GB2494917A

GB2494917A - Cycling jacket having directional and braking indicators

Info

Publication number: GB2494917A
Application number: GB1116510.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Aldwyn Thomas Whitehouse Eyres
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-09-23
Filing date: 2011-09-23
Publication date: 2013-03-27
Also published as: GB201116510D0

Abstract

A cycling jacket 3 is provided comprising a body portion 5 and a sleeve 4. The sleeve 4 includes an indicator system comprising a sensor 1 arranged to detect when an arm of a person wearing the jacket is raised, and a light 2 connected to the sensor. The light 2 is activated when an arm of the person wearing the jacket 3 is raised. The sensor 1may be an accelerometer. The indicator system may comprise a flex sensor arranged to detect when an arm of a person wearing the jacket is extended. The light 2 may be an electroluminescent wire. The jacket 3 may further comprise a braking warning system comprising a braking sensor arranged to detect deceleration, and a braking light connected to the braking sensor such that the light is activated when the jacket 3 experiences deceleration.

Description

Cycling Jacket

Field of the Invention

S The present invention concerns a jacket for use whilst cycling. More particularly, but not exclusively, this invention concerns a jacket having indicator lights which activate automatically when the wearer raises their arms to indicate.

Background ot the Invention

Each year many cyclists are killed because other road users do not see them, especially at night. In order to increase their visibility at night cyclists may attach lights to the front and/or rear of their bicycle. A disadvantage of this type of light is that., although it can help to alert other road users of the presence of the cyclist, it cannot provide any indicationabout intended changes of speed or direction.

Indicator lights are available for retro-fitting to bicycles, however the limited amount of space available on a bicycle means that the left and right indicators cannot be spaced very far apart, and therefore other road users may not understand that the light is an indicator light. Other drawbacks with this type of light is the fact that they are relatively complicated to fit to a bicycle, and they require the cyclist to remember to turn the indicators on and off using a handlebar mounted switch. These drawbacks have meant that very few cyclists use indicator lights.

Cyclists typically indicate that they will be turning left or right by projecting their left or right arm respectively, They may also move an outstretched arm up and down to indicate that they will be slowing down. This technique is reasonably effective in the daytime, but at night it can be difficult or impossible to see such arm signals.

Cyclists often wear fluorescent and/or retro-reflective jackets or tabards to increase their visibility at night.

Fluorescent tabards are convenient because they may be worn over the cyclist's regular clothing, but they do not enhance the visibility of the cyclist's arms. Even fluorescent jackets which do include sleeves can become dull with age, dirt and wear.

The present invention seeks to mitigate the above-mentioned problems. Alternatively or additionally, the present invention seeks to provide an improved cycling acket.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides, according to a first aspect, a cycling jacket comprising a body portion and a sleeve, wherein the sleeve includes an indicator system comprising at least one sensor arranged to detect when an arm of a person wearing the jacket is raised, and a light connected to the sensor such that the light is activated when an arm of the person wearing the jacket is raised and is not activated when said arm is not raised.

Advantageously, providing a light which activates automatically when a wearer of the jacket raises their arm allows the wearer to provide a highly visible indication of an intended speed or direction change whilst cycling without the need for the wearer to remember to operate a switch.

The sensor may comprise at least one accelerometer.

Preferably the at least one accelerometer is arranged to measure the orientation of the sleeve. The indicator system may comprise a flex sensor arranged to detect when an arm of the person wearing the jacket is extended. The light may be connected to the flex sensor such that the light is activated when an arm of the person wearing the jacket is both raised and extended and is not activated when said arm is not both raised and extended. Preferably the flex sensor is arranged to measure the relative angle between two adjacent parts of the arm of a cyclist wearing the jacket.

mbodiments of the invention having this feature advantageously do not activate the indicator light if the cyclist raises an arm which is bent, for example to scratch their head.

The light may comprise a length of electroluminescent wire. Alternatively the light may comprise an arrangement of LEDs. The light may be wrapped around the sleeve. The light may be arranged so as to form a pattern on the sleeve. The light may comprise a single light source. Alternatively the light may comprise a plurality of separate light sources.

Embodiments of the invention in which the light comprises a plurality of separate light sources benefit from the advantage that the light may continue to function even if one or more of the light sources fails.

The light may be arranged to flash repeatedly when it is activated. Alternatively the light may shine continuously when it is activated. The light may be visible from the front of the jacket and from the rear of the jacket when activated. Embodiments of the invention having this feature benefit from the advantage that the wearer's indication is visible to following traffic and to oncoming traffic.

The sensor may be connected to the light via a control device for controlling the light. The control device may be a programmable control device. The control device may be programmed with a plurality of different flash patterns. The control device may include a switch for switching between the plurality of different flash patterns. Providing several different flash patterns allows the wearer to select a pattern which is appropriate to the particular conditions on a given cycle journey and/or suits their personal preferences.

