Helmet or head mounted bicycle lights

Abstract

A bicycle light system has front and rear (white and red) lights with mounting brackets to secure on a bicycle helmet. A battery is contained in the rear light casing, with an electrical cord extending between the front and rear light casings. The front light casing has controls for both front and rear lights, which can include different power levels and preferably a flash mode for the front light. Helmet or headstrap mountings for the front and rear light casings have a quick-release feature enabling the lights to be easily and quickly removed from the helmet or headstrap, such as for recharging. Multiple selectable lights can be included in the front light assembly. In an embodiment, any of a series of different front light assemblies can be plugged into the rear assembly. For marine use appropriate light colors can be provided.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention concerns lighting for bicycles and other uses, and especially a compact set of front and rear lights to be mounted on the bicycle rider's helmet or on a headstrap or other headgear.

Bicycle riders have had a wide array of different options for night lighting, both to illuminate the path ahead and to warn those behind in vehicles or on other bicycles, using a red rear-facing light. These have included handlebar-mounted front lights, including high-powered lights connected to battery packs secured to bicycle frame bars, lower-powered head lamps that mount on handlebars with batteries contained in the light housing, and some lights provided for mounting on the rider's helmet. These helmet lights include bike lights marketed by Exposure Lights of West Sussex, England, under the name JOYSTICK, which have a helmet mounting for securing the flashlight-shaped light housing, containing a rechargeable battery, to the top center of a helmet. This is done with a bracket mounting configured to extend through a top center vent of the helmet with two opposed disc-like elements then screwed to draw them together to clamp onto the helmet. The flashlight casing has a rear port into which a connector can be secured to conduct power through a cord to a red rear light if desired. The red rear light is provided with a short cable and a VELCRO strap to secure directly to the helmet. Such lights positioned at a high point on top of the rider's helmet put considerable weight at a high location, tending to make the helmet feel top heavy. The rider can feel the high center of gravity on the helmet, especially from the weight of batteries in the flashlight housing. In addition, this top projection on the helmet is subject to being damaged and knocked off the helmet by objects such as tree branches. Switch control of the light is not convenient when riding. Further, in a helmet with a top center rib, as is most typical currently (rather than a center vent), the Exposure Light device must be off-center because it must be positioned over a vent.

There is a need for an efficient, compact and lightweight helmet-mounted lighting system for bicycle riders, or headstrap-mounted for kayakers or for other pursuits, in which front and rear lights are mounted in low positions in the helmet or headstrap, controls for light settings are conveniently accessible, selection of lighting can be provided, and removal of the lights from the helmet or from the head or other headgear is quick and efficient without requiring disconnection of mounting brackets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system of bicycle lighting or head-mounted lighting of the invention includes front and rear lights connected by a cable and each being mountable on a bicycle helmet, headstrap or other headgear. The preferably red rear light has a casing that contains a rechargeable battery (although it could be non-rechargeable) and is positioned at a low position at the rear of the helmet (or on a headstrap). The separate front light assembly, without battery in primary embodiments, has a swivel-mounted casing (for up/down aim adjustment) on a base secured at a low position at the front of the head, and this casing includes the manual control for light power settings. The front lamp is powered by the rear casing battery, via the cable, in main embodiments. In one variation the front assembly plugs into the rear assembly but also contains its own rechargeable battery so that it can be used independently for short durations. The battery in front can be recharged by the rear light casing battery, or by a wall charger.

Mounting brackets for each of the front and rear lights are easily secured to opposed positions on the helmet or headstrap and can remain in place, with the light casings themselves being quickly removable from the brackets for recharging or for security. The front mount includes a backing, enabling the front light to be mounted over either a rib or a vent of a helmet.

An important feature of the invention is that the primary weight of the light system is mounted low at the rear of the helmet or headgear, in the casing that holds the red rear light or lights, with the front light also mounted low on the helmet or headstrap and powered through a cable connected to the rear of the casing. Controls are conveniently positioned on the front light, controlling both the front and rear lights as to power and flash status. Another important feature is that the front light includes an amber light providing side lighting toward both sides, thus providing for 360° visibility of the rider. The amber side light can also be included on the rear light.

