COASTING AND BACKUP WARNING LIGHT FOR MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract: A high mounted light (30) is steadily activated when a coast switch contact (28) is closed indicating that a motor vehicle is in neutral or in a forward gear and coasting, and is flashed through a flasher unit (34) when a reverse gear indicating switch contact (35) is closed indicating that the vehicle is in reverse gear. The light (30) is yellow and is located adjacent a high mounted red brake light (56).

Description: COASTING AND BACKUP WARNING LIGHT FOR MOTOR VEHICLE SPECIFICATION This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application, Serial Number 773,986 filed September 9, 1985. Background of the Invention 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to motor vehicles and, more particularly, to warning lights employed in one motor vehicle to signal its status to drivers of other motor vehicles. 2. Description of the Prior Art Operation of a motor vehicle is a difficult and complex task and if improperly performed can have dangerous consequences. For this reason, there are numerous requirements for various warning and indicator lights to be placed on a motor vehicle to ease the task of another driver and greatly lessen the chances of an accident. These lights include the brake lights, the turn signals, and the backup lights. These lights provide advance warning which is discernable by the other driver to provide more rapid identification of the intended or actual action of the other motor vehicle. The current turn indication and warning lights have only limited functions and do not cover all desirable warning situations. It is desirable that a following driverr know when the leading vehicle is coasting, which can mean that it may be preparing to stop. Coasting signals using the backup lights have been suggested, but these solutions did not provide maximal warning times. A delay developed because the backup lights are not in an area of! a car scanned frequently by a driver. It is desirable that the indication light be in a position which is readily visible and in a line of sight frequently scanned.by a driver of a following motor vehicle. Summary of the Invention The warning light of the present invention employs a separate high or rear window mounted light to indicate the motor- vehicle is coasting. The light is energized when the accelerator is released, indicating that the throttle is in an idle position. This indication of coasting informs the following driver that the leading vehicle is decelerating and may be preparing to brake or turn. The high mounting location increases the visibility to a following driver by increasing the probability that the light is located within the current visual field of the driver. This location in the frequently scanned area decreases the time required for a following driver to notice the coasting indication. The coasting light can also serve the additional purpose of warning when the vehicle is in the reverse gear by flashing. This complements the function of the backup lights for lighting the ground and low areas adjacent the rear of the vehicle and provides a greater visual warning than that produced by the low lighting backup lights alone. This increased warning ability is due to the improved positioning of the warning light and the increased distinctiveness of a flashing light. Preferably, the coasting light is a yellow light and is located adjacent the red high mounted brake warning light. Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is an electrical schematic diagram of a circuit according to the present invention. Figure 2 is an illustration of an accelerator mounting a switch mechanism for use in the circuit of Fig. 1. Figure 3 is a perspective view of a motor vehicle employing the present invention. Figure 4 is a perspective view of a warning light assembly according to the present invention. Description of the Preferred Embodiment Referring now to Fig. 1, a battery 20 is the representation of the electrical power source of the motor vehicle. The positive terminal of the battery is connected to both the ignition switch 22 and to the brake light switch 24. This arrangement allows the brake lights 26 to be energized at any time when the brake is depressed and the brake light switch 24 closed. This invention, in contrast, is activated only when the ignition switch 22 is in the run position. A normally open coasting switch contact 28 is closed when the vehicle enters a coasting condition. One possible means of operating this switch is shown in Fig. 2. An accelerator pedal 42 is mounted to a floor board 40 in a standard pivoting arrangement. The throttle linkage 44 passes through the floor board 40 and is connected to the carburetor or other throttle activated device. Mounted on the floor board 40 is a coasting switch 46 which contains the coasting switch contact 28. The switch 46 is located in such a position that when the accelerator 42 is not being depressed by the driver's foot and returns to the reset or coast position, tab 48 contacts the coasting switch 46 and closes the coasting switch contact 28. The coasting switch 46 could also be located many other places on the vehicle, such as on the carburetor near the idle stop. As an alternative, a vehicle having a computer controlled engine management system could activate a relay or provide another current path when the idle condition is requested. The motor vehicle also contains a reverse gear indicating switch 32 which has two contacts, a normally open contact 35 and a normally closed contact 33. The normally closed contact 33 is connected in series with the coast switch contact 28 and in series with the coast light 30 such that if the vehicle is not in the reverse gear