Patent Application
20160180752
The disclosure relates to direction devices and more particularly pertains to a new direction device for making a user visible while directing traffic.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a pole that has an outer surface extending between each of a top end and a bottom end of the pole. A housing is coupled to the pole to be elevated above the user when the user holds the pole, making the housing visible to traffic. The housing has an outer wall extending between a front wall and a back wall of the housing. Each of the front wall and the back wall has a translucent section extending laterally across an entire width of each of the front wall and back wall. A control circuit is positioned within the housing. A plurality of light emitters is coupled to the housing. The light emitters illuminate the housing to make the housing easily visible to the traffic. Each of the light emitters is electrically coupled to the control circuit. A pair of speakers is coupled to the housing to emit an audible warning to the traffic. Each of the speakers is electrically coupled to the control circuit. An actuator is coupled to the pole. The actuator is electrically coupled to the control circuit. A power supply is positioned within the pole. The power supply is electrically coupled to the actuator. The power supply comprises a plurality of batteries. A plurality of photovoltaic cells is coupled to the outer wall of housing to be exposed to sunlight. Each of the photovoltaic cells is electrically coupled to the power supply such that the photovoltaic cells charge the power supply.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A housing 32 is coupled to the pole 32 to be elevated above the user 30 when the user 30 holds the pole 12, making the housing 32 visible to traffic. The housing 32 has an outer wall 34 extending between a front wall 36 and a back wall 38 of the housing 32. Each of the front wall 36 and the back wall 38 has a respective translucent section 40 extending laterally across an entire width of each of the front wall 36 and back wall 38. The translucent sections 40 are centrally positioned on each of the front wall 36 and the back wall 38.
Each of the translucent sections 40 has indicia 42 printed thereon such that the indicia 42 are visible to traffic. The indicia 42 may comprise the word STOP. Each of the front wall 36 and the back wall 38 has a plurality of intersecting sides 44, giving the housing 32 an octagonal shape. A bottom side 46 of the housing 32 is coupled to the top end 16 of the pole 12.
A control circuit 48 is positioned within the housing 32. The control circuit 48 may include a processor of any conventional design. A plurality of light emitters 50 is coupled to the housing 32. The light emitters 50 illuminate the housing 32, making the housing easily visible to the traffic. Each of the light emitters 50 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 48.
The light emitters 50 comprise a front set 52 and a back set 54 of the light emitters. Each of the front 52 and back 54 sets of light emitters includes a pair of light emitters 50. Each of a first one 58 and a second one 60 of the front set of light emitters 52 is coupled to an inside surface 62 of the front wall 36, selectively illuminating the indicia 42 on the front wall 36. Each of a first one 64 and a second one 66 of the back set 54 of light emitters is coupled to an inside surface 68 of the back wall 38, selectively illuminating the indicia 42 on the back wall 38. Each of the first light emitters 58,64 of the front set 52 and the back set 54 of light emitters are positioned on an associated one of the translucent sections 40.
A pair of lenses 70 is coupled to the housing 32 such that the lenses 70 are illuminated by the light emitters 50. Each of the lenses 70 is positioned on an associated one of the front wall 36 and the back wall 38. Each of the lenses 70 is aligned with an associated one of the second light emitters 60,66 of an associated one of the sets 52,54 of light emitters. Each of the light emitters 50 may comprise an LED or the like. The second light emitters 60,66 of each of the sets 52,54 of light emitters may flash repeatedly in the convention of a strobe.
A pair of speakers 72 is coupled to the housing 32 to emit an audible warning to the traffic. Each of the speakers 72 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 48. Each of the speakers 72 is positioned on an associated one of the front wall 36 and the back wall 38 of the housing 32. Additionally, each of the speakers 72 is positioned proximate the bottom side 46 of the housing 32. The audible warning may comprise a siren or other similar audible warning.
An actuator 74 is coupled to the pole 12. The actuator 74 is electrically coupled to the control circuit 48. The actuator 74 is engaged by the user 30 to selectively actuate and de-actuate the control circuit 48. The actuator 74 is actuatable to actuate the light emitters 50 and the speakers 72 independently or simultaneously.
A power supply 76 is positioned within the pole 12. The power supply 76 is electrically coupled to the actuator 74. The power supply 76 may comprises a plurality of batteries 78. A plurality of photovoltaic cells 80 is coupled to the outer wall 34 of the housing 32 to be exposed to sunlight. Each of the photovoltaic cells 76 is electrically coupled to the power supply 76 such that the photovoltaic cells 76 charge the power supply 76. The photovoltaic cells 76 may comprise solar panels or the like.
A charger 82 is provided. The charger 82 is electrically coupled between the power supply 76 and a power source 84. The power source 84 may be a vehicle cigarette lighter or the like. The charger 82 charges the power supply.
In use, the user 30 holds the gripping portion 22 of the pole 12 to direct traffic near a pedestrian crosswalk. The light emitters 50 and the speakers 72 give an additional warning to traffic that a pedestrian is crossing a roadway. Additionally, the light emitters 50 make the user 30 visible to traffic over a greater distance than an conventional sign, allowing traffic a safe amount of reaction time with regard to the pedestrian.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
