Vehicle turn signal and/or hazard light display

A vehicle turn signal and/or hazard light display is created by utilizing a pair of lamps mounted upon in or on the dash top cowl of a vehicle. The bulbs of each lamp include a filament having a V-shaped portion which, upon electrical energization of the filament, becomes incandescent and a like V-shaped light display is projected from the lamps toward and impinges upon the vehicle windshield and is thereat visible to the driver. The V-shaped portions of the lamp filaments are oriented to point "left" and "right," and thus when appropriately connected to the turn signal circuit, will display "left" and "right" signals upon the windshield, or both "left" and "right" signals simultaneously which is the universal "hazard" signal. Since vehicle windshields are multi-ply, the leftward and rightward pointing "V-shaped" displays are visible in pairs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is directed to a vehicle turn signal and/or hazard 
light display which appears on the windshield of a motor vehicle to 
provide the driver thereof with a readily observable display, both day and 
night, under typical driving conditions, as broadly disclosed in 
Disclosure Document No. 350,602 of Mar. 21, 1994. Whether being utilized 
as a turn signal indicator or as a hazard indicator, since the display 
appears on the windshield of the automobile, and since the location is 
generally in the viewing area of the driver, the driver will at all times 
be aware of either the hazard lights or the turn signals being on, as 
operation dictates. This avoids problems attendant to drivers being 
oblivious to a turn signal which may, obviously, be displayed to a 
following vehicle. This can be extremely hazardous because, for example, 
the driver of a following vehicle seeing a "left" turn signal being 
displayed may, for example, try to pass the vehicle on the right assuming, 
of course, both vehicles are in the center lane of a divided six lane 
highway. If the driver of the front vehicle is unaware of the left 
"blinker" being on, he might simply decide to abruptly change lanes, turn 
to the right and accidentally collide with the vehicle attempting to pass. 
Thus, a driver oblivious to a turn signal being "on" is a hazard on the 
road, and this is reflected by the 1991 Virginia Traffic Crash Facts 
survey of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles which reported that in 
1991 there were 938 persons killed, 70,899 injured and 122,516 crashes, 
most of which were driver created. Such collisions include improper 
passing (1,876 incidents), failure to yield (23,799 incidents), 
inattention (26,018 incidents), improper turns (4,008 incidents), improper 
lane change (1,994 incidents), lights not on (167 incidents), avoiding 
other vehicle (4,028 incidents), etc. Though none of these driver-created 
collisions are reported in the survey as being directly related to the 
presence or absence of vehicle turn signal displays or hazard light 
displays, obviously, many accidents are associated therewith. Therefore, 
the present invention seeks to eliminate accidents involved with the 
inadvertent display of turn signal lights or hazard display lights by the 
driver of a vehicle who through inattention or otherwise is simply unaware 
of such facts and directly or indirectly causes a vehicle collision 
because of the same. 
Typical prior art associated with display devices of the type to which this 
invention is directed is reflected in U.S. Pat. No. 2,579,806 in the name 
of Harry Dvorkin granted on Dec. 25, 1951 and entitled Projecting Speed 
Indicator. Essentially, a take-off shaft from the speedometer shaft 
rotates a transparent member upon which are symbols identical to the 
symbols on the speedometer. An electric light bulb projects the symbols 
upon the windshield of the automobile at which the speed can be viewed by 
the driver who can act accordingly. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,641,159 granted on Jun. 9, 1953 to Agis Mihalakis, a 
lens system projects a desired image upon a reflecting screen applied to a 
windshield surface, such as the speed of the vehicle. Obviously, the 
driver of the vehicle can view the speed, for example, of the vehicle 
projected upon the reflecting screen of the windshield and act 
accordingly. 
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,887,273 granted on Jun. 3, 1975 to David Griffiths, a 
system is provided for projecting a speedometer or other instrument 
reading as a virtual image upon the windshield of an automobile. The 
dashboard of the automobile houses a housing in which is supported a 
reticle consisting of a dial or scale from the speedometer or other 
instrument gauge. By illuminating the reticle and utilizing an associated 
optical projection system, the windshield functions as not only the window 
for the driving environment, but also a projecting screen surface. 
