Patent Application
20160102815
This disclosure relates generally to boating lights and, more particularly, to multi-function boating lights.
Boating lights may be used for a variety of purposes, including flood lighting, navigation lighting, dock lighting, and underwater lighting. Lighting may be used while night fishing to improve night vision and visibility of fluorescent objects. Different types of light may be used for different purposes. For example, bright white light may be used for flood lighting, while red light may be used to improve night vision, and ultra-violet (UV) light may be used to illuminate fluorescent objects, such as fishing line and lures. Typically, these different types of light are provided via different light fixtures.
Boating lights may be either permanently mounted or removably attached to a boat. Removable lights are typically attached to the boat using clamps or similar devices, which may be adjustable to attach to a variety of locations on a variety of boats. Clamps may be attached to the light in a manner that allows the light to be positioned in a variety of orientations.
The example apparatus described herein is a boating light containing a light fixture using light emitting diodes (LEDs) and having multiple operational modes. Each operational mode illuminates LEDs emitting a different type of light. The LEDs of the example apparatus are organized into rows based on which type of light each LED emits such that each row or set of rows of LEDs corresponds to a different type of light and operational mode. The types of light emitted by the example apparatus include bright white light, red light, and ultra-violet (UV) light. However, additional, fewer and/or other combinations of light types could be used to suit the needs of a particular application. Each type of light may be used to perform a different task while night fishing (e.g., improving night vision, improving visibility of lures, etc.). Buttons (e.g., switches) integrated with the example apparatus may be depressed or otherwise actuated to select one or more of the operational modes. Specifically, the buttons control the illumination of the LEDs such that each button corresponds to or is dedicated to a different operational mode and type of light. However, other example apparatus may use a single button or selector to control all types of lighting and/or operational modes. The single button or selector may be actuated more than once or moved through multiple positions to select the different operational modes and types of light emitted by the example apparatus.
The example apparatus described herein may be attached to a marine craft or vehicle via an adjustable clamp. However, other example apparatus may use other attachment mechanisms. The example apparatus described herein may also be rotated or angled about the clamp via a pivot disposed between the clamp and the light fixture. A knob of the pivot may be loosened to allow movement of the example light fixture or tightened to prevent movement of the light fixture. The example apparatus further includes a battery compartment having a removable cover coupled to the light fixture via fasteners (e.g., screws, clips).
An example apparatus 100 of
The example apparatus 100 further includes a clamp 106. The clamp 106 is adjustable to enable the light fixture 104 to be removably attached to a marine craft or vehicle in a variety of locations. The clamp 106 includes a bracket 108 and a threaded rod 110 to facilitate attachment. The threaded rod 110 has a first knob 112 disposed on a first end 114. The first knob 112 may be rotated to adjust (e.g., translate) the threaded rod 110. A disc 116 may be disposed on a second end 118 of the threaded rod 110. The disc 116 may be made of a material (e.g., rubber) to prevent the marine craft or vehicle from being damaged by the second end 118 of the threaded rod 110. The threaded rod 110 passes through an aperture 120 of a first side 122 of the bracket 108. The first knob 112 may adjust the threaded rod 110 to move the second end 118 of the threaded rod 110 closer to or further from a second side 124 of the bracket 108 to securely attach (e.g., clamp) the example apparatus 100 to a location on a marine craft or vehicle. The second side 124 of the bracket 108 may be partially covered by a boot 126, which may be made of a material (e.g., rubber) to prevent the bracket 108 from damaging (e.g., scratching, gouging, etc.) the marine craft or vehicle. The boot 126 may be removably coupled or permanently fixed to the second side 124 of the bracket 108.
A pivot 128 may be disposed between the housing 102 and the clamp 106. The pivot 128 is coupled to the housing 102 via a pin 130 coupled to a second knob 132. The example pivot 128 includes an upper portion 134 and a lower portion 136. The pin 130 is disposed through coaxially aligned apertures in the upper and lower portions 134 and 136 of the pivot 128. The pin 130 of example apparatus 100 may be adjustable via threaded connections, allowing movement of the pivot 128 when loosened and restricting movement of the pivot 128 when tightened. The second knob 132 facilitates loosening and/or tightening the pin 130. Each of the upper and lower portions 134 and 136 has of a number of flanges (e.g., 2 flanges for the upper portion 134 and 3 flanges for the lower portion 136) rotatably fitted together with the pin 130 to allow the housing 102 and light fixture 104 to rotate about the pin 130. The lower portion 136 of the pivot 128 is coupled to a third knob 138 to enable rotation of the light fixture 104 relative to the clamp 106 (e.g., 360° rotation). The third knob 138 may be disposed on a top portion 140 of the bracket 108 and may be padded or made of a material (e.g., rubber) to prevent the marine craft or vehicle from being damaged (e.g., scratched). The third knob 138 of the example apparatus 100 may also have a textured surface 142 to facilitate gripping of a surface of a marine craft or vehicle by the third knob 138 to aid in secure attachment of the example apparatus 100 to the marine craft or vehicle.
Referring now to
As shown in
In the example apparatus 100 of
Components of a battery compartment are also disposed within the housing 102 and protected by the cover 202. A seal 310 (e.g., gasket) is disposed between the cover 202 and the housing 102. The seal 310 prevents water from entering the battery compartment and the fasteners 204 (not all of which are shown) ensure the cover 202 is tightly attached to the housing 102 to clamp the seal 310. The battery compartment also contains contact sets 312, 314, 316, 318, and 320 that may contain only negative contacts, only positive contacts, or both negative and positive contacts. The contact sets 312, 314, 316, 318, and 320 may be arranged such that the negative contacts and positive contacts are alternating and/or the negative and positive contacts are placed directly across from one another in the battery compartment to convey electrical energy for one or more batteries to the PCB 306. In this example apparatus 100, standard batteries may be interposed between contacts (e.g., between a negative and a positive contact). In other examples, other types of batteries or power sources may be used.
As shown in
Although certain apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture have been described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. To the contrary, this patent covers all apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents.
