Abstract:
A hazard warning means for a vehicle, including:—deceleration triggered actuation means, controlling means, and visual indicators, wherein said deceleration triggered actuation means including means for detection of a deceleration of a prescribed threshold and means for generating an actuation signal upon detection of said deceleration, said controlling means includes means for causing said visual indicating means to generate visible signals representing hazard conditions for a predetermined time.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This invention relates to hazard warning means, devices and apparatus and, more particularly, hazard warning means, devices and apparatus for vehicles and vehicles incorporating same. More specifically, although of course not solely limited thereto, this invention relates to combined indicators and hazard warning devices for vehicles.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Almost all road-going vehicles and other vehicles are to be equipped with turn indicators and hazard warning signal means. Turn indicators (“indicators” for brevity) or indicating means are typically distributed on the outside of a vehicle, and more particularly, on its left and right sides as well as at its front and rear ends. Indicators are typically flashing lights provided on the exterior of vehicles to provide indication and advance warning to other road users of the next or eminent direction of turn of the vehicles.  
         [0003]     Hazard warning means are typically flashing lights distributed on the outside of a vehicle to alert other road users of imminent danger, risks, hazards or of a sudden stop or declaration. The flashing lights are usually amber but can be of other appropriate colours. Conventional hazard warning means for road-going vehicles are usually manually actuated and are operated by a toggle or a rocker-switch. Upon sensing or detecting of imminent danger, for example, a foreseeable sudden stop or an acute deceleration, a driver will, on his own initiative and volition, actuate the hazard warning means to alert other road users to avoid or alleviate the risk of accidents. Typically, hazard warning means and direction indicators for vehicles share the same set of lights and are usually used in the alternative.  
         [0004]     Conventional hazard warning means are inadequate for modern road safety or other modern traffic conditions. This is largely due to the relatively long responsive time for a driver or a commander of a vehicle to react upon sensing or detecting a likelihood of hazard and the subsequent delay in reaction time to actuate the hazard warning means. Also, some drivers have the inconsiderate habit of turning off a road with sudden deceleration before turning and without putting indicators on to show their intention. In many cases, it may be too late for the vehicles following to realize the turn before an accident has occurred.  
         [0005]     Hence, it is highly desirable if improved hazard warning means can be provided to alleviate shortcomings of conventional hazard warning means. Furthermore, although of course by no means limiting, it is customary that hazard warning means and indicators share the same hardware, namely, the flashing lights, it will be highly desirable if the improved hazard warning means is adapted for operation under the basis of and compatible with conventional hardware.  
       OBJECT OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide improved hazard warning means, devices and apparatus for vehicles and vehicles incorporating same. It is another object of the present invention to provide improved hazard warning means, devices and apparatus for operating with conventional hardware provided for both hazard warning means and turned indicators. Of course, the above objects are to be read disjunctively with the minimum of providing the public with a useful choice.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     According to the present invention, there is provided a hazard warning means for a vehicle, including:—
        deceleration triggered actuation means,     controlling means, and     visual indicators, 
 
 wherein said deceleration triggered actuation means including means for detection of a deceleration of a prescribed threshold and means for generating an actuation signal upon detection of said deceleration, said controlling means includes means for causing said visual indicating means to generate visible signals representing hazard conditions for a predetermined time. 
       
 
         [0011]     For example, the threshold of said deceleration can be set to relate to the response time that adjacent road users will require to take responsive action when the deceleration of said vehicle exceeds said predetermined threshold.  
         [0012]     Preeferably, the hazard warning means being automatically activated upon braking of said vehicle over a predetermined braking threshold.  
         [0013]     Preferably, said hazard warning means being automatically activated upon detection of a deceleration exceeding a predetermined rate.  
         [0014]     In a preferred embodiment, said hazard warning means further including visible display means, hazard condition detection means and control means, said control means being adapted to cause operation of said visible display to operate in a hazard warning state upon detection of braking exceeding a predetermined rate by said hazard condition detection means.  
         [0015]     According to another aspect of this invention, there is provided a combined indicator and hazard warning means for a vehicle including visible display means, hazard condition detection means and control means, said control means causes said visible display to operate in at least two alternative operating states, wherein, in the first operating state, said visible display means operates as a vehicle indicator and, in the second operating state, said visible display means operates as a hazard warning means for warning other road users, said hazard condition detection means generates an actuation signal upon detection of a rate of deceleration beyond a prescribed rate, said control means causes said visible display means to display hazard warning upon receipt of said actuation signal.  