The cycling jacket may further comprise a braking warning system comprising a braking sensor arranged to detect when the jacket experiences deceleration, and a braking light connected to the braking sensor such that the light is activated when the jacket experiences deceleration and is not activated when the jacket experiences zero or positive acceleration. The braking sensor may be the same as the at least one sensor. Alternatively, the braking sensor may be different from the at least one sensor. The braking sensor may be an accelerometer. The braking light may comprise EL wire. The braking light may comprise a plurality of LEDs. The braking light may be visible from the rear of the jacket. The braking sensor may be connected to the braking light via a control device for controlling the light. The control device may be a programmable control device.

The present invention also provides, according to a second aspect, an indicator system for a cycling jacket as described above. The indicator system may include fixings arranged to removably attach to a cycling jacket. The S fixings, if present, may comprise strips of Velcro <RTM>.

Mternatively the fixings may comprise elasticated loops.

It will of course be appreciated that features described in relation to one aspect of the present invention may be incorporated into other aspects of the present invention. For example, the method of the invention may incorporate any of the features described with reference to the apparatus of the invention and vice versa.

Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings of which: Figure 1 shows a front view of a cycling jacket according to a first embodiment of the invention in a first configuration; Figure 2 shows a front view of the cycling jacket of Figure 1 in a second configuration; Figure 3 shows a rear view of the cycling jacket of Figure 1 in the first configuration; Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a sleeve of the cycling jacket of Figure 1; Figure 5 shows a first circuit diagram illustrating the controls of the cycling jacket of Figure 1; and Figure 6 shows a second circuit diagram illustrating the controls of the cycling jacket of Figure 1.

S Detailed Description

Figures 1 to 4 show an example cycling jacket according to the invention. The jacket 3 has a body portion 5 and two sleeves 4 and is ccnstructed from any suitable waterproof fabric known in the art. Each sleeve 4 has a three-axis accelerometer 1 (which itself consists of three separate internal accelerometers mounted orthogonally) housed in an acrylic box which is sewn into the fabric of the upper part of the sleeye such that the orientation of the accelerometer relative to the sleeve is fixed. The accelerometers 1 provide x,y and z values relating to their orientation with respect to gravity.

Each sleeve 4 is also provided with several elongate light sources 2 which are wrapped around the sleeve to form loops. In this example the light sources 2 are lengths of electroluminescent (EL) wire, There are seven loops on the right sleeve and five loops on the left sleeve, when the jacket is viewed from the front. The loops of EL wire glow yellow when a voltage of around 200V is applied to them. The loops of EL wire are sewn onto the sleeves of the jacket with transparent fishing line, however it will be appreciated that any fixing method known in the art which does not obscure a significant amount of the EL wire would

be equally suitable.

The accelerometers 1 and the light sources 2 are connected by lengths of electrical cable to a control box B slotted into in a pocket 6 provided on the back of the jacket 3. The control box 8 is an acrylic housing which contains all of the electronics required by the indicator system, including batteries to power the lights and a switch for switching between various flashing patterns. The pocket 6 has a Velcro <RTM> closure which holds the control box securely in the pocket but still allows the cables to exit the pocket. The pocket is large enough that the control box can be easily removed for access to the switch and/or batteries.

Figure 1 shows the jacket in a configuration in which neither sleeve is raised, and hence the lights 2 are turned off. Figure 2 shows the jacket in a configuration in which the right sleeve is raised and hence the lights 2 on the right sleeve are flashing. The control box 8 is programmed to activate the left and/or right light 2 when the angle calculated from the x, y, and z values measured by the corresponding accelerometer is greater than 70° (i.e. when the cyclists upper arm is near horizontal) The controls for the indicator system will now be explained with reference to the circuit diagrams shown in Figures 5 and 6. The control box 8 contains a programmable Arduino microcontroller 18, two MOSFETs 19 for allowing a lower powered input to control a high power output, a 9V battery (not shown), and two inverters 10 which convert the 9V DC of the battery to the 200V AC required by the EL wires 2. A single core cable 7 carries the data and the power supply between the accelerometers 1, the lights 2 and the control box 8. The microcontroller 18 reads the xyz data from the accelerometers and uses a program written in C++ to calculate when the arm is raised near horizontally and to output a signal through the outputs 0 and 1 shown in Figure 6. This signal goes to the HOSFETs 19 which in turn switch on the inverters 10. The inverters then provide the power to the lights 2.