In a variation the front light assembly has both white and red (or another color) lamps, either of which can be selected by a user via a switch on the front assembly. A red light, for example, may be preferred by a night kayaker as a position marker, when white light would be more distracting than helpful. Sailors also may switch to red (or another color) light for map reading, etc. where white light would temporarily reduce night vision. Other colors may be included for particular activities.

In a related embodiment spot or flood lighting may be selectable for projection from the front light housing.

Another feature of the invention in a preferred embodiment is that a series of different front or head units can be provided, with different lighting characteristics such as spot, flood, different levels of brightness, different endurances, and/or different colors. After the front light is plugged into the rear light unit, one of the light units takes over as master module and the other acts as a slave module. In the preferred embodiment, the rear light is able to identify the front light either by reading the resistance value of a resistor contained in the front light, or by downloading profile data from a memory chip in the front light. In another variation, the front light acts as master and performs the identification step. Using data stored in the master module and/or data downloaded from the slave module, the master module knows whether there is a battery in the slave module, the power output required to drive the LEDs in each module, and what to do based on button presses detected from either module. For example, if the user plugs in a head unit that can run with very high power (e.g. 600-700 lumens), the rear unit will recognize this and can send the appropriate power level, via an electronically-controlled power control circuit. If a lower-power front unit is plugged in, the power unit electronics will recognize this and send a lower level of power. The master module controls all outputs while the systems are connected and monitors the available power level in one or both batteries to provide output as long as there is power available to drive the various LEDs. In an alternative embodiment, the rear battery could act as a backup, being manually selectable for additional power when needed or desired.

The battery if rechargeable is conveniently recharged by quick removal of both lights from their mounting brackets and use of a micro USB cable for recharging, which can be a mobile phone recharging cable, or the battery can be recharged from a computer using the same type of connection. The battery remains in the housing for charging. For charging, lights can be left on the helmet as well, since the recharge port is readily accessible when the lights are on the helmet. In one preferred embodiment the cable between front and rear connects to the rear housing with a USB plug into a USB port on the housing, rather than being hard-wired. For charging the cable is simply removed and a recharging cable is plugged into that same USB port.

The front and rear lights can easily be attached to a helmet (or a headstrap if similar base elements are used) even with the helmet on the user's head. The quick connect/disconnect attachments to the base allow for attachment by feel.

It is therefore among the objects of the invention to improve over prior head worn night lights, through the provision of a front and rear lighting system easily attachable to a helmet or headstrap and mounted at low positions at front and rear of the head, with quick removal of the lights from a helmet, versatility in use, convenient recharging, and minimal total weight. These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment, considered along with the accompanying drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a profile view showing a bicycle helmet with the lighting system of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a front light of the lighting system.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view in perspective showing the front light assembly with its mounting base.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are perspective views showing attachment of the front light housing to its base in a quick-disconnect arrangement.

FIG. 4 is a rear view of the rear light of the lighting system.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view indicating assembly of the rear light/battery housing to its mounting base.

FIGS. 6, 6A and 6B are exploded perspective and side views and a sectional view showing the back side of the rear light/battery casing to its base, with FIG. 6B showing the two components attached together.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view indicating components and assembly of the rear/light battery casing.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the light apparatus of the invention on a kayaking helmet.

FIG. 9 is a side elevation view to show the light apparatus as worn on a headband.

FIG. 10 is an exploded view similar to a part of FIG. 3, showing a variation of the front light assembly, with multiple selectable lights.

