Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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EMERGENCY SIGNALING DEVICE
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention generally relates to the field of roadside
emergency
warning devices and more particularly to an emergency signaling device capable
of being
mounted to a vehicle (e.g., capable of being mounted within the trunk of an
automobile,
or the like) for displaying indicia during emergency situations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A leading cause of serious automobile accidents are roadside
emergencies (e.g.,
flat tires, mechanical failure, or the like) which cause a motorist to park
his or her
automobile along the side of a road where it may be struck by another
automobile having
an inattentive or distracted driver. Such accidents occur most likely during
times when
the driver of the oncoming automobile may be unable to see the parked vehicle
or
recognize that the vehicle is not moving, such as, at night when the driver
may be drowsy,
during periods of high traffic when the driver may be distracted by other
automobiles on
the road, or during poor visibility (e.g., rain, snow, fog, or the like) when
the driver may
be unable to discern that the parked automobile is not on the road and is not
moving.
[0003] In addition to the hazard lights of the parked automobile, the motorist
may
employ emergency warning devices such as flares, triangular reflective
markers, portable
lights, or the like to warn other drivers of the possible danger. However,
such warning
devices are typically small and are placed near the ground making them
difficult to see,
especially when the drivers of oncoming automobiles are least likely to see
them, (e.g., at
night, during periods of high traffic, or during periods of poor visibility).
Moreover, such
devices are usually only capable of warming oncoming motorists of a potential
hazard
and cannot direct the oncoming traffic around the hazard or provide messages
to
emergency personnel such as police, the fire department, or the like.
[0004] Consequently, it is desirable to provide an emergency signaling device
capable of
being mounted to a vehicle for displaying indicia during emergency situations.
The
emergency signaling device should be capable of warning oncoming motorists of
a
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potential hazard and directing the motorists around the hazard. The emergency
signaling
device may further be capable of providing messages to emergency personnel
such as
police, the fire department, or the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an emergency
signaling device
suitable for being mounted to a vehicle for displaying indicia to oncoming
motorists
during emergency situations. The emergency signaling device is capable of
warning
oncoming motorists of a potential hazard and directing the motorists around
the hazard.
In exemplary embodiments, the emergency signaling device may further be
capable of
providing messages to emergency personnel such as police, the fire department,
or the
like.
[006] In on specific embodiment of the invention, the emergency signaling
device
comprises a flexible substrate stowed in the trunk of a vehicle for extending
from a
folded position to an extended position, for conveying a message to motorists
approaching the vehicle. The emergency signaling device may extend from the
trunk of
the vehicle upon activation of a remote trunk release when a hazard flasher
system is on,
or the like.
[007] The emergency signaling device may also be removed from the vehicle and
used
at remote locations. In one exemplary embodiment, the emergency signaling
device
comprises a flexible substrate stowed in a carrier for allowing the signaling
device to be
easily transported. In such embodiment, the flexible substrate includes a
piece of non-
reflective material with reflective material coupled to such material in the
formation of at
least one arrow. The emergency signaling device further includes light
emitting diodes
either as single units or light pods including a plurality of light emitting
diodes. For
instance, a light pod may include a cluster of five or seven light emitting
diodes. In
addition, the emergency signaling device may be secured to multiple surfaces
via eyelets
or magnets. Such configuration allows the emergency signaling device to serve
a variety
of different safety functions.
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[008] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and
the
following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not
necessarily restrictive of the invention as claimed. The accompanying
drawings, which
are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate an
embodiment of
the invention and together with the general description, serve to explain the
principles of
the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The numerous advantages of the present invention may be better
understood by
those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying figures in which:
FIG. 1 is an isometric view illustrating an automobile employing an emergency
signaling device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention,
wherein the emergency signaling device is extended;
FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the automobile shown in FIG. 1, wherein indicia
of
the emergency signaling device are illuminated for directing oncoming traffic
to the left
of the automobile;
FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the automobile shown in FIG. 1, wherein indicia
on
the emergency signaling device are illuminated for directing oncoming traffic
to the right
of the automobile;
FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the automobile shown in FIG. 1, wherein the
emergency signaling device is folded within the trunk of the automobile for
storage;
FIG. 5 is an isometric view illustrating an automobile employing an emergency
signaling device in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention,
wherein the emergency signaling device employs a flexible substrate;
FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the automobile shown in FIG. 5, wherein the
flexible substrate is folded for allowing the emergency signaling device to be
stored
within the trunk of the automobile;
FIG. 7 is a top plan view illustrating the emergency signaling device shown in
FIG. 5, wherein the emergency signaling device is detached from the trunk of
the
automobile; and
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FIGS. 8 through 12 are top plan views illustrating exemplary indicia that may
be
provided by the emergency signaling device of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0010] Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred
embodiments of
the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
[0011] Referring generally to FIGS. 1 through 12, emergency signaling devices
in
accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described.