         [0016]     In a preferred embodiment, the hazard condition detection means of the combined indicator and hazard warning means for a vehicle includes an inertia actuator.  
         [0017]     Preferably, said inertia actuator includes an actuating lever with a free end and a fixed end, said free end includes a conductive contact for making electrical contact with a contact detector, said free end being resiliently movable with respect to said free end.  
         [0018]     Preferably, the output of said contact detector is connected to said control means.  
         [0019]     Preferably, said inertia actuator includes a mechanical inertia actuator which is activated when the deceleration exceeds 2 g.  
         [0020]     Preferably, said visible display means including at least a pair of light-emitting devices which blink alternatively when operating as an indicator, both said light-emitting devices are turned on intermittently at predetermined intervals when operating as hazard warning means, wherein operating as hazard warning means takes precedent over operating as an indicator.  
         [0021]     Preferably, said light-emitting devices include LEDs, lamps and the like or similar devices.  
         [0022]     Preferably, said first operating state being user actuatable and said second operating state being both user and automatic actuatable.  
         [0023]     Broadly speaking, this invention also describes a vehicle including the combined indicator and hazard warning means above.  
         [0024]     In another aspect of this invention, there is also provided control means for vehicle indicating and hazard warning including:—
        driving means for driving visible signal display means,     signalling means for sending signals corresponding to at least first and second alternative operating states of a vehicle to said driving means,     detection means for detecting a deceleration triggered actuation signal corresponding to the activation of said first operating states,     decision means to output signals to be generated by said signalling means indicating said first operating state upon detection of said deceleration triggered actuation signal and regardless whether said visible signal display means is operating in second operating state.       
 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0029]     A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be explained in further detail below by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:— 
         [0030]      FIG. 1  is a schematic block diagram showing a deceleration actuated hazard warning means,  
         [0031]      FIG. 2  shows an exploded view of an actuator for use in the present invention, and  
         [0032]      FIG. 3  is a schematic circuit diagram showing a circuitry of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0033]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a hybrid block and circuit diagram showing a hazard warning means  100  of the present invention. The hazard warning means  100  includes an actuation means  200 , controlling means  300  and a visual indicating means  400 . The actuation means  200  includes a deceleration triggered or activated actuator such as, for example, an inertia actuator  210 . The inertia actuator  210  includes a first part  211  and a second part  212  which are adapted to be brought into electrical contact when subject to a deceleration beyond a prescribed threshold. The first part  211  of the inertia actuator includes a contact head  213  which is disposed at a distance from the base of a spring-biased springing bodies. The second part  212  of the inertia actuator  210  includes a protruding contact head  215  which is disposed at a distance from the base of an upstanding body  216 . The contact head  213  and the protruding contact head  215  of the first and second parts are respectively disposed and adapted so that, when subject to a deceleration beyond a predetermined threshold, the movable actuation head  233  will move towards the fixed, protruding contact head  215  and make physical contact.  
         [0034]     Both the contact head  213  and the protruding contact head  215  include conductive parts which come into contact when the respective heads make physical contact as a result of the deceleration. The contact heads  213  and  215  are connected by conductors to external terminals  217 ,  218  for interfacing with a controlling means. Thus, a low impedance will appear across the terminals  217  and  218  when the contact heads  213  and  215  are in physical contact, for example, as a result of deceleration which causes the contact head  213  to move towards and contact the fixed protruding head  215  on inertia. On the other hand, a high impedance will appear across the terminals  217  and  218  if there is no such deceleration or the deceleration does not reach the threshold so that the network between the terminals  217 ,  218  is substantially an open circuit.  
         [0035]     When a deceleration activated or triggered actuation means is installed on a vehicle and aligned with the direction of motion of the vehicle, the component of deceleration along the direction of alignment will generate a force component which pushes the contact head  213  towards the fixed protruding head  215  and will make electrical contacts if the deceleration reaches or exceeds a prescribed threshold. Thus, the impedance across the terminals  217  and  218  will provide information to the controller whether the instantaneous deceleration has reached the prescribed threshold. Upon detection of conditions in the actuation means corresponding to such a deceleration, the controlling means  300  will generate the necessary and predetermined hazard indicating signals to drive a visual indicating means for sending out visible warning signals to other road users or other people in the vicinity. For example, the controlling means can cause the lights distributed on the outside of a vehicle to flash at predetermined intervals.  
         [0036]      FIG. 2  shows in more detail an exploded view of the structure of the exemplary inertia actuator  210 .  
