Abstract:
A device for preventing a car driver from dozing during a long distance driving to avoid an accident is described. The device comprises two separate parts electrically connected together by means of an electric cord. One of said parts comprises a housing attachable to the dashboard (instrument panel) of an automobile and contains therein an electric circuit energized by a battery current for producing pulsative signals which are transmitted to the second part mounted on the upwardly projecting back of a driver&#39;s seat for physical contact with the driver&#39;s back and to transmit said pulsative signals to the driver to keep him awake while driving a car or a truck. Said electric circuit further contains therein a branch circuit to furnish current to said second part which then produces stimuli that cause relaxation in the tired muscles of the driver in contact with said second part.

Description:
The present invention is generally related to a device for keeping a car driver awake during a long-distance travel and is particularly concerned with a device which prevents the driver from dozing while he is driving, and relaxes his tired muscles when he has stopped to rest. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     At the present time, no standard method or device is being used on either passenger cars or trucks to prevent the driver from dozing due to tiredness as a result of driving. Roads have been constructed with parallel grooves or protrusions which may shake the driver passing over them to keep him awake and alert to road hazards. This applicant has also developed and patented a device for this particular purose, described and claimed in a U.S. Pat. No. 3,947,815. The patented device comprises a golfer&#39;s cap containing an alarm means energized by an electric battery and operable by a gravity-actuated switch means when the driver&#39;s head tilts when he is tired and feels drowsy. While it is experimentally found that when a driver begins to doze during driving, in most of such cases his head tilts forward to actuate the patented cap device; however, there are times when the driver dozes or falls into a drowsy state without his head being tilted forward and, surprisingly, he may doze at times without even closing his eyes. Such a situtation does not ensure the driver&#39;s safety at all times that he will be kept awake or awakened by the alarm when he experiences a torpid physical state. 
     To overcome these shortcomings of the existing methods of sustaining a car driver awake and mentally alert at all times, the present invention imparts an absolute safety measure to the driver using the device. While driving the car, if the driver feels drowsy he actuates manually a switch on the device to operate the device indefinitely until he is ready to turn it off. With this novel and effective method, the driver is kept awake at all times by the awakening stimuli transmitted to him by the awakening part of the device disposed in the back of his seat and in contact with his back. Since the spinal cord in the spinal column is the seat of the nervous system controlling the motive function of the human body comprising the arms and the legs, the awakening stimuli from the device disseminate from the nerve trunk in the spinal cord into the control function of the nervous system and thereby to sustain the brain function alert and the arms and the legs responsive to the brain control signals. Thus, by eliminating the tendency to doze, the driver&#39;s driving safety is ensured by the best possible safety measure. 
     Even though the driver is kept awake and alert using the present device during his travel, his body muscles may get tired because of continued driving. In such an event, he may stop his car at a secure area of the roadside and turn off the awakening or alerting section of the device and turn on, by means of the double-throw switch means, the relaxation-producing section of the electric circuit within the housing that is attached to the dashboard. This action causes a continued vibration to be produced in the part-two module attached to the seat back. The intensity of the vibration to suit the driver can be controlled by means of the current-intensity control means disposed on the housing attached to the dashboard. Thus, it is readily seen that the novel device aids the driver in a double function, by sustaining him awake and alert while driving and by relaxing and soothing his active muscles that may become tired and achy as a result of driving and sitting in a constant position. A further advantage of the present invention resides in the fact that the module which produces awakening or relaxation in the driver can be made either as a solid one-piece structure or in a two-piece structure. In the latter case, the portion of the module that is in contact with the back of the driver is a separate structure from the vibrating or pulsating part that contains the electrical mechanism for producing the alerting stimuli. In such an event, the vibrating or pulsating part of the module is shaped into a fusiform wand and is insertable into the hollow tubular portion of the module that is mounted between the seat back and the headrest above the seat back, and it can be removed from the module unit and used as a massager to soothe any part of the driver&#39;s body as he desires. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally comprises two units, in which one unit contains the electrical circuit which puts out a current of variable intensity and of constant intermittence, and transmits the current to the second unit or alerting module. The latter unit is fastened to the back of a car seat and produces either an undulatory motion or pulsative undulations, which are transmitted to the driver of the car to respectively relax his tired muscles due to driving after he stops his car for resting or to keep him mentally alert while driving. 