In
exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the emergency signaling
devices are
construed of highly reflective material and may employ light emitting
assemblies, such as
high intensity light emitting diode (LED) lights. The reflective material, the
light emitting
assemblies, or any combination thereof may be used to provide indicia, such as
directional signals, messages, or the like, to ward off a collision with a
vehicle, or the like.
emergency signaling device may also be used as a portable signaling device in
emergencies. In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present
invention, the
emergency signaling devices may be mounted on or in a vehicle, such as
enclosed in the
trunk of an automobile or the like. Alternately, the emergency signaling
devices may be
portable, capable of being carried or worn y a user. Preferably, the emergency
signaling
devices are capable of displaying indicia to direct traffic in emergency
situations.
[0012] Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 7, an emergency signaling device 100
in
accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present inventions is
described. In
exemplary embodiments, the emergency signaling device 100 is located within
the trunk
102 of a vehicle such as an automobile, a truck, a van, a sport-utility
vehicle, or the like
104. For example, the emergency signaling device 100 may be attached to a
trunk lid 106
of an automobile 104. The trunk lid 106 is hinged to move between a closed
position for
enclosing a trunk opening 108 and an opened position for providing access to
the trunk
102 via the trunk opening 108. Preferably, the emergency signaling device 100
is
constructed of a sturdy, lightweight material for being easily stowed in the
trunk 102. For
instance, the emergency signaling device 100 may be constructed from a
substrate 110,
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easily folded and stored in the trunk 102 when not in use. For example, the
substrate 110
may be easily extended from a folded position when the trunk lid 106 is in the
closed
position, as seen in FIG. 4, to an extended position when the trunk lid 106 is
in the
opened position, as seen in FIG. 1.
[0013] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the substrate
10 of the
emergency signaling device 100 may be constructed of a reflective material or
may
include light emitting components such as LED lights of the like. For
instance, in the
embodiment show in FIGS. 2 and 3, the substrate 110 includes a plurality of
LED lights
112 sewn or woven into the substrate 110. It is contemplated that the LED
lights 112 may
be single units or arranged in light pods wherein each light pod includes a
cluster of such
lights. For example, in one exemplary embodiment each light pod includes a
cluster of
five or seven LED lights. Further, each pod may be covered with plastic and
sealed (e.g.
via crimping) to ensure against water damage.
[0014] Alternately, it is contemplated that the substrate 110 may include
reflective
material portions such as reflective tape, reflective cloth, or the like. In
exemplary
embodiments of the present invention, the substrate 110 may comprise a
flexible
substrate 114 for being more easily folded and/or removed from the trunk lid
106, as seen
in FIGS. 5 through 7. For example, in one embodiment, the flexible substrate
includes a
piece of non-reflective material comprising the front of the substrate 110
coupled to
second piece of material comprising the back of said substrate. Reflective
material is
coupled to the non-reflective material in the formation of at least one arrow.
In an
advantageous embodiment, the second piece of material is velour which allows
the sign
to be wrapped around the user of placed upon a surface without causing
abrasion. Further,
material is hot sealed allowing the substrate to be water impermeable.
[0015] As illustrated in FIG. 7, the flexible substrate 110 may be provided
with one or
more cords, bungee cords, ropes, strips of hook and loop fastener material
(e.g.,
VELCRO , etc.), or the like, which may extend through eyelets 130 provided at
corners
and/or along the perimeter of the substrate 110 for facilitating attachment of
the
CA 02661402 2009-04-03
emergency signaling device 100 to another object, such as wrecked vehicle, a
boat, an
airplane, a wall, a bridge or overpass column, and injured person, or the
like.
Additionally, or alternatively, one or more magnets 140 may be provided along
the
perimeter of the substrate 110 for facilitating attachment of the emergency
signaling
device 100 to metallic objects (e.g., a wrecked vehicle, an emergency vehicle,
or the like).
[0016] In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the
emergency signaling device 100 stored in the trunk 102 of the automobile 104
may be
used to alert oncoming vehicles of potential hazard, such as if the automobile
102 is
pulled off to the side of a road or the like. It is understood that the
emergency signaling
device 100 may be deployed from the trunk 102 of the automobile 104 in a
variety of
different ways. For example, the emergency signaling device 100 may be
extended from
the folded position to the extended position upon activation of a trunk
release, such as a
remote trunk release (not show). The remote trunk release is fro moving the
trunk lid 106
from the closed position the opened position. Such remote trunk releases may
be
commonly found in a cab of the automobile 104 or the like.
