Taxi wand

• US 5,642,931 A
• Filed: 01/18/1996
• Issued: 07/01/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Taxiwand Inc.
• Original Assignee: Taxiwand Inc.
• Inventors: Gappelberg, Evan E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Basichas, Alfred
• Application Number:
  US08/588,126
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 362/102, 362/186, 362/202, 362/205, 362/223, 362/277, 362/319, 362/356, 340/321, 340/322, 40/555, 40/586
• US Class Current: 362/186
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 2/00 Systems of electric lighting devices systems employing both electric and non-electric light sources or exchangeable light sources F21L27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A hand held beacon uniquely suited for hailing taxicabs is an excellent signalling device that is easy to operate and adaptable for carrying. By pushing a button on the handle portion that releases a protruding member from a groove in a light element, the tubular plastic light element that has a lower annular metal lip and that is telescoped between an outer tube and an inner copper tube springs up and closes a circuit to cause a bulb at the top of the handle portion to beam light through the light element. The transparent light element tube has a reflective, blocking layer adhesively attached to the inside of the tube other than at transparent or translucent portions defining the letters of the word "TAXI" and defining adjacent translucent annular bands. The reflective layer, which reflects light coming from outside in some embodiments is reflective also on the inside for enhanced distribution of light through the light element. On one or opposite sides of the beacon, transparent portions not blocked by reflective material beam out light in the shape of the word "TAXI", especially at night. A semispherical cover at the top of the plastic light element is made of yellow-tinted translucent plastic so it simultaneously beams light in almost all directions. The observer sees the word "TAXI" lit up with bright yellow horizontal lines of light and a half moon cover glowing next to it. The light element is pushed back into the handle housing by hand.

Claims

1. A battery-powered beacon for hailing taxis comprising:

(i) a tubular handle portion essentially comprising an open ended electrically conductive inner tube inside an open ended outer tube, the inner and outer tube generally spaced apart from one another but attached to one another by means of a short tubular fit-in piece at a lower end of a space between the inner and outer tubes,

said tubular handle portion having a detachable bottom to allow insertion into the inner tube of batteries that rest on a spring in an electrically conductive detachable bottom,

a top of said inner tube receiving a bulb that is in contact with a descending metallic clip, said bulb contacting a terminal of the batteries, lighting up and transmitting light into a light element when an electric circuit is completed,

(ii) a tubular light element of transparent plastic having a layer of reflective material adhesively attached to the inside thereof, having a translucent substantially semispherical plastic cover at its top, a lower lip of said light element, when fully extended, contacting the inner tube and the descending metallic clip to complete an electric circuit, said tubular light element, in a closed position, sitting on a coil spring and engaged to and telescoped within the handle portion between the inner tube and the outer tube and, in an open position, springing up to complete an electric circuit when button means on the handle portion are pressed thus causing light to radiate through the translucent plastic cover and

(iii) button means on the handle portion whose protruding member catches an annular groove in the light element in a closed position and, when the button is pushed, releases the protruding member from the light element.

2. A battery-powered beacon for hailing taxis comprising:

(i) a tubular handle portion essentially comprising an open ended electrically conductive inner tube inside an open ended outer tube, the inner and outer tube generally spaced apart from one another but attached to one another by means of a short tubular fit-in piece at a lower end of a space between the inner and outer tubes,

said tubular handle portion having a detachable bottom to allow insertion into the inner tube of batteries that rest on a spring in an electrically conductive detachable bottom,

a top of said inner tube receiving a bulb that is in contact with a descending metallic clip, said bulb contacting a terminal of the batteries, lighting up and transmitting light into a light element when an electric circuit is completed,

(ii) a tubular light element of transparent plastic having a layer of reflective material adhesively attached to the inside thereof except at transparent portions defining lettering thereon, having a translucent substantially semispherical plastic cover at its top and having an annular metallic lip at a lower end thereof that, when the light element is fully extended, is disposed between the inner tube and the descending metallic clip to complete an electric circuit, said tubular light element, in a closed position, sitting on a coil spring and engaged to and telescoped within the handle portion between the inner tube and the outer tube and, in an open position, springing up to complete an electric circuit when button means on the handle portion are pressed thus causing light to radiate through the transparent lettering and plastic cover and

(iii) button means on the handle portion whose protruding member catches an annular groove in the light element in a closed position and, when the button is pushed, releases the protruding member from the light element.

3. The beacon of claim 2, wherein the reflective layer is reflective on both sides.

4. The beacon of claim 2, wherein the inner tube is made of lightweight copper.

5. The beacon of claim 2, wherein the detachable bottom has a metal coil spring surrounded by housing that has an electrically conductive portion for contacting the inner tube.

6. The beacon of claim 2, wherein the protruding member of said button has a fulcrum member depending therefrom toward the outer tube of said handle portion.

7. The beacon of claim 2, wherein the light element has upper and lower annular bands above and below the lettering.

8. The beacon of claim 2, wherein the light element has one or more annular bands above and below the lettering and the detachable bottom has a metal coil spring surrounded by plastic housing that has an electrically conductive portion for contacting the inner tube.

9. The beacon of claim 2, wherein the light element has upper and lower annular bands above and below the lettering, the reflective layer is reflective on both sides and the detachable bottom has a metal coil spring surrounded by plastic housing that has an electrically conductive portion for contacting the inner tube.