Basically, lenses of the system prevent aberration so that whatever might 
be projected can be read upon the windshield by the driver. 
U.S. Pat. No. 3,899,241 granted on Aug. 12, 1975 to Rudolph L. Malobicky, 
Jr. et al. is directed to a windshield provided with a transparent 
reflective coating on its inboard surface which forms a visual image 
receiving area onto which can be projected appropriate information from an 
associated projector. The specifics of the projector are not disclosed in 
this patent. 
U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,780 granted on Apr. 26, 1988 to Steven E. Brown et al. 
is another example of a so-called head-up display for displaying 
instrumentation information upon the windshield of a vehicle, such as an 
automobile, boat or other craft. One suggested format for such a head-up 
display in this patent is the use of a CRT as the image source, though 
this is considered impractical and led the inventors to the use of a high 
output light-emitting diode or array. The latter projects to the 
windshield dashboard instrument information which is instantaneously and 
readily available to the driver of the automobile. 
In Invention Registration No. H1109 published on Oct. 6, 1992 in the name 
of John K. Roberts et al. information, including turn signal information, 
is projected as a "heads-up" display upon the windshield of a vehicle at 
which it is readily observable by the operator/driver. An indicator needle 
is rotatably mounted with respect to an analog display and the latter is 
lit in such a fashion that the information is directed upon a sheet 
applied to the windshield upon which it is viewable by the 
driver/operator. 
The foregoing patents are reflective of the status of related art and 
particularly the complexity and expense of the various devices, not to 
mention the difficulty of the installation thereof. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In keeping with the foregoing, a primary object of the present invention is 
to provide a novel vehicle light display for displaying a light display 
upon the windshield of a vehicle to indicate that one or the other of the 
turn signal lights or the hazard light is "on." In this way a driver 
concentrating upon road conditions by viewing through the vehicle 
windshield cannot but help "see" an indication of an intent to make a turn 
when such is not desired or a hazard light display when such is also 
undesired. In this fashion, a driver will not maintain an undesired or 
inappropriate turn signal and/or hazard light signal lit to the annoyance 
and/or safety of following or on-coming vehicles, thereby precluding 
subsequent collisions. 
The present invention provides a novel vehicle light display through the 
utilization of a pair of lamps mounted relative to an associated dashboard 
of a vehicle and so oriented as to direct light from each of the pair of 
lamps upon a windshield of a vehicle. The bulbs of each lamp includes a 
filament, and each filament preferably includes a V-shaped portion which, 
upon electrical energization of the filament, causes incandescence and a 
like V-shaped light display which projects toward and impinges upon the 
vehicle windshield and is thereat visible to the driver. Preferably, the 
lamps are oriented with the V-shaped filament portions and, thus, the 
light displays thereof substantially oppositely horizontally directed. 
Thus, as viewed by the driver, one of the V-shaped displays associated 
with the left-turn signal points to the left and one of the V-shaped light 
displays associated with the right turn signal points to the right. Since 
the invention is associated with shatter-proof or laminated vehicle front 
windshields, the light displays upon the windshields are actually depicted 
in pairs of V-shaped light displays associated with each V-shaped filament 
portion by virtue of the fact that the projected light impinges upon and 
is reflected by one ply of the windshield, passes refractingly through an 
intermediate ply of the windshield, and is then reflected from the second 
ply of the windshield, thereby resulting in a pair of V-shaped light 
displays associated with each light or lamp filament. Hence, the driver or 
operator of the vehicle will see a pair of horizontally oriented V-shaped 
light displays pointing to the left and/or a pair of horizontally oriented 
V-shaped light displays pointing to the right. Obviously, in the case of 
the left turn signal light being "on," the pair of left pointing V-shaped 
light displays will blink and in the case of the right turn signal being 
"on" the pair of right V-shaped light displays will blink, each on the 
windshield at which they are observable by the driver. When the hazard 
light switch is "on," both the left pointing and right pointing 
horizontally oriented pairs of light displays will simultaneously blink 
upon the windshield in clear view to the driver thereof. Therefore, in 
each of these cases, the driver/operator of the vehicle will be "reminded" 
of the status of his or her turn signals or hazard signals and can act 
appropriately to reduce/eliminate vehicle collisions. 