     A principal object of the invention is to provide a simple and lowcost device that can be easily attached to the dashboard of any motor vehicle, such as a passenger car or truck, without the use of any mechanical tools, and receives current from the battery of the vehicle or from a dry-cell battery, to produce stimuli which can be effectively transmitted by said device to the driver during his travel a long distance, to sustain his mental faculties alert so that he can concentrate on his driving and use great care to avoid accident due to tiredness or due to tendency to doze. 
     To accomplish the abovestated purpose, one object of the invention is to provide a device which is small, compact, and easily installable on a car&#39;s dashboard (instrument panel) or on any other part of the car readily accessible to the driver, said device being provided therein with an electric circuit energized from a battery current output which is transformable into a mechanical motion for transmission to the driver of the vehicle to keep him mentally alert at all times while driving. 
     Another object of the invention is the provision of an awakening unit or module containing therein a rotary means to produce undulatory motion in said module, which is adapted to be mounted on the back of the driver&#39;s seat and having an extension therefrom to project from the front of the seat for abutment with the back of the driver and to transmit thereto said undulatory motion. 
     A further object of the invention is the provision of a means in said electric circuit which is adapted to manual variation of the intensity of the electric current and thereby the alerting stimuli to suit the driver&#39;s requirement. 
     A still further object of the invention is the provision of a housing to enclose said electric circuit and is adapted to be fastened to the dashboard (instrument panel) of an automobile by an adhesive means located on the bottom wall thereof facing the dashboard; said housing having a plurality of electric outlets, one of which is adapted to transmit current to the alerting module through an electric cord pluggable into said outlet for keeping the driver awake, and the other outlet being adapted to transmit a current to a light signal displaying the word HELP thereon, when the driver has a car or physical trouble. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide an elongated strip of springy metal curved at one end thereof and adapted to be mounted on the back of a car driver&#39;s seat and having a flat extension therefrom for making contact with the back of the driver; a cylindrical unit provided with a rotary means therin and adapted to snugly fit or permanently be fastened to the curved end of said strip of springy metal and having an electric cord with a plug for insertion into one of said plurality of outlets in said housing to receive energizing current therefrom. 
     A further object of the invention is the provision of a fusiform wand containing therein means for producing undulatory motion in said wand when it receives a current from the circuit in said housing through an electric cord connected to said means for producing undulatory motion; said wand is interchangeable with said cylindrical unit in the curved portion of the elongated strip of springy metal to function the same as said cylindrical unit described above, and when said wand is removed from the curved portion of the springy metal unit it can be used as a device for soothing the tired and achy parts of the driver&#39;s body. 
    
    
     Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed specification taken in conjuction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is the perspective view of the complete device. 
     FIG. 2 shows the manner of application of the invention. 
     FIG. 3 is the schematic circuit diagram of the electric circuit for producing a variable current output. 
     FIG. 4 is one view of the module for keeping the driver awake and alert during driving a car. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the fusiform wand with an electric cord having an electric plug at the end thereof for connection to the electric circuit thereof. 
     FIG. 6 is the perspective view of the cylindrical plug that is permanently attached to the curved portion of the driver-alerting device. 
     FIG. 7 is the view of the axial cross section of the cylindrical plug, said plug also having been incorporated in the fusiform wand. 
     FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a light signalling device adapted to be attached to one of the electric outlets of the electric circuit shown in FIG. 3. 
