METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING REACTION LENGTH FOR MOTOR VEHICLE DRIVERS

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring the reaction length for drivers of motor vehicles has a firing device (1) which is electrically connected to the cable of the vehicle that upon the activation of the brake lights the brake light. The firing device (1) includes at least one paint cartridge which upon the activation of the brake is fired and causes a marking of the road way. The firing device (1) preferably includes two paint cartridges and in the circuit connected to said cable of the vehicle is arranged an operating unit (17). By means of a trigger button (18) on the operating unit (17) one of the cartridges is fired at a certain moment when hinder or danger is pre-supposed to suddenly appear and thereafter the firing of the other cartridge takes place when the brake light is lit by the activation of the brake.

Description: METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING REACTION LENGTH FOR MOTOR VEHICLE DRIVERS The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for measuring the reaction length for drivers of motor vehicles, such as private cars, motor lorries, buses, motor bicycles, an particularly during basic education and further education of drivers in order to measure the reaction of the individual dri ver and used reaction length at different speeds and state of the roads. With a reaction length is herewith meant the distanc between the point on the road-way, at which the brake of the vehicle is activated, and the point for not-moving vehicle, and /or the distance from an information to the driver about a suddenly appearing hinder til the activation of the brake. By the present invention a method and an apparatus is provided which in a reliable ' -manner and with simple means yields a satis factory measuring of only the braking distance, i.e. from the activation of the brake til a stand-still of the vehicle, as well as only measuring of the distance from observing a hinder til the activation of the brake. Moreover, by the present inven tion.Usprovided a method and an apparatus which simply and re- liably without the need of stepping out of the vehicle gives a control of the reaction of a driver. The characteristics of the invention to achieve the above men¬ tioned advantages are stated: in the following claims. The invention is described more in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings illustratinganembodiment of the inventio wherein: Fig. 1 illustrates schematically a firing device comprising a part of an apparatus according to the invention and fast ed to a side door of a car. Fig. 2 illustrates the firing device more in detail. Fig. 3 is a section along the line III-II in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 illustrates schematically the firing device connected t an operating unit. Fig. 5 illustrates in a perspective view a directional device comprising a part of the apparatus according to the in¬ vention. Fig. 6 illustrates schematically the use of the directional de vice. The illustrated embodiment of an apparatus according to the in vention has a firing device 1 which, as shown in Fig. 1, is by means of straps 2 suspended from a side window 3 of a car and fastened below the bottom edge of the door by means of a hook 4 (see Fig. 3) . The firing device 1, which is more in detail shown in Figs 2 a 3, is provided with two cartridge positions 5 for cartridges (not shown) containing paint. The paint is ejected and marks the road upon the release of the cartridges. A firing pin 6 belongs to each cartridge andthe firing pin is at the bottom en as shown via a pivot 7 pivotally connected to a firing pin spr 8. The top end of the firing pin is in the position shown with continuous lines blocked held in a recess 9 in an arm 1-0 which is pivotable about a center pivot 11. The arm 10 is at the ends connected to draw magnets 12. By activating either of the magn the end of the arm 10 connected to this magnet is pulled upwar ly and the firing pin is released and hits with force obtained from the firing pin spring 8 against the cartridge in the car ridge position 5, which position is shown with broken lines fo the right firing pin in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 furthermore shows the pivot fastening 13 of the upper ends of the firing pin springs and loops 1 for fastening the straps 2. The magnets 12 of the firing device 1 is, as schematically sho in Fig. 4, wires 15 in a cable 16 connected to an operating unit 17 having trigger button 18 and two lightening diodes 19, preferably in different colours. A cable 20 is drawn from the operating unit 17 and the cable is provided with a plug 21 in the end for e.g. connection to the cigarette lighter output of the car. Moreover, there is a cable 22 with a plug 23 for con¬ nection to brake contact. The operating unit is not shown in detail but is in a conventi nal manner built up by means, for instance resistances, circui breakers, connection blocks, in order to obtain the intended operations, i.e. means for first firing one cartridge at a cer tain moment and then firing the other cartridge when the brake is activated so that the brake light is lit, and the operating unit also includes means for preventing that the last-mentione cartridge is fired before the first-mentioned. A driver test for measuring the reaction length is carried out in the following way. The firing device is loaded with cart- ridges and is mounted at the side door of the driver. The teach sitting beside the driver handles the operating unit and inform about the speed for the test. The teacher further informs the driver, that upon firing of the first cartridge (shot No. 1) it is assumed that a hinder (children, animals, etc) appears, and rapid braking shall take place, that the other cartridge will be fired upon the activation of the brake and that hard braking shall continue until the car stops. After that the test has been carried out, the reaction length is measured, which reaction length comprises the distance between the marks for the shots on the road, which distance illustrates the reaction of the driver before the brake has been activated, and the dis¬ tance between the mark from shot No. 2 and the stopped car, which distance illustrates the braking length after the activa¬ tion of the brake. By using a firing device and an operating unit described above and shown in Figs 1-4 an exact minimum length effected by a driver at a certain speed and a certain " road base is obtained. A driver should during the training be reminded about this length and the length should be controlled for obtaining a pic¬ ture of how far ahead the driver shall look in order to discove dangers and risks, how close to hidden risks the driver can be at a certain speed and on a certain road base and when a speed reduction should be initiated at the latest. In order to simply and rapidly be able to measure and control this length a direc¬ tional device is incorporated in an apparatus according to the invention. This directional device is exemplified shown in Figs 5 and 6. In this embodiment the directional device 24 con¬ sists of a T-formed support. The vertical stem of the T is pro¬ vided with a graduation 25 and along this stem a holder 26 is movable. A directional point 27 is arranged on the upper surfac of the holder and is for instance made in reflecting colour while the remaining directional device for instance is black anodisized. When using the directional device it is placed on the dash-board 28 of the car (see Fig. 6) . The directional poin is then reflected in the windshield, while the remaining direc- tional device being black anodisized is not reflected. In order to obtain a clear reflecting also during driving in twilight or darkness the directional point 27 can consist of a lamp and to the holder 26 can be connected a cable 31 for connection to the ordinary lighting in the car or to the cigarette lighter output with a plug 32 as shown. For controlling the light intensity a rheostat can be arranged, for instance as shown at 33 on the plug 32. After a finished test for measuring the reaction length the directional point 27 can be set such that the reflection point 36 thereof lies on the sight line 34 from the eye to the point 35 on the road marking the end point of the reaction length for the driver from shot No. 1 or shot No. 2. The invention is not limited to the embodiment described above and shown on the drawing but can be varied in several ways within the scope of the inventive idea, viz. that fire means fo marking the road way is fired in the same instant as the brake light is lit upon the activation of the brake of the vehicle.

