AUTOMATIC CRASH ALARM FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES

Abstract: The invention has as an object to detect a deceleration or acceleration of an automotive vehicle, occuring as a consequence of a collision in motorised traffic, said automotive vehicle being provided with an installation according to the invention, said detection being made by means of this installation and thus causing automatic activation of the alarm light installation, present on the automative vehicle, and thus without any action in that respect by the driver, this with the intention of drawing the attention of the other participants in the traffic as soon as possible to the dangerous traffic condition caused.

Description: Automatic crash alarm for automotive vehicles. The invention relates to an electronic mechanical device for automotive vehicles in order to actuate auto a- tically the alarm light installation as presently installed in substantially all automotive vehicles without any action of the driver. This is the more important since on many occasions the driver will not be in a condition to take any action after a crash, either for a short time, being in a temporary shock condition, for considerable time, being seriously injured but after considerable time still able to act, or permanently being unconscious or dead. The so-called delay-switches are known, such as a switch, presented in Dutch patent application 66.16240, which signals the standstill of an automotive vehicle, as well as the switch described in German patent specification 900.658, which also signals exclusively the standstill of an automotive vehicle. Apart from the above, various types of signalling systems are known from the process industry, but there is nowhere any reason of a signalling system as presented by the device according to the present invention. There is a need for a device, that warns the other traffic participants immediately for the dangerous situa- tion arising from a crash involving one or more automotive vehicles, without any action by the driver being required. It is thus an object of the invention to provide a solution to restrict drastically the number of people concerned in the follow-up of a crash. An embodiment of a device according to the inven¬ tion as installed in an automotive vehicle, is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in a block diagram, presenting a so-called Hall-effect-sensor 1, an amplifier 2, a switch 3, a reset unit 4 (Fig.l) or a timer 4' (Fig. 2) and an outlet to the existing alarm light installation 5. In the embodiment as shown in Fig. 3 a closed helical spring 6 was selected, the consideration being, that an open helical spring will allow a magnet 7 to move as a consequence of a bad road surface or on sudden bra¬ king, whereas the magnet 7 should move only as a conse¬ quence of a deceleration or acceleration in the order of magnitude as occurs in case of a collision of an automotive vehicle either with another automotive vehicle, fixed objects, such as for example houses, trees and similar, or other objects in its path, moving or at rest, such as other vehicles or even animals, including human beings. In Fig. 3 spring 6 is fixed at one end on the housing 9, whereas at the other end a permanent magnet 7 is mounted; a so-called Hall effect sensor 8 is positioned underneath magnet 7. As soon as the magnet 7 moves away from the Hall-sensor 8, as shown _ϊn Fig. 4, as a decele¬ ration or acceleration has taken place such as in colli- sions, as shown in Fig. 4 the spring 6 will allow magnet 7 to move away from the Hall-sensor 8, which has the specific property of detecting a change in magnetic field, which detection will be received by the amplifier 1 in Figs. 1 and 2 and is passed on after amplification to the switch 3, which in turn will activate the alarm lights installation 5, whithout requiring any activity by the driver of the vehicle. The connection thus caused automatically may be reset again manually by means of a reset switch 4 (Fig. 1). Instead of the reset switch 4 use can also be made of a timer 4' (Fig. 2), which will cause an automatic reset of the installation into the original position, as existed prior to the collision, after a predetermined period of time. It will be obvious that the above device may be subject to variations or modifications without departing from the gist of the invention. Thus for example the closed helical spring could be replaced by a resilient rod, plastic, metal or a combination thereof, as long as it meets the condition that it is not activated by vibrations such as caused by an uneven road surface or the decelra- tions and accelerations as customary in normal traffic. SUBSTITUTESHEET

Claims: Claims : 1. A device for registering a collision of an automo¬ tive vehicle, characterised in that if the automotive vehicle is involved in a collision a detection will occur of this extraordinary deceleration or acceleration by means of a sensor system, causing automatic activation of the alarm lights installation as present on the automotive vehicle. 2. A device according to claim l, characterised in that it comprises a Hall-effect-sensor (1), an amplifier (2) , a switch (3) , a reset unit (4,.) or a timer (4') and an outlet to the existing alarm light installation (5). 3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the device comprises a sensor unit provided by a deflectable closed helical spring (5) fixed at one end to a housing (8) , whereas at the other end a permanent magnet (6) is mounted; a so-called Hall effect sensor (7) being positioned underneath magnet (6) . 4. A device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, charac¬ terised in that the connection as realised automatically is maintained for a predetermined period of time, and will be switched back automatically by timer (4') after said period of time into the original position as prior to the col¬ lision. 5. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the connection resulting therefrom can be reset into the original position as prior tot the collision by means of a manual switch (4). 6. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the device causes another connection than the connection to the existing alarm light installa¬ tion. 7. An automotive vehicle comprising a device accor¬ ding to any one of claims 1 to 6. - o - o - o -

Inventors: JANSSEN ALOYSIUS WILHELMUS HEN, JANSSEN, ALOYSIUS, WILHELMUS, HENDRIKUS
Applicants: JANSSEN ALOYSIUS W H, PETERS JOHANNES PETRUS, JANSSEN, ALOYSIUS, WILHELMUS, HENDRIKUS, PETERS, JOHANNES, PETRUS
Application year: 1993
Main classification: B60Q1
IPC codes: B60Q1, G01P15