Abstract:
A device is provided for a motor vehicle of the type having a manual transmission including a clutch coupled to a clutch pedal. An actuator engaged to the clutch controls the actuation of one or more external indicator lights in response to the depression of the clutch pedal. Optionally, the system further includes a dashboard indicator light that is illuminated by the actuator upon depression of the clutch pedal.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION DATA 
     The present application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/186,628 entitled “Clutch Light” filed Mar. 3, 2000 by Applicant herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to motor vehicle indicator lights. Specifically, the present invention is an indicator light system actuated when the clutch pedal of a motor vehicle is depressed. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is appreciated in the art that one of the best ways to reduce the incidence of motor vehicle collisions is to provide warnings to other drivers through the use of indicator lights. To this end, all motor vehicles include brake indicator lights, turn signal indicator lights, reverse indicator lights, and the like, to warn other drivers of changes in the speed and/or direction of a motor vehicle. 
     For example, changes in speed of a motor vehicle, specifically deceleration of a motor vehicle, are intended to be indicated by brake indicator lights. However, brake indicator lights actually only signal depression of the brake pedal. While stopped, a driver may release pressure on the brake pedal thereby extinguishing the brake indicator lights but allowing the motor vehicle to remain stopped. Likewise, a driver may decelerate a motor vehicle by shifting the motor vehicle&#39;s transmission to a lower gear rather than depressing the brake pedal. Unless the driver additionally depresses the brake pedal, the brake indicator lights do not warn other drivers of this “downshifting” type of deceleration. 
     Warning systems have been proposed to more accurately alert other drivers to the speed and direction of motor vehicles. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,782 to Bernal discloses a system in which the speed of a motor vehicle is sensed and the motor vehicle&#39;s brake indicator lights are illuminated when the speed of the motor vehicle drops below a predetermined level. 
     While such a system addresses the problem of alerting other drivers to a driver releasing a brake pedal while traveling at a slow speeds, i.e. coasting, or while stopped, this system has at least one drawback. The drawback to this system is that, as described above, alerting drivers to the speed of a vehicle does not address the problem of alerting other drivers to changes in speed of a motor vehicle. That is, the safety problem has less to do with the absolute speed of a motor vehicle than with changes in speed, specifically deceleration, of a motor vehicle. The system of Bernal does not alert other drivers to such deceleration until the absolute speed of the motor vehicle drops below the predetermined level. As with conventional brake indicator lights, in many instances, this warning may come too late. 
     Therefore, it can be seen that there is a need in the art for a warning system for a motor vehicle that alerts other drivers to the deceleration of a motor vehicle caused by actions other than depressing the brake pedal. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a motor vehicle indicator light. The present device is adapted for use with a motor vehicle of the type having a manual transmission and an electrical system. As is known in the art, the manual transmission includes a clutch engaging and disengaging the gears of the manual transmission when a clutch pedal coupled to the clutch is released and depressed respectively. 
     According to the present invention, exterior indicator lights proximate the rear of the motor vehicle communicate electrically with the electrical system of the motor vehicle. Optionally, the present invention may additionally include a dashboard indicator light in electrical communication with the motor vehicle electrical system. The present invention includes an actuator engaged to said clutch that communicates with the exterior indicator lights. When the clutch pedal is depressed, the actuator actuates the exterior indicator lights. In the optional embodiment in which a dashboard indicator light is provided, the actuator additionally actuates the dashboard indicator light when the clutch pedal is depressed. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a side view of a motor vehicle with an actuator and indicator light according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged section view of a clutch pedal with an actuator according to the embodiment of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an actuator and indicator light according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an actuator and indicator light according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     Reference is now made to the figures wherein like parts are referred to by like numerals throughout. Referring to FIGS. 1-4, the present invention is adapted for use on a motor vehicle  10  having an electrical system  20  with a power source  22  electrically communicating with exterior indicator lights  30  proximate the rear  12  of the motor vehicle  10 . As is well known in the art, the power source  22  may take the form of a battery, alternator, generator, or the like. The power source  22  communicates with the exterior indicator lights  30  through conventional electrical wires. The exterior indicator lights  30  additionally communicate with an actuator  40  described in greater detail below. 
