Stop-light for motor vehicles

Claim 2

A stop-light system for motor vehicles having an accelerator pedal comprising velocity means for providing an output indicative of the driving velocity of the vehicle, brake pressure means for providing an output indicative of brake pressure applied for braking of the vehicle, lamp means for the stop-light system including a plurality of lamps adapted to be energized to provide a variable light indication to an operator of a trailing vehicle, energizing circuit means for energizing said lamp means, and switch means operatively connected in said energizing circuit means for controlling the energization of said lamp means, said switch means being responsive to the velocity means and the condition of the accelerator pedal for controlling the energization of the lamp means to provide a variable light indication which increases from a weak to a strong indication with decreasing driving velocity and a nonactuated condition of the accelerator pedal, said switch means being further responsive to the brake pressure means for controlling the energization of the lamp means to provide a variable light indication which increases from a weak to a strong indication with increasing brake pressure.

Claim 3

A stop-light system according to claim 1, wherein the change of the light indication is produced by a change in the illuminated surface.

Claim 4

A stop-light system according to claim 1, wherein the change in the light indication is produced by a change in the light intensity.

Claim 5

A stop-light system according to claim 1, in which with a decreasing driving velocity, the increase in the size of at least one of the illuminated surface and of the light intensity of the lamp means takes place step-wise.

Claim 6

A stop-light system according to claim 1, wherein said switch means provide a step-wise increase of one of the size of the illuminated surface and of the light intensity with an increase in the brake pressure.

Claim 7

A stop-light system according to claim 5, wherein the brake pressure necessary for switching from a step represented by a pre-determined illuminated surface or intensity to the next higher step depends linearly on the driving velocity.

Claim 8

A stop-light system according to claim 1, wherein said switch means include a plurality of switch energizing positions for providing a step-wise increase of one of the size of the illuminated surface and of the light intensity of the lamp means with an increase in the brake pressure.

Claim 9

A stop-light system according to claim 7, wherein the brake pressure necessary for switching from a step represented by a pre-determined illuminated surface or intensity to the next higher step depends linearly on the driving velocity.

Claim 10

A stop-light system according to claim 1, wherein said energizing circuit means includes first and second parallel electrical circuit paths for energizing said lamp means, said switch means including switch means responsive to said velocity means in the form of a centrifugal operated switch means arranged in said first circuit path and switch means responsive to said brake pressure means arranged in said second circuit path.

Claim 11

A stop-light system according to claim 9, wherein said switch means includes a first switch in said first path operatively connected with said accelerator pedal in such a manner that the first switch is closed when the accelerator pedal is in the normal start position.

Claim 12

A stop-light system according to claim 9, wherein said first circuit path includes several parallel branch circuits each connected to a respective lamp, said centrifugally operated switch means including contact means for each branch circuit, the number of branch circuits closed by said contact means decreasing with an increase in the driving velocity of the vehicle.

Claim 13

A stop-light system according to claim 11, wherein said brake pressure means provides an output indicative of brake-fluid pressure and said brake-pressure responsive switch means includes several contact means connected in further branch circuits connected with respective first-mentioned branch circuits in such a manner that the number of branch circuits closed by the contact means of said brake-pressure responsive switch means increases with an increase in the brake-fluid pressure.

Claim 14

A stop-light system according to claim 12, wherein said switch means includes a first switch in said first path operatively connected with said accelerator pedal in such a manner that the first switch is closed when the accelerator pedal is in the normal start position.

Claim 15

A stop-light system according to claim 13, wherein said first switch and said centrifugally operated switch means are series-connected.

Claim 16

A stop-light system for motor vehicles comprising velocity means for providing an output indicative of the driving velocity of the vehicle, brake pressure means for providing an output indicative of brake pressure applied for braking of the vehicle, lamp means for the stop-light system adapted to be energized to provide a variable light indication to an operator of a trailing vehicle, energizing circuit means for energizing said lamp means, and switch means operatively connected in said energizing circuit means for controlling the variable light indication of said lamp means, said switch means being responsive to said velocity means and said brake pressure means for controlling the energization of said lamP means to provide a variable light indication, said switch means including an accelerator pedal having a switch connected thereto for controlling the energizing of the lamp means in the position of the accelerator pedal corresponding to the normal starting position, clutch means and a manually shifted transmission in the drive connection of the vehicle, a first switching means operatively connected with said clutch means for disabling the signal from said velocity means upon actuation of the clutch means, said switch means controlling said energizing circuit means for providing a stepwise increase of one of the size of the illuminated surface and of the light intensity of the lamp means in accordance with a decreasing driving velocity and increasing braking pressure, the brake pressure necessary for switching from a predetermined illuminated surface or intensity step to the next higher step being linearly dependent on the driving velocity.