     FIG. 9 is the isolated view of the flat springy metal with its curved section and is shown without the cylindrical plug or the fusiform wand that is accommodated in the curved section thereof. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawing shown in FIG. 1, numeral 1 designates, for convenience of identification, unit-one, and numeral 2 designates unit-two. The unit-one comprises a housing 3, with an electrical circuit therein, and having in the upper wall thereof a current-varying device 4, a double-throw switch 5 with a neutral or off position when the switch toggle or lever is positioned vertically to the housing top, and two current outlets or jacks 6 and 7, which are connected in parallel in the circuit within the housing and are shown in FIG. 3. The unit-two comprises a flat and elongated metal strip or flap 8 made of spring metal, such as half-hard aluminum or partially hardened steel, and having a width of, for example, 2 to 3 inches, length of 7 to 10 inches, and a thickness of 1/16 inch or less. The metal strip 8 is curved at one end 9 and the free end of the curved section is welded, soldered, or fastened by screws to the flat portion of the strip, forming a tubular structure at the curved end to accept a cylindrical plug 10 with an electric cord 11 projecting therefrom and terminating in a telephone-plug-type member 12, which, in operation of the device, plugs into the jack 6 or jack 7. Since the jacks 6 and 7 are electrically connected in parallel in the curcuit it does not matter whether the plug 12 is inserted into one or the other jack. 
     In FIG. 2, a portion of an automobile dashboard (instrument panel) 12A is shown, and on one side of the dashboard 12A said unit-one is attached by the bottom side of the housing 3 by using preferably a double-face adhesive tape or suction cups for attachment thereto. An electric cord 13 connects the circuit within the housing 3 to the car-battery circuit through the plug means 14 and the socket 15 located on the dashboard; the socket in this case may be the cigaret-lighter socket that is provided almost in all types of cars. A dry-cell battery may also be used instead of a car battery for this purpose, and in such an event the dry-cell battery may be accommodated in the housing 3, as a self-contained current source. 
     The unit-two, designated by numeral 2, is snugly mounted on the top section 16 of the car-seat back 17, by means of the curved-end portion 9 between the headrest 18 and the top of the car-seat back 17, with the flat flap section 8 thereof extending down the surface of the seat back 17, whereby it can make a close contact with the back of a driver seated on the seat 19 during driving. The unit-two can also be mounted at the hinge section 20 between the car seat 19 and upwardly projecting seat back 17, whereby the flat portion 8 extends upward over the seat back 17, as shown by the broken lines in FIG. 2; the device operates effectively in both positions, that is, with the flap 8 extending downward, as shown by solid lines, or extending upward, as shown by the broken lines. In both cases, the stimuli from these keep-awake devices, the cylindrical plug 10 or fusiform wand 27, whichever is used in the curved end 9, are transmitted with the same intensity and sensed by the driver with the same effectiveness, since the character of the stimuli transmitted to the spinal cord is the same. 
     In FIG. 3, the electric circuit section 22 receives an energizing current from the battery 21 through the double-wire cord 13 and plug 14, which enters into jack 15, usually contained in the dashboard of almost all cars as a receptacle for a cigaret lighter. As mentioned above, the system can also be made self-sufficient by including in the housing 3 one or two dry cells, in which case the unit-one can be dismounted when desired from the dashboard and operated together with unit-two at locations outside of a car, such as at home, on a boat, or in a camper, when relaxation of tired muscles is needed. The circuit section 22 contains two branch circuits 23 and 24, the latter having therein means 25 for producing a recurrent flow of current, such means being either a thermostatic-type flasher, a motorized contactor-type interrupter, or a flashing lamp of reasonably high current-carrying capacity to be able to energize the unit-two electrical mechanism therein, since ordinary miniature flashing lamps do not carry enough current to operate unit-two device, especially after the current passes through the variable resistor coil 26. The motorized contactor-type interrupter consist of a motor having a rotating shaft with a contactor thereon that opens and closes the circuit 24 once every other second or faster as desired. 