Claims: C A I M S 1. A method for measuring the reaction length for drivers of motor vehicles, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that when the brake of the vehicle is activated means for marking the road way is fired in the same instant as the brake light is li 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein two spaced apart markings on the road way take place, c h a r a c t e r i z e i n that means for marking the road way is fired at the same instant as the driver is informed about a * suddenly appear hinder, whereupon upon activation, of the brake said firing for marking the road way takes place in the same instant as the brake light is lit. 3. - A method according to claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z i n that the reaction length is " controlled by positioning a directional point (27) reflected on the -windshield (29) of the vehicle.on a sight line (34) from eye (30) to point.(35) on th road way marking the end point of the reaction length. 4. An apparatus for measuring the reaction length for drivers of motor vehicles, including a firing device (1) mounted on th vehicle close to the road way and provided with at least one cartridge containing means for marking the road way upon firin of the cartridge, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the trigger mechanism (6) of the cartridge is via a wire (15,16,20, 22) connected to the brake light cable of the vehicle. 5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the firing dev (1) is provided with two cartridges for marking the road way a spaced apart positions, c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y an operating unit (17) connected to said wire (15,16,20,22), wherein upon activation of the operating unit one cartridge is fired before the firing of the other cartridge connected to th brake light cable. 6. An apparatus according to claim 5, c h a r a c t e r i z i n that the operating unit (17) includes means for securing the firing of the cartridges in said order. 7. An apparatus according to any of the claims 4-6, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d i n that the firing mechanism of the cartridge consists of a firing pin (6) which upon the 'firing o the cartridge is released from a blocked position. 8. An apparatus according to claim 7, c h a r a c t e r i z i n that the firing pin (6) is released from the blocked pos tion by means of a magnet (12). 9. An apparatus according, to any of the claims 5-8, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d i n that the operating unit (17) is connected to a cigarette lighter output. 10. An apparatus according to any of the claims 4-9, c h a ¬ r a c t e r i z e d b y a directional device (24) for mea¬ suring the reaction length and positioned on the dash-board (28) of the vehicle, said directional device being provided wit a graduated scale (25) extending substantially perpendicularly to the windshield (29) of the vehicle and with a directional point (27) arranged to be reflected in the windshield (29) and movable along the scale.

Inventors: LINDQVIST PEDER, LINDQVIST, PEDER
Applicants: VIKA UTBILDNINGSMATERIEL KB
Application year: 1984
Main classification: A61B5
IPC codes: A61B5, G09B19