         [0037]      FIG. 3  shows the circuitry of an example controller circuitry suitable for use in the present preferred embodiment. The controller includes ports P 1 -P 7  for making interfacing connection with, among others, the power supply of the vehicle and the visual indicating means, which can be the conventional flashing lamps used both as indicating lamps and hazard warning lamps. Of course, additional or specific hazard indicators visible from behind the vehicle can be included. Connection details of the ports P 1 -P 7  are set out in the table below. P 8  is not shown in the circuitry as it is reserved for manual control by conventional manual actuation through an actuation button, for example, on the dashboard of a vehicle.  
                                                       P1   right indicator lamp connection of the vehicle           P2   left indicator lamp connection of the vehicle           P3   12 DV battery power supply (always on) of the vehicle           P4   12 DV input (while start switch on) of the vehicle           P5   0 V (ground) of the vehicle           P6   flasher output connection of the vehicle           P7   flasher input connection of the vehicle           P8   emergency button lamp of the vehicle (not connected)                        
         [0038]     The controller includes a power supply unit which converts the power supply of the vehicle, usually, 12V DC, into a regulated 5V DC supply by way of a voltage regulator IC, for example, a 7805. The regulated 5V supply is used for operation of the inertia actuator and the timer IC, for example, a NE555, to generate the intermittent flashing signals. The flashing intervals are usually defined by specifications of car manufacturers or motoring authorities of a country or a territory.  
         [0039]     Turning now to the operation of this controller, when the inertia actuator is moved into the “make” condition, current will flow from the 5V regulator voltage source into the inertia actuator. This current will energize the relay R 1  and activate the timer system which consist of the timer IC (IC 2 ). The timer IC (IC 2 ) in turn energizers the relay R 2 . The energizing of the relay R 2  in turn energizers relay R 3  as well as keeping the relay R 1  in the “ON” condition. As a result, the relay R 1  will remain in the energized state, even though the inertia actuator may have returned to the “break” condition.  
         [0040]     As the relay R 3  is coupled to both the left and right indicator lamps of the vehicle, its energizing will cause the left and right indicators, which together constitute the hazard warning or the emergency lamps of the present embodiment, to flash for a predetermined period of time for, say, example, five seconds. The duration of the hazard warning lamps operating time can be adjusted by a variable resistor connected to the timer IC without loss of triviality. When the predetermined flashing period has expired, the timer IC will send a low signal to disable the relay R 2 . When the relay R 2  is disabled, the relays R 1  and R 3  are disabled as well, thereby releasing the hazard warning means (or the left-and-hand indicating lamps) and return the lamps to their non-activated states to await for the next operation.  
         [0041]     It will be noted from the circuitry that the relay R 3  is coupled to ports P 1  and P 2  so that the left-and-right indicator lamps can be simultaneously operated by energizing the relay R 3 . Of course, when used as a turn indicator, either P 1  or P 2  will be turned on at any one time. In the present preferred embodiment, the inertia actuator is adapted so that the contact heads will come into physical contact, thereby making electrical contacts, when the deceleration reaches 2 g, corresponding to a deceleration of 19.6 m/s 2 . Of course, the actuation threshold deceleration can be set at any reasonable values without loss of generality.  
         [0042]     While the present invention has been explained by reference to the preferred embodiments described above, it will be appreciated that the embodiments are only provided and illustrated as examples to assist understanding of the present invention and are not meant to restrict or limit the scope of this invention. In particular, the scope and ambit of this invention are to be determined from the general principles taught in this specification with reference to and as inferred or exemplified by the embodiments described above. More particularly, variations or modifications which are obvious or trivial to persons skilled in the art, as well as improvements made on the basis of the present invention, would of course within the scope and boundary of the present invention.  
         [0043]     More specifically, while the present invention has been explained with reference to a hazard warning means for use in combination with existing turn indicating lamps, it will be appreciated that the hazard warning means can be installed and operated independent of the flashing indicator lamps so that a visible hazard warning signals can be generated independent of the turn indicators as soon as the deceleration conditions satisfy the prescribed threshold.  
         [0044]     Furthermore, while the hazard warning means described above has been described with reference to conventional flashing indicator lamps disposed on the outside of vehicles, it will be appreciated that additional or alternative visual indicating means such as additional or alternative flashing lamps can be disposed on the periphery of vehicles for operating with the present hazard warning means to enhance safety.  
         [0045]     Furthermore, while the present invention has been explained by reference to vehicles, it should be appreciated that the invention can apply, whether with or without modifications, to non-road going vehicles such as trains or ships without loss of generality.