AU4617501A - A deceleration indicator for a vehicle - Google Patents

Description

1

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A PETTY PATENT Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: John Edward Lee As above CULLEN CO., Patent Trade Mark Attorneys, 239 George Street, Brisbane, QIld. 4000, Australia.

Invention Title: A Deceleration Indicator for a Vehicle The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: 2 A DECELERATION INDICATOR FOR A VEHICLE FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed to an apparatus which is attachable to a vehicle such as a motor vehicle and which will alert trailing vehicles to any sudden braking or deceleration of the vehicle. The invention is devised to provide a safety system to reduce the incidence of rear end collisions. The invention will be described with reference to motor vehicles such as cars, but it should be appreciated that the invention may also be used on other types of vehicles such as trucks.

BACKGROUND ART One common reason for a rear end collision between a forward motor vehicle and a trailing motor vehicle is the failure of the trailing motor vehicle to determine that the forward motor vehicle is braking suddenly or is otherwise decelerating suddenly. While all motor vehicles have brake lights, the brake lights do not indicate if the leading motor vehicle is braking hard or only braking softly. To maintain a proper flow of traffic, it is necessary to *.!ensure that all vehicles travel at approximately the same speed, and that if a leading vehicle needs to brake only mildly, the trailing vehicles also brake only mildly, and do not "panic brake" which may result in a major multiple collision.

Highly skilled drivers of trailing vehicles can determine if a leading vehicle is braking hard or softly by seeing how the leading vehicle slows down, and even the degree of dipping of the nose of the leading vehicle. However, most drivers to not have such skills.

Panic braking or hard braking should be avoided if at all possible to avoid possible wheel lock which can result in the car skidding or losing traction control. Hard braking can also result in a string of panic braking in all trailing vehicles.

It is also well documented that vehicle brake lights are not always immediately seen by a trailing vehicle, when the brake lights are turned on. One reason for this is that there are many other red lights confronting the driver of a vehicle, these including traffic lights, warning lights on the side of a road, building lights and the like. These can confuse the 3 driver of a trailing vehicle. Under poor weather conditions such as rain, fog, smog, and under night-time driving conditions, brake lights can sometimes be overlooked, or reacted to quite slowly. Under night-time driving conditions, oncoming vehicle headlights can temporarily blind a vehicle driver which can cause the vehicle driver to not see brake lights of the leading vehicle being turned on.

An attempt has been made to improve the visibility of brake lights, by having a further light or lights more at eyelevel, by providing these lights adjacent the rear windscreen of the leading vehicle. While this does improve the visibility, these lights are also lights which simply turn on or off but nothing more.

It is known to provide rear lights which have a pulse type pattern in order to attract the attention of the driver of a trailing vehicle. The pattern is dictated by a small microchip in the vehicle. While these patterns are eyecatching, the lights patterns simply turn on when the vehicle headlights are turned on and provide no indication is to whether the leading vehicle is braking, and is so whether the leading vehicle is braking hard or softly. These light patterns are more or less decorative only.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 20 The present invention is directed to a signal on a leading vehicle o*o* (for instance a light) which can blink, flash, or pulse to attract the attention of the driver of a trailing vehicle.

In one form, the invention resides in an apparatus attachable to a vehicle and which functions to warn a trailing vehicle that the vehicle is decelerating, the apparatus comprising sensing means to sense deceleration of the vehicle, and at least one light which is visible to the driver of a trailing vehicle, at least one light being caused to flash upon the sensor, sensing deceleration of the vehicle.

In this manner, sudden deceleration of the lead vehicle will cause the lights to flash which will be immediately noticeable to the driver of a trailing vehicle.

Suitably, the flash rate of the light can vary depending on the rate of braking or deceleration of the vehicle. It is preferred that the flash rate is faster upon stronger deceleration of the vehicle, and slower upon slower deceleration of the vehicle. Thus, the light can flash rapidly under conditions of hard or panic braking, and flash more slowly upon more controlled braking.

It is considered that this provides a substantial contribution to the working of the invention.

The sensor can be attached or form part of any part of the vehicle which can be used to sense deceleration of the vehicle. The sensor may sense a change in the rotation speed of the drive shaft, a change in the rotation speed of the vehicle ground wheel or the wheel shaft, a change in the rotation speed of a gear or other parts in the vehicle gearbox or differential.

The sensor may be attached to other parts of the vehicles such as the speedometer cable. Alternatively, the sensor can sense the road surface and S* particularly any reduction in the passage of the road surface past the vehicle.

The sensor may comprise an electrical sensor, a mechanical sensor, a combination sensor and the like. It is considered that this provides a substantial contribution to the working of the invention.

The sensor may be associated with the vehicle brake pedal. For instance, the sensor may note the amount or rate of depression of the vehicle brake pedal. It is considered that this provides a substantial contribution to the working of the invention.

:At least one light may comprise a tail light. The tail lights may comprise an existing brake light, or a separate and additional light. A single light may be used, or a plurality of lights may be used. Suitably, the at least one light is separate from the existing brake lights. Thus, with normal controlled braking, the at least one light need not be activated, and thus does not alarm the driver of a trailing vehicle, but upon hard braking, the at least one light is caused to flash to catch the attention of the driver of a trailing vehicle. It is considered that this provides a substantial contribution to the working of the invention.

