Patent Application
20180037161
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The present disclosure relates to lighting systems for vehicles. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a truck bed rail light assembly.
One common truck accessory is a so-called “bed rail,” an accessory that is often formed of tubular enclosure, or the like, that is bolted to an upper surface of the side walls of the truck bed (also referred to as side rails). Once in place, truck bed rails help shield the pickup's side rails from falling/tipping freight and create extra tie-down points.
Truck beds may be accessorized with bed rails to improve the look and function of a pickup truck. For example, truck bed rails may have a mirror-polished finish. Truck bed rails may enable persons to pull themselves inside the truck bed, e.g., to access a tool box, or to tie down loads for secure transportation.
Two main styles of truck bed rails are drill style truck bed rails and stake pocket mount bed rails, though there are other types on the market. Drill style truck bed rails are the sportier style, with additional areas for tie down attachment or handgrips for riders in the back of the truck. Another aspect is that drill style truck bed rails do not extend the entire length of the bed. Instead, the end of the rail typically falls just shy of the last stake pocket. Normally, some drilling for the mounting holes is required on the bed to accommodate mounting.
Stake pocket mount bed rails extend the entire length of the truck bed and mount in the last stake pocket. Stake pocket mount bed rails are popular primarily because drill holes are not required for mounting. Stake pocket mount bed rails are generally easy to install and do not require a drill as the rails are designed to bolt right into the bed pockets.
Typically, a truck bed for sports trucks, utility trucks, and the like includes a floor or bottom wall, a front wall located to the rear of the cab, side walls, and a tailgate moveable from a closed to a down position. Often there is a need to illuminate the cargo box of pick-up trucks and other utility-type vehicles. A cargo box light for trucks may be particularly useful under reduced light conditions, such as after daylight hours, allowing safe access to the truck cargo box and the loading/unloading of objects therefrom. Light-emitting diodes (LED) cargo box lights for pickups are known and include LED truck bed light kits, LED light strips and tailgate running lights.
A need exists for improved lighting systems for trucks, trailers, and other vehicles with open cargo enclosures.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a truck bed rail light assembly includes a first end, a second end, and a body extending between the first end and the second end. One or more light modules are coupled to the body. Each light module includes a light element. One or more switch modules are coupled to the body. Each switch module includes a switch for selective activation of the light element. The truck bed rail light assembly also includes a battery module. The battery module includes a battery. The switch is electrically connected between the battery and the light element. The battery is at least partially contained within the body.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a truck bed rail light assembly includes: a first end; a second end; a body extending between the first end and the second end; a first light module; a first switch module; a second light module; a second switch module; and a battery module including a battery. The first light module includes a first light housing element coupled to the body and a first light element coupled to the first light housing element. The first switch module is coupled to the body. The first switch module includes a first switch for selective activation of the first light element. The second light module includes a second light housing element coupled to the body and a second light element coupled to the second light housing element. The second switch module is coupled to the body. The second switch module includes a second switch for selective activation of the second light element. The battery is at least partially contained within the body. The first switch is electrically connected between the battery and the first light element. The second switch is electrically connected between the battery and the second light element.
These and other features and advantages of the various truck bed rail light assembly embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which like reference numerals may refer to similar or identical elements throughout the description of the figures, and in which:
Hereinafter, embodiments of a truck bed rail light assembly are described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
This description may use the phrases “in an embodiment,” “in embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” or “in other embodiments,” which may each refer to one or more of the same or different embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure.
It is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting. As it is used in this description, “cargo area” may include the open cargo area of a truck, trailer, and the like. As used herein, the term “truck” generally refers to land-based motor vehicles with an open rear cargo box often referred to as a “pickup truck,” “pickup” or “pick-up”. The open rear cargo box is often referred to as the “bed” of the truck.
As it is used in this description, “light source” generally refers to all illumination sources, such as for example, photo-luminescent sources, fluorescent sources, phosphorescence sources, lasers, electro-luminescent sources, such as electro-luminescent lamps, and light-emitting diodes. As it is used in this description, “light-emitting diode” generally refers to any system that is capable of receiving an electrical signal and producing a color of light in response to the signal. Thus, “light-emitting diode,” as used herein, includes light-emitting diodes (LEDs) of all types, including white LEDs, infrared LEDs, ultraviolet LEDs, visible color LEDs, light-emitting polymers, semiconductor dies that produce light in response to current, organic LEDs, electro-luminescent strips, silicon based structures that emit light, and other such systems.