     The exterior indicator lights  30  may be those already incorporated into the motor vehicle  10 , such as the brake indicator lights  34 , may be additional lights, or may be a combination of both. Moreover, it is contemplated that the present invention could be embodied in a retrofit kit for existing motor vehicles  10  in which the existing exterior indicator lights  30  are utilized and, alternatively, included in the original equipment of a manufactured motor vehicle  10  in which the invention utilizes the existing exterior indicator lights  30  or altogether new exterior indicator lights  30  installed expressly for the present invention. 
     With particular reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, in an optional embodiment, a dashboard indicator light  32  in communication with said motor vehicle electrical system  20  may be provided. The optional dashboard indicator light  32  may be a light emitting diode (“LED”), conventional luminescent lamp, or the like. The dashboard indicator light  32  electrically communicates with the power source  22  of the electrical system  20  and to the actuator  40  described in more detail below. 
     The present invention is specially adapted for use with motor vehicles  10  having manual transmissions. Briefly stated, manual transmissions include a clutch pedal  14  controlling the transmission clutch that engages and disengages the gears of the transmission to change the gear ratio between the engine and the drive shaft. In conventional use, shifting gears is accomplished by depressing the clutch pedal  14  to disengage the gears, selecting the new gear using the gear selector, and releasing the clutch pedal  14  to engage the new gear. As alluded to above, downshifting is a technique in which the compression and inertia of the engine in lower gears is used to decelerate a motor vehicle. 
     According to the present invention, an actuator  40  engaged to the clutch is provided. The actuator  40  may be engaged to the clutch itself, the clutch pedal  14 , or the linkages or cables connecting the clutch pedal  14  to the clutch so long as the actuator  40  can sense when the clutch pedal  14  has been depressed. 
     The actuator  40  itself may take a variety of forms including that of an analog switch, rheostat, digital switch, pressure switch, or the like. In the example shown in the figures, the actuator  40  is an analog switch engaged to the clutch pedal  14 . The actuator  40  may additionally include an in-line fuse  42  to interrupt power in a controlled fashion. 
     The actuator  40  is in electrical communication with the exterior indicator lights  30 . In an optional embodiment including a dashboard indicator light  32 , the actuator  40  also communicates electrically with the dashboard indicator light  32 . In an optional embodiment, the actuator  40  controls the flow of electricity from the electrical system  20 , and more specifically the power source  22 , to at least one of the exterior indicator lights  30  and the optional dashboard indicator light  32 . 
     With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, in use, the motor vehicle  10  is driven in a conventional fashion. When the clutch pedal  14  is depressed, the actuator  40  directs actuation, i.e. illumination, of the exterior indicator lights  30  and optional dashboard indicator light  32  with which it communicates. In this fashion, when a driver depresses the clutch pedal  14  to downshift, other drivers are alerted to the impending deceleration by the illumination of the exterior indicator lights  30 . Similarly, the illumination of the optional dashboard indicator light  32  alerts the driver to the depression of the clutch pedal  14  and may serve as a reminder for the driver to release the clutch pedal  14  to prevent damage to the clutch. When the clutch pedal  14  is subsequently released, the actuator  40  directs deactivation of the exterior indicator lights  30  and optional dashboard indicator light  32  with which it communicates. 
     It is important to note that actuation of the exterior indicator lights  30  in response to other input, such as actuation of the brake pedal  16 , is not affected by the addition of the actuator  40  of the present invention. That is, in the optional embodiment shown in FIG. 4 in which the actuator  40  communicates with the brake indicator lights  34 , actuation of the brake indicator lights  34  is controlled by an “OR” gate  24  in which either or both inputs (brake pedal  16  and/or clutch pedal  14 ) will cause actuation of the brake indicator lights  34 . 
     While certain embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described it is to be understood that the present invention is subject to many modifications and changes without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims presented herein.