FIGS. 11 and 12 are sectional plan and frontal views showing the variation indicated in FIG. 10.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a bicycle helmet 10 on which the lighting system 12 of the invention is mounted, in a preferred embodiment. The lighting system 12 includes a front-mounted forward light assembly 14 and a rear-mounted light assembly 16 that also contains a battery or batteries for both the front and rear lights. The rear light assembly 16 connects to the front light 14 by a small cable 18. As seen in the drawing, each of the light assemblies has a housing or housing assembly 14a, 16a, that connects to a base 20, 22, respectively, these bases being secured by straps to the helmet 10. The straps are passed through openings in the helmet at or near the front and rear, with the bases 20, 22 bearing against helmet structure between openings. The bases 20 and 22 are mounted at positions low on the helmet, for a low center of gravity, particularly the rear light assembly 16 that includes the battery or batteries, which are a large portion of the weight of the entire assembly 12. The total weight of the lighting system in a preferred form is less than about 135 grams, more preferably less than about 130 grams, with most of the weight (about 70% to 75%) in the rear assembly 16. The front light 14 is mounted approximately as far forward on the helmet as possible as determined by the vent opening configuration, thus as low as possible at front. Its light housing 14a pivotally adjusts within a vertical sagittal plane, on a transverse horizontal pivot axis 14b. The rear light 16 is mounted against an angled, nearly vertical rear-facing tail surface 23 as present on a typical helmet, via vent openings at that location. In a preferred embodiment the center of gravity of the lighting system is about halfway up the height of the helmet, or lower, although the user can choose to place one or both of the lights higher if desired.

As illustrated in some of the other drawing figures, the front 14 and rear 16 light assemblies are quickly removable from their bases. In this preferred embodiment the rear housing 16a is simply pulled outwardly free of the base 22, while at the front a lever 24 is pushed downwardly toward the helmet to enable sliding the forward light downward/forward to remove it. The assembly can thus be removed in a second or so, for charging via the rear housing 16a or for security against theft.

FIG. 2 shows a profile of the front light assembly 14, showing the main front housing or casing 14a as pivotally mounted at 14b on its release lever 24 (the term front light housing as used herein includes the casing and the release lever). The base 20, to which the mounting lever 24 is attached, is shown without its strap. The front light 14 directs light forward but also preferably includes a side light 26 directing an amber colored light toward both sides. This side lighting can be provided by the same light source (preferably an LED) that provides the forward lighting. A switch button is at 36 on the top of the light housing, which may provide for selecting among several operation modes, as discussed below.

FIG. 3 shows in an exploded view the major components of the front light assembly 14 (the front window, bezel and reflector details are not shown in this view). The drawing shows the front housing 14a with pivot connection 14b to the release lever or latch 24, via a bearing hole 28 and a fastener 30, washers 32 and a ratchet washer 34. The housing receives a control switch button 36 that operates an internal switch by a switch button pusher 38 that also provides a tactile feedback to the user. All control of front and rear lights preferably is via this switch button 36, readily accessible by the user with the front light assembly 14 mounted at the front of the housing as shown in FIG. 1. In a preferred sequence of light settings the rear light (red) preferably always flashes, with the front light sequences being bright; dim; and flashing at the dim level. The amber light is on whenever the lights are on, and its source preferably is the main (white) LED. Holding the button down turns the lights off. Other selections can be provided as explained below.

In another embodiment the rear light can be separately switched, to provide more options for rear light function. In this case the light system, including both lights, is switched on/off with the switch button 36 on the front light housing, but a switch or switches are also included on the rear light housing to allow the user to select between Flash/Pulse/Steady/OFF for the rear light. Thus, when the system is powered the headlight comes on high and cycles to medium, low and flash, via further inputs with the button 36. The rear light is also energized when the front light is on, but the user can turn it off or select an alternative mode, i.e. flash or pulse. This is discussed further below.

FIG. 3 also shows a printed circuit board 36 which includes an LED 38, and amber side windows 40 through which a portion of the light from the LED 38 passes, for side lighting. These windows are seated in side window openings 42 of the housing. Other optics of the forward light are not shown but can be conventional. Note that for kayaking application, these side windows 40 can be red at port side and green at starboard side, rather than amber. In that application both the front headlight and the tail light would preferably be white.

FIG. 3, along with FIGS. 3A and 3B, also illustrates the interaction between the latching lever or release lever 24 and the base 20 for the front light. The latch lever has left and right upwardly extending hooks or locking barbs 44 that, along with the edges 46 of the lever latch 24, slide under a pair of flanges 48 that are spaced out from a floor 50 of the base and form a slot for the lever, then snap up and latch against ends 48a of the flanges to hold the light housing in place on the base. A spring tab 51 angles up from the floor 50 to hold the lever 24 up in the locked position. Depressing of the end 24a of the lever, down toward the base floor 50, releases the lever latch and the light casing from the base, allowing the housing to be slid out from the base. The rider has easy access to the lever 24, as can be seen from FIG. 1.

