Emergency warning device

Claim 2

An emergency warning device for an automotive vehicle wherein the vehicle includes a trunk lid hinged along its upper edge to form a space between the trunk lid and body of the motor vehicle when the trunk lid is open and has a lower edge terminating directly above the rear bumper of the motor vehicle, the improvement comprising: a curtain support member having releasable mounting means at opposite ends thereof releasably attachable to the inner surface of said trunk lid, a curtain of brightly colored, flexible material having top and bottom ends, front and reverse surfaces, a message or symbol on said front surface indicating danger or caution at least a portion of which is visibly discernable within the bottom one-third of the length of said curtain nearest said bottom end, and means fixing the upper end of said curtain to said curtain support member such that rotation of said curtain support member will cause said curtain to be wound onto said curtain support member, said curtain being of a length such that when said releasable mounting means is attached to the inner surface of said trunk lid said curtain will extend alternately downwardly for visibly displaying said message or symbol rearwardly of the vehicle when the trunk lid is open, or forwardly through the space between said trunk lid and the body of the motor vehicle and rearwardly along the length of said trunk lid and beyond the lower edge thereof for visibly displaying said message or symbol discernable portion rearwardly of the vehicle when the trunk lid is closed, and lower connecting means at the bottom end of said curtain for releasably attaching said bottom end to a portion of the vehicle thereby holding said curtain in a substantially extended condition.

Claim 3

An emergency warning device according to claim 1, said curtain support member including magnets at opposite ends thereof.

Claim 4

An emergency warning device as defined in claim 1 wherein said lower attaching means includes a hem sewn in said bottom end of the curtain forming a passageway the width of said curtain, a rod disposed within said passageway, and releasable connectors at each end of said rod being releasably attachable to a portion of said vehicle.

Claim 5

An emergency warning device as defined in claim 1 wherein said material is plastic and is of "safety orange" color.

Claim 6

An emergency warning device adapted for use with disabled motor vehicles of the type provided with an exterior hinged trunk lid comprising: a roller assembly having a generally cylindrical cover tube with a longitudinal closed slot extending substantially the length of said tube, a roller member of approximately equal length to said tube concentrically and rotatably disposed within said cover tube, a ring at each end of said roller fixed to and rotatable with said roller, a circular outer edge of each of said rings in frictional, rotatable bearing contact with one end of the inner surface of said tube, and end cap means fixed to each ring for manually rotating said ring and said roller independently of said cover tube, releasable mounting means adjustable in length nonrotatably attaching said cover tube to the inner surface of said trunk lid, a flexible, elongated, rectangular warning sheet having a width less than the width of the closed slot in the tube, a top and a bottom end, front and reverse surfaces, and the upper end of said sheet being fixed to said roller, said sheet being of a length for extending alternately downwardly from the trunk lid to the lower rear portion of the vehicle when the trunk lid is open or forwardly through the space between the trunk lid and vehicle body and rearwardly along the length of the trunk lid and beyond the lower edge thereof when the trunk lid is closed, an open passageway along the bottom end substantially across the width of said sheet, a rod of a length greater than the length of said slot in the tube disposed within said passageway, spring means at opposite ends of said bar including a releasable connector, and a warning message on the front surface of said sheet located entirely within a square area at the bottom end of said sheet, said message being visibly discernable rearwardly of the vehicle for either of said sheet extensions.

Claim 7

An emergency warning device adapted for use with disabled motor vehicles of the type provided with an exterior hinged trunk lid comprising: a roller assembly having a generally cylindrical cover tube with a longitudinal closed slot extending substantially the length of said tube, a roller member of approximately equal length to said tube concentrically and rotatably disposed within said cover tube, a ring at each end of said roller fixed to and rotatable with said roller, a circular outer edge of each of said rings in frictional, rotatable bearing contact with one end of the inner surface of said tube, and end cap means fixed to each ring for manually rotating said ring and said roller independently of said cover tube, releasable mounting means adjustable in length nonrotatably attaching said cover tube to the inner surface of said trunk lid, a flexible, elongated, rectangular warning sheet having a width less than the width of the closed slot in the tube, a top and a bottom end, front and reverse surfaces, and the upper end of said sheet being fixed to said roller, said sheet being of a length for extending alternately downwardly from the trunk lid to the lower rear portion of the vehicle when the trunk lid is open or forwardly through the space between the trunk lid and vehicle body and rearwardly along the length of the trunk lid and beyond the lower edge thereof when the trunk lid is closed, an open passageway along the bottom end substantially across the width of said sheet, a rod of a length greater than the length of said slot in the tube disposed within said passageway, spring means at opposite ends of said bar including a releasable connector, and a warning message on the front surface of said sheet located entirely within a square area at the bottom end of said sheet, said message being visibly discernable rearwardly of the vehicle for either of said sheet extensions.

