Light means and method of lighting

• US 4,443,831 A
• Filed: 05/09/1983
• Issued: 04/17/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rodger L. Smith, Timothy D. Godfrey
• Original Assignee: Rodger L. Smith, Timothy D. Godfrey
• Inventors: Smith, Rodger L., Godfrey, Timothy D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lechert, Jr., Stephen J.
• Application Number:
  US06/492,900
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• Field of Search: 362/80, 362/135, 362/140, 362/141, 362/142, 362/184, 362/190, 362/191, 362/198, 362/200, 362/249, 362/250, 362/251, 362/295, 362/269, 362/275, 362/285, 362/287, 362/293 , 362/368
• US Class Current: 362/494
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/258 Rear-view mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/51 for mounting lighting devices onto vehicle interior, e.g. onto ceiling or floor
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 3/59 Lighting devices mounted in the vehicle interior and adapted for portability

Abstract

A portable auxiliary light having a case, a battery positioned within the case, and a light house on the end of the case. The light also has bellows interattaching the case and the light house and a related circuitry positioned in the case. The method for lighting includes locating the light behind a rear view mirror such that a recess in the case straddles the support post of the rear view mirror, and securing the light to the mirror. A switch on the case is activated to furnish lighting to the inside of the automobile.

Claims

1. A portable dual auxiliary lighting means generally mounted behind the inside interior rear view mirror with a support post of an automobile, or the like, comprising a case means;

battery means situated within said case means;

a pair of light housing for securing and housing a pair of light bulb;

adjustably positionable means interattaching said light housing to said case means;

a related circuitry means engaging said battery means to said light bulb, said circuitry being substantially housed within said case means and including at least one switch for closing the related circuitry between said battery means and said light bulb;

and a fastener means positioned on said case means for securing the lighting means behind said rear view mirror, said battery means is a plurality of same, said adjustably positionable means is bellows with one of same for each of said light housings;

a related circuitry means engaging the battery means to each of the light bulbs; and

said fastening means comprises at least one spring biased clip means situated on said case means for clamping over the top of the rear view mirror to hold the lighting means against the back of the mirror.

2. The portable dual auxiliary lighting means of claim 1 additionally comprising a magnetic means positioned within said case means.

3. The portable dual auxiliary lighting means of claim 2 wherein said case means defines a recess for straddling the support post while said spring biased clip is situated over the top of said rear view mirror.

4. The portable dual auxiliary lighting means of claim 3 additionally comprising a lens housing connected to each of said light housings, a lens-filter slidably lodged in each of said lens housing such as to be slidably positioned over each of the light bulbs.

5. The portable dual auxiliary lighting means of claim 4 wherein said pair of light housings and the attached pair of lens housing is oppositely positioned with respect to each other on the ends of the case means.

6. The portable dual auxiliary lighting means of claim 5 wherein said case means additionally defines an internal depression on each of its ends to capture each of said bellows means when the same are in a collapsed position.

7. The portable dual auxiliary lighting means of claim 6 wherein said related circuitry comprises a pair of flexible cable means, each of said flexible cable means being partly housed by one of the bellows means while having an end slidably lodged within said case means.

8. The portable dual auxiliary lighting means of claim 7 additionally comprising a battery-magnetic housing connected to said case means for housing said batteries and said magnetic means.

9. A method for lighting or illuminating the inside of an automobile, or the like, with a portable dual auxiliary lighting means having a main case defining a recess and a pair of light housing, said pair of light housing each having a light bulb, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) locating said dual lighting means behind an interior rear view mirror of the automobile, or the like, said mirror having a support post;

(b) positioning the dual lighting means such that the recess straddles the support post;

(c) securing the positioned dual lighting means of step (b) to the mirror; and

(d) activating a switch located on the main case of the lighting means to furnish illumination or lighting to the inside of the automobile, or the like, said securing step (c) comprises clamping the lighting means over the top of said rear view mirror.