Abstract:
A light emitting diode warning device is provided capable of acting as a roadway warning flare or as a flashing warning marker the device being portable and rechargeable and presenting warning lights in the vertical direction and in the horizontal direction with the horizontal illumination being observable over 360 degrees.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) and 37 C.F.R. 1.78(a)(4) based upon copending U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/838,534 for Flashing Flare Pro Device filed Aug. 11, 2006 and which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to warning devices generally and in particular roadway or traffic warning devices. A light emitting diode (LED) warning device is provided which generally is a substitute for all uses for which a prior art burning chemical-based flare was applicable. The LED warning device or “flare” provides 360 degree illumination in a horizontal direction as well as LEDs aimed vertically for presenting a warning light in a vertical direction or for use in marking a landing area for a helicopter.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     During traffic emergencies and other signaling, emergency workers, including police and fire departments, typically use combustible road flares to serve as warning devices in the vicinity of traffic accidents and other emergency situations. Typical road flares are comprised of a combination of strontium nitrate and one or more of the following compounds: potassium nitrate, sulfur, potassium perchlorate and a variety of other compounds. The flare may include a striker mechanism on the order of that used with a typical “strike anywhere match” to start the product burning. Many of the unfortunate side products of the use of road flares of this design is that they are a hot burning mass of solid chemical compound, and as such, can lead to burns of the personnel using them and damage to clothing equipment associated with the persons using the equipment. Further, such flammable road flares create a mess on the roads, and when it is desired to extinguish the road flares, they must be kicked or smothered in some fashion to break apart the burning segment from the remainder of the flare to quickly extinguish the flare. This, again, can lead to damage to shoes, boots, and other clothing. Therefore, the common flammable road flare is, at a minimum, a nuisance to those who use it, and a non-flammable road flare would be of great utility. Further, for police departments and fire departments and other emergency units, the cost of flammable road flares each year is a significant expense, and it would be preferable to minimize this expense.  
         [0004]     Such elimination of flammable road flare and the damage and expense associated with it is provided by the present invention which comprises a rechargeable LED flashing, and non-flashing unit, which may be recharged for repeated use. The present invention also may be positioned within a base to serve as a fixed position road flare, or the invention may be removed from the base and hand-held to use as a signal for directing traffic and the like during emergency situations. In addition, the present invention also includes, in one embodiment, LEDs on the top end of the device which are aimed upwardly. The device, when inserted into a base, can be used to serve as landing lights to assist in the landing of helicopters. This latter feature is particularly useful at rural traffic accident scenes or other rural areas when it is desired to use a helicopter to medically evacuate an injured person.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     A warning-marking device is provided having LED illumination in the vertical direction and/or 360 degrees of illumination in the horizontal direction. The warning device uses LEDs for illumination instead of the burning chemical material of prior art warning flares. The warning device LEDs can be selected to illuminate in the vertical and/or the horizontal directions. The warning device is comprised of a warning device and a support base for receiving the warning device and retaining the warning device in an upright position. The warning device is battery operated and is provided with a housing that may be connected into the electrical system of a motor vehicle to permit recharging of the batteries in the warning device. An alternate embodiment of the warning device is provided having retractable legs which can be used to support the warning device apart from the separable base. When the legs are in the retracted position the warning device can be used in the manner of a flashlight with the LEDs mounted in the top end functioning as the illumination source. A collapsible base also is provided having a pair of opposed legs extending radially from a central pivot, the pair of legs each being separable into two legs for pivotally spacing apart by pivoting of the legs about the central pivot which also is used to support a warning device therein.  