[0017] In exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the emergency
signaling
device 100 is securely stored within the trunk 102 of the automobile 104
during normal
operation of the automobile 104. For instance, the emergency signaling device
100 may
include fasteners for securely fastening the substrate 1 10 to the trunk 15
lid 106.
Preferably, upon normal activation of the remote trunk release, the emergency
signaling
device 100 remains securely fastened to the trunk lid 106. However, upon
activation of
the remote trunk release while a hazard flasher system is turned on, the
emergency
signaling device may be extended from the folded position to the unfolded
position upon
moving of the trunk lid 106 from the closed position to the opened position.
Those of
ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the hazard flasher system may
include
components such as a hazard light activation switch, an electronic warning
circuit, or the
like, the hazard flasher system being activated by a user, activated by a
remote sensing
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system such as a vehicle electronic circuit, or the like, for flashing lights
of the
automobile 104. It is also contemplated that a manual latch release assembly
may be
included proximally to the trunk 102 of the automobile 104 for allowing a user
to
selectively deploy the emergency signaling system 100 when manually unlatching
the
trunk lid 106.
[0018] The emergency signaling device 100 may be at least partially released
from the
trunk lid 106 into the extended position in a variety of ways. For example,
activation of
the remote trunk release may cause the emergency signaling device 100 to be
dropped
down, pulled up, unfolded, or the like. It is contemplated that the emergency
signaling
device 100 may also be stowed at the base of the trunk 102, being attachable
via the
fasteners to the bunk lid 106 for being extended from the folded position to
the extended
position. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the emergency
signaling
device 100 may be fully detached from the trunk lid 106 for use as a portable
emergency
signaling device, such as for use at a location remote from the automobile.
[0019] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the emergency
lighting
device 100 may be powered in a variety of different ways. For instance, the
LED lights
112 may be powered by a vehicle's electrical system, being coupled with a
battery of the
automobile 104 or the like. Alternately, the emergency lighting device 100 may
be
powered by a power supply, such as a portable battery or the like. The power
supply may
be stowed in the trunk 102 of the car 104. It is contemplated that the use of
a portable
battery may be preferable for making the emergency signaling device 100
portable when
removed from the trunk 102 of the automobile 104. Alternately, a light source
may be
placed in or near the trunk 102 for illuminating a reflective material portion
of the
emergency signaling device 100. For instance, a light may be placed on the
trunk lid 106,
near the trunk opening 108, or the like, for illuminating the reflective
material portion of
the emergency signaling device 100. Such a configuration may have the added
advantage
of being part of existing vehicle 25 configurations and/or being useful for
lighting the
interior of the trunk 102 during normal use of the automobile 104. It should
be noted that
the power supply, such as , the portable battery, may be charged in a variety
of ways,
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including being coupled with the vehicle's electrical system when stowed in
the trunk 102
of the car 104, being removable for being coupled with a household circuit, or
the like.
[0020] In exemplary embodiments, use of an emergency signaling device 100 is
not
necessarily limited to a vehicle, such as the automobile 104. For instance, a
portable
emergency signaling device 100 may be stored in a carrier allowing such device
to be
easily transported. In one embodiment, a carrier is comprised of breathable
material (e.g.
canvas, waterproof material) including a handle for easy gripping and an
opening for
insertion of the emergency signaling device into the carrier. In such
embodiment, the
opening is lined with fasteners (e.g. hook and loop fastening material, hook
and eye
assemblies, and the like). Use of breathable material is advantageous for it
allows any
water that has accumulated on an emergency signaling device 100 to evaporate.
[0021] When used as a portable emergency signaling device, the emergency
signaling
device 100 may serve a variety of different safety functions. For example, an
injured 15
person located on the side of the road may be wrapped in an emergency
signaling device
100 to avoid being hit by a passing automobile. Alternately, a person stranded
in a remote
area may use the emergency signaling device as a beacon for alerting passing
aerial
rescue vehicles of his or her location. In yet another exemplary use, an
emergency
signaling device may be used on maritime craft for providing signals to other
craft and/or
emergency vehicles. In a still further exemplary use, an emergency signaling
device may
be removed from one vehicle and draped over or attached to another vehicle
(e.g. via
cords, rope, bungee cords, or the like 120 extending through eyelets 130 or
via magnets
140) for alerting others to its presence on the side of the road or the like.
