Audible warning system for school buses

Abstract

Abstract Combined with an already known electrical circuit used in school buses to activate flashing yellow and red lights, the present invention provides an audible warning to children who have alighted from the bus. The audible warning system is automatically activated in response to closing of the door of the bus preparatory to movement of the bus away from the stop, sounding a clearly audible warning, preferably at the front and rear of the bus, for a time period sufficient to warn the children away from the bus until it is safely on its way, and has put enough distance between the bus and the children to prevent their injury. The system employs a transistorized circuit in which power supplied to a buzzer or other audible alarm device is controlled by one or more transistors, in association with a capacitor. As the school bus nears a bus stop, the operator activates a yellow warning light system, which changes automatically to a red light warning system while the bus is stopped. Upon opening of the school bus door, the capacitor is short-circuited and discharged, in a circuit configuration that withholds current from the audible alarm device. On closing of the door, the capacitor prevents the transistor from conducting during the time required to charge the capacitor, and in this predetermined time period the buzzer or other alarm device is caused to operate in response to rendering the transistor non-conductive while the capacitor is again being charged.

Inventors

• 👤 R Spair
• 👤 J Lockwood
• 👤 H Spair

Bibliographic Details