         [0006]     The foregoing and other objects are intended to be illustrative of the invention and are not meant in a limiting sense. Many possible embodiments of the invention may be made and will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and accompanying drawings comprising a part thereof. Various features and subcombinations of the invention may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of this invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     Preferred embodiments of the invention, illustrative of the best modes in which the applicant has contemplated applying the principles, are set forth in the following description and are shown in the drawings and are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a top and side elevation view of an embodiment of the warning device mounted in a base and showing a flat side portion to prevent rolling of the warning device when demounted from the base and showing the activation switch and the vertically aimed LEDs and the horizontally aimed LEDs;  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  with the base excluded for clarity;  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is a cross section view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is a cross section view of the embodiment of  FIG. 1  taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  is a top and side exploded view of an embodiment in which multiple warning device units have been disassembled into a plurality of bases and a plurality of warning devices and showing one warning device inserted into a carrier housing for carrying and recharging the warning devices and one warning device and a plurality of bases in position for insertion into the housing;  
         [0014]      FIG. 7  is a top plan view of an alternate embodiment of a base for supporting a warning device the alternate base having legs that are rotatably separable and collapsible between first and second positions and showing in  FIG. 7  the collapsed position of two opposed legs;  
         [0015]      FIG. 8  is a top plan view of the embodiment of  FIG. 7  showing the legs separated to provide four spaced apart legs;  
         [0016]      FIG. 9  is side elevation view of an alternate embodiment of the warning device having expandable and retractable legs for supporting the embodiment; and  
         [0017]      FIG. 10  is side elevation view of the embodiment of  FIG. 9  showing the legs in the retracted position allowing use of the vertical LEDs in the manner of a flashlight. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0018]     As required, detailed embodiments of the present inventions are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.  
         [0019]      FIG. 1  shows an embodiment of warning device  10  seated in a base  12  so the device  10  could be placed on a roadway for alerting motorists or used for some other fixed location use. In  FIG. 1  the general construction of the warning device  10  may be seen and comprises base  12  for receiving warning device  10 . Warning device  10  has a columnar body  14  with a first end  16  seated in base  12  and a second end  18  containing first LED lights directed horizontally  20  and second LED lights directed vertically  22  as body  14  is supported in base  12 . Switch  24  is positioned on body  14  and is a multi-function switch. Switch  24  allows the first and second LED lights to be switched on and off and also switched between being constantly illuminated and intermittently illuminated or flashing on and off.  
         [0020]     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the embodiment of  FIG. 1  is shown in exploded view. In  FIG. 2  base  12  used to support the warning device is not shown. At a first end  16 , battery cap  28  has seated therein battery contact  30  for electrical contact with batteries  32  which are insertable into battery holder  34 . Battery cap  28  connects to battery holder  34  with rubber ring  36  therebetween to exclude moisture from the interior of battery holder  34 . Battery contact  30  extends through cap  28  to make electrical contact with recharger contact plate  38 . Contact plate  38  is positioned on the opposite side of battery cap  28  and provides recharge contact when the warning device  10  is inserted into a recharger holder ( FIG. 6 ) to maintain batteries  32  in an energized state. Thus, contacts  30 ,  38  connect a power source to the batteries  32  inserted into battery holder  34  of device  10 . The warning device  10  may be turned on and off using switch  24  which is connected to power switch printed circuit board  40 . Main printed circuit board  42  is adjacent LED printed circuit boards  44  which have forty  5  millimeter LEDs  20 ,  22  connected to LED circuit boards  44 . The entirety of the previously described unit is insertable within main columnar body  14  to complete the construction of the warning device  10 .  
         [0021]     Again referring to  FIG. 1 , various components of the warning device are shown such as a rain, snow, sun and salt and water resistant base  12  for supporting the warning device  10 . Base  12  is provided with a plurality of radially extending legs  13  that are connected to receiver  15  into which lower end  16  of body  14  can be secures by frictional fit. Flattened surfaces  49  of body  14  prevents rolling if the flare and base unit is inadvertently tipped over. The warning device  10  is insertable and removable from base  12 . Columnar body  14  further is comprised of reflective exterior body bands  48  which also serve as a handle grip. Bands  48  typically are colored a bright, florescent, warning color such as orange to better attract attention. The light source is provided by a plurality of circumferential bands of high-intensity LEDs which are distributed about the circumference or second end of the generally cylindrically or columnar body  14  of the warning device  10 . A plurality of such bands of LEDs are spaced longitudinally apart along a segment of the columnar body  14 . The top end  18  of the cylinder  14  that is opposite from first end  16  that is inserted into the base  12  is provided with vertically pointed LEDs for directing helicopter landings. In  FIG. 1 , warning device  10  is shown inserted into base  12 . As may be appreciated in  FIG. 6 , the warning device  10  is removable from base  12  and may be held in the hand for mobile duty and used in directing traffic or shining illumination onto an area. Warning device  10  generally is formed of a plastic body, such as a clear, plastic polycarbonate which is injection molded. The body is then over-molded with a brightly colored bands  48  which are, in a preferred embodiment, a florescent orange, to assist in calling attention to the device. The over-molded surface or bands  48  are textured to assist in gripping the device  10 . In an alternate embodiment, the over-molded florescent, brightly colored plastic may be spaced farther apart, and a differently colored reflective tape would be inserted between the brightly colored florescent portions to better attract attention to the device.  
