Retractable tire change lights for automotive vehicle
First Claim
1. A tire-changing safety assembly comprising in combination:
- (a) an automotive vehicle having a body and a plurality of tires, each of said tires being mounted for rotation in a different wheel well in said body;
(b) a plurality of cut-outs formed in the body of said vehicle, each of said cut-outs being formed proximate a different one of said wheel wells;
(c) a plurality of tire change lights, each of said lights being mounted in a different one of said cut-outs, each of said lights including(i) a stationary mounting case mounted in a concealed position in the body of said vehicle,(ii) a lamp housing mounted for reciprocation from a concealed, retracted position within said mounting case to an extended position outside the body of said vehicle,(iii) a light source mounted in said lamp housing,(iv) switch means for connecting said light source to a power source in said vehicle when said lamp housing is in said extended position, causing said light to turn on, and for disconnecting said light source from said power source when said lamp housing is in said retracted position, causing said light to turn off, and(v) a lens mounted in said lamp housing for allowing light from said light source to be emitted in the direction of one of the tires of said vehicle when said lamp housing is in said extended position.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A set of tire change lights for illuminating the tires of an automotive vehicle during a tire-changing operation comprises four lights, each of which is mounted near the wheel well above a different one of the vehicle'"'"'s tires. Each light includes a light source, such as a light bulb, which is mounted inside a lamp housing. The lamp housing, in turn, is mounted for manual or automatic reciprocation from a retracted position within a concealed stationary mounting case in the body of the vehicle to an extended position outside of the vehicle. The bottom wall of the lamp housing is provided with a lens which allows light from the light source to illuminate the area around the tire. The light source is electrically connected in series to the battery of the vehicle by means of a normally open control switch which closes to activate the light source when the lamp housing moves into its extended position and opens to deactivate the light source when the lamp housing moves into its retracted position.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A tire-changing safety assembly comprising in combination:
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(a) an automotive vehicle having a body and a plurality of tires, each of said tires being mounted for rotation in a different wheel well in said body; (b) a plurality of cut-outs formed in the body of said vehicle, each of said cut-outs being formed proximate a different one of said wheel wells; (c) a plurality of tire change lights, each of said lights being mounted in a different one of said cut-outs, each of said lights including (i) a stationary mounting case mounted in a concealed position in the body of said vehicle, (ii) a lamp housing mounted for reciprocation from a concealed, retracted position within said mounting case to an extended position outside the body of said vehicle, (iii) a light source mounted in said lamp housing, (iv) switch means for connecting said light source to a power source in said vehicle when said lamp housing is in said extended position, causing said light to turn on, and for disconnecting said light source from said power source when said lamp housing is in said retracted position, causing said light to turn off, and (v) a lens mounted in said lamp housing for allowing light from said light source to be emitted in the direction of one of the tires of said vehicle when said lamp housing is in said extended position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A tire change light for mounting proximate one of the wheel wells of an automotive vehicle to illuminate one of the tires of the vehicle during a tire-changing operation, said tire change light comprising:
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(a) a stationary mounting case for securing said light in a concealed position in the body of said vehicle, (b) a lamp housing mounted for reciprocation from a concealed, retracted position within said mounting case to an extended position outside the body of said vehicle, said lamp housing comprising a drawer-like structure including a pair of spaced apart side walls, a rear wall, a front wall, a bottom wall, and an open top portion, said open top portion allowing the interior of said housing to be used as a storage area; (c) guide means on the side walls of said lamp housing, said guide means cooperating with mating tracks in said mounting case to guide said lamp housing in a desired direction during reciprocation; (d) a light source mounted in said lamp housing; (e) switch means for connecting said light source to a power source in said vehicle when said lamp housing is in said extended position, causing said light to turn on, and for disconnecting said light source from said power source when said lamp housing is in said retracted position, causing said light to turn off; and (f) a lens mounted in said lamp housing for allowing light from said light source to be emitted in the direction of one of the tires of said vehicle when said lamp housing is in said extended position. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A tire-changing safety assembly comprising in combination:
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(a) an automotive vehicle having an interior portion including a dashboard with a control panel and an outer portion including a body and four tires, each of said tires being mounted below a fender over a different one of four wheel wells in said body; (b) four cut-outs formed in the body of said vehicle, each of said cut-outs being formed proximate a different one of said four wheel wells; (c) a set of four tire change lights, each of said lights being mounted in a different one of said cut-outs, each of said lights including (i) a stationary mounting case mounted in a concealed position in the body of said vehicle behind said cut-out, said mounting case comprising a box-like structure including two spaced apart side walls, a top wall, a bottom wall, a rear wall, and a front opening aligned with said cut-out, (ii) a lamp housing mounted for reciprocation from a concealed, retracted position in which said lamp housing is totally enclosed by said mounting case, to an extended position in which said lamp housing protrudes through said cut-out in said body of said automobile and projects laterally beyond said fender, said lamp housing comprising a drawer-like structure including a pair of spaced apart side walls, a rear wall, a front wall, a bottom wall, and an open top portion, said open top portion allowing the interior of said housing to be used as a storage area, (iii) guide means on the side walls of said lamp housing said guide means cooperating with mating tracks in said mounting case to guide said lamp housing in a desired direction during reciprocation, (iv) a light source mounted in said lamp housing, (v) switch means for connecting said light source to a power source in said vehicle when said lamp housing is in said extended position, causing said light to turn on, and for disconnecting said light source from said power source when said lamp housing is in said retracted position, causing said light to turn off, and (vi) a lens mounted in said lamp housing for allowing light from said light source to be emitted in the direction of one of the tires of said vehicle when said lamp housing is in said extended position. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification