Automobile light emitting device

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

00011. Field of the Invention

0002The present invention relates to an automobile light emitting device, not only reducing car accidents, but also providing a warning effect to improve the safety of drivers and passengers.

00032. Brief Description of the Related Art

0004A blinking signal light is provided for warning and reminding nearby passengers, bicycle riders or motorcycle riders while a car is making a turn, and preventing accidents when the car is getting too close. However, nearby passengers, bicycle riders or motorcycle riders have to pay attention to the conditions of the road ahead and may not be able to notice a car in another lane getting ready for a street parking or making a left or right turn under a poor visual condition or an over-speed condition, and people may be injured in all kinds of car accidents.

0005Furthermore, car owners may not be able to locate the position of their car in a large parking lot or a mall. Although beep sounds or lit signal lights are provided for reminding the car owners, the exact position of the car cannot be located easily if the owner's car is blocked by other cars.

0006In poor weather conditions such as heavy rain, a driver may enter into the car and open the locks of all car doors, but passengers have no way to find out from the outside that the doors are opened already, and the passenger has to ask the driver or the driver has to tell the passenger. As a result, the passenger has to stand in the rain for a while or get wet before entering the car.

0007Obviously, it is necessary to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks by providing an automobile light emitting device to remind passengers about a car at the front is making a turn to improve the road safety and provide a way to inform passengers about the door lock is opened already and allow the passengers to enter into the car quickly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

0008Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide an automobile light emitting device, comprising a plurality of light emitting members, a control unit and an electric connection circuit, wherein each light emitting member is installed at a peripheral surface (such as a fender, a wheel arch panel or a wheel housing panel) outside an automobile wheel, a door handle or a door handle recess of a car door, or a car roof (such as a car antenna, a convertible top rack or an automobile shark fin).

0009The control unit with a signal light control circuit is provided for controlling a right-turn signal light to blink, such that when the right-turn signal light blinks, the light emitting members installed on corresponding fenders of at least two right wheels also blink, and when the signal light control circuit controls a left-turn signal light to blink, the light emitting members installed on the corresponding fenders of at least two left wheels also blink. Such arrangement can remind passengers, bicycle riders or motorcycle riders to watch out for any car which is ready to make a turn or a street parking, in order to avoid car accidents and improve the road safety of the passengers.

0010Alternatively, the control unit is linked to a central lock control unit of a car, and the control unit turns on the light emitting member to actively notice that the door lock is opened when the central lock control unit controls and opens the door lock, so that passengers can open the car door and enter into the car immediately, so as to save time and physical strength of the passengers, particularly in poor weather conditions such as a hot sunny day or a rainy day in an outdoor car park without any shelter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

0011<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> is a schematic block diagram of an automobile light emitting device in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

0012<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> is a perspective view of an automobile light emitting device installed in a car in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention;

0013<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> is a perspective view of an automobile light emitting device installed in a car in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;

0014<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref> is a schematic block diagram of an automobile light emitting device in accordance with the second preferred embodiment of the present invention;

0015<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref> is a perspective view of an automobile light emitting device installed in a car in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention;

0016<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref> is a perspective view of an automobile light emitting device installed in a car in accordance with a fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention;

0017<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 7</figref> is a perspective view of an automobile light emitting device installed in a car in accordance with a fifth preferred embodiment of the present invention;

0018<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 8</figref> is a perspective view of an automobile light emitting device installed in a car in accordance with a sixth preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

0019<figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 9</figref> is a schematic block diagram of a control unit of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

0020The above and further objects and novel features of the invention will more fully be apparent from the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings.

0021With reference to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> for a schematic block diagram of an automobile light emitting device in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the automobile light emitting device comprises a plurality of light emitting members <b>10</b>, a control unit <b>20</b> and an electric connection circuit <b>30</b>, wherein each light emitting member can be a light emitting diode or a light bulb, and the control unit <b>20</b> is electrically coupled to the light emitting members <b>10</b> through the electric connection circuit <b>30</b>, and the electric connection circuit <b>30</b> electrically couples a power supply <b>40</b> to the control unit <b>20</b>, so that the control unit <b>20</b> can turn on or off the light emitting members <b>10</b>.

0022The light emitting members are installed on a peripheral surface outside a wheel of a car, wherein the peripheral surface can be a surface of an automobile fender, a wheel arch panel or a wheel housing panel. With reference to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> for a perspective view of each light emitting device installed in a car in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the light emitting member <b>10</b> is installed at a fender <b>52</b> outside a wheel <b>51</b>. In the second preferred embodiment as shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref>, each light emitting member <b>10</b> is installed on a surface of an automobile fender <b>52</b>, a wheel arch panel <b>53</b> or a wheel housing panel <b>54</b>, wherein the light emitting member <b>10</b> emits light towards the wheel <b>51</b> and outside the wheel <b>51</b>. In general, the wheel arch panel <b>53</b> is made of plastic and generally called a mudguard, and the wheel housing panel <b>54</b> is made of metal and generally called an iron wheel cover. It is noteworthy to point out that the present invention is not limited to the aforementioned materials only.