     FIG. 5 shows a modified embodiment of FIG. 6, and contains a fusiform wand 27, operating in the same manner as the cylindrical plug 10. The fusiform wand 27 is used with the vibrating unit 28 whose curved portion 29 is tubularly hollow, into which the fusiform wand 27 is inserted snugly, so that when it is energized by the current flowing thereinto from the electric circuit 22 through the variable resistor 4 and jack 6 or jack 7, plug 29, and cord 32, the stimuli therefrom (from fusiform wand) are conducted to the flat vibrating portion 28 of the alert-sustaining unit 31. When it is desired to use the fusiform wand 27 as a massaging means on the body, such as on the neck, face, shoulder, chest, or legs, the fusiform wand 27 can be easily removed (by just pulling it out the tubular section) and used at the driver&#39;s convenience; thus, the fusiform wand serves a double purpose. 
     The axial cross-sectional veiw of cylindrical plug 10 is shown in FIG. 7, in which numeral 33 designates a housing contaning a motor 34, a motor shaft 35, at one end of which is attached a mass or weight 36, which when cross-sectioned would resemble a miniature pear configuration, with the heavier or larger portion thereof extending out radially so that when said shaft 35 rotates by means of said motor 34 the heavier or larger portion produces an unbalance in the shaft rotation. This unbalance causes the motor 34 to operate in an undulatory manner. Since the motor 34 is intimately attached to housing 33, the undulatory motion of the motor 34 causes the housing 33 to undulate. When the undulations are recurrent, as produced by means of said current interrupter 25, which recurrently interrupts the current therethrough, the housing 33 pulsates in addition to the undulations. The forces, undulations and pulsations, acting upon each other in quadrature, produce an external stimulus to recurrently urge the person leaning against the metal flap section 2 or 28 to stay awake by the sensation of recurrent forward thrusts, as long as the device is in operation. 
     FIG. 8 represents a road emergency-alerting device having one side open and a face plate comprising a dark plastic sheet with letters HELP die-cut therethrough and backed by a red plastic sheet. The plastic sheets are illuminated by an electric lamp from behind in the housing 38 so that when the device is in operation, the word HELP shows clearly up to several hundred feet. When the switch 5 is moved to position 41, the red light flashes recurrently. This device is used when there is an engine or tire trouble, whereupon the driver pulls the car to the skirt of the road and turns on the HELP flasher to alert other drivers or police in the area that he needs help, which may also be due to a physical disorder requiring medical aid. The HELP device receives energizing current from the electric circuit section 22 through the cord 39 and plug 40, which is insertable into one of the jacks 6 or 7, whichever is available. 
     In operation of the system, when the driver begins to feel drowsy during his travel, he turns on the switch 5 from its normally neutral position, as shown in FIG. 3, to position 41, and inserts the plug 12 into either jack 6 or 7, whichever is available, whereupon a pulsative motion of undulations are produced in the cylindrical plug member 10 or 27 in unit-two, and the driver senses these undulations and selects an intensity of undulation, by means of the current-control means 4, that is comfortable yet sufficiently stimulative to keep him awake and alert during his driving. When the driver stops driving and desires to relax his tired muscles, he may switch the control means 5 to position 42, a position opposite to position 41; these positions are designated on the housing 1 during manufacture of the device. At this position, the sensation the driver receives from unit-two is very soothing, and he may adjust, as he desires, the current-control means 4 to feel a suitable intensity of undulations, whereby he may even fall asleep by the soothing effect of the vibrations transmitted to his spinal cord. In the event the unit-two comprises the structure shown in FIG. 9 and the fusiform wand has been mounted therein, he may remove the fusiform wand 27 and pass it over the tired or achy muscles to receive local relaxation, 
     The disclosure of the invention described hereinabove represents the preferred embodiments of the invention; however, variations thereof, in the form, construction, and arrangement of the various component parts thereof together with modified applications of the invention are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims, and I intend to use such variations as I deem necessary.