Light Bar and Method of Making
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A light bar is described that is of a modular construction based on one or more large circuit boards that are populated with light beam assemblies and then fastened to an interior space of the light bar housing. Keys that automatically align the light beam assemblies on each of the boards precisely control placement of the assemblies on the board. In turn, each of the boards is keyed to the interior of the light bar housing so that when the board is fastened to the housing the light beam assemblies are automatically registered into alignment with the lenses in the housing so that the beams from the assemblies are properly oriented. The light bar is inexpensive to fabricate and can be assembled quickly and reliably, yet it provides for a high degree of customization, which is a requirement in the emergency vehicle lighting industry.
1 Citation
22 Claims
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1-8. -8. (canceled)
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9. A self-powered light bar for mounting to a vehicle, the light bar comprising:
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an elongated housing for spanning a roof of the vehicle; emergency lighting mounted within the housing; solar cells mated with the housing for providing power to the emergency lighting; a storage device also mated with the housing and in communication with the solar cells for storing energy generated by the solar cells when the energy is not being used by the emergency lighting; a controller mounted within the housing for controlling the emergency lighting and for coordinating the flow of energy to the emergency lighting from the solar cells and the storage device; and a receiver mounted within the housing for wirelessly communicating with a control head in a passenger compartment of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for retrofitting a vehicle to include an emergency signaling system, the method including:
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mounting an emergency signaling system contained in a common housing to the vehicle without any external wiring connecting the housing and the vehicle; applying energy to emergency lights within the common housing from a source of energy that is mated with the common housing; providing command signals to a controller in the common housing by way of a wireless connection between the controller and a user interface remote from the common housing; and operating the emergency lights in response to commands from the controller that are in keeping with the command signals received by way of the wireless connection such that the emergency lights contained by the common housing are operated and controlled without any wiring connecting the emergency lights to sources of energy or control that are external to the common housing. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification