1. A vehicle stabilization device for use in auto extrication and other stabilization operations, comprising:
a base plate for enabling emplacement of the device on an underlying support surface beneath the vehicle to be stabilized;
first and second extender members, each having a base end and a distal end, said members being hingedly connected to each other at their distal ends;
the said base ends of said members being rotably mounted to said base plate and the base ends being moveable toward each other from an initial spaced position; said reduction of spacing between the said base ends in conjunction with the hinged attachment of said distal ends increasingly inclining said extender members with respect to said base plate and thereby increasingly elevating the said distal ends above the base plate;
a vehicle contact and support member being secured to the distal hinged ends, which member elevates with the elevation of said distal ends, whereby said contact and support member contacts the overlying portion of the vehicle; and
means to retain the drawn together base portions in the position where contact with the vehicle is achieved, to provide stabilizing support to the vehicle.
2. A device in accordance with claim 1, including a spring biasing means connected to provide a force enabling said movement of said base ends toward each other, and further including a locking means for preventing said movement in the absence of manual release of the locking mean by an operator.
3. A device in accordance with claim 2 including a one way movement means for allowing the released spring biased member ends to move toward each other until contact with the overlying vehicle is achieved, while preventing reversal of the movement, whereby the support of the vehicle automatically holds or adjusts to a more elevated position without further operator attention.
4. A device in accordance with claim 3, wherein said base plate has a U-shaped cross-section, said one-way movement means comprising saw teeth extending along the bottom of longitudinally directed slots formed in the sides of said U-cross sectioned base plate, which teeth are engaged by a horizontal slide pin at the base end of the first of said extender members sliding into a notch between the saw teeth.
5. A device in accordance with claim 4, wherein said horizontal slide pin comprises the means for rotably attaching the first extender plate to said base plate; and wherein the second extender plate has a horizontal pin at its base end which is mounted for rotation at a fixed axis at the second end of said base plate.
6. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein said vehicle contact and support member comprises angle supports mounted at the non-adjacent sides of said extender members proximate to their distal ends one leg of each said angle support facing generally upward when the extender members are elevated, the generally upwardly facing sides forming at least part of a support surface for the said vehicle.
7. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the underside of said support plate is provided with a slip resistant surface.
8. A device in accordance with claim 2, wherein when said base ends of said extender members are in their maximum spaced position, the said extender plates lie substantially horizontally atop the support plate.
9. A device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the upwardly facing side of one said substantially flat extender members is provided with a handle to facilitate carrying of said device.
10. A vehicle stabilization device for use in auto extracation and other stabilization operations, comprising:
a base plate for emplacement of the device on an underlying support surface beneath the vehicle to be stabilized;
first and second extender members, each having a base end rotably attached to said base plate, the base ends being spaced from one another, the distance between the base plate attached ends of said extender members being adjustable; and the distal ends of said extender members being connected to each other by a hinge which enables the apex angle between the connected distal ends to be changed;
a support means for said vehicle being provided at the upwardly directed portions of said distal ends; reduction of said distance between said base plate attached ends decreasing the apex angle between said distal ends and elevating said support means above said base plate;
means for drawing said base ends together to a position where said support means is raised to contact the overlying vehicle portion; and
means to retain the drawn together base portions in the position where contact with the vehicle and support thereof is achieved.
11. A device in accordance with claim 10, including a spring biasing means connected to provide a force enabling said movement of said base ends toward each other, and further including a locking means for preventing said movement in the absence of manual release of the locking mean by an operator.
12. A device in accordance with claim 11, wherein said base plate has a U-shaped cross-section, and wherein a one-way movement of said base ends toward each other is enabled by saw teeth which extend along the bottom of longitudinally directed slots formed in the sides of said U cross-sectioned base plate, which teeth are engaged by a horizontal slide pin at the base end of the first of said extender members sliding into a notch between the saw teeth.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A driver information system in a vehicle, comprising:
a viewing direction recognition unit to recognize a driver’s viewing direction; and
an indicating unit to indicate a position of a critical event for when a deviation between the driver’s viewing direction and the position of the critical event situated from the driver’s viewpoint exceeds a limit value.
2. The driver information system of claim 1, wherein the indicating unit is active only when the deviation between the driver’s viewing direction and the position of the critical event exceeds the limit value.
3. The driver information system of claim 1, wherein the indicating unit is embodied for visual presentation of the critical event.
4. The driver information system of claim 1, wherein the indicating unit includes a laser pointer for generating a laser beam that presents the position of the critical event on an indicator visible to the driver.
5. The driver information system of claim 4, wherein the laser pointer is mounted in the vehicle interior and is directed onto a projection surface.
6. The driver information system of claim 5, wherein the projection surface is located on the dashboard.
7. The driver information system of claim 5, wherein the projection surface is located on or outside the windshield.
8. The driver information system of claim 1, wherein the indicating unit is embodied as a head-up display.
9. The driver information system of claim 1, wherein a dot or arrow traveling between the driver’s viewing direction and the position of the critical event is presentable in the indicating unit.
10. The driver information system of claim 1, wherein various symbols for characterizing the critical event are presentable in the indicating unit.
11. The driver information system of claim 1, wherein the viewing direction recognition unit encompasses an infrared camera directed onto an eye of the driver.
12. The driver information system of claim 1, wherein a critical event in the vehicle surroundings is indicated in the indicating unit.