Unite States Patent 11 1 1111 3,796,219
Hoeg Mar. 12, 1974 1 VEHICLE BREATH INPUT UNIT 2,989,960 6/1961 Hay 285/273 x l 2 1751 Invent Donald Hoeg, Prospect, fiii'i? 5113;; 31222??? 128???? [73] Assignee: Borg-Warner Corporation, Chicago, FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 173,987 2/1953 Austria 285/273 [22] Filed: May 8, 1972 [21] Appl. No: 251,207 Primary ExaminrKyle L. Howell Attorney, Agent, or FirmDonald W. Banner [52] U.S. C1 128/2 C, 73/4215 R, 180/82,
340/279 [57] ABSTRACT [51] lnti CLf. A bmath input unit for a Vehicle having both an A [58] he d 222 37 8 lar and breath testing means is disclosed. The unit in- 73 5 cludes an elongated member defining a breath passageway through which breath may be blown. One end of the member is mounted at the upper part of the A [56] References Cited pillar. The member is arcuately movable so that its UNITED STATES PATENTS other (breath input) end can move from a storage po- 2,319,068 5/1943 Krone et a1. 285/274 sition adia gept the lower pa rt of the A pillar to a use 2,498,915 2/1950 Espegren 285/274 position away from the A pillar. 2,820,651 l/l958 Phillips 285/273 X 1,870,036 8/1932 Bruce et al. 285/274 X 4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures VEHICLE BREATH INPUT UNIT FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed toward an improved breath input unit for use with a breath tester in a motor vehicle.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present invention is an improvement on the breath input unit described and claimed in co-pending application for U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 187,724 entitled BREATH INPUT UNIT FOR VEHICLE BREATH TESTING SYSTEM filed Oct. 8, 1971 in the names of S. Shiber and J. Hoppesch and assigned to the same assignee as the present specification.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Reference may be had to the above identified application for the general background of this invention. The particular unit described, for example, in FIG. 1 thereof functioned entirely adequately. However, under some circumstances it was possible to inadvertently have foreign matter, especially fluids enter, into the breath analyzing mechanism.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an input unit that overcomes this drawback by including an elongated breath passage member, mounted along the A pillarwith its input end down and its relatively fixed end up. This arrangement has the advantage of providing an upward" flow barrier to liquids and the like while yet providing a low barrier to breath.
The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with the further advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like reference numerals identify like elements.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a vehicle equipped with breath testing means and an input unit, constructed in accordance with the present invention. The unit is shown in its use position and with its storage position shown in phantom lines.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a portion (the pivot) of the unit of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to FIG. 1, a vehicle of the common passenger automobile type is depicted which includes breath analyzing means within its control console 12. Means such as those disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 136,921, filed Apr. 23, 1971 entitled VE- HICLE BREATH TESTING SYSTEM in the names of D. Collier, .I. Hoppesch and A. Mamo and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention may be employed.
An input unit constructed in accordance with the present invention and generally, designated 15, is mounted on the vehicle generally along the A pillar 16. The input unit includes an elongated member 17 through which a breath passageway is defined from an input end 19, into which a user (such as the man 20 depicted) may blow. The breath is propelled up the member 17 through a pivot 21 to a second elongated member 23 and into the breath testing means of console 12.
The pivot 21 may, as shown in FIG. 2, comprise a pair of hollow discs 121 and 221 coupled to the passageways 17F and 23F of the elongated members 17 and 23. Between the disc is a hollow spool 321 serving both to define a breath passage between the discs and as an axle for the relative pivoting of the discs 121 and 221. To aid in sealing the moving surfaces of the spool and disc, a coil spring 421 is provided. The spring 421 serves to bias the discs apart and against the flanges of the spool 321. The ends 421A and 421B of the spring 421 are secured to the discs 221 and 121 and the spring also serves to urge and hold member 17 toward its rest or storage position 17' shown in phantom lines in FIG.
The member 17 and 23 are preferably formed unitarily with the discs 121 and 221 (which serve as their upper ends) and are preferably formed of a relatively rigid plastic material. The hollow portions may (as was the case in the aforementioned Shiber et at. invention), serve to also receive wires and/or heater coils and/or spring members.
The member 23 is preferably rigid to define a relatively fixed position for the pivot 21, however, it could be made flexible and biased to allow for, during use, the pivot to be moved away from the A pillar without departing from at least the broader aspects of the invention. Similarly other constructions may be used for the pivot 21. The member 23 could be shorted (e.g. by putting the testing means at the top of the A pillar) and other variations made without departing from at least the broader aspects of the present invention.
While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
I claim:
1. The combination of a vehicle having an A pillar;
breath testing means; and
a breath input unit comprising:
an elongated member defining a breath passageway through which breath may be blown,
said member having an input end and an other end,
said member being mounted in said vehicle with said other end adjacent to the upper part of said A pillar, I
said member being'movable so that its input end may arcuately move from a storage position adjacent the lower portion of the A pillar to a use position away from the A pillar,
whereby a barrier to liquid contaminates is provided by the upward breath flow path.
2. The invention of claim 1 wherein:
a second elongated member for the passage of breath is provided between the one end and the breath testing means, said second member also being positioned along the A pillar.
3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said firstmentioned elongated member and said second member are jointed together by a hollow pivot which allows breath to flow from said first member to said second member.
4. The invention of claim 3 wherein means for resiliently urging the first elongated member toward the storage position are provided.