0023With reference to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 2 and 3</figref> for a detailed illustration of the technical characteristics of the aforementioned embodiments, the wheels <b>51</b> as shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> include at least two right wheels and at least two left wheels. It is noteworthy to point out that the four wheels as shown in the figure are provided for the illustration purpose only, but the present invention is not limited to four wheels only. In other words, the car of the present invention may have four wheels or more.

0024In <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>, the control unit <b>20</b> is linked to the automobile signal light control circuit <b>61</b>, such that if the signal light control circuit <b>61</b> controls a right-turn signal light to blink, the control unit <b>20</b> will control the corresponding light emitting member <b>10</b> outside the right wheel <b>51</b> to blink, too. If the signal light control circuit <b>61</b> controls a left-turn signal light to blink, the control unit <b>20</b> will control the corresponding light emitting members <b>10</b> of the left wheel <b>51</b> to blink, too. Therefore, automobile light emitting device of the present invention can remind car drivers, motorcycle riders, bicycle riders and passengers about a car at the front or nearby which is ready to make a turn (or making a turn) to avoid car accidents and improve road safety.

0025Further, if the signal light control circuit <b>61</b> controls the right-turn signal light or turns off the left-turn signal light, the control unit <b>20</b> will turn off the light emitting members <b>10</b> outside all wheels <b>51</b>.

0026With reference to <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref> for a schematic block diagram of an automobile light emitting device in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, the automobile light emitting device also comprises a plurality of light emitting members <b>10</b>, a control unit <b>20</b> and an electric connection circuit <b>30</b>, wherein the control unit <b>20</b> is linked to the automobile central lock control unit <b>62</b>, and each light emitting member <b>10</b> is installed at a door handle <b>55</b> or a door handle recess <b>56</b> of a car door in accordance with a third preferred embodiment as shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref>, and the car door may be any car door of the car.

0027Each light emitting member can be installed at a car roof, such as a car antenna <b>57</b> installed at the car roof (as shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 6</figref>), a convertible top rack <b>58</b> (as shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 7</figref>) and an automobile shark fin <b>59</b> (as shown in <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 8</figref>).

0028In the automobile light emitting device of the second preferred embodiment, if the central lock control unit <b>62</b> controls and opens the door lock of the car door, the control unit <b>20</b> turns on the light emitting member <b>10</b> to actively notify people around about the automobile door lock being opened already, so that the passengers can open the car door and enter into the car immediately. If the passengers have entered into the car and closed the car door and the central lock control unit <b>62</b> controls and closes the door lock of the car door, the control unit <b>20</b> will turn off the light emitting member <b>10</b>. Therefore, the light emitting member is provided for informing the passengers that the door lock is opened without the need of waiting for the driver to tell them, so as to save the precious time and physical strength of the passengers, particularly in poor weather conditions, such as a hot sunny day or a rainy day in an outdoor car park without any shelter.

0029In <figref idrefs="DRAWINGS">FIG. 9</figref>, the control unit <b>20</b> further comprises first, second and third relays <b>21</b>, <b>22</b>, <b>23</b>, and the central lock control unit <b>62</b> can issue an open signal <b>621</b> to control and open the door lock or a close signal <b>622</b> to control and close the door lock. If the central lock control unit <b>62</b> issues the open signal <b>621</b>, the first and third relays <b>21</b>, <b>23</b> are electrically connected to turn on the light emitting member <b>10</b>. If the close signal <b>622</b> is issued, the second relay <b>22</b> will not be electrically connected, and the light emitting member <b>10</b> will not be turned on.

0030It is noteworthy to point out that the automobile light emitting device of the present invention has the following advantages:

00311. Each light emitting member is linked to the automobile signal light control circuit through the control unit, such that when the left-turn or right-turn signal light is turned on, each light emitting member can be turned on simultaneously to remind pedestrians, passengers, motorcycle riders and bicycle riders to stay away from the moving car or a car ready to make a turn. The invention breaks through the conventional concept of the signal light and adopts an active way of providing the warning effect.

00322. Each light emitting member is linked to the automobile central lock control unit through the control unit to inform passengers about the central lock being unlocked and allow the passengers to enter into the car quickly and safely, particularly in poor weather conditions such as a hot sunny day or a rainy day in an outdoor car park without any shelter, so that the passengers need not wait for the driver to tell them, so as to save precious time and physical strength.

00333. Each light emitting member is linked to the automobile central lock control unit through the control unit to provide the function of locating a car, wherein the central lock control unit is provided for turning on the light emitting member at the car roof. Therefore, the light emitting device of the invention can be installed at the highest position of the car (such as a car antenna, a convertible rack, or an automobile shark fin) to provide a convenient identification to facilitate car owners to find their cars.

0034In summation of the description above, the present invention provides a more feasible automobile light emitting device to improve over the prior art and complies with the patent application requirements, and is thus duly file for patent application. While the invention has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.