With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the 
nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to 
the following detailed description, the appended claims and the several 
views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
A novel vehicle turn signal and/or hazard light display or display 
mechanism of the present invention is generally designated by the 
reference numeral 10 (FIGS. 1 and 3), and includes a pair of identical 
lamp or lamp bulb holders 11, 12 (FIG. 3). Since the lamp bulb holders 11, 
12 are identical, the following description of the lamp bulb holder 12 is 
equally applicable to the lamp bulb holder 11. 
The lamp bulb holder 12 (FIG. 2) includes a cylindrical housing 13 having a 
radially outwardly directed peripheral wall 14 and a circular bottom wall 
15 provided with a circular opening 16. A conventional lamp or light 
socket 17 is housed within the housing 13 and includes a pair of wires 18, 
19 which are sufficiently long to be connected to the wires (not shown) of 
the hazard lamps (not shown) and the turn signal lamps (also not shown) of 
an associated vehicle V which are conventionally controlled by a 
conventional turn signal switch S and a hazard signal switch H (FIG. 3) of 
the vehicle V. A lamp or light 20 is best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 in its 
normal position within the socket 17 such that a cylindrical conductive 
body 21 and an axial conductor 22 are in electrical conductivity with the 
wires 18, 19 and, of course, are also in electrical conductivity with a 
filament 23 of the lamp 20 having a generally V-shaped filament portion 25 
with both the filament 23 and the V-shaped filament portion 25 being 
housed within a glass bulb 24 of the lamp 20. A sleeve 26 of opaque 
(black) plastic material partially surrounds the lamp to reduce peripheral 
glare and direct light from the lamp 20 generally along the line L which 
projects toward and impinges upon a shatterproof laminated windshield W of 
the vehicle V. The lamp 20 is preferably a G.E. T1445 or T1446, 12-14 
volts, 4-4.5 watts or equivalent manufactured by other vendors in which 
the V-shaped filament portion 25 is essentially disposed in a plane normal 
to the axis (unnumbered) of the metal body 21 or is essentially normal to 
the line L. Thus, when electric current is conducted through the 
conductors or wires 18, 19, and the filament 23 becomes incandescent, the 
V-shaped filament portion 25 becomes incandescent creating an incandescent 
V-shaped light display which projects along the line L and impinges upon a 
laminate L1 of the windshield W which also includes a central laminate L2 
and an outer laminate L3 typical of so-called shatterproof windshields. 
The light projected along the line L projects the incandescent V-shaped 
light upon the laminate L1 as a V-shaped light display D1, and as a part 
of the light refracts through the laminate L2, another V-shaped light 
display D2 is formed on the windshield L3. Thus, the two V-shaped light 
displays D1, D2 and D3, D4 (FIG. 3) are identical in shape and 
configuration to the V-shaped filament end portions 25 and are offset from 
each other, as is best indicated in FIG. 3. Since the V-shaped filament 
portion 25 lies in a plane essentially normal or transverse to the axis of 
the cylinder 21 which is essentially depicted by the line L, the V-shaped 
light displays D1, D2 lie generally in a horizontal plane and, of course, 
point to the right, also as viewed in FIG. 3, because the V-shaped 
filament portion 25 of the lamp 20 also points to the right, as is best 
shown in FIG. 3. In the case of the lamp bulb holder 11, the corresponding 
lamp 20' (FIG. 3) thereof includes a V-shaped filament portion 25' which 
points to the left and is normal or transverse to the line L' 
corresponding to the line L of the lamp 20. Thus, the V-shaped light 
displays D3, D4 are also formed on the respective laminated L1, L3 of the 
windshield W, and though the same are generally horizontally disposed, 
they point to the left, as viewed in FIG. 3. Obviously, the lamp 20' is in 
the circuit of the left-hand turn signal switch S, whereas the lamp 20 is 
in the circuit of the right-hand turn signal switch S and both lamps 20, 
20' are in the circuit of the hazard signal switch H. 
The V-shaped light displays D1, D2 are spaced from the V-shaped light 
displays D3, D4 by approximately seven (7) inches. The position of the 
light displays D1-D4 upon the windshield W is readily and easily 
determined by viewing along the low beam sight line which for most 
automobiles is approximately 32'-36' distance from the vehicle headlights. 