At the back of the base 20 is a rubbery or elastomeric grip 20a for engaging the helmet. A strap 52 is indicated in the drawings. Preferably it is connected in an essentially fixed way to an opening 54 at one side of the base, passing through that opening and being stopped by an end stop 52a of the strap, then being looped around through the helmet at rear and coming forward through a slot on the opposite side, not visible in FIG. 3 but directly adjacent to a strap locking post 55 over which one of the holes 52b of the strap can be engaged for appropriately tightening the base on the helmet. FIGS. 3A and 3B show the strap in place in the hole 54 with the end stop 52a engaging around the hole. A mount backer disc 56 with strap openings 58 can be provided for positioning on the inside of the helmet, to receive the strap 52 as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, for a helmet having a center vent rather than a center rib. Note also, the light assembly can be worn on a headstrap (as for kayaking, see FIG. 9 discussed below) using a headstrap connected in this way, or slipped through the slot and another similar slot (not shown) on the other side of the base 20.

FIG. 4 is a back view of the rear light/battery casing assembly 16. In this preferred embodiment the rear light has three LEDs 60, as seen in FIG. 5 on a PC board 62, projecting at 60 in FIG. 4 surrounded by reflectors 64 and 65 (on a unitary body), which may be approximately parabolic depending on how broad an angle of rear projection is desired. Those reflectors preferably are shaped to project a beam having greater width than height.

Amber side light can be provided in the rear light assembly, as well as (or alternative to) the front. Side light LEDs can be included on the PC board 62 in FIG. 5 and are discussed further in reference to FIG. 7.

A rear light switch can optionally be provided, as noted above, for control of the rear light. The main switch 36 on the front light assembly 14 energizes the rear light, but a rear light switch 66 can be provided for control of the rear light while powered by the main switch. The rear switch 66 is in a convenient location for finger operation. This will allow the user to select among Flash/Pulse/Steady/OFF for the tail light.

FIG. 5 shows a part of the rear light assembly in detail in exploded view, and FIGS. 6, 6A and 6B show details. FIG. 7 shows essentially the entire assembly of the rear light/battery casing 16. A battery 68, which can be a single cell lithium-ion battery, fits into the casing 16a at 70 (the battery could also be non-rechargeable, replaceable via access at the back of the casing (not shown)). The cable 18 fits into the housing 16a through a strain relief bushing 72, for the hard-wired version shown. It can also be connectable to either the rear housing or to the front housing (or both) via plug-in. In FIG. 6A the cable 18 and bushing 72 are shown in dashed lines (as one option) and a micro USB port is indicated at 92a (protective flap cover shown). The same port can be used to charge the battery when the cable 18 is removed. The front light housing can have this as well.

FIG. 5 shows the base 22, indicating, along with FIGS. 6, 6A and 6B, how the housing 16a connects with the base in a manner that allows quick release from the base. The base 22 includes four openings 74 and 76 for receiving the four locking tabs 78 fixed to the back side of the casing 16a. The connection between the casing and the base 22 allows for different, 90°-rotated orientations between the two components, with two of the base openings 76 only accommodating the locking tabs but not engaging with them. The openings 74, shown at upper and lower positions in FIG. 5 but which could be rotated to left and right positions (depending on the helmet), have spring tabs 74a that are mounted on plastic leaf springs 74b so that when the housing is pressed against the base two opposed locking tabs 78 of the housing snap over the spring-biased tabs 74a in the openings 74 and firmly retain the housing to the base. Adjacent to each of the spring locking tabs 74a is a slot 80 to receive a strap 82 that can have hook and loop fasteners so as to securely connect the base 22 to a helmet. Slots (not shown) can also be provided for a horizontally-inserted headband strap, as discussed below. A mount pad 83 of a flexible, conformed material fits into the front side (appearing rear in FIG. 5) of the rear base 22. It fits into spaces in that side of the base, as partly visible in FIG. 6.