At least one light may comprise an incandescent light, a fluorescent light, a spotlight, a light emitting diode display, or any other type of suitable light. The light may have a colour which is synonymous with a warning signal, and this colour is typically red. However, the light may have other colours and may comprise a flashing blue light, a flashing yellow light, and the like. It is considered that this provides a substantial contribution to the working of the invention.

It is envisaged that the at least one light may comprise a plurality of separate lights each having a different colour. The sensor may be such that with light braking, or a slow deceleration, the sensor may activate one of the lights, (for instance a yellow or amber warning light), while under hard braking, the sensor can activate another one of the lights (for instance a red flashing light). It is considered that this provides a substantial contribution to the working of the invention.

In a variation to the above, the at least one light may comprise a S* plurality of lights which may be all the same colour. Under conditions of light 15 braking, the sensor may activate only one of the lights, while under conditions of heavy braking, the sensor may activate all the lights. It is considered that this provides a substantial contribution to the working of the invention.

While the invention has been described with reference to at least one light, it should be appreciated that the invention can extend to other types 20 of warning means to drivers of trailing vehicles. This may comprise an audio warning signal, or a mechanical signal instead of, or in addition to a light. It is o considered that this provides a substantial contribution to the working of the invention.

Thus, the apparatus may be such that the sensor does not activated the at least one light until the vehicle decelerates at a rate greater than a predetermined level. For instance, the sensor would not activate the light with light braking. However, it is envisaged that may be considered advisable to have the at least one lights flashing, even at a rather slower rate with light braking to alert the driver of a trailing vehicle. It is considered that this provides a substantial contribution to the working of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the following drawings in which: Figure 1. Illustrates a schematic diagram of the apparatus attached to a vehicle.

Figure 2. Illustrates the apparatus in use.

BEST MODE The embodiment describes a simple form of the apparatus. The apparatus is attachable to a motor vehicle 10. The apparatus comprises a sensor 11 in the form of a speed sensor and pulse generator/interrupter device which is attached to a vehicle wheel shaft 12. The apparatus according to the embodiment has an advantage in that it uses an existing brake light circuit 13. The circuit includes the brake pedal 14. At the rear of the vehicle is a flashing brake light 15. The brake light 15 is caused to be the than her activated upon depression of the brake pedal which activate the speed sensor. The speed sensor can then determine the rate of deceleration.

Brake light 15 flashes at different rates depending on the rate of deceleration whilst braking of the vehicle. Thus, at initial higher braking rates, brake light 15 is caused to flash more quickly, while at lower braking rates, brake light 15 is caused to flash more slowly. The rate of flashing can vary and can be tuned to ensure that the driver of a trailing vehicle immediately 20 notices flashing brake light 15 when the brake light flashes. Suitably, brake light 15 flashes only when the brake pedal 14 is depressed. Thus, for light braking, brake light 15 is not activated. However, this need not be the case, and in another variation, brake light 15 will always flash as soon as brake pedal 14 is depressed, with the rate of flashing being determined by the speed of deceleration.

Thus, as the vehicle slows down by a breaking action, the rate of flashing of the flashing light also slows down, and it is considered that this will provide useful information to the driver of a trailing vehicle.

In another variation of the invention, the intensity of the light can vary depending upon the speed of deceleration, with the light being of highintensity with strong or panic braking. This can be done in conjunction with, or instead of the light flashing.

The apparatus according to the invention should reduce the number of tail end collisions. The apparatus is suitable for people with colour blindness as the flashing light will be immediately apparent to any person.

The apparatus will alert drivers of trailing vehicles who may be drowsy, or otherwise distracted. The sensor can be fitted to the compression brakes of trucks.

It is envisaged that the light might still flash when the vehicle is completely stationary but the driver is still depressing the foot brake. Such a situation may occur at a traffic light, or at a road construction site. The flashing light will warn the driver of a trailing vehicle to slowdown and to also come to a complete stop. The rate of flashing may be specific to a stationary :vehicle, which will allow the driver of a trailing vehicle to quickly determine that the vehicle in front has come to a full stop but still has the brakes applied.

'5 °It should be appreciated that various other changes and modifications can be made to the embodiment described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

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Claims (4)

1. An apparatus attachable to a vehicle and which functions to warn a trailing vehicle that the vehicle is decelerating, the apparatus comprising sensing means to sense deceleration of the vehicle, and at least one light which is visible to the driver of a trailing vehicle, at least one light being caused to flash upon the sensor sensing deceleration of the vehicle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flash rate of the light varies depending on the rate of braking or deceleration of the vehicle.

3. The apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sensing means comprises a speed sensor and pulse generator/interrupter device, which forms part of a circuit which includes the o brake pedal of the vehicle, and which uses an existing brake light circuit, at 00 least one light comprising a separate brake light on the rear of the vehicle.

4. The apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein at least one light flashes more quickly with rapid deceleration, and flashes more slowly with less rapid deceleration. An apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dated this 22 n d day of May 2001 John Edward Lee By his Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO. to* o* l