Powered mobility vehicle collision damage prevention device

Abstract

A collision damage prevention system is disclosed which may be installed on many standard powered mobility vehicles for handicapped persons. The system includes an array of one or more sensors placed around the periphery of the powered mobility vehicle, a switch for each sensor, and a central control module which receives input from the switches, turns the vehicle off and/or applies braking power to prevent damage from a collision. The system then prompts the operator to acknowledge the collision and guides the operator into the appropriate direction to move the vehicle's controls in order to move away from the object collided with.

The invention claimed is:  
     
         1 . A powered mobility vehicle collision damage prevention device comprising: 
 a. one or more sensor means for detecting contact or impending contact between a powered mobility vehicle and an object;    b. central control means connected to each of said sensor means for receiving input from said sensor means, wherein said central control means further comprises processor means for interpreting input from said sensor means and input/output means for communicating data to the user of said powered mobility vehicle.    
     
     
         2 . The powered mobility vehicle collision damage prevention device of  claim 1 , wherein said sensor means further comprises a tape switch.  
     
     
         3 . The powered mobility vehicle collision damage prevention device of  claim 1 , wherein said sensor means further comprises a ribbon switch.  
     
     
         4 . The powered mobility vehicle collision damage prevention device of  claim 1 , wherein said each of said sensor means further comprises a pneumatic sensor comprising a rubber bladder filled with air, with each of said pneumatic sensors being in fluid communication with a pneumatically operated switch further comprising a switch body having a pressure inlet and a pressure bleed, a diaphragm, and an actuator plate, wherein said diaphragm is located within said switch body between said pressure inlet and said actuator plate and wherein said diaphragm is free to move against said actuator plate in response to air pressure entering said pressure inlet, and wherein said pressure bleed is located on the same side of said diaphragm as said pressure inlet, with said pressure bleed connected to and in fluid communication with one end of a capillary outlet tube, with the other end of said capillary outlet tube being open to the surrounding atmosphere.  
     
     
         5 . The powered mobility vehicle collision damage prevention device of  claim 1  wherein said sensor means are connected to said powered mobility vehicle by means of a spring steel bumper attached to the periphery of said powered mobility vehicle.  
     
     
         6 . The powered mobility vehicle collision damage prevention device of  claim 2  wherein said tape switches are connected to said powered mobility vehicle by means of a spring steel bumper attached to the periphery of said powered mobility vehicle.  
     
     
         7 . The powered mobility vehicle collision damage prevention device of  claim 3  wherein said ribbon switches are connected to said powered mobility vehicle by means of a spring steel bumper attached to the periphery of said powered mobility vehicle.  
     
     
         8 . The powered mobility vehicle collision damage prevention device of  claim 4  wherein said pneumatic sensors are connected to said powered mobility vehicle by means of a spring steel bumper attached to the periphery of said powered mobility vehicle.  
     
     
         9 . The powered mobility vehicle collision damage prevention device of any of claims  1 - 8 , wherein said central control module further comprises a reset timer, wherein said reset timer begins to run upon a collision between said powered mobility vehicle and said object, and wherein the length of time during which the reset timer runs may be adjusted, and wherein said central control module is reset when said reset timer reaches the end of said length of time.  
     
     
         10 . The powered mobility vehicle collision damage prevention device of  claim 9 , wherein said input/output means further comprises a display panel having a reset switch, a power switch, a ready-to-move light, and one or more directional information lights, with each of said directional information lights corresponding to one of said sensor means, and wherein said display panel further shows a display of said powered mobility vehicle, with said directional information lights placed on the display panel around the display of said powered mobility device, wherein each of said directional information lights is placed around said display of said powered mobility device in a location approximately corresponding to the physical location of each of said directional information light's corresponding sensor means, and wherein said power switch will turn said powered mobility vehicle collision damage prevention device off without affecting normal operation of said powered mobility vehicle.  
     
     
         11 . A method for preventing damage resulting from a collision between a powered mobility vehicle and an object comprising: 
 a. detecting said collision;    b. stopping said powered mobility vehicle using shutdown means;    c. displaying information about said collision on a user interface, wherein said information comprises the fact that said collision has occurred and the location of said collision;    d. prompting the user of said powered mobility vehicle to move said powered mobility vehicle away from said object; and    e. displaying directions on how to move said powered mobility vehicle away from said object to said user on said user interface; and    f. automatically resetting said shutdown means after a preset time interval.