Traffic advisor for emergency vehicles
AssigneeHalcore Group, Inc.
InventorEric Fisher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A traffic advisor for an emergency vehicle. The traffic advisor includes a base capable of being attached to a roof of an emergency vehicle. The traffic advisor additionally includes a display member coupled to the base and shiftable relative to the base between a stowed position and a deployed position. The display member is further configured to display one or more advisory messages. The traffic advisor may also include an actuation system for shifting the display member between the stowed position and the deployed position. As such, in the deployed position, the traffic advisor is operable to display advisory messages that are clearly viewable from a position rearward of the emergency vehicle.
Claims22
A traffic advisor for an emergency vehicle, said traffic advisor comprising:
- a base configured for attachment to a roof of said emergency vehicle,
- wherein said base includes a bottom plate with top and bottom surfaces and a rim extending up from said top surface and extending around a circumference of the top surface;
- a display member coupled to said base and shiftable relative to said base between a stowed position and a deployed position, wherein said display member is configured to display one or more advisory messages;
- and
- an actuation system for shifting said display member between said stowed position and said deployed position,
- wherein, in said deployed position, said display member presents a forward-facing side and a rearward-facing side,
- wherein said display member has a thickness that corresponds to a height of said rim of said base, such that, in the stowed position, said rearward-facing side of said display member is positioned adjacent to said bottom plate of said base and said forward-facing side is substantially flush with a top portion of said rim of said base.
An emergency vehicle comprising:
- a cab;
- a patient compartment comprising a roof and one or more rear access doors positioned on a rear side of said patient compartment;
- and
- a traffic advisor comprising a display member coupled to said roof and shiftable between a stowed position where the display member is substantially parallel to said roof and a deployed position where said display member extends upwardly from said roof,
- wherein said display member is spaced less than 12 inches forward of said rear side of said patient compartment, such that a substantial portion of said display member is visible from a position immediately rearward of said emergency vehicle.
A method for operating an emergency vehicle having a traffic advisor that displays one or more advisory messages, with the traffic advisor being positioned on a roof of the emergency vehicle, wherein the method comprises the following steps:
- navigating said emergency vehicle, wherein during said navigating step, said traffic advisor is in a stowed position;
- activating emergency indicators positioned on a rear side of said emergency vehicle;
- opening at least one rear door of said emergency vehicle to provide access to an interior of said emergency vehicle, wherein when said rear door is open, said rear door obstructs at least one of the emergency indicators position on the rear side of the emergency vehicle;
- shifting said traffic advisor from the stowed position to a deployed position;
- selecting an advisory message to be displayed via said traffic advisor, wherein said advisory message is unobstructed even when said rear door is open;
- and
- shifting said traffic advisor from the deployed position to the stowed position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.