Automotive roof spoiler having retractable lamps

• US 4,787,665 A
• Filed: 10/13/1987
• Issued: 11/29/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LTC Roll & Engineering Co.
• Original Assignee: Riverside International Incorporated
• Inventors: Rich, Lawrence D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pedder, Dennis H.
• Application Number:
  US07/107,071
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 296/1 S, 296/91, 362/65, 362/66
• US Class Current: 296/180.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/05 retractable
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2611 Indicating devices mounted on the roof of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 35/00 Vehicle bodies characterised by streamlining

Abstract

An automotive roof spoiler having retractable lamps particularly suitable for trucks, vans, campers and other vehicles used for both on-road and off-road purposes. The automotive roof spoiler includes lamps which are rotatably mounted within the roof spoiler about axes generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the spoiler and a motor, preferably located within the roof spoiler, which rotates the lamps from an upright position with the lenses of the lamps facing forwardly above the roof spoiler for off-road use to a retracted position within the body portion of the spoiler for on-road use.

Claims

1. An automotive roof spoiler having at least one retractable lamp, said roof spoiler having an elongated body portion, mounting means for mounting said spoiler body portion generally transversely to a longitudinal axis of a vehicle adjacent an upper extent of said vehicle, said body portion having a forward leading end generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of said elongated body portion, said body portion having a forwardly facing wall inclined upwardly and rearwardly defining an air foil surface reducing frictional air drag, said wall having an opening therethrough and a lamp assembly including a lamp having a lens mounted in said opening, said lamp assembly rotatably mounted about an axis generally parallel to said spoiler body portion longitudinal axis, and power means operably connected to said lamp assembly , said power means adapted to rotate said lamp assembly about said axis of rotation from an upright position with said lens of said lamp facing forwardly for off-road use to a retracted position within said spoiler body portion for on-road use, said lamp assembly having a surface generally coplanar with said inclined body portion wall when said lamp assembly is in said retracted position further reducing air drag of said roof spoiler.

2. The automotive roof spoiler defined in claim 1, characterized in that said lamp is rotatably mounted within said body portion adjacent the forward leading extent of said opening and said lamp is rotated by said power means from said upright position to said retracted position in a counter clockwise direction, wherein said lens of said lamp faces upwardly in said retracted position.

3. The automotive roof spoiler defined in claim 1, wherein said spoiler body portion includes a bottom wall mountable on said vehicle and said mounting means comprises fasteners extending through said bottom wall for attachment of said bottom wall of said body portion to an upper wall associated with said vehicle.

8. The automotive roof spoiler defined in claim 2, characterized in that said lamp lens is generally co-planar with said inclined body portion wall when said lamp is in said retracted position.

4. An automotive spoiler having retractable lamps, said spoiler having an enclosed elongated body portion, mounting means for mounting said spoiler body portion generally transversely to a longitudinal axis of a vehicle, said spoiler body portion including a forward facing wall inclined upwardly and rearwardly defining an air foil surface reducing frictional air drag of said spoiler and a rearward wall, said spoiler body portion having at least two spaced openings and a lamp assembly including a lamp having a lens portion mounted within each of said openings within said body portion, said lamp assemblies each rotatably mounted on an axis generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of said spoiler body portion, and power means operably connected to said lamp assemblies , said power means adapted to rotate said lamp assemblies about said axes of rotation from an upright position with said lenses of said lamps facing forwardly above said forward wall for off-road use to a retracted position within said body portion for on-road use, said lamp assemblies each having a surface generally coplanar with said inclined body portion wall generally closing said opening when said lamp assemblies are in said retracted position, further reducing air drag of said spoiler.

6. The automotive spoiler defined in claim 4, characterized in that said power means includes a motor located within said body portion and operably connected to said lamps by a shaft means.

7. The automotive spoiler defined in claim 4, wherein said spoiler body portion includes a bottom wall mountable on said vehicle and said spoiler including resilient mounting means adjacent forward and rearward edges of said body portion beneath said bottom wall.

5. The automotive spoiler defined in claiam 4, characterized in that said lamps are rotatably mounted adjacent the forward leading extent of said openings and said lamps are rotated by said power means from said upright position to said retracted position within said body portion in a counter clockwise direction, wherein said lenses of said lamps face upwardly in said retracted position.

9. The automotive spoiler defined in claim 5, characterized in that said lenses of said lamps are generally coplanar with said inclined body portion wall when said lamps are in said retracted position.