I’m looking for information about how to market ideas. I come up with ideas all the time and am looking to make a little extra $$$ on it.
INVENTION TITLE
Solar powered bicycle safety light activated by darkness and motion.
DESCRIPTION
[Para 1] The present invention relates to a solar powered bicycle safety light automatically activated by darkness and motion.
[Para 2] The “See Me Safety Light” uses rechargeable batteries and a solar cell to recharge the batteries when driven in sunlight. It is mounted on the top middle bar of the bike frame with the solar collector pointing upwards where it can get plenty of sun. Alternatively, a vibration powered generator can be used to charge the batteries.
[Para 3] The unit is disk shaped with 6 light emitting diodes mounted horizontally on the rim of the disk. These lights flash or rotate in a pattern so as to get the attention of drivers that a bike is near.
[Para 4] The unit is automatically turned on when it is both dark and the bike is being ridden. It has a light-detecting switch that is activated by darkness much the same way as solar-powered yard lights work. However if the bike isn’t being ridden then this too would waste power at night.
[Para 5] So additionally the unit has a motion sensing switch so that the light only activates when the bike is being ridden. This motion sensor could be either a proximity detector or a vibration detector so that the movement of the bike activates the light.
[Para 6] Because the device is a disk that sits on the mid frame of the bike and uses at least 6 LEDs it can be seen from all directions.
[Para 7] The device is comprised of the following:
- o The device consists of:
- o 1) A wheel – horizontally mounted on the top mid bike frame or optionally on the front or rear fenders. This is the body of the device holding all the components together.
- o 2) 6 or more LED lights.
- o 3) A solar cell mounted on top for charging or alternatively a vibration powered generator.
- o 4) A light detector to detect if it is night.
- o 5) One or more rechargeable batteries.
- o 6) A vibration/motion sensor so that the device knows the bike is being ridden.
- o 7) Some sort of controller device (chip) to look at light, vibration, motion, and to sequence the flashing of the LEDs.
- o 8 ) A mounting bracket to attach the device to the bike.
- o All elements are necessary. There are however a number of ways to determine if the bike is being ridden. A simple way would be a mechanical vibration switch so that the movement of the bike causes contacts to make and break signaling motion. If this is used the main controller would keep the unit on for about one minute after motion stops in case the rider is motionless for brief periods like waiting for a traffic light to change.
- o Another option might be a proximity sensor like what is used in security system that senses changes in the position in surrounding objects. This might be slightly more complex to implement but the device would be activated by the rider walking up to the bike and might be a security feature.
[Para 8] The wheel-shaped body holds all the components. The battery powers the device. The light sensor detects nighttime. The motion/vibration sensors detects that the bike is in use. The solar cell charges the battery when the bike is in the sun or a vibration generator charges the battery while the bike is ridden. The controller chip senses night and vibration to activate the LED flashing sequence at night and to turn off the device when the bike is not being ridden or in daylight. The solar cell charges the battery in the day time. Alternatively, a vibration generator made from a magnet and a coil is used to generate power from the motion of the bike to charge the batteries.
[Para 9] The wheel shaped body holds all the components. The battery powers the device. The light sensor detects night time. The motion/vibration sensors detects that the bike is in use. The solar cell charges the battery when the bike is in the sun. The controller chip senses night and vibration to activate the LED flashing sequence at night and to turn off the device when the bike is not being ridden or in daylight. The solar cell charges the battery in the day time.
[Para 10] The device would be assembled out of common components but might require a custom low power controller chip to make the device smart so it knows when to turn on and off based on the light sensor and the motion sensors. A plastic disk shaped body would need to be made as well as a mounting bracket to connect to the bike.
[Para 11] The user would attach the device to the top mid frame of the bicycle or optionally on the front or back fenders. The solar cell must point upwards so as to be exposed to sunlight.
[Para 12] It could also be used as warning lighting on any device where night time motion creates a need to alert people that things in the dark are moving around. In such a circumstance a beeper might be added for an audible alert.
[Para 13] The problem with current systems is that batteries have to be manually changed or recharged and that the bike rider has to manually have to turn the device on and off. The See Me Safety Light is self charging and self activating and deactivating.
What is claimed is:
[Claim 1]
ABSTRACT
[Para 14] Bicycles are often hit by cars at night because the driver doesn’t see the bicycle. Many bikes have flashing tail lights and a head light to be more visible at night but if the battery runs out the light doesn’t work. Sometimes the light is left on and the battery drains and then there is no safety light. Lights are visible from front and back but not from the sides. A safety light only works if the user remembers to turn it on, so people can see them, and off so the batteries don’t drain. The See Me Safety Light turns itself on and off by itself eliminating the need for the bike rider to remember. And because it charges in the sun or by a vibration generator the user doesn’t have to worry about batteries running down. This device increases safety because the device does it all for you. It eliminates the need for humans to charge the batteries, or turn the device on and off.
