US20050072350A1 - Emergency signaling device - Google Patents

Abstract

An 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. The emergency signaling device may be removed from the vehicle for use as an emergency signaling device.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
• The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/428,048 filed Nov. 20, 2002 which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
• 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 truuk of an automobile, or the like) for displaying indicia during emergency situations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• 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.
• 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 warning 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.
• 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 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
• 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.
• In one 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. The emergency signaling device may be removed from the vehicle for use as an emergency signaling device.
• 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
• 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 inFIG. 1, wherein indicia on 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 inFIG. 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 inFIG. 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 inFIG. 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 an top plan view illustrating the emergency signaling device shown inFIG. 5, wherein the emergency signaling device is detached from the trunk of the automobile; and
• 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
• Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
• Referring generally toFIGS. 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 constructed 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. The 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 by a user. Preferably, the emergency signaling devices are capable of displaying indicia to direct traffic in emergency situations.
• Referring now toFIGS. 1 through 7, anemergency signaling device100 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is described. In exemplary embodiments, theemergency signaling device100 is located within thetrunk102 of a vehicle such as an automobile, a truck, a van, a sport-utility vehicle, or the like104. For example, theemergency signaling device100 may be attached to atrunk lid106 of anautomobile104. Thetrunk lid106 is hinged to move between a closed position for enclosing atrunk opening108 and an opened position for providing access to thetrunk102 via thetrunk opening108. Preferably, theemergency signaling device100 is constructed of a sturdy, lightweight material for being easily stowed in thetrunk102. For instance, theemergency signaling device100 may be constructed from asubstrate110, easily folded and stored in thetrunk102 when not in use. For example, thesubstrate110 may be easily extended from a folded position when thetrunk lid106 is in the closed position, as seen inFIG. 4, to an extended position when thetrunk lid106 is in the opened position, as seen inFIG. 1.
• Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that thesubstrate110 of theemergency signaling device100 may be constructed of a reflective material or may include light emitting components such as LED lights or the like. For instance, in the embodiment shown inFIGS. 2 and 3, thesubstrate110 includes a plurality ofLED lights112 sewn or woven into thesubstrate110. Alternately, it is contemplated that thesubstrate110 may include reflective material portions such as reflective tape, reflective cloth, or the like. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, thesubstrate110 may comprise aflexible substrate114 for being more easily folded and/or removed from thetrunk lid106, as seen inFIGS. 5 through 7. In such embodiments, as illustrated inFIG. 7, theflexible substrate110 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 througheyelets130 provided at corners and/or along the perimeter of the substrate10 for facilitating attachment of theemergency signaling device100 to another object, such as wrecked vehicle, a boat, an airplane, a wall, a bridge or overpass column, an injured person, or the like. Additionally, or alternatively, one ormore magnets140 may be provided along the perimeter of thesubstrate110 for facilitating attachment of theemergency signaling device100 to metallic objects (e.g., a wrecked vehicle, an emergency vehicle, or the like).
• In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, theemergency signaling device100 stored in thetrunk102 of theautomobile104 may be used to alert oncoming vehicles of a potential hazard, such as if theautomobile102 is pulled off to the side of a road or the like. It is understood that theemergency signaling device100 may be deployed from thetrunk102 of theautomobile104 in a variety of different ways. For example, theemergency signaling device100 may be extended from the folded position to the extended position upon activation of a trunk release, such as a remote trunk release (not shown). The remote trunk release is for moving thetrunk lid106 from the closed position to the opened position. Such remote trunk releases may be commonly found in a cab of theautomobile104 or the like.