For example, in FIG. 1 the occupant O is viewing along the sight line S', 
and this sight line S' is the sight line of the low beams of the vehicle. 
Thus, the position of the light displays D-D4 can be readily established 
for virtually any vehicle by locating the lamp bulb holders 11, 12 in or 
upon the dash cowl at a position at which the light displays D1-D4 will 
impinge upon the windshield W at the low beam line of sight S'. 
In operation, if the right-hand turn signal switch is "on," the lamp 20 is 
energized, the filament 23 becomes incandescent, as does the V-shaped end 
portion 25 projecting the V-shaped light display D1 along the line L upon 
the laminate L1 and the V-shaped light display D2 upon the laminate L3 of 
the windshield W. Obviously, when the turn signal switch for the lamp 20' 
is "on," a like incandescence of the filament 23' and the associated 
V-shaped filament portion 25' projects such image along the line L' which 
impinges upon and creates the V-shaped light images or displays D3 and D4 
upon the respective laminates L1 and L3 of the windshield W. Obviously, 
all four V-shaped light display images D1-D4 are projected upon and are 
visible upon the windshield W when the hazard switch is moved to its "on" 
position. Thus, a driver or operator O (FIG. 1 ) driving the vehicle V and 
looking through the windshield W along a line of sight S' will see one or 
both of the pairs of V-shaped light displays D1, D2 and D3, D4 depending 
upon whether the right-hand turn signal switch S, the left-hand turn 
signal switch S or the hazard switch H is in its "on" position. Normally 
whichever switch is "on," the displays D1, D2 and/or D3, D4 will "blink" 
and/or turn "on" and "off" intermittently in a conventional fashion. Thus, 
the operator O looking along the line of sight S' (FIG. 1) you will see 
such intermittent "on"--"off" displays of the pairs of V-shaped light 
displays and will be reminded that one or the other or both of the pairs 
of V-shaped light displays D1, D2 and D3, D4 is indicating that the 
corresponding lamps of the vehicle are also on and operating in a similar 
manner. Thus, the operator O can act appropriately to, for example, turn 
the vehicle in an appropriate direction if that was the operator's desire 
or, of course, turn off the displays by operating the conventional turn 
signal indicator switch S and/or hazard switch H of the vehicle V when the 
signal/displays are recognized as being on inadvertently. In this fashion, 
the driver is continuously reminded as he looks along the sight line S' of 
the operation of the vehicle's turn signal lamps and/or hazard lamps. 
It is to be particularly noted that the direction of the pairs of V-shaped 
light displays D1, D2 and D3, D4 in FIG. 3 are opposite each other and, of 
course, "point" respectively to the right and to the left, and this is 
achieved solely because the respective V-shaped filament portions 25, 25' 
point respectively right and left. Accordingly, absolutely nothing is 
required in the way of special optics or any other ancillary elements to 
not only cause the displays D1, D2 and D3, D4 to appear on the windshield 
W, but to do so in the proper direction of display to indicate both right 
hand and left hand turn signal indications. It should be noted that in 
FIG. 2 the displays D1, D2 appear to be pointed downwardly, and this has 
been done merely as a matter of convenience of disclosure since it is 
impossible to illustrate these displays in FIG. 2 in a horizontal 
orientation, but the same appear as shown in FIG. 3, namely, pointing to 
the right, whereas the displays D3, D4 point to the left. Thus, by the 
simple utilization of lamps or bulbs 20, 20' having appropriately 
configured V-shaped filament end portions 25, 25' , the appropriate 
displays D1 through D4 are provided upon the windshield W through 
simplicity of structure, installation and operation. As evidence of the 
latter, each of the cylindrical housings 13 is simply inserted into an 
opening O of a dashboard Dv of the vehicle at a point at which the 
displays D1, D2 and D3, D4 will focus accurately and clearly upon the 
windshield W. The positions of the openings O are determined by the 
particular vehicle V and specifically the windshield W thereof which can 
vary in total thickness, thickness of the various laminates L1 through L3 
and/or a curvature. However, by utilizing a single standard lamp or bulb 
20 or 20', such as the G.E. T1445 or T1446 or an equivalent thereof, 
specifications can be provided which would allow even a novice to cut the 
requisite openings O in virtually any dashboard Dv of virtually any 
vehicle V to accurately locate the position of each cylindrical housing 13 
and thus achieve light projection along the projection lines L, L' to 
assure self-focused images D1, D2 and D3, D4, respectively, upon the 
windshield W. Obviously, the direction of the V-shaped light displays 
D1-D4 is also assured in a relatively simple and straightforward manner, 
namely, orienting/rotating the lamp bulb holders 11, 12 such that the 
sockets 17 assure that upon the metal cylindrical bodies 21 being inserted 
therein by screw or bayonet connection, the V-shaped filament end portions 
25, 25' will point appropriately to the left for the lamp bulb holder 11 
and to the right for the lamp bulb holder 12. 
