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US 6,086,131 AGranted
Safety handle for trunk of vehicle
AssigneeDonnelly Corporation
InventorsRobert L. Bingle, Roger L. Koops
Life of this patent
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AssigneeDonnelly Corporation
InventorsRobert L. Bingle, Roger L. Koops
Estimating the term…
A safety release assembly for a trunk or compartment of a vehicle is provided which is positionable within the trunk or compartment space of the vehicle so as to allow for opening of the trunk or compartment lid from within the trunk or compartment. The safety assembly comprises a handle for activating a release mechanism of the lid in order to open the compartment, at least one illumination source, which is at least occasionally activated to provide illumination of the handle, and a control circuit for activating the illumination source in response to an occurrence of at least one activating event such as when the deck lid is closed, motion is sensed by a sensor within the trunk/compartment, an object having a predetermined temperature is detected within the trunk/compartment, or the like. The handle is interconnected with the release mechanism of the compartment, such that movement of the handle results in activation of the release mechanism and thus opening of the lid. The control circuit activates the illumination source for a predetermined period of time following occurrence of at least one activating event, and subsequently deactivates the illumination source upon completion of that time period. The handle of the present invention is designed for easy visibility in minimal lighting conditions and easy recognition even by a young child who may become trapped within the trunk space of the vehicle. This allows easy recognition and activation of the handle and release mechanism of the lid of the vehicle compartment in order to escape from within a trunk space.
An apparatus adapted for use in opening a deck lid of a vehicle, said apparatus being positionable within a compartment substantially enclosed by the deck lid, the compartment having a release mechanism for opening the deck lid, said apparatus adapted for operation from the interior of the compartment when the deck lid is closed and comprising:
An apparatus adapted for use in opening a deck lid of a vehicle, said apparatus being positionable within a compartment substantially enclosed by the deck lid, the compartment having a release mechanism for opening the deck lid, said apparatus adapted for operation from the interior of the compartment when the deck lid is closed and comprising:
An apparatus adapted for use in opening a deck lid of a vehicle, said apparatus being positionable within a compartment substantially enclosed by the deck lid and adapted for operation from the interior of the compartment when the deck lid is closed, the compartment having a release mechanism for opening the deck lid, said apparatus comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.