FIG. 7 shows essentially the entire assembly of the rear light 16, including the components described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 and also including a combined reflector body 16b, a gasket 84, a retro reflector 86 that seats against the reflector 16b and provides a retro reflector surrounding the LED lights, and a lens or window 88 (forming a part of the housing 16a). Machine screws 90 are shown, for passing through the back part of the housing 16a, through the PC board 62 and connecting with the reflector body 16b. The PC board 62 has a charging port (not shown) that extends to an opening at the bottom of the housing 16a, preferably a micro USB charging port, the PC board being connected to the battery 68. The charge port plug 92 is shown for assembly up into the housing 16a, providing the rubbery flap 92a to cover the charging port. This allows the battery 68 to be charged with a standard cell phone charger or a micro USB cable connected to a computer. In another embodiment the USB port is at the top of the housing, in the position of 72, providing a single connection port (as discussed above) for receiving the cable 18 in use of the light assembly, and for removing that cable and inserting a micro USB charging plug for charging the battery.

As can be seen or envisioned from FIG. 7, amber side light LEDs on assembly can be positioned adjacent to small side reflectors to project the side lighting as desired.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show the lighting assembly of the invention as worn on a kayaking or other sport helmet, and as worn directly on the head, with a headstrap. In FIG. 8 the front and rear lighting assemblies 14 and 16 are secured to a helmet 100 such as used for kayaking or other sports using the same bases as described above with regard to the bicycle helmet and similarly using straps to secure the bases to the helmet. The front light assembly 14 preferably is connected to the rear light assembly 16 by a cable as in the earlier embodiment, but the cable is not shown in FIG. 8.

Some helmets may not have convenient structure for the strap attachment to the helmet as discussed above and indicated in FIG. 8. A simple VELCRO attachment can be used for such helmets, with one side of the VELCRO adhered to the helmet (each of front and rear), and the opposing VELCRO patches secured to the bases (20 or 22, above) to removably attach the bases to the helmet. Note that the clips described above will allow quick release of each of the front and rear light assemblies from the bases.

FIG. 9 shows the lighting system of the invention for use without a helmet, retained on the head of a user 102 by a headstrap 104. Again this can be for kayakers, who often do not wear helmets, or for other night sports or activities, including work activities. As noted above, the front assembly 14 can be connected to the headstrap 104 using the strap arrangement described above, or with two slots (left and right) on the base 20 that the strap can pass through. The rear assembly 16 can be attached similarly, or the rear housing 16a could be provided directly with slots through which the headstrap can pass. For a lighting assembly of universal application, the rear base 22 can have provision for the strap, allowing the lighting system to be used in different mounting situations and conditions. As in FIG. 8, the electric cable connecting the front light assembly 14 with the rear light/battery assembly 16 is not shown in FIG. 9. If desired the cable could be replaced by conductors contained within the headstrap, with an appropriate connection from each of the front and rear assemblies to the headstrap.

Different color lighting can be used for kayaking or other night water activities, as noted above. The side windows 40 which preferably are amber for night bicycle riding can be red at the port side (left) of the user and green at the starboard side (right) of the user, to conform with conventional marine lighting. The rear light, as well as the front head lamp, will preferably be white.

The helmet-mounted light apparatus is light in weight, no more than about 130 to 135 grams as discussed above. At high front beam the light exhibits run time of about two hours; at low front beam about four hours; and on flash mode about ten hours. Charge time may be about five hours or less. Total light output (high) is about 110 to 120 lumens, with the rear light about 4 lumens, although this could be higher. Light output can be considerably greater if a front housing battery is included, as discussed below.

FIGS. 10-12 show a variation in which the front light assembly 14c is provided with multiple lighting sources, selectable by the user. The drawings show two surface mounted LEDs 60 on an LED circuit board 62a, and the drawing also shows an option wherein the front light assembly includes its own rechargeable battery 110. The front housing 14d is slightly larger to accommodate this battery, and a combined reflector structure 112 is provided for the two different LEDs 60, but the front assembly construction is otherwise similar to that described above. A window or port 114 and a front retaining bezel 116 are shown, as well as other components, in this exploded view.