10. The beacon of claim 2, wherein the light element has upper and lower annular bands above and below the lettering, the reflective layer is reflective on both sides, the inner tube is made of lightweight copper, the detachable bottom has a metal coil spring surrounded by plastic housing that has an electrically conductive portion for contacting the inner tube and the protruding member of said button has a fulcrum member depending therefrom toward the outer tube of said handle portion.

11. A battery-powered beacon for hailing taxis comprising:

(i) a tubular handle portion essentially comprising an open ended inner tube inside an open ended outer tube, the inner and outer tube generally spaced apart from one another but attached to one another by means of a short tubular fit-in piece at a lower end of a space between the inner and outer tubes, said outer tube having on its inside wall a long metal strip,

said tubular handle portion having a detachable bottom to allow insertion into the inner tube of batteries that rest on a spring in the detachable bottom, wherein a metal strip in the detachable bottom aligns with and contacts the long metal strip when the detachable bottom is inserted,

a top of said inner tube receiving a bulb that is in contact with a metallic piece, said bulb contacting a terminal of the batteries, lighting up and transmitting light into a light element when an electric circuit is completed,

(ii) a tubular light element of partly opaque plastic having transparent portions defining the letters T A X I thereon, having a translucent substantially semispherical plastic cover at its top and having a metal strip attached to a lower end thereof that, when the light element is fully extended, is disposed between the long metal strip of the outer tube and the metallic piece to complete an electric circuit, said tubular light element, in a closed position, sitting on a coil spring and engaged to and telescoped within the handle portion between the inner tube and the outer tube and, in an open position, springing up to complete an electric circuit when button means on the handle portion are pressed thus causing light to radiate through the transparent lettering and through the plastic cover and

(iii) button means on the handle portion that in a closed position causes the light element to catch the handle portion and that when pushed releases the light element from said handle portion to an open position.

12. The beacon of claim 11, wherein said button means comprises a button on an outer wall of said outer tube that when pressed in a closed position causes a pin to traverse the space between the outer tube and the light element and to press against a lip on a bendable cut-out strip defined on the light element, said lip being otherwise caught in an opening in said outer tube.

13. The beacon of claim 11, wherein said button means comprises a button on an outer wall of said outer tube that when pressed in a closed position causes a pin to traverse the space between the outer tube and the light element and to press against a lip at one end of a bendable generally rectangular cut-out strip defined on the light element, said lip being otherwise caught in an opening in said outer tube.

14. A battery-powered beacon for hailing taxis comprising:

(i) a tubular handle portion essentially comprising an open ended inner tube inside an open ended outer tube, the inner and outer tube generally spaced apart from one another but attached to one another by means of a short tubular fit-in piece at a lower end of a space between the inner and outer tubes, said outer tube having on its inside wall a long metal strip,

said tubular handle portion having a detachable bottom to allow insertion into the inner tube of batteries that rest on a spring in the detachable bottom, wherein a metal strip in the detachable bottom aligns with and contacts the long metal strip when the detachable bottom is inserted,

a top of said inner tube receiving a bulb that is in contact with a metallic piece, said bulb contacting a terminal of the batteries, lighting up and transmitting light into a light element when an electric circuit is completed,

(ii) a tubular light element of partly opaque plastic having transparent portions defining the letters T A X I thereon, having a translucent substantially semispherical plastic cover at its top and having a metal strip attached to a lower end thereof that, when the light element is fully extended, is disposed between the long metal strip of the outer tube and the metallic piece to complete an electric circuit, said tubular light element, in a closed position, sitting on a coil spring and engaged to and telescoped within the handle portion between the inner tube and the outer tube and, in an open position, springing up to complete an electric circuit when button means on the handle portion are pressed thus causing light to radiate through the transparent lettering and through the plastic cover, said light element having within it light enhancement means to increase the amount of light emanating from the bulb that is emitted through the transparent lettering and

(iii) button means on the handle portion that in a closed position causes the light element to catch the handle portion and that when pushed releases the light element from said handle portion to an open position.

15. The beacon of claim 14, wherein said button means comprises a button on an outer wall of said outer tube that when pressed in a closed position causes a pin to traverse the space between the outer tube and the light element and to press against a lip on a bendable cut-out strip defined on the light element, said lip being otherwise caught in an opening in said outer tube.

16. The beacon of claim 14, wherein said button means comprises a button on an outer wall of said outer tube that when pressed in a closed position causes a pin to traverse the space between the outer tube and the light element and to press against a lip at one end of a bendable generally rectangular cut-out strip defined on the light element, said lip being otherwise caught in an opening in said outer tube.

17. The beacon of claim 14, wherein said light enhancement means comprises a strip of reflective lettering adhesively attached to the inside of said light element.

18. The beacon of claim 14, wherein said button means comprises a button on an outer wall of said outer tube that when pressed in a closed position causes a pin to traverse the space between the outer tube and the light element and to press against a lip on a bendable cut-out strip defined on the light element, said lip being otherwise caught in an opening in said outer tube and wherein said light enhancement means comprises a strip of reflective lettering adhesively attached to the inside of said light element.

19. The beacon of claim 14, wherein said button means comprises a button on an outer wall of said outer tube that when pressed in a closed position causes a pin to traverse the space between the outer tube and the light element and