasher interrupter. Additionally, a transfer relay is pro vided which will normally connect the auxiliary signal lamps to the vehicle illumination system and then transfer the same to the flashing system when the same is operated.

Description of the drawings The single figure is a schematic of the auxiliary signalling system of the invention.

Description of the preferred embodiment With reference to the drawings .generally designates a plurality of signalling lamps which may be of any number above 1 and which are connected at one side thereof to a common ground 11 and at the other side thereof have a plurality of so-called hot terminals 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17. From these terminals 12 through 17 inclusive, a direct lead is taken to one terminal of a sequential switch which is generally designated 20 and which in the present instance is shown as a pivoting liquid switch of the type sometimes known as the liquid contact type. In particular the switch consists of an insulating tube of suitable construction with a plurality of contacts in this instance numbered 21 through 26 and a common contact member bearing the reference numeral 27. The switch is preferably hinged as at 28 and one end thereof as at 29 is connected to an electric solenoid 30. The switch tube is partially filled with a conducting liquid such as mercury indicated at 32 and, as will be readily apparent, by actuation of the solenoid the switch will be pivoted in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in the drawing so that the mercury 32 will flow to the left and sequentially energize the contacts 21 through 26,

The control circuit for the signalling lamps consists principally of a thermal delay relay generally designated 35 which has a thermal element 36 connected to one side of the flasher interrupter 37 of the conventional thermal type controlled by a simple switch 34, which is the usual directional lever actuated, and the other side of the thermal element is connected through a variable resistance 38 to the common terminal or ground, The contacts generally designated 39 of the thermal relay 35 open and close a circuit from the hot or positive lead of a source of electro- 'motive power 40 and are connected to an actuating coil 42 of a transfer relay. Also the flasher while being connected to the thermal element of the thermal delay relay 35 is also connected to the existing flashing directional lamps and to the coil of the solenoid 30 over a lead 31, the other side of the coil of the solenoid being returned to a common terminal indicated as ground, Also connected to the terminal 37A of the switch 34 is a diode 45 which is in a forward conducting direction toward the coil 42 of the transfer relay generally designated 43.

The transfer relay has two sets of contacts, a first set 46 being connected between the hot or positive side of the electromotive force and when closed will apply voltage to the common terminal 27 of the sequence switch. The other set of contacts 47 which are normally closed are connected through a plurality of forward conducting diodes which for simplicity are generally designated 50 and which connect to each of the individual auxiliary signalling lamps generally designated 10. The contacts 47 are coupled to the source of power 40 through forward conducting diodes 51 and 52 and two switches, a first switch 53 being the parking light switch and the second switch 55 being the headlamp or driving lamp switch with the lead taken directly at the switch. It will therefore be appreciated with this latter connection that whenever the parking lights are on or the head lamps are on, each of these auxiliary signalling lamps 10 will also be on.

In the preceding description it should be recognized that the drawings are illustrative of one set of lamps as for example one set of auxiliary signalling lamps that would be located on one side of a vehicle. An identical system such as that disclosed herein would be used for the other side of the vehicle, it being understood that it will be a completely identical system to that disclosed herein.

In operation, one would in the night time normally find that the signalling lamps 10 would be illuminated either by virtue of the switches 53 or 55 being closed. The energization circuit from these switches is of course protected by diodes 51 and 52 so that under no condition will there ever be any chance of short circuiting of the supply voltage. Regardless, however, as to whether the lamps are normally constantly illuminated, the closure of the driver actuated directional lever switch 34 will apply voltage to the solenoid 30 through normally closed interrupter 37 so as to tilt the switch 20 and simultaneously through a forward conducting diode 45, voltage will be applied to the coil 42 of the transfer relay 43 which in turn will operate the contactor and apply voltage to the common conductor 27 of the switch 20, In this manner an initial sequential flash can take place. After the initial flash has taken place with the mercury 32 traveling from right to left, the flasher 37 will open and de-energize solenoid 30 causing the mercury to travel from left to right and flash the lamps in the reverse direction. If the period of the thermal relay 35 is set for a longer period than the flasher interrupter 37, the transfer relay 43 will remain closed, and the auxiliary signalling lamps 10' will operate under direct control of the flasher interrupter 37. Thus upon every operation of the interrupter contact switch 37, the only load that will be placed thereon will be the load presented by the coil of the solenoid 30, all loading for the individual auxiliary signalling lamps being presented directly to the source of voltage through the transfer relay 43 and more particularly the contact 46. During this 3 period of operation the diode 45 will prevent any short circuiting of what is in effect two positive leads from the source of potential.

I claim:

1. A motor vehicle auxiliary signalling system comprising a plurality of signalling lamps, sequential switching means having a plurality of switches and an actuating means therefor, a transfer relay with a first contactor, each lamp connected through a switch of said switching means and said first contactor to a source of voltage so that each lamp will be illuminated in sequence, a directional flasher switch, a flasher interrupter, a delay relay having a contactor connected to said source, said flasher switch connected in a series circuit from a source of voltage with the flasher interrupter, said series circuit connected to the delay relay, to the actuating means and through a forward biased diode to energize the transfer relay, the contactor of the delay relay also energizing the transfer relay, whereby the contactor of the delay relay will energize the transfer relay independently of the flasher interrupter.

2. A system as in claim 1 wherein the vehicle has a parking light switch and said transfer relay has a second contactor, said second contactor included in the circuit from the parking light switch to said signalling lamps, the transfer relay being initially energized by the interrupter and secondarily by the contactor of the delay relay, whereby the signalling lamps are changed from an all-0n condition to a sequential flashing condition.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 313 1914 Great Britain,

THOMAS B. HABECKER, Primary Examiner KENNETH N. LEIMER, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 34082, 115, 176