Claim 8

An emergency warning device according to claim 5, said rectangular sheet being of a length at least twice the length of said trunk lid.

Claim 9

An emergency warning device according to claim 5, said releasable mounting means for said cover tube being adjustable in length and releasably attachable to the inner surface of said trunk lid.

Claim 10

An emergency warning device according to claim 5, said releasable mounting means being defined by outer rings in surrounding relation to opposite ends of said cover tube, a tension spring attached to each of said outer rings and a suspension hook at the free end of each spring.

Claim 11

An emergency warning device according to claim 5, said end cap means each being defined by a circular disc having a greater diameter than the diameter of said cover tube, said cover tube being disposed between said end cap and prevented from longitudinal movement with respect to said roller member by said end cap.

Claim 12

An emergency warning device for a motor vehicle in which the vehicle is provided with an exterior trunk lid hinged along its upper end and terminating at its lower end above the rear bumper portion of the vehicle, the improvement comprising: an elongated flat mounting bar having releasable mounting means at opposite ends thereof releasably attachable to the inner surface of said trunk lid, a generally rectangular curtain composed of brightly colored flexible material having top and bottom ends, front and reverse surfaces, the top end of said curtain being attached to said mounting bar between said releasable mounting means, and said curtain being of a length between its top and bottom ends to extend from the point of releasable attachment to the inner surface of the trunk lid alternately in a downward direction when the trunk lid is open or extend forwardly through the space between the upper end of said trunk lid and the body of the motor vehicle then rearwardly over the entire length of the trunk lid, when the trunk lid is closed, lower connecting means at the bottom end of said curtain for releasably attaching said bottom end in either position beneath the trunk lid thereby securing said curtain for downward extension when the trunk lid is open or for extension over the external surface of said trunk lid when the trunk lid is closed, and a message on the front surface of said curtain located adjacent to the bottom end of said curtain for providing a visible display rearwardly of the vehicle when said curtain is in either of said extended relationships.

Claim 13

An emergency warning device for a motor vehicle in which the vehicle is provided with an exterior trunk lid hinged along its upper end and terminating at its lower end above the rear bumper portion of the vehicle, the improvement comprising: an elongated flat mounting bar having releasable mounting means at opposite ends thereof releasably attachable to the inner surface of said trunk lid, a generally rectangular curtain composed of brightly colored flexible material having top and bottom ends, front and reverse surfaces, the top end of said curtain being attached to said mounting bar between said releasable mounting means, and said curtain being of a length between its top and bottom ends to extend from the point of releasable attachment to the inner surface of the trunk lid alternately in a downward direction when the trunk lid is open or extend forwardly through the space between the upper end of said trunk lid and the body of the motor vehicle then rearwardly over the entire length of the trunk lid, when the trunk lid is closed, lower connecting means at the bottom end of said curtain for releasably attaching said bottom end in either position beneath the trunk lid thereby securing said curtain for downward extension when the trunk lid is open or for extension over the external surface of said trunk lid when the trunk lid is closed, and a message on the front surface of said curtain located adjacent to the bottom end of said curtain for providing a visible display rearwardly of the vehicle when said curtain is in either of said extended relationships.

Claim 14

An emergency warning device according to claim 10, said releasable mounting means being defined by permanent magnets mounted in holders at opposite ends of said mounting bar.

Claim 15

An emergency warning device according to claim 10, said lower connecting means defined by a rod extending through an opening along the bottom end of said curtain, and resilient cables extending through opposite ends of said rod including hook members at the end of each cable opposite to its attachment to said rod.

Claim 16

An emergency warning device according to claim 12, said cables being of a length for extension between the bottom end of said curtain and the lower end of the bumper on said motor vehicle.