Patent Application
20200247311
The invention generally pertains to vehicle illumination devices, and more particularly to a vehicle side light that provides illumination to the right and/or left side of a vehicle.
In the modern world, the most common means of transportation is by vehicle. There are various types of vehicles, with cars and trucks being the most widely used. Since their initial development, vehicles especially passenger cars have undergone many changes and improvements. While the basic principle of the internal combustion engine that powers most vehicles is still in use, others aspects have significant changes, one of these is vehicle lights.
Throughout the existence of the vehicles there has been an obvious and pronounced need to provide illumination. The illumination helped a driver of a vehicle see the road ahead in dark or low-light conditions, and provides means by which drivers of vehicles could have visual indication of what other vehicles on the road were doing or about to do. The need for vehicle lights has so prevalent that the lights became a requirement for all vehicles.
Typically, vehicle lights include head lights that illuminate the road in front of a vehicle, and indicate/signal when the vehicle is braking or turning, in addition to showing from the rear the presence of the vehicle.
These head lights and rear lights perform well, but there is a deficiency regarding vehicle lights. The front and rear have illumination, but there is no consideration to the sides of a vehicle, particularly a passenger car or truck. There is a need for sidelights, especially when a person(s) is entering or exiting a vehicle in the dark and where driving on a difficult, unfamiliar road at night. For certain vehicles, such as four-wheel drive and vehicles that have been raised, the need is for a side light is even more pronounced.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any literature or patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention. However, the following U.S. patents are considered related:
The U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,304 patent discloses a side warning lights for an elongated motor vehicle such as a truck trailer. The side warning lights include first and second plurality of lights on both sides of the vehicle the lights are energized so that under normal operating conditions one of the plurality of lights will be energized while under other operating conditions the other plurality of lights will be energized. A third plurality of lights may be included which will operate in conjunction with the conventional directional turning lights of the vehicle.
The U.S. Pat. No. 9,566,901 patent discloses side marker lighting systems, methods of providing side marker lighting, and vehicles including the same. The side marker lighting system includes a light emitting module having a plurality of light emitting diodes (LED), a sensor module and a master controller to receive data from the sensor module. The data indicates a vehicle is located the vicinity of the side marker lighting system, determines that the vehicle is moving toward the system at an angle, determines location coordinates of the vehicle determines a direction of light and aims the light at the vehicle and activates the LEDS to a produce a collective beam that corresponds to the direction.
The 2013/0141927 publication discloses a light emitting dioder (LED) perimeter lamp assembly that includes a housing with a receiving pocket formed therein for receiving a circuit board with a plurality of LEDS1. A culminating lens having a plurality of light directing elements is positioned within the receiving pocket such that light emitted from the LEDs passes through the elements. A perimeter lamp is installed on the bottom side of the lamp housing at an acute angle to a ground surface such that light emitted by the LEDS is projected onto the ground surface.
The 2013/0229820 publication discloses a lighting system for an exterior panel of a vehicle that includes a molding that is affixed to the exterior panel. The molding includes a feature configured to retain a light string and fix the light string relative to the molding. The light string is connected to an electric system of the vehicle and is activated to illuminate an area surrounding the exterior panel.
For background purposes and indicative of the art to which the invention relates, reference may be made to the following remaining patents found in the patent search.
A vehicle side light (VSL) that is secured onto a vehicle, such as a car or truck, side surface to illuminate the area perpendicular and adjacent the vehicle. The VSL is secured by either permanent or non-permanent attachment means, or the VSL can be integrally attached during the vehicles manufacturing process. The main elements of the VSL are an attachment plate, a gasket, a heat sink, a power/LED board, a reflector and a cover. The illumination is provided by at least one, and preferably multiple LEDs, although illumination means such as an incandescent bulb could also be used. The reflector has a metallic silver highly-reflective front surface with outward extending members that create reflecting chambers, with one chamber for each LED.
In a first design, the cover has angled side sections, and in a second design the cover has a convex front surface. There are openings in the power/LED board and attachment plate. The openings allow wires from the board to pass through the plate into the vehicle, where the vehicle's existing power system is connected to the VSL.
To increase the functionally of the VSL additions and modifications can be used. A light bar can extend longitudinally along a side edge of the VSL. The light bar can provide additional illumination and an interesting/pleasing aesthetic appearance.
