High level rear brake lamp and alternating directional lamps

• US 4,791,401 A
• Filed: 01/16/1987
• Issued: 12/13/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: William A. Heidman Jr
• Original Assignee: William A. Heidman Jr
• Inventors: Heidman, William A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US07/003,863
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: 340/66, 340/71, 340/67, 340/69, 340/93, 340/94, 340/72-74, 340/76, 340/81 R, 307/10 LS
• US Class Current: 340/477
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/302 mounted in the vicinity, e.g. in the middle, of a rear window
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1003 Alarm systems characterised by arm or disarm features

Abstract

A light module for connection to an automobile linking circuit for placement at an elevated level at the rear of the vehicle. The light module includes a pair of low candle power illuminating lamps on each side of a centrally positioned higher candle power illumination lamp. The pairs of lamps intermittently illuminate together when the vehicle headlights are off indicating a turn direction. When the head lights are illuminated the lamps of each pair of lamps alternately illuminate indicating turn direction. When the automobile brakes are applied all five lamps of the module illuminate. When the hazard light system of the automobile is activated, the illumination of all five lamps of the module alternate on and off. When in addition to the hazard circuit activation the head lamps are turned on the illumination of the outer most lamps on each end of the module alternate with the center lamp.

Claims

1. An elevated level rear brake lamp and directional lamps for an automotive vehicle, said automotive vehicle having conventional turn and brake indicator lamps on each side of said vehicle positioned below said elevated rear brake lamp and directional lamps, a source of voltage, a turn indicating switch for indicating right and left vehicle turns, a flasher element connected between said source of voltage and said turn signal switch, head lamps and turn signal lamps on each side of the front of said vehicle, combination stop and turn indicator lamps and tail lamps on each side of the rear of said vehicle, a head lamp activation switch positioned between said source of voltage and the head and tail lamps on each side of the rear of said vehicle and a hazard switch connected to said combined stop and turn indicator lamps, the invention comprising:

a boxed shaped housing with an open side and an upper surface slanting downwardly and rearwardly toward a bottom surface;

five lamps positioned within said housing;

four divider walls within said housing for isolating the illumination from each of said plurality of lamps from each other within said housing;

said five lamps comprise first and second lamps, third and fourth lamps, said first and second lamps and said third and fourth lamps being positioned on opposite ends of said housing separated by a fifth centrally positioned lamp, said first, second, third and fourth lamps are of an equal level of illumination with the fifth lamp having a substantially greater level of ilumination than said first, second, third and fourth lamps;

said first lamp being connected in parallel with said combined stop and turn indicator lamp on the left side of the vehicle;

said fourth lamp being connected in parallel with said combined stop and turn indicator lamp on the right side of the vehicle;

said second lamp being connected in series between said tail lamp and said combined stop and turn indicator lamp on the right side of the vehicle;

said third lamp being connected in series between said tail lamp and said combined stop and turn indicator lamp on the left side of the vehicle; and

an isolation means connected between said turn indicating switch and said fifth lamp for isolation of said source of voltage between the lighting circuits of the left and right side of the vehicle;

whereby when the taillights of the vehicle are on said second and third lights are activated;

when the taillights are on and the brakes are applied said first, fourth and fifth lights are activated and said second and third lights are deactivated; and

when the taillights are on, the brakes are applied and the turn signal is activated, the two outer lamps on the side of the housing to which a turn is being made alternately flash on and off with respect to one another, the center lamp and the lamp positioned adjacent thereto on the opposite side of the housing are steadily illuminated, and the outermost lamp on the opposite side of the housing is deactivated.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said first, second, third, and fourth lamps are approximately two candle power and said fifth lamp is in the range of from 15 to 27 watts.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said isolation means is an "or" gate.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said isolation means is a pair of diodes.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said turn indicating switch comprises:

a pair of rocker switches interconnected between a source of voltage and said elevated brake and directional lamp and said conventional brake and turn indicator lamps, said rocker switches being in a normally open non-conductive state and having first and second separate closed conductive states, in the first closed conductive state said rocker switches return to their normally open non-conductive state when released and when in the second closed conductive state said rocker switches remain locked in their closed conductive state until the switches are manually removed from the locked position, said rocker switches control the front and rear turn signal lamps and rear brake lamps on separate sides of said vehicle;

a brake lamp switch; and

a pair of relay means, one associated with one of said pair of rocker switches for disconnecting said brake lamps from said brake lamp switch on the side of said vehicle corresponding to the closed state of its associated rocker switch.