Light bar

• US 20090207612A1
• Filed: 02/12/2009
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STAR SAFETY TECHNOLOGIES LLC
• Original Assignee: Star Headlight & Lantern Company Incorporated (Grote Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Vukosic, Stephen T., Datz, R. Michael, Richardson, J. Douglas, Mastin, Michael F., Neufeglise, Steven W., Gross, Robert J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,210,725 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/249.140
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2611 Indicating devices mounted on the roof of the vehicle

Abstract

A light bar has several modular light source heads which may contain different types of light sources as well as different technologies mounted in cages by shock absorbing grommets. The cages are mounted on a bottom member so that the heads can be arranged along opposite sides and the ends of the bottom members. The heads are captured, and assembled with the bottom member, by a top member which also captures translucent or transparent members or lenses along the sides of the light bar and, transparent or translucent end caps which may also provide lenses for the light source heads at the ends of the bar. The end caps are removably connected to the top and bottom members at the ends of the bar by screws extending through the end caps. The light source modules have the same wiring connected thereto by connectors from a connector board to connectors along the back ends of the light source heads. The top member is attached to posts extending from the bottom member by screws so as to enable removal of the top member to expose the light source modules. The modules at the end of the light bar are exposed upon removal of the end caps thereby permitting the light source modules to be installed, removed for servicing, and the interchange of different modular heads to obtain a desired compliment of light sources, which may be of different types and technologies, or may not be installed if desired to meet customers'"'"' orders.

Claims

1. A light bar comprising a plurality of independent and interchangeable modular light source heads interchangeably disposed in cages between top and bottom members.

2. The light bar according to claim 1 wherein each light source module is mounted in its own cage disposed on one of said members, and vibration isolation devices assembling said light source modules in integrated relationship and mounting said modules in selected ones of said cages.

3. The light bar according to claim 1 wherein the top member is removable to expose the heads in their cages.

4. The light bar according to claim 1 wherein each of said light head modules has the same signal structure enabling command and control thereof thereby facilitating the interchangeability of said modules in said cages of said light bar.

5. The light bar according to claim 4 further comprising like compliments of wiring carrying said signal structure to each of said light head modules.

6. The light bar according to claim 5 further comprising connectors on said light head modules and an array of connectors connected to power and control cabling, said like compliments of wiring being connected between said connectors on said light head modules and different ones of said connectors of said array.

7. The light bar according to claim 6 further comprising a connector board carrying circuitry connected between terminals for said cabling on said connector board, and the connectors of said array of connectors also being disposed on said connector board, said connector board being mounted on said bottom member facing said top member when said top member is mounted over said bottom member.

8. The light bar according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of spaced studs projecting from said modules into receptacles on said cages, and vibration isolating members on said studs received in said receptacles between said studs and spacing said studs and said receptacles from each other in vibration isolating relationship.

9. The light bar according to claim 1 wherein said cages each have a plurality of grooves providing receptacles in which projections from said modules are removably received in vibration isolating relationship, said top member removably engaging said modules and holding said modules in said receptacles.

10. The light bar according to claim 9 further comprising vibration isolating members on said modules engagable with said top member when said top member engages said modules via said vibration isolating members and captures said modules in said receptacles in said cages.

11. The light bar according to claim 10 wherein the vibration isolating relationship between said projections and said receptacles is provided by grommets of elastic material.

12. The light bar according to claim 11 wherein said grommets have peripheral grooves and said receptacles are semi-circular slots having peripheral tongues which provide with said grooves tongue and groove connections between said projections and said receptacles which assemble said cages and said light head modules in vibration isolating relationship.

13. The light bar according to claim 11 wherein said modules have housings provided by shells, said projections being provided by semi-circular stubs extending outwardly from edges of said shells which edges and stubs engage each other when said shells are assembled in closed relationship to provide said housings with circular stubs provided by said semi-circular stubs providing said projections, said semi-circular stubs have peripheral grooves which are aligned when said circular stubs are provided when said shells are closed to define circular peripheral grooves, and said grommets being disposed around said circular stubs in said circular grooves to elastically attach said shells to provide said housings.

14. The light bar according to claim 1 further comprising modular light source end assemblies at opposite ends of said light bar, each of said end assemblies being provided by cages receiving a plurality of light source heads having interfitting shells which provide end housings including a plurality of light sources, means for removably assembling said housing in said cages in vibration isolating relationship, said cages of said end assemblies being attached to said bottom member.

15. The light bar according to claim 14 further comprising end caps enclosing said end assemblies, and fasteners extending through said end caps and fastening said end caps to said top and bottom members at the ends thereof.

16. The light bar according to claim 15 further comprising curved lens sections removably assembled to said top and bottom members along side edges thereof by tongue and groove connections, said lens sections having rims along top and bottom edges thereof, said rims engaging said top and bottom members, and strips of gasket material between said rims and said top and bottom members.