In a still further
exemplary use, multiple emergency signaling devices may be arranged to serve
as a
helicopter landing pad. In such embodiment, multiple emergency signaling
devices (e.g.
three) may be aligned and secured to the surface (e.g. via stakes extending
through the
eyelets 130 of such devices). Those of ordinary skill in the art will
appreciate that the
emergency signaling device 100 may be used for a variety of different purposes
without
departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
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[0022] Referring now to FIGS. 8 through 12, different indicia configurations
for an
emergency signaling device 100 are shown in accordance with exemplary
embodiments
of the present invention. The indicia configurations are for conveying a
message when
the substrate 110 is unfolded to the extended position. Preferably, the
indicia are
positioned so as to be generally visible to motorists approaching the
automobile. The
emergency signaling device 100 may include reflective material portions 116,
LED light
configurations 112, or the like, in various shapes and sizes. For example, as
shown in
FIGS. 8 through 11, an emergency signaling device 100 may include reflective
portions
116 or LED lights 112 in the shape of arrows, such as arrow shapes commonly
used to
indicate a vehicle should move to one side of the road. It is contemplated
that different
indicia may be placed on either side of the emergency signaling device 100.
For example,
one side may include automobile directing indicia as shown in FIGS. 8 through
11, while
another side may include a request for help, as shown in FIG. 12. Those of
ordinary skill
in the art will appreciate that reflective material portions 116 may be used
in combination
with LED light configurations 112 or the like, as seen in FIG. 9, without
departing from
the scope and intent of the present invention. It is further contemplated that
a variety of
different signaling indicia may be included with an emergency signaling device
100
without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. For
example, the
emergency signaling device 100 may comprise a roll of material, having many
different
signaling indicia, and a user may be able to roll, unroll, or shape the
material for
displaying the desired indicia. For instance, an emergency signaling device
100 may
include directional traffic indicia, a help symbol, the word "help" or the
like. It should be
noted that the word "help" may also be printed in several languages, such as
Spanish,
English, or the like.
[0023] LED lights 112 may also be used for creating varying shapes and
patterns by
electrically controlling active lights in a matrix composed of individual
fights over the. It
is contemplated that a variety of different static indicia, moving indicia,
animation or the
like may be provided for indicating an emergency state or directional
indication to an
observer of the emergency signaling device 100. For example, as shown in FIGS.
10 and
11, the emergency signaling device 100 may activate LED lights 112 to produce
a set of
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directional traffic arrows. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate
that such
directional traffic mows may also be animated by a LED controller (not shown)
to appear
to move animatedly in a certain direction. For instance, directional traffic
arrows may
appear to move (scroll) in the direction pointed by the arrows. Alternately,
the LED lights
112 may scroll, flash, or animate words or phrases, such as "help" or the
like. A message
may also be scrolled or flashed across the emergency signaling device 100,
such as "slow
down," move right," or the like. It is contemplated that a variety of
different indicia,
words, phrases, slogans, or the like may be displayed by the emergency
signaling device
100 without departing from the scope and intent of the present invention.
[0024] Under some emergency conditions, the emergency signaling device may be
subjected to high wind forces, e.g., winter or mountain conditions, snow
storms or
tropical storms. Under these circumstances, the device, because of its
relatively large
surface area, can act as a sail which exposes it to high wind pressures. These
forces
could tear, damage, or dislodge, the emergency signaling device. In a
preferred
embodiment, the substrate is provided with a plurality of spaces, vents, or
wind slits that
allow wind to pass through the substrate, and thus reduce the wind load, when
the
emergency signaling device is subjected to high wind forces. By allowing a
portion of
the wind to escape through the substrate, the likelihood that the device will
be damaged,
or dislodged, is minimized. These spaces or wind slits are disposed on the
substrate so as
not to interfere with the operation of the device. The spaces, vents or wind
slits may be
sized and shaped in a variety of sizes and shapes, however, in a preferred
embodiment
they are linear, half moon or semi-circular, or crescent shaped.
[0025] The emergency signalling device may also be provided with means for
automatically activating the horn of an automobile when the device is
deployed. This
provides additional warning to others and facilitates location by responders
or rescuers.
In another embodiment, the device may also be provided with means for
automatically
generating an emergency phone or radio signal to emergency responders when the
device
is deployed. In yet another embodiment, the device is provided with a homing
beacon to
facilitate location by responders or rescuers. In still another embodiment,
the substrate is
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provided with a defrosting means, e.g., a resistive heating element similar to
those found
in electric blankets or automobile winshields, to prevent the accumiulation of
ice or
snow that might obscure the indicia on the device. In yet another embodiment,
the
emergency signaling device is provided with a frame that is adapted to allow
the device
to be mounted on the roof of the car. This higher elevation provides
visibility at a greater
distance and, thus, earlier warning to others. It also allows easier access to
the interior of
the trunk and facilitates the removal of objectss, e.g., a spare tire and
tools.
[0026] It is believed that the present invention and many of its attendant
advantages will
be understood by the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that
various changes
may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components
thereof
without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention or without
sacrificing all of
its material advantages. The form herein before described being merely an
explanatory
embodiment thereof; it is the intention of the following claims to encompass
and include
such changes.
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