[0001] THIS INVENTION relates to a warning device, in particular a warning device for indicating
the presence of a wearer to motorists at night and in conditions of bad visibility.
[0002] Pedestrians and cyclists, particularly children, using the roads at night or in conditions
of bad visibility may be very difficult for a motorist to see, particularly if they
are wearing dark clothing. Although the public is advised to wear something light
at night and fluroscent or reflective bands jackets etc are available, a motorist
may still not spot a pedestrian or cyclist wearing such clothing until the headlamps
of his car actually shine on the pedestrian or cyclist.
[0003] It is an object of the present invention to provide a warning device which may enable
a wearer thereof to be seen clearly by motorists at night and in conditions of bad
visibility.
[0004] According to the present invention, there is provided a warning device for indicating
the presence of a wearer thereof to motorists at night and in conditions of bad visibility,
the device comprising a substrate provided with a plurality of lights and adapted
to be worn by a user of the device, and means for illuminating the lights.
[0005] In order that the invention may be more readily understood, an embodiment thereof
will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a warning device embodying the invention with a
substrate thereof omitted in the interests of clarity;
FIGURE 2 is a circuit diagram of control means of the device shown in Figure 1;
FIGURE 2A is a schematic front view illustrating a DIN connection of the device shown
in Figure 1; and
FIGURES 3A and 3B show front and back views, respectively, of a person wearing a warning
device in accordance with the invention.
[0006] Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a warning device embodying the invention
for indicating the presence of a wearer thereof to motorists, particularly at night
and in conditions of bad visibility.
[0007] As shown in Figures 1, 3A and 3B, the device comprises a substrate 1 in the form
of an endless transparent tube adapted to be worn diagonally across the user's body
as shown in Figures 3A and 3B. Of course, the substrate may alternatively take form
of a jacket or belt or any other suitable form of clothing.
[0008] The substrate 1 which may be made of a plastics material and may advantageously be
fluorescent or reflective has a plurality of lights 2 positioned spaced apart along
the length thereof. The lights 2 thereof which are preferably 3 to 6 volt 60 milliamp
bulbs are electrically connectable to an illuminating means in the form of a rechargeable
battery (not shown) carried within a portable casing 3. Preferably, the portable casing
3 is formed of a plastics material and is sized so as to be received in a pocket of
the user's clothing or is arranged to be hooked onto a user's belt.
[0009] As shown in Figure 2, the warning device also includes control means 4 for causing
the lights to flash on and off in a predetermined manner. The control means 4 controls
an oscillator circuit 5 for supplying a clock signal to the clock input pin 13 of
a CMOS 74 nc 4017 10-stage Johnson counter integrated circuit 6. In the arrangement
shown, the oscillator circuit 5 comprises four 2-input NAND gates G1 to G4 in the
form of a 4093 Quad Schmit NAND gate integrated circuit, each NAND gate having their
two inputs coupled together. As shown in Figure 2, the four NAND gates are connected
in series and the output of the second NAND gate G2 is fed back via a 0.47 uf capacitor
C1 and a 2.2 megaohm resistor R2 to the coupled inputs of the first NAND gate G1.
Similarly, the output of the third NAND gate G3 is fed back via a 220 kilo-ohm resistor
R1, a variable resistor VR1 of nominal resistance 1 megaohm and the resistor R2 to
the coupled inputs of the first NAND gate G1. The output of the fourth NAND gate G4
is supplied as the clock signal to the clock input pin 13 of the integrated circuit
6. The values of the resistors of R1 and R2 and the capacitor C1 are selected and
the variable resistor is normally set so that a clock pulse is supplied once every
64 milliseconds to provide a 15.625 Hz clock pulse signal to the integrated circuit
6. The frequency of the clock pulse signal may be varied to vary the rate at which
the lights flash by varying the resistance of the variable resistor VR1 via a control
which may be internal or may include an external control knob 7 provided on the casing
3.
[0010] In response to the clock signal from the oscillator circuit 5, the integrated circuit
6 delivers four output signals Q1, Q0, Q2 and Q3 which are spaced apart by a predetermined
time which may be determined by the clock pulse signal. The frequency of the output
signals Q0 to Q3 is, of course, dependent upon the frequency of the clock pulse signal
input to the integrated circuit 6. Each of the output signals Q1, Q0, Q2 and Q3 is
supplied via a respective 1 kilo-ohm resistor R3, R4, R5 and R6 to the base of a respective
NPN transistor TR1, TR0, TR2 and TR3 of type BC 184, the emitters of which are connected
to the 0 volt power supply line, that is the negative terminal of the rechargable
battery (not shown). The collector of each transistor TR1, TR0, TR2 and TR3 is connected
to a respective pin Q1, Q0, Q2 and Q3 of a five pin DIN socket 8 mounted in the casing
3. The positive terminal V+ of the battery (not show) is connected to a centre pin
of the DIN socket 8 via a switch 9 which may be manually operated by a user of the
device to connect the battery in circuit.
