Vehicular lightbar assembly

• US 5,027,260 A
• Filed: 09/06/1989
• Issued: 06/25/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Whelen Engineering Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Whelen Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Stopa, James L., Lyons, Harold W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cole, Richard R.
• Application Number:
  US07/403,710
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 362/74, 362/240, 362/249, 362/219, 340/468, 340/471, 340/472, 340/474
• US Class Current: 362/542
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2611 Indicating devices mounted on the roof of the vehicle

Abstract

A modular-type lightbar assembly has an elongated base having a bottom panel and a pair of oblique integrally extending front and rear sides. Lens elements are mounted to the base and a cover by lock and groove-type connections. Warning beacon units are mounted to platforms supported on base. The beacon units rotate for sequentially directing light through the front and rear lens elements. The beacon units have an efficient integral base which mounts the rotating beacon and a brush assembly for the motor. An electronic controller is employed to apply a pulse width modulated current to the beacon motor so that a fast and slow motor speed may be selected.

Claims

1. A lightbar assembly for an emergency vehicle comprising:

base means including an elongated base having a bottom panel, said base means further including a front panel and a rear panel respectively integrally extending from a pair of opposed sides of said bottom panel at oblique angles to said bottom panel, said side panels terminating at a pair of generally aligned and spaced free ends, rail means integrally extending from said front and rear panels intermediate said bottom panel and the free ends of said front and rear panels to define a pair of aligned transversely spaced support channels, said front and rear panels having connector means at the free ends thereof;

platform means slidably engageable with said rail means defined channels for forming a component support platform which extends between said front and rear panels, a trough being defined between said platform means and said base means bottom panel;

first lens means for defining a plurality of light transmissive elements, said first lens means including connector means on a pair of oppositely disposed edges thereof, the connector means on the first of said first lens means edges being shaped for engaging a said connector means at the free end of a said base means front panel in a generally tongue and groove-type connection;

second lens means for defining a plurality of light transmissive elements, said second lens means including connector means on a pair of oppositely disposed edges thereof, the connector means on the first of said second lens means edges being shaped for engaging the said connector at the free end of said base means panel in a generally tongue and groove-type connection, the said rear second edges of said first and second lens means being parallelly oriented and spaced when said lens means first edge connectors are engaged with said base means front and rear panel connectors;

opaque cover means substantially coextensive in length with said base means, said cover means having a pair of oppositely disposed edge portions which define connectors which are complementary to the second of said first and second lens means edge connectors whereby said cover means may be connected to said first and second lens means in a generally tongue and groove-type manner, said cover means having a width which exceeds the width of said base means bottom panel; and

a pair of end cap means for engaging opposite ends of said base means, lens means and cover means to cooperate therewith to define the enclosure of the lightbar assembly

2. The lightbar assembly of claim 1 further comprising audio warning means mounted on said platform means so as to be housed between said base means and cover means, a portion of said audio warning means defining a portion of said first lens means.

3. The lightbar assembly of claim 1 further comprising at least one light generator means mounted to said platform means and extending into the space between said platform means and said cover means, said light generator means comprising lamp means for emitting light and an associated rotatable reflector, said light generator means further including means for causing rotation of said reflector whereby light is sequentially transmitted through said first and second lens means.

4. A lightbar assembly for an emergency vehicle comprising:

base means for defining a portion of the assembly, said base means including a unitary elongated planar base panel having a pair of oppositely disposed sides extending upwardly therefrom, said base means further including rail means integrally extending from each of said sides to define a pair of inwardly facing transversely spaced support channels, said channels being in an aligned relationship, each of said sides having an upper portion which defines a mounting groove;

platform means slidably received in said support channels for supporting at least a first light generator, said platform means including at least a first planar support platform member;

first generally C-shaped lens means for forming a light transmissive front panel for the assembly, said first lens means having a longitudinally extending tongue on at least a first edge thereof, said tongue being complementary in shape to one of said mounting grooves whereby said tongue may be received in said one mounting groove, a second edge of said first lens means which is disposed oppositely with respect to the said first edge thereof being shaped to define connector means;

second generally C-shaped lens means for forming a light transmissive rear panel for said assembly, said second lens means having a longitudinally extending tongue on a first edge thereof, said tongue on said first edge of said second lens means being complementary in shape to the other of said mounting grooves whereby said second lens means tongue may be received in said other mounting groove, a second edge of said second lens means which is disposed oppositely with respect to the said first edge thereof being shaped to define connector means, said second edges of said first and second lens means being spatially displaced when said tongues are engaged by respective of said base means mounting grooves;

opaque cover means for defining a major portion of the top of the assembly, said cover means being provided with connector means in a pair of oppositely disposed parallel edges thereof, said cover means connector means being complementary to the connector means on the second edges of said first and second lens means whereby said cover means may be mounted to said first and second lens means, said cover means being generally coextensive in length with said base means and having a width which exceeds the width of said base means base panel; and

at least first light generator means mounted to said planar support platform member in registration

5. The lightbar assembly of claim 4 further comprising end cap means mounted to end portions of said base means, first lens means, second lens means and cover means for interlocking said base means, first lens means, second lens means and cover means and enclosing said rotatable warning beacon means.

6. The lightbar assembly of claim 5 wherein each of said end cap means defines an opening, a lens cover being mounted in each said opening, lamp means being supported from said platform member so as to be in registration with said end cap lens cover.

7. The lightbar assembly of claim 4 wherein said connector means on said cover means comprise locking grooves and wherein said connector means on the second edges of said first and second lens means comprise tongues which are received in said cover means locking grooves.

8. The lightbar assembly of claim 4 further comprising audio warning means mounted to said base means for generating an audio warning signal.

9. The lightbar assembly of claim 4 wherein said first and second lens means define a first set of lens means and wherein said lightbar assembly further comprises a second set of fist lens means and second lens means, said audio warning means being disposed between said first and second sets of first and second lens means.

10. The lightbar assembly of claim 9 further comprising divider means mounted to said base means at an intermediate longitudinal position for engaging peripheral portions of said first lens and said second lens means for transversely interlocking said first lens means and second lens means.

11. The lightbar assembly of claim 4 wherein said light generator means comprises at least a first rotatable warning beacon and wherein said lightbar assembly further comprises at least three additional rotatable warning beacon means mounted to said platform member.

12. The lightbar assembly of claim 4 further comprising frame means mounted in said support channels, said frame means comprising an upstanding panel and further comprising audio warning means for generating an audio warning signal, said warning means being mounted to said upstanding panel.

13. The lightbar assembly of claim 12 further comprising grill panel means for forming an audio speaker cover, said grill panel means having a tongue received in said first mounting groove.

14. The lightbar assembly of claim 4 wherein said sides extend obliquely from said base means base panel in divergent relationship.

15. The lightbar assembly of claim 4 wherein said light generator means comprises a first rotatable warning beacon mounted to said platform, said warning beacon comprising at least a light source, reflector means for reflecting light from said source, and means for rotating said reflector means so that light from said source is sequentially transmitted through said first and second lens means.