• In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, theemergency signaling device100 is securely stored within thetrunk102 of theautomobile104 during normal operation of theautomobile104. For instance, theemergency signaling device100 may include fasteners for securely fastening thesubstrate110 to thetrunk lid106. Preferably, upon normal activation of the remote trunk release, theemergency signaling device100 remains securely fastened to thetrunk lid106. 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 thetrunk lid106 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 system such as a vehicle electronic circuit, or the like, for flashing lights of theautomobile104. It is also contemplated that a manual latch release assembly may be included proximally to thetrunk102 of theautomobile104 for allowing a user to selectively deploy theemergency signaling system100 when manually unlatching thetrunk lid106.
• Theemergency signaling device100 may be at least partially released from thetrunk lid106 into the extended position in a variety of ways. For example, activation of the remote trunk release may cause theemergency signaling device100 to be dropped down, pulled up, unfolded, or the like. It is contemplated that theemergency signaling device100 may also be stowed at the base of thetrunk102, being attachable via the fasteners to thetrunk lid106 for being extended from the folded position to the extended position. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, theemergency signaling device100 may be fully detached from thetrunk lid106 for use as a portable emergency signaling device, such as for use at a location remote from the automobile.
• Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that theemergency lighting device100 may be powered in a variety of different ways. For instance, the LED lights112 may be powered by a vehicle's electrical system, being coupled with a battery of theautomobile104 or the like. Alternately, theemergency lighting device100 may be powered by a power supply, such as a portable battery or the like. The power supply may be stowed in thetrunk102 of thecar104. It is contemplated that the use of a portable battery may be preferable for making theemergency signaling device100 portable when removed from thetrunk102 of theautomobile104. Alternately, a light source may be placed in or near thetrunk102 for illuminating a reflective material portion of theemergency signaling device100. For instance, a light may be placed on thetrunk lid106, near thetrunk opening108, or the like, for illuminating the reflective material portion of theemergency signaling device100. Such a configuration may have the added advantage of being part of existing vehicle configurations and/or being useful for lighting the interior of thetrunk102 during normal use of theautomobile104. It should be noted that the power supply, such as the portable battery, may be charged in a variety of ways, including being coupled with the vehicle's electrical system when stowed in thetrunk102 of thecar104, being removable for being coupled with a household circuit, or the like.
• In exemplary embodiments, use of anemergency signaling device100 is not necessarily limited to a vehicle, such as theautomobile104. When used as a portable emergency signaling device, theemergency signaling device100 may serve a variety of different safety functions. For example, an injured person located on the side of the road may be wrapped in anemergency signaling device100 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 like120 extending througheyelets130 or via magnets140) for alerting others to its presence on the side of the road or the like. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that theemergency signaling device100 may be used for a variety of different purposes without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
• Referring now toFIGS. 8 through 12, different indicia configurations for anemergency signaling device100 are shown in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The indicia configurations are for conveying a message when thesubstrate110 is unfolded to the extended position. Preferably, the indicia are positioned so as to be generally visible to motorists approaching the automobile. Theemergency signaling device100 may includereflective material portions116,LED light configurations112, or the like, in various shapes and sizes. For example, as shown inFIGS. 8 through 11, anemergency signaling device100 may includereflective portions116 orLED lights112 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 theemergency signaling device100. For example, one side may include automobile directing indicia as shown inFIGS. 8 through 11, while another side may include a request for help, as shown inFIG. 12. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate thatreflective material portions116 may be used in combination withLED light configurations112 or the like, as seen inFIG. 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 anemergency signaling device100 without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. For example, theemergency signaling device100 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, anemergency signaling device100 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.
• LED lights112 may also be used for creating varying shapes and patterns by electrically controlling active lights in a matrix composed of individual lights over time. 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 theemergency signaling device100. For example, as shown inFIGS. 10 and 11, theemergency signaling device100 may activateLED lights112 to produce a set of directional traffic arrows. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that such directional traffic arrows may also be animated by an 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 lights112 may scroll, flash, or animate words or phrases, such as “help” or the like. A message may also be scrolled or flashed across theemergency signaling device100, 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 theemergency signaling device100 without departing from the scope and intent of the present invention.
• 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.