[0011] The lights 2 are connected to a five-pin DIN plug 10 corresponding to the socket
8 so that when the plug 10 is received in the socket 8, each light 2 is connected
to the V+ pin of the socket 8 and also to a respective one of the pins Q0 to Q3. In
the arrangement shown, the lights are connected so that, starting from the plug 10,
every fourth light is connected to the same pin of the plug. Thus, as shown in Figure
1, the first, fifth, ninth, etc. lights are connected to one pin, the second, sixth,
tenth, etc. lights are connected to a second pin, the third, seventh, eleventh, etc.
lights are connected to a third pin and the fourth, eight, twelfth, etc. lights are
connected to a fourth pin of the plug 10. Of course, and arrangement of connections
for the lights to the DIN plug 10 may be provided. Preferably differently coloured
lights 2 are used and are arranged so that when the band or substrate is worn by a
user as shown in Figures 3A and 3B, lights of a first colour are adjacent the user's
as chest and lights of a second colour are adjacent the user's back. Preferably, the
lights adjacent the user's chest are white lights and the lights adjacent the user's
back are red lights.
[0012] As indicated above, the battery (not shown) is rechargeable and a charging lead 11
for connection via a transformer to a mains power supply or to a specially adapted
charging unit is provided, the charging lead 11 having a jack plug 12 for reception
in a corresponding socket 13 provided in the casing 3. As indicated above, the casing
3 is preferably sized so as to be able to be hooked on a belt of a user or received
within a pocket of the user's clothing. Preferably, the casing 3 is rectangular and
is 6 inches (15cm) long, 3 inches (7.5cm) wide and 1¼ inch (3 cm) deep.
[0013] As will be appreciated from the above, when the plug 10 is connected into socket
8 and the switch 9 is moved to the ON position, assuming the battery is charged, the
light 2 will flash at a frequency determined by the clock signal in series so that
the Xth and (X + Y x 4)th, where Y=1,2,3.......n, flash simultaneously and the Xth,
(X+1)th, (X+2)th and (X+3)th lights flash in series or consecutively.
[0014] A waist belt may be provided to secure the tube 1 in position on a wearer's body.
[0015] Although the warning device is particulary suited for earning motorists of the present
or cyclist wearing the device, the warning device may also be used in daylight by
the front and back markers of a large group of people walking along a road. Workers
in hazardous situations such as road and railway workers may also find such a device
useful.
[0016] The features disclosed in the foregoing description, in the following claims and/or
in the accompanying drawings may, both separately and in any combination thereof,
be material for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.
1. A warning device for indicating the presence of a wearer thereof to motorists at
night and in conditions of bad visibility, the device comprising a substrate provided
with a plurality of lights and adapted to be worn by a user of the device, and means
for illuminating the lights.
2. A device according to Claim 1, wherein the substrate is an endless tube.
3. A device according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the substrate and lights are arranged
so as to enable both the front and the back of a wearer to be illuminated.
4. A device according to Claim 3, wherein the substrate is provided with lights of
two different colours, the lights being arranged, so that, when the substrate is worn
by a user, lights of one colour are provided adjacent the user's chest and lights
of the other colour are provided adjacent the user's back.
5. A device according to any preceding claim, further comprising means for controlling
the illuminating means so that the lights flash on and off.
6. A device according to Claim 5, wherein the controlling means is adjustable to adjust
the length of time for which the lights are illuminated.
7. A device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the controlling means is arranged to
cause the lights to flash on and off in a predetermined sequence.
8. A device according to claim 5 or 6 wherein the controlling means comprises an oscillator
for producing clock pulse signals and means for connecting the illuminating means
to the lights to illuminate the lights in accordance with the clock pulse signals.
9. A device according to Claim 8, wherein the controlling means comprises an oscillator
for producing clock pulse signals, means for deriving a plurality of clock pulse signals
and a plurality of switching means for each connecting a respective light or lights
to the illuminating means, each control signal being arranged to control a respective
switching means.
10. A device according to claim 9, wherein each connecting means comprises a respective
transistor having a base for receiving the respective control signals so that, when
a transistor is rendered conducting in response to the respective control signal,
the associated light or lights are connected to the illuminating means.