FIGS. 11 and 12 show that the reflectors 112a and 112b for the two LEDs may be different. In one embodiment, spot and flood lights are included, selectable by the user (but an option for powering both simultaneously may be included). A spot reflector is indicated at 112a, while a wider, flood reflector is indicated at 112b. A micro USB port is indicated on the housing at 118. This can be a charging port only, for charging the front assembly battery; or a connection for the cable 18; or both. The electronics can be set to allow charging of both batteries from the rear assembly alone, if desired.

The two different selectable LEDs can also produce white light (e.g. via the reflector 112a) and another color of light (e.g. at the reflector 112b), a non-white light such as red or another color intended for a particular application.

As discussed above, the rear housing preferably includes electronics that manage power draw from the respective batteries at front and rear, in the case where the system includes a front assembly battery 110 as in FIG. 10. The electronics will also determine which of a series of different head or front units have been plugged into the rear unit, and provide and manage power output accordingly, as described above.

Several other features of the described preferred embodiment can be varied. For example, other means of attachment of the front and rear bases to the helmet can be used. The bases, or either of them, could be glued or otherwise adhered onto the helmet (as with some sports cameras), especially for non-conventional helmets which have no convenient vent openings or ribs. They could be affixed with machine bolts, screws or other features. The bases (or either of them) could have electrical contacts to engage with contacts on the front and/or rear light housings, with the wire cable fed through the inside of the helmet, between bases. Thus, the rear housing alone could be removed for charging. Another variation is a custom bicycle helmet having the bases built in or affixed and with conductors in the helmet connecting the two bases. The conductors could comprise a cable or conductive strips or traces in the helmet, and the term electric cable is to be understood broadly. The term mounting base as used in the claims includes a base integral or permanently attached to a housing, especially in the case where the housings are to be secured to a headband.

The above described preferred embodiments are intended to illustrate the principles of the invention, but not to limit its scope. Other embodiments and variations to these preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

Claims

1. A lighting system to be supported on the head of a user, on a headstrap or a helmet worn by the user, comprising: a front light assembly including a mounting base for mounting at front on a headstrap or on a helmet at or adjacent to a most forward point on the helmet or the headstrap, the front light assembly including a front light housing with a pivot adjustment to adjust the aim of the light up or down, and the front light assembly including a white first light source as well as a second light source producing a beam different from the first light source,a rear light assembly configured to project light in a rearward direction, the rear light assembly having a mounting base for securing to a headstrap or to a helmet at a rear position, on a rear-facing tail portion of the helmet or headstrap, the rear light assembly including a rear housing holding a battery,an electric cable connecting the rear light housing with the front light housing,a main switch on exterior of the front light assembly, accessible for manual use by a user, the main switch effective to switch on the front and rear lights, and to select between the first light source and the second light source at the front light assembly, by connecting desired lights to power,the front light housing including means for projecting light toward both left and right sides, the light toward left being red and the light toward right being green, whereby the lighting system is useful for night boating activities including kayaking, andwherein the front light housing includes a PCB board with a single LED light source, and wherein the light projecting means comprises means for directing a portion of the LED light out through the sides of the front light housing, with red and green lenses to produce red and green light to the sides.

2. A lighting system to be supported on the head of a user, on a headstrap or a helmet worn by the user, comprising: a front light assembly including a mounting base for mounting at front on a headstrap or on a helmet at or adjacent to a most forward point on the helmet or the headstrap, the front light assembly including a front light housing with a pivot adjustment to adjust the aim of the light up or down, and the front light assembly including a front light battery within the housing,a rear light assembly configured to project light in a rearward direction, the rear light assembly having a mounting base for securing to a headstrap or to a helmet at a rear position, on a rear-facing tail portion of the helmet or headstrap, the rear light assembly including a rear housing holding a main battery,an electric cable connecting the rear light housing with the front light housing,a main switch on exterior of the front light assembly, accessible for manual use by a user, the main switch effective to switch on the front and rear lights by connecting the lights to power from the battery in the rear light assembly, andelectronics in the rear housing including battery level sensor means for determining when the front light battery charge has dropped to a preselected level and when that occurs, for connecting the main battery to the front light assembly to power the front light.

3. The lighting system of claim 2, wherein the front light assembly includes a white first light source as well as a second light source producing a beam different from the first light source, and wherein the main switch provides for selection between the first and second light sources.