and the accelerator 42 is not depressed, thereby closing the coast switch contact 28, the coast light 30 is energized to indicate that the vehicle is in a coasting condition. This information then indicates to the following drivers that the vehicle is coasting and that the brakes may be applied momentarily if the driver is in a braking situation. The coast light 30 thereby gives the following drivers earlier information regarding the control status of the leading vehicle. The coast light 30 remains activated during braking of the vehicle, assuming the throttle is still in the idle position. The coast light 30 does not extinguish when the vehicle is in a forward gear until the throttle is removed from the idle position. If the vehicle is in the reverse gear, the normally closed contact 33 is open, rendering the coast switch contact 28 inoperative. The normally open contact 35 is closed at this time resulting in a series connection of the closed contact 35, a flasher unit 34 and the coast light 30. Therefore, when the car is in the reverse gear the coast light 30 flashes and the normal backup lights 36 are energized. This dual indication of backing up, the brake lights 36 and the flashing coast light 30, provides increased awareness to following drivers that the vehicle ahead is backing up and therefore the closing rate of the two vehicles is higher than would otherwise be anticipated. Preferably the coast light 30 is mounted adjacent the high mounted brake light now mandatory in all automobiles. This creates a simple module 52 (Fig. 4) incorporating both a red lens 56 to serve the brake light function and a yellow lens 54 to indicate the coast light function. The difference in the two colors serves to highlight the difference between the two functions, approaching a red, yellow, green situation where red indicates the actual stopping and yellow indicates preparation to stopping. The housing 52 is shown mounted in the rear window 54 of an automobile 50 (Fig. 3). The housing 52 is mounted in a plane parallel to the ground and substantially above the plane of the brake lights 26 and the backup lights 36. This high mounted position provides enhanced awareness to following drivers of the vehicles control situation. This increased awareness arises because the module 52 is located in a field of vision that is on a higher frequency scan pattern of drivers than the plane defined by the brake lights 26 or the backup lights 36. By locating the coast light 30 and brake light 26 in this location, the following drivers are more quickly informed of the action of the leading vehicle. This enhanced awareness position and the further enhancement provided by the coast light 30 and its earlier warning features, will dramatically reduce the number of accidents occurring because a following driver has sufficient time to properly anticipate and react to the lead vehicle's actions. The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention are illustrative and explanatory thereof, and various changes in the size, shape and materials as well as in the details of the illustrative construction, including improvements, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and/or contemplated as falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims: CLAIMS : 1. A light for use in a motor vehicle having at least a pair of brake lights and at least a pair of backup lights wherein the light is illuminated when the vehicle is idling and the light is located in a plane parallel to the ground and substantially above the plane of the brake lights and the plane of the backup lights. " 2. The light of claim 1, wherein the light is flashed when the vehicle is in reverse gear. " . 3. The light of claim 2, wherein the light is yellow. " 4. The light of claim 3, further comprising: a red brake light located in a plane adjacent to the yellow light. 5. A light for use in a motor vehicle having a battery, an accelerator pedal connected to a throttle linkage, a brake pedal causing illumination of a least two brake lights, one of the brakes having a red color when illuminated and being located in a high mounted position, a transmission having a reverse gear and at least one backup light, the light comprising: coasting switch means connected to the throttle linkage and having a contact set which is closed when the throttle linkage is in the idle position; reverse switch means connected to the transmission and having two contact sets, the first set being open and the second set being closed when the transmission is in neutral or a forward gear; flashing means connected to the first set of reverse switch contacts; and a coasting light having a yellow color when illuminated and being located adjacent the high mounted red brake light; wherein the coasting light is steadily illuminated when the motor vehicle is idling and the transmission is in neutral or a forward gear, the coasting light being illuminated by a current passing from the battery, through the second reverse switch contact set, through the coasting light and returning to the battery and wherein the coasting light is flashingly illuminated and the backup light is steadily illuminated when the transmission is in the reverse gear, the coasting light being illuminated by a current passing from the battery, through the first reverse switch contact set, through the flashing means, through the coasting light and returning to the battery and the backup light being illuminated by a current passing form the battery, through the first reverse switch contact set, through the backup light and returning to the battery.

Inventors: ROSS ROBERT G SR, ROSS, ROBERT, G., SR.
Applicants: ROSS ROBERT G SR, ROSS, ROBERT, G., SR.
Application year: 1986
Main classification: B60Q1
IPC codes: B60Q1, B60Q9