In a second embodiment of the invention, which is not illustrated, the indicator system comprising the lights, accelerometers, control box and connecting cables are not permanently attached to a cycling jacket. Instead the acrylic boxes housing the accelerometers include Velcro <RTM> straps which allow the adcelerometers to be firmly secured to the sleeves of a cycling jacket being worn by a cyclist. In this embodiment the lights are provided as a pair of LED lamps similar to ordinary cycle lights, which also include Velcro <RTM> straps to enable them to be fixed to the sleeves of a cycling jacket. The control box may be inserted into any suitable pocket of the cycling jacket, however it is also provided with a clip which allows it to be attached to a belt so that it may be used with cycling jackets which do not have a suitable pocket. Even with jackets which do have suitable pockets, the belt clip feature advantageously allows these pockets to be used to carry other items.

In a third embodiment of the invention, which is not illustrated, a jacket according to the first embodiment additionally has flex sensors mounted on each sleeve. These flex sensors are provided at the inner elbow sections of the sleeves, and measure the angle of the elbow joint of a wearer of the jacket. The flex sensors are connected by lengths of cable to the control box, which is programmed to activate the indicator light on a given sleeve only when the accelerometers indicate that that sleeve is raised and that the flex sensors indicate that that sleeve is extended (i.e. that the elbow joint angle is greater than 1400.

In a fourth embodiment of the invention, which is not illustrated, a jacket according to the first embodiment S further includes a braking warming system. The braking warning system includes a brake light sewn on to the rear of the jacket. This light is a red LED lamp. The braking warning system also includes an accelerometer in the control box arranged to detect when a cyclist wearing the jacket is decelerating. The brake light is wired up to the control box such that the light is activated when the accelerometer in the control box detects that a cyclist wearing the jacket is decelerating. The light is arranged to be brighter or dimmer in proportion to the level of deceleration -i.e. greater deceleration means a brighter light.

Whilst the present invention has been described and -illustrated with reference to particular embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention lends itself to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein. For example, the indicator lights need not be yellow, any other bright colour would be equally suitable. The indicator system and/or braking warning systems could be powered by a power source other than batteries, for example solar cells or piezoelectric technology.

Where in the foregoing description, integers or

elements are mentioned which have known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining the true scope of the present invention, which should be construed so as to -10 -encompass any such equivalents. It will also be appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the invention that are described as preferable, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that such optional integers or features, whilst of possible benefit in some embodiments of the invention, may not be desirable, and may therefore be absent, in other embodiments.

Claims

<claim-text>-11 -Claims 1. A cycling jacket comprising a body portion and a sleeve, wherein the sleeve includes an indicator system comprising a sensor arranged to detect when an arm of a person wearing the jacket is raised, and a light connected to the sensor such that the light is activated when an arm of the person wearing the jacket is raised and is not activated when said arm is not raised.</claim-text> <claim-text>2. A cycling jacket according to claim 1, in which the sensor comprises at least one accelerometer.</claim-text> <claim-text>3. A cycling jacket according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the indicator system comprises a flex sensor arranged to detect when an arm of the person wearing the jacket is extended. The light may be connected to the flex sensor such that the light is activated when an arm of the person wearing the jacket is both raised and extended and is not activated when said arm is not both raised and extended.</claim-text> <claim-text>4. A cycling jacket according to any preceding claim, in which the light comprises a length of electroluminescent wire.</claim-text> <claim-text>5. A cycling jacket according to any preceding claim, in which the light is arranged to flash repeatedly when it is activated.</claim-text> <claim-text>-12 - 6. A cycling jacket according to any preceding claim, in which the light is visible from the front of the jacket and from the rear of the jacket when activated.</claim-text> <claim-text>7. A cycling jacket according to any preceding claim, in which the sensor is connected to the light via a control device for controlling the light.</claim-text> <claim-text>8. A cycling jacket according to claim 7, in which the control device is a programmable control device.</claim-text> <claim-text>9. A cycling jacket according to claim 7 or claim 8, in which the control device is programmed with a plurality of different flash patterns.</claim-text> <claim-text>10. A cycling jacket according to claim 9, in which the control device includes a switch for switching between the plurality of different flash patterns.</claim-text> <claim-text>11. A cycling jacket according to any preceding claim, in which the jacket further comprises a braking warning system comprising a braking sensor arranged to detect when the jacket experiences deceleration, and a braking light connected to the braking sensor such that the light is activated when the jacket experiences deceleration and is not activated when the jacket experiences zero or positive acceleration.</claim-text> <claim-text>12. A cycling jacket according to claim 11, in which the braking light is visible from the rear of the jacket.</claim-text> <claim-text>-13 - 13. An indicator system for a cycling jacket according to any of claims 1 to 10.</claim-text> <claim-text>14. A cycling jacket substantially as herein described with S reference to any of Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.</claim-text>