Sargasso, I bought a large dinner plate sized seat with gel padding and lots of springs. I can ride for hours now.
What Mark is looking for is a device that will seep bikers safe from cars at night.
hmmmm…. still thinking…. ok, I see a device that can sense fast movement of large metallic objects…. it also detects the noise of trucks and cars…. yes, yes, and checks for poor or non-existent street lighting… and has a sonic distance measurer to determine if the road is narrow or if it has a bike lane…. perfect… and if any of the above trigger it, the wheels don’t turn and a mechanical hand slaps the rider on the back of the head.
Put a pressure sensor in the seat, if you’re sitting, then it’s lighting.
This is a joke post right? People seem to be commenting as if this is a product going into production. lol
Hate to have my foot slip off the pedal with something like that waiting for me when I land, I mean the bar would be bad enough, I’d hate to impale myself on that thing.
Back to the “drawring” board Marc.
Don’t forget to add a USB port in case you want to recharge your laptop while you ride the bicycle.
a op-amp/comparator say CA3140EZ MOSFET will suffice for the controlling of your circuit with potential divider. also a cheepo ldr will do for your light sensor.
the l.e.d N22FN are nice too, super bright and cheep.
#25. my sentiments, exactly.
You missed out the best parts of filing for a patent: paying a lawyer $thousands to search for similar patents, then waiting 3 years before your patent is rejected for either being “obvious” or infringing on some other patent that was filed during the 3 year “waiting” period that it takes the patent office to process applications.
Or, if you’re lucky enough to get through all that and finally get a patent issued, then you can look forward to being sued by patent-troll lawyers who will claim that some part of your invention requires you to pay them a license fee. (Even if your invention doesn’t infringe in any way at all, you will still have to spend $thousands defending it).)
Good luck.
Marc–is this like your religion? Just a very clever demonstration of what is so wrong with what your present in a seemingly neutral way?
The Evil revealed thru innocence.
Well Done!
Placement of the light on the tube is not well thought out. It would limit the effectiveness of the light. the light would be blocked by the rider’s body to the sides (legs during pedaling) and rear (body, seat, and seat post). It would also make getting off the saddle to stand with feet on the ground difficult. The handlebars/stem along with the rider’s arms would also obscure the light from the front. The only place to put one light to be effective from all sides is on the helmet.
My bike street cred: I don’t own a car and ride my bike 10,000+ miles per year (6,000 miles for commuting). I used to manage a $3.5M/year bike shop and ran regional/national MTB teams for major manufacturers.
ooops….I meant to say top tube in the first sentence of my previous post.
Don’t put the light on the top bar; you could easily damage your family jewels, which is why bicycles don’t have anything on the top of the bar.
In regard to #23
“Drawring” not exactly a typo, lol
http://www.veoh.com/collection/NBC-Saturday-Night-Live/watch/v9127733z8KHn5sh
I’m still trying to figure out if this post is serious or not. Sounds like something The Onion would do.
good one rop i did a lighting design when studying electrical/electronic engineering and that crude design defiantly need’s working amaybe calculating the efficacy vs the lumen output.
Also photovoltaic cell aren’t very efficient and will properly limit you to the type of chemistry used in your battery with out the need of extra cost of electronics.
Like other have said you could make this thing really cheep.
Also another point to consider is the ware and tear of the l.e.d them selves you see they are very sensitive to operating temperature which if not used correctly will fail.
Area light source another thing to consider.
Light quality Color temperature good l.e.d’s are not cheep.
#21 JimR
“What Mark is looking for is a device that will seep bikers safe from cars at night.”
That’s a shotgun. Most bikers have one.
I think you meant ‘cyclists’
I hope the solar cells don’t need direct light to charge as they would be blocked by the rider as well as the lights. Now, if you were to use low powered laser lights…….
Oy. And I also meant “keep” instead of seep.
Your patent is obviously too detailed. You will never become a great patent squatter by having a detailed patent.
What you should have done is have no diagrams. Instead, just say “A method of putting a light on vehicle that moves, that is powered via an external power source, either directly or indirectly”.
Their you go, I have written it for you, all you have to do now is sit back and wait for someone to violate your patent, and sue them for millions.
I hear late night TV infomercials are the best way to go about filing for patents for new inventions…
I think you should call this the “nut sack remover”…