Claims (36)

1. An emergency signaling device for an automobile having a trunk including a trunk opening and a trunk lid hinged to move between a closed position for enclosing the trunk opening and an opened position for providing access to the trunk via the trunk opening, comprising:

a substrate, disposed in the trunk of the automobile, the substrate for folding between a folded position when the trunk lid is in the closed position and an extended position when the trunk lid is in the opened position; and

indicia disposed on the substrate for conveying a message when the substrate is unfolded to the extended position,

wherein, when the substrate is in the extended position, the indicia disposed on the substrate are positioned so as to be generally visible to motorists approaching the automobile.

2. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the indicia comprise at least one light disposed on the substrate.

3. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 2, wherein the at least one light comprises a light emitting diode.

4. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 3, further comprising a power supply for providing electrical power to the light emitting diode.

5. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 4, wherein the power supply comprises a battery coupled to the substrate.

6. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 5, wherein the automobile includes an electrical system, and wherein the battery is charged from the electrical system.

7. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 4, wherein the automobile comprises an electrical system and the power supply receives power from the electrical system.

8. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the indicia comprise reflective material disposed on the substrate.

9. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the substrate is flexible.

10. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the substrate is removable from the trunk of the automobile for use at a location remote from the automobile.

11. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the automobile further comprises a hazard flasher system for flashing lights disposed on the automobile when the hazard flasher system is turned on and a remote trunk release for causing the trunk lid to move to the opened position, and wherein the substrate is unfolded to the extended position when the remote trunk release causes the trunk lid to move to the opened position while the hazard flasher system is on.

12. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 11, wherein the substrate remains folded in the folded position when the remote trunk release causes the trunk lid to move to the opened position while the hazard flasher system is off.

13. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the substrate further comprises fasteners for fastening the substrate to the trunk lid and within the trunk for unfolding the substrate to the extended position when the trunk lid is in the opened position.

14. An emergency signaling device, comprising:

a flexible substrate foldable between at least a folded position and an unfolded position; and

a plurality of lights disposed on the flexible substrate forming indicia for displaying a message;

wherein the flexible substrate is folded to the folded state for storage and unfolded to the unfolded state for display of the message.

15. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 2, wherein the plurality of lights comprise light emitting diodes.

16. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 15, further comprising a power supply for providing electrical power to the light emitting diodes.

17. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 16, wherein the power supply comprises a battery coupled to the substrate.

18. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 17, wherein the battery is charged from an automobile electrical system.

19. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 14, wherein the indicia further comprise reflective material disposed on the substrate.

20. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 14, wherein the flexible substrate is storable in a trunk of an automobile and is removable from the trunk of the automobile for use at a location remote from the automobile.

21. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 14, wherein the trunk comprises a trunk lid, and wherein the flexible substrate further comprises fasteners for fastening the substrate to the trunk lid and within the trunk for unfolding the substrate to the extended position when the trunk lid is in an opened position.

22. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 21, further comprising a power supply for powering the plurality of lights, wherein the automobile comprises an electrical system, the power supply receiving electrical power from the electrical system.

23. An emergency signaling device for a vehicle, comprising:

a substrate for being disposed in the vehicle, the substrate folding between a folded position and an extended position; and

indicia disposed on the substrate for conveying a message when the substrate is unfolded to the extended position,

wherein, when the substrate is in the extended position, the indicia disposed on the substrate are positioned so as to be visible to motorists generally approaching the vehicle.

24. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 23, wherein the indicia comprise at least one light disposed on the substrate.

25. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 24, wherein the at least one light comprises a light emitting diode.

26. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 24, further comprising a power supply for providing electrical power to the light.

27. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 26, wherein the power supply comprises a battery coupled to the substrate.

28. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 27, wherein the vehicle includes an electrical system, and wherein the battery is charged from the electrical system.

29. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 26, wherein the vehicle comprises an electrical system and the power supply receives power from the electrical system.

30. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 24, wherein the indicia comprise reflective material disposed on the substrate.

31. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 24, wherein the substrate is flexible.

32. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 24, wherein the substrate is removable from the vehicle for use at a location remote from the automobile.

33. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 24, wherein the automobile further comprises a hazard flasher system for flashing lights disposed on the automobile when the hazard flasher system is turned on and a remote trunk release for causing the trunk lid to move to the opened position, and wherein the substrate is unfolded to the extended position when the remote trunk release causes the trunk lid to move to the opened position while the hazard flasher system is on.

34. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 33, wherein the substrate remains folded in the folded position when the remote trunk release causes the trunk lid to move to the opened position while the hazard flasher system is off.

35. The emergency signaling device as claimed inclaim 24, wherein the substrate further comprises fasteners for fastening the substrate to the trunk lid and within the trunk for unfolding the substrate to the extended position when the trunk lid is in the opened position.

36. An emergency signaling device for an automobile having a trunk including a trunk opening and a trunk lid hinged to move between a closed position for enclosing the trunk opening and an opened position for providing access to the trunk via the trunk opening, comprising:

means, disposed in the trunk of the automobile, for folding between a folded position when the trunk lid is in the closed position and an extended position when the trunk lid is in the opened position; and

means, disposed on the folding means, for conveying a message when the folding means is in the extended position,

wherein, when the folding means is in the extended position, the message conveying means disposed on the folding means is positioned so as to be generally viewable from behind the automobile.

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