Claim 17

A stop-light system for motor vehicles comprising velocity means for providing an output indicative of the driving velocity of the vehicle, brake pressure means for providing an output indicative of brake pressure applied for braking of the vehicle, lamp means for the stop-light system adapted to be energized to provide a variable light indication to an operator of a trailing vehicle, energizing circuit means for energizing said lamp means, and switch means operatively connected in said energizing circuit means for controlling the variable light indication of said lamp means, said switch means being responsive to said velocity means and said brake pressure means for controlling the energization of said lamP means to provide a variable light indication, said switch means including an accelerator pedal having a switch connected thereto for controlling the energizing of the lamp means in the position of the accelerator pedal corresponding to the normal starting position, clutch means and a manually shifted transmission in the drive connection of the vehicle, a first switching means operatively connected with said clutch means for disabling the signal from said velocity means upon actuation of the clutch means, said switch means controlling said energizing circuit means for providing a stepwise increase of one of the size of the illuminated surface and of the light intensity of the lamp means in accordance with a decreasing driving velocity and increasing braking pressure, the brake pressure necessary for switching from a predetermined illuminated surface or intensity step to the next higher step being linearly dependent on the driving velocity.

Claim 18

A stop-light system according to claim 15, wherein said switch means includes a second switching means in the energizing circuit to the lamp means, said second switching means being responsive to said velocity means for controlling the energizing of said lamp means with a nonactuated accelerator pedal to provide a step-wise increase of one of the illuminated surface and of the light intensity with decreasing driving velocity.

Claim 19

A stop-light system according to claim 16, wherein said second switching means is a centrifugal switch means.

Claim 20

A stop-light system according to claim 16, wherein said switch means includes third switching means responsive to the brake means for controlling the energizing of said lamp means to provide a step-wise increase of the illuminated surface or light intensity of said lamp means with increasing brake pressure.

Claim 21

A stop-light system according to claim 16, wherein said switch means includes third switching means responsive to said brake means for controlling the energizing of said lamp means in accordance with different brake pressures.

Claim 22

A stop-light system for motor vehicles having an accelerator pedal and a clutch pedal comprising velocity means for providing an output indicative of the driving velocity of the vehicle, brake pressure means for providing an output indicative of brake pressure applied for braking of the vehicle, lamp means for the stop-light system adapted to be energized to provide a variable light indication to an operator of a trailing vehicle, energizing circuit means for energizing said lamp means, and switch means operatively connected in said energizing circuit means for controlling the variable light indication of said lamp means, said switch means being responsive to said velocity means and said brake pressure means for controlling the energization of said lamp means to provide a variable light indication which increases from a weak to a strong indication with decreasing driving velocity and with an increasing brake pressure, said switch means includes centrifugally operated switch means operated in dependence on the output of the driving velocity means of the vehicle, a first switch operatively connected with said accelerator pedal in such a manner that the first switch is closed when the accelerator pedal is in the normal start position, and a second switch operatively connected with said clutch pedal in such a manner that said second switch is opened with said clutch pedal actuated.

Claim 23

A stop-light system for motor vehicles having an accelerator pedal and a clutch pedal comprising velocity means for providing an output indicative of the driving velocity of the vehicle, brake pressure means for providing an output indicative of brake pressure applied for braking of the vehicle, lamp means for the stop-light system adapted to be energized to provide a variable light indication to an operator of a trailing vehicle, energizing circuit means for energizing said lamp means, and switch means operatively connected in said energizing circuit means for controlling the variable light indication of said lamp means, said switch means being responsive to said velocity means and said brake pressure means for controlling the energization of said lamp means to provide a variable light indication which increases from a weak to a strong indication with decreasing driving velocity and with an increasing brake pressure, said switch means includes centrifugally operated switch means operated in dependence on the output of the driving velocity means of the vehicle, a first switch operatively connected with said accelerator pedal in such a manner that the first switch is closed when the accelerator pedal is in the normal start position, and a second switch operatively connected with said clutch pedal in such a manner that said second switch is opened with said clutch pedal actuated.

Claim 24

A stop-light system according to claim 20, wherein said brake pressure means provides an output indicative of brake-fluid pressure and said switch means includes a brake-fluid responsive switch means connected in said energizing circuit means in parallel with said centrifugally operated switch means.

Claim 25

A stop-light system according to claim 21, wherein said energizing circuit means includes several parallel branch circuits each connected to a respective lamp means, said centrifugally operated switch means including contact means for each branch circuit, the number of branch circuits closed by said contact means decreasing with an increase in the driving velocity of the vehicle.

Claim 26

A stop-light system according to claim 22, wherein said first and second switches as well as said centrifugally operated switch means are series-connected.

Claim 27

A stop-light system according to claim 23, wherein said brake-fluid responsive switch means includes several contact means connected in further branch circuits connected with respective first-mentioned branch circuits in such a manner that the number of branch circuits closed by the contact means of said brake-fluid responsive switch means increases with an increase in the brake-fluid pressure.