The side edges of the VSL can be modified to function as turn indicators, using yellow or red LEDs. A design of the VSL can use two LEDs, one on each side, with score marks extending from the LEDs across the reflector's front surface. The score marks direct the illumination from the LEDs on the entire front surface of the reflector. The score marks could also spell words that would be illuminated and visible on the VSL.
Finally, a camera can be attached to the VSL. The camera interfaces with the vehicle's audio/navigation system and shows an image(s) from the side of the vehicle on the audio/navigation system's display screen.
It is important to note that while the VSL can be used with many types of vehicles, a specific use is on a four-door Jeep® vehicle. The attachment plate has angled side sections with an angle of 55°. This particular angle is optimally utilized to allow the VSL to be secured onto a lower area of the Jeep's B-pillar between the front door and rear door.
In view of the above disclosure, the primary object of the invention is to provide a vehicle side light that illuminates an area adjacent the side(s) of vehicle.
In addition to the primary object, it is also an object of the invention to provide a vehicle side light that:
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms that disclose a preferred embodiment, with multiple design configurations, of a vehicle side light (VSL) 10. Many types of vehicles such as cars, truck and motorcycles utilize illumination. In fact, for most cases it is a legal requirement that a vehicle has operable illumination means, typically, these include headlights for illuminating the road or are in front of a vehicle, and rear light/tail lights that function as indicators, e.g., a brake light, for a vehicle(s) behind another vehicle.
For their intended purpose, headlights and tail lights (as well as other lights such as turn indicators) function well. In addition to the front and rear of a vehicle there are other areas where a person will be when using vehicle. The most frequent area is a side of a vehicle. In order to enter or exit a vehicle a person usually must do so from the side. During night time or in low-light environments, it can be difficult to see the ground or any object on the side of a vehicle. The VSL 10 offers a solution to this problem by providing an illumination that is directed outward from the side(s) of a vehicle.
The VSL 10, as shown in
As shown in
The attachment plate 12 can be made of a various materials including metal, plastic or a composite, with metal preferred. The plate 12 can be permanently or semi-permanent secured onto the vehicle by attachment means 36 which can include at least one screw, at least one bolt and nut, welding or an adhesive such as industrial epoxy. To facilitate the securement of the plate 12 with certain attachment means, a plurality of bores 32 are located on the plate 12. Also, to allow required wiring to pass through the plate 12, an opening 34 is located on the plate 12. Following along the side edges, on the plate's 12 front surface is a gasket 40 with a perimeter edge 42, as shown in
Attached to the front surface 14 of the plate 12 is the heat sink 48 which has a front surface 50 with multiple outward extending members 52, a rear surface 54 and a perimeter edge 56. Attachment means 58 such as screws, bolts and nuts or an adhesive are utilized to secure the heat sink 48 on the plate 12, and the heat sink 48 functions to absorb and disperse heat that is generated from the VSL 10.
In front of, and secured 60, the heat sink 48 is the power/LED board 52. As shown in
As shown in
Enclosing the above elements is a cover 104. As shown in
In a first alternate design, the VSL 10 has a cover with a curved front 126, as shown in
In another design configuration, the VSL utilizes two LEDS, with one on each side edge. As shown in
If desired, a lower bar 138 can extend longitudinally along the lower edge of the VSL 10. The light bar can be made of multiple LEDs placed directly next to each together and provides additional illumination as well as an aesthetic appearance.
A final addition to the VSL 10 is a camera 146. As shown in
The VSL 10 can be turned on or off by a dedicated button (or switch) within the vehicle of the VSL 10 can be turned on or off when the vehicle's head light/rear lights are automatically on manually turned on and off. An on//off control can also be placed on a vehicle for when the VSL 10 an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) part included when the vehicle is built.
Also, the duration the VSL remains illuminated can be selectively programmed. His functionality is important because it is often beneficial to have the VSL 10 remain illuminated after the other vehicle lights have (been) turned off.
To increase the convenience of using/having the VSL 10, a motion sensor can be placed on the VSL 10, preferably on the attachment plate 12. The motion sensor turns the VSL 10 on when a person corns within a certain distant of the vehicle/VSL. The LEDs can also be programmed to display words or shapes. Statements/phrases can be produced by programming a series of words to be displayed in a particular order.
In another alternate configuration, the VSL is located on a vertical side section of a vehicle cowl. As shown in
While the invention has been described in detail and pictorially shown in the accompanying drawings it is not to be limited to such details, since many changes and modification may be made to the invention without departing from the spirit and the scope thereof. Hence, it is described to cover any and all modifications and forms which may come within the language and scope of the claims.