As it is used in this description, “transmission line” generally refers to any transmission medium that can be used for the propagation of signals from one point to another. A transmission line may be, for example, a wire, two or more conductors separated by an insulating medium, a fiber optic line and/or fiber optic bundles.
As used herein, the term “battery” generally refers to any electrical storage device, e.g., disposable battery, rechargeable battery, battery pack, etc. As it is used in this description, “switch” or “switches” generally refers to any electrical actuators, mechanical actuators, electro-mechanical actuators (rotatable actuators, pivotable actuators, toggle-like actuators, buttons, etc.), optical actuators, or any suitable device that generally fulfills the purpose of connecting and disconnecting electronic devices, or component thereof, transmission line or connections.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide a truck bed rail light assembly for selectively illuminating a truck bed. Embodiments of the presently-disclosed truck bed rail light assembly may be affixed to a truck bed rail. Elements of the presently-disclosed truck bed rail light assembly may be powered by a disposable or rechargeable battery, housed within an elongate body of the truck bed rail light assembly.
The presently-disclosed truck bed rail light assembly is referred to generally in
The truck bed rail light assembly 10 includes a first end 61, a second end 62, and a body 60 extending therebetween. The truck bed rail light assembly 10 is designed to be mountable on the side rails of a truck bed, in a first orientation or a second orientation (as described below), with the first light module 20 and the second light module 18 facing toward the interior of the truck bed for illumination thereof. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the size and shape of the truck bed rail light assembly 10 may vary according to truck model, truck manufacturer, style of truck, etc. In some embodiments, the body 60 has a generally tubular shape, and may have a variety of finishes, e.g., chrome, stainless, or power-coated black.
In
The installation and use of two truck bed rail light assemblies 10, as illustratively depicted in
In some embodiments, as shown for example in
In
In some embodiments, as shown for example in
The first switch module 16 includes a first switch 104. A switch housing element 100 is operably associated with the first switch 104 and has two apertures defined therethough for receiving a pair of fasteners 108 used to attach the switch housing element 100 to the body 60. In an embodiment, the body 60 includes two apertures for receiving the fasteners 108, and includes an aperture for receiving a portion of the switch housing element 100 (and/or a portion of the first switch 104) therein and/or to enable electrical connections to the first switch 104.
The second light module 18 includes a second light element 116. In some embodiments, as shown for example in
The second switch module 14 includes a second switch 86. A switch housing element 70 is operably associated with the second switch 86 and has two apertures defined therethough for receiving a pair of fasteners 68 used to attach the switch housing element 70 to the body 60. In an embodiment, the body 60 includes two apertures 88 for receiving the fasteners 68, and includes an aperture 34 for receiving a portion of the switch housing element 70 (and/or a portion of the second switch 86) therein and/or to enable electrical connections to the second switch 86.
The battery module 82 includes a battery 42, a battery housing element 90, and a battery cover 32. The battery housing element 90 includes a recess configured to contain the battery 42, or portion thereof, and has two apertures defined therethough for receiving a pair of fasteners 84 used to attached the battery housing element 90 to the body 60. In an embodiment, the body 60 includes two apertures 94 for receiving the fasteners 84, and includes an aperture 46 for receiving a portion of the battery housing element 90 (and at least a portion of the battery 42) therein and/or to enable electrical connections to the battery 42.
In some embodiments, the first switch module 16 of the truck bed rail light assembly 10 is configured for use to turn on and off the first light module 20, and the second switch module 14 is configured for use to turn on and off the second light module 18. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the first switch module 16 may be configured to turn on and off the first light module 20 and the second light module 18 in unison, and/or the second switch module 14 may be configured to turn on and off the first light module 20 and the second light module 18 in unison.
In an embodiment, as shown for example in
It is to be understood that the dashed lines indicative of electrical connections (e.g., electrical conductors) between various components of the truck bed rail light assembly 10 are merely illustrative and non-limiting examples of electrical connections, and that truck bed rail light assembly embodiments of the present disclosure may utilize many different configurations of electrical connections, some with additional, fewer, or different electrical connections than depicted in
The body 60 may be formed from a single piece of tubular metal. In an embodiment, the body 60 is tubular stainless steel. The body 60 may include a plurality of sections. In an embodiment, as shown for example in
In
Although embodiments have been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings for the purpose of illustration and description, it is to be understood that the disclosed processes and systems are not to be construed as limited thereby. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications to the foregoing embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosure.