While the vehicle light display or display mechanism 10 of FIGS. 1 through 
4 is particularly adapted for both factory installation and after market 
installation, one might find prohibitive or undesirable the formation of 
openings O in the dashboard Dv. Accordingly, reference to another vehicle 
light display or display mechanism 30 is shown in FIG. 5 mounted upon an 
upper surface Su of a vehicle dashboard D'v which includes a windshield W' 
corresponding to the multi-laminated windshield W of FIG. 2. 
The vehicle light display mechanism or device 30 includes a mounting base 
or support 31 which functions as means for mounting the vehicle light 
display 30 upon the upper support surface Su of the vehicle dashboard D'v. 
The mounting means 31 is preferably an elongated plate 32 which on its 
undersurface (unnumbered) carries a magnet, velcro and/or anti-friction 
means 33 which permits the support means 31 to rest upon the surface Su in 
a generally immobilized manner irrespective of the particular material 
from which the surface Su is constructed. 
A universal joint 35 of a conventional construction is associated with each 
of a pair of identically constructed lamp or lamp bulb holders 41, 42 of 
which the lamp bulb holder 42 is fully illustrated in FIG. 7 of the 
drawings. Since the lamp bulb holders 41, 42 are identical, the following 
description of the lamp bulb holder 42 will apply equally to the lamp bulb 
holder 41. The lamp bulb holder 42 includes a cylindrical housing 43 
having a bottom circular wall 44 and a radially inwardly directed flange 
45. A rotating holder 46 is formed by another cylindrical body 47 opened 
at its top and having a circular bottom wall 48 and an outwardly 
projecting peripheral flange 50. The flange 50 can be forced past the 
flange 45 with the flanges 45, 50 deflecting to allow such passage to 
permit the assembly of the rotatable housing 46 within the holder 43. 
External threads 51 of the housing 46 mesh with internal threads 52 of a 
clamping ring 53 such that upon tightening of the clamping ring 53, the 
flange 50 is essentially pulled upwardly, as viewed in FIG. 7, toward the 
clamping ring 53 to clamp against the flange 45 and prevent rotation of 
the rotating holder 46. Thus, prior to such clamping by the clamping ring 
53, the holder 46 is rotated to a position at which a V-shaped end portion 
25" of a lamp 20' is properly oriented to point to the right. Tightening 
the clamping ring 53 will lock the holder 46 and the holder 17' in this 
(or any) desired position of rotation. Thus, the housing 47 of the lamp 
holder 42 would be rotated to point to the right and then locked by the 
clamping ring 53, whereas the corresponding housing of the lamp holder 41 
would be turned to point the filament (not shown) to the left before the 
clamping ring of the holder 41 is tightened to its locked position. This 
would ensure that the displays (not shown) appearing upon the windshield 
W' would point opposite one another, just as the respective displays D1, 
D2 and D3, D4. In this case, the mounting means 31 allows the overall 
vehicle light display 30 to be positioned virtually anywhere upon a 
surface Su of the dashboard D'v of virtually any vehicle and moved toward 
or away from the windshield W' to achieve appropriate focusing in 
conjunction with pivoting about the universal joints 35 to achieve 
orientation of the V-shaped filament end portions 25" of the holders 41, 
42. 
Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been specifically 
illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that minor 
variations may be made in the apparatus without departing from the spirit 
and scope of the invention, as defined the appended claims.