         [0022]     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , two warning devices  10  and four bases  12  are shown in exploded view proximate to a holder  60  to allow for convenient transportation and storage of multiple devices  10  in the trunk of a vehicle or other location. In  FIG. 6 , holder  60  is a recharging base unit which also may serve as a carrying unit. It will be appreciated that holder  60  operates as a trickle charger-type unit to assist in keeping batteries  32  ( FIG. 2 ) of warning devices  10  at peak charge while minimizing recharging damage to the rechargeable batteries. It will be appreciated that holder or recharging unit  60  is provided with contacts  62  (not shown) for engagement with contacts  38  on end  16  of warning devices  10  to allow recharging of the rechargeable batteries  32  within the warning devices  10 . It will be appreciated that holder  60  is provided with a power cord for connection of holder  60  to the electrical system of a vehicle or the electrical system of a building so a power source can be supplied to holder  60 .  
         [0023]     Still referring to  FIG. 6 , one warning devices  10  is shown seated within holder  60  for recharging and four individual, removable bases  12  are shown stacked together for insertion into holder  60 . It will be appreciated that when needed for use each of bases  12  stacked in holder  60  can be removed for use with one of warning devices  10 .  
         [0024]     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , a cross section view of warning device  10  taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3  is shown. The connection between batteries  32  and connectors  30 ,  38  are shown extending through cap  28  permitting electrical contact between an external power source and batteries  32 . LED circuit board  44  is shown connecting to LEDs  20  which are arranged in circumferential array around second end  18  of columnar body  14  of warning device  10 . Second LED lights  22  which are directed vertically or directed along the longitudinal axis of columnar body  14  are shown positioned above first LED lights  20 .  
         [0025]     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , a cross section view of warning device  10  taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 3  is shown. Power switch printed circuit board  40  is shown connected to switch  24  and provides selection of the various illumination alternatives offered by warning device  10 . These illumination alternatives include all LEDs on, all LEDs off, circumferential LED bands  20  on or flashing, and vertically or longitudinally oriented LEDs  22  on or flashing.  
         [0026]     Referring now to  FIG. 7 , an alternative embodiment of a support base  70  for warning device  10  is shown. Base  70  is a collapsible base which allows for more convenient storage of the base. In  FIG. 7 , base  70  is in its first or collapsed position in which leg  74 ,  76  extend from receiver  72  in diametrically opposed fashion. It will be appreciated that leg  74 ,  76  are of a split construction with one half of each leg  74 ,  76  rotatably mounted on receiver  72 . As shown in  FIG. 8 , leg halves  74   b ,  76   a  may be rotated in the direction indicated by Arrow “A” about receiver  72  to provide four spaced apart legs extending from receiver  72 .  
         [0027]     Referring now to  FIGS. 9 and 10 , an alternate embodiment of warning device  10  is shown. The warning device  80  of  FIGS. 9 and 10  is similarly constructed to the embodiment described in  FIGS. 1-5 . The embodiment of  FIGS. 9 and 10  is configured to function as both a free standing warning device and as a hand held flashlight-type device. Warning device  80  is provided with extendable and collapsible legs  82   a ,  82   b ,  82   c . As shown in  FIG. 9 , extendable legs  82   a ,  82   b ,  82   c  can be pulled outwardly from body  84  of device  80  to provide a tripod stand for holding device  80  in an upright position. Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 10 , legs  82   a ,  82   b ,  82   c  can be collapsed against body  84  to allow device  80  to be held in the manner of a flashlight and used for a warning device or used in the manner of a flashlight.  
         [0028]     In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding; but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. Moreover, the description and illustration of the inventions is by way of example, and the scope of the inventions is not limited to the exact details shown or described.  
         [0029]     Certain changes may be made in embodying the above invention, and in the construction thereof, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not meant in a limiting sense.  
         [0030]     Having now described the features, discoveries and principles of the invention, the manner in which the inventive warning device and housing and base embodiments are constructed and used, the characteristics of the construction, and advantageous, new and useful results obtained; the new and useful structures, devices, elements, arrangements, parts and combinations, are set forth in the appended claims.  
         [0031]     It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.