Claims
- 1. A light assembly for use with a vacuum cleaner, the light assembly comprising:(a) a reflector assembly having at least one light source; (b) a headlight optically coupled with the reflector assembly wherein the at least one light source provides light for the headlight; and (c) a sidelight optically coupled with the reflector assembly wherein the at least one light source provides light for the sidelight, whereby said headlight and sidelight are adapted to illuminate a first area in front of the vacuum cleaner and a second area along side the vacuum cleaner.
- 2. The light assembly of claim 1, wherein the reflector assembly includes a headlight reflector optically coupled with the at least one light source, and wherein the headlight includes a headlight lens.
- 3. The light assembly of claim 2, wherein the headlight reflector includes a generally vertical reflective surface defining at least one plane of curvature, the generally vertical reflective surface defining a focal region wherein the at least one light source is positioned generally within the focal region, whereby light from the at least one light source is reflected from the generally vertical reflective surface toward the headlight lens.
- 4. The light assembly of claim 3, wherein the generally vertical reflective surface defines a first plane of curvature and a second plane of curvature, the first plane of curvature being about the y-axis of a coordinate system, and the second plane of curvature being about the z-axis of the coordinate system.
- 5. The light assembly of claim 4, wherein the at least one light source includes a first light bulb and a second light bulb, and wherein the generally vertical reflective surface defines a first generally hyperbolic reflective surface defining a first focal region and a second generally hyperbolic reflective surface defining a second focal region, and wherein the first light bulb is positioned generally within the first focal region of the first generally hyperbolic reflective surface and the second bulb is positioned generally within the second focal region, whereby light transmitted from the first bulb and from the second bulb is reflected toward the headlight lens.
- 6. The light assembly of claim 2, wherein the headlight lens defines a refraction contour adapted to direct light incident on the refraction contour downwardly and forwardly of the headlight lens.
- 7. The light assembly of claim 6, wherein the refraction contour of the headlight lens defines a generally saw tooth pattern having a plurality of teeth defining a long face and a short face, wherein light incident on the long face of the teeth is directed downwardly and forwardly of the headlight lens.
- 8. The light assembly of claim 7, wherein the headlight lens is configured such that the long face of the saw tooth pattern forms an angle greater than ninety degrees with respect to the light transmitted directly from the at least one light source.
- 9. The light assembly of claim 2, wherein a front side of the headlight lens is generally flat.
- 10. The light assembly of claim 1, wherein the reflector assembly includes a headlight reflector optically coupled with the at least one light source.
- 11. The light assembly of claim 10, wherein the headlight reflector includes a generally vertical reflective surface.
- 12. The light assembly of claim 11, wherein the headlight reflector further includes a generally horizontal reflective surface.
- 13. The light assembly of claim 12, wherein the generally horizontal reflective surface defines a generally flat reflective surface adjacent a bottom edge of the generally vertical reflective surface.
- 14. The light assembly of claim 13, wherein the generally horizontal reflective surface further defines a downwardly curved portion located forward of the generally vertical reflective surface.
- 15. The light assembly of claim 11, wherein the generally vertical reflective surface defines a focal region located forward of the generally vertical reflective surface.
- 16. The light assembly of claim 11, wherein the generally vertical reflective surface defines an aperture.
- 17. The light assembly of claim 16, wherein the light source includes a socket assembly, and the socket assembly is secured within the aperture of the generally vertical reflective surface.
- 18. The light assembly of claim 16, wherein the light source includes a wiring harness extending through the aperture of the generally vertical reflective surface.
- 19. The light assembly of claim 11, wherein the generally vertical reflective surface defines at least one ventilation recess.
- 20. The light assembly of claim 19, wherein the at least one ventilation recess is located along a top edge of the generally vertical reflective surface.
- 21. The light assembly of claim 19, wherein the at least one ventilation recess is located adjacent to the light source.
- 22. The light assembly of claim 10, wherein the headlight reflector includes a first generally vertical reflective surface and a second generally vertical reflective surface.
- 23. The light assembly of claim 22, wherein the at least one light source includes a first light bulb located adjacent to the first generally vertical reflective surface and a second light bulb located adjacent to the second generally vertical reflective surface.
- 24. The light assembly of claim 10, wherein the headlight reflector includes a generally horizontal reflective surface.
- 25. The light assembly of claim 24, wherein the generally horizontal reflective surface defines a downwardly curved portion.
- 26. The light assembly of claim 1, wherein the reflector assembly includes a sidelight reflector optically coupled with the light source, and wherein the sidelight includes a sidelight lens.
- 27. The light assembly of claim 26, wherein the sidelight reflector includes an upper sidelight reflector and a lower sidelight reflector.
- 28. The light assembly of claim 27, wherein the upper sidelight reflector is generally vertical.
- 29. The light assembly of claim 27, wherein the reflector assembly further includes a headlight reflector having a generally vertical reflective surface, and wherein the upper sidelight reflector is adjacent to the generally vertical reflective surface.
- 30. The light assembly of claim 29, wherein the lower sidelight reflector is generally transverse to the generally vertical reflective surface.
- 31. The light assembly of claim 27, wherein the reflector assembly further includes a headlight reflector having a generally horizontal reflective surface, and wherein the lower sidelight reflector is canted upwardly from the generally horizontal reflective surface of the headlight reflector towards the sidelight lens.
- 32. The light assembly of claim 26, wherein the sidelight reflector reflects light from the reflector assembly towards the sidelight lens.
- 33. The light assembly of claim 26, wherein the sidelight lens defines a refraction contour adapted to direct light incident on the refraction contour downwardly and forwardly of the sidelight lens.
- 34. The light assembly of claim 33, wherein the refraction contour of the sidelight lens defines a generally saw tooth pattern having a plurality of teeth defining a long face and a short face, wherein light incident on the long face of the teeth is directed downwardly and forwardly of the sidelight lens.
- 35. The light assembly of claim 26, wherein a front side of the sidelight lens is generally flat.
- 36. The light assembly of claim 1, wherein the sidelight is adapted to illuminate an area to be swept by a side brush.
- 37. The light assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one light source is optically coupled to both the Sidelight and the headlight.
- 38. A vacuum cleaner having a light assembly, the light assembly comprising;(a) a reflector assembly having a light source; and (b) a sidelight optically coupled to the reflector assembly, wherein the light source is adapted to provide light to the sidelight, and whereby the sidelight is adapted to illuminate an area downwardly and along side of the vacuum cleaner.
- 39. The vacuum cleaner of claim 38, wherein the sidelight includes a sidelight lens.
- 40. The vacuum cleaner of claim 39, wherein the reflector assembly includes an upper sidelight reflector and a lower sidelight reflector.
- 41. The vacuum cleaner of claim 40, wherein the upper sidelight reflector is generally vertical.
- 42. The vacuum cleaner of claim 40, wherein the lower sidelight reflector is canted upwardly towards the sidelight lens.
- 43. The vacuum cleaner of claim 39, wherein the sidelight reflector reflects light from the reflector assembly towards the sidelight lens.
- 44. The vacuum cleaner of claim 39, wherein the sidelight lens defines a refraction contour adapted to direct light incident on the refraction contour downwardly and forwardly of the sidelight lens.
- 45. The vacuum cleaner of claim 44, wherein the refraction contour of the sidelight lens defines a generally saw tooth pattern having a plurality of teeth defining a long face and a short face, wherein light incident on the long face of the teeth is directed downwardly and forwardly of the sidelight lens.
- 46. The vacuum cleaner of claim 39, wherein a front side of the sidelight lens is generally flat.
- 47. The vacuum cleaner of claim 38, wherein the sidelight is adapted to illuminate an area to be swept by a side brush.
- 48. The vacuum cleaner of claim 38, wherein the sidelight is coupled with the vacuum cleaner on a side of the vacuum cleaner to illuminate the area downwardly and along side of the vacuum cleaner.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a division of U.S. utility application Ser. No. 09/678,280, filed Sep. 29, 2000, now pending (the '280 application). The '280 application is hereby incorporated by reference as though fully set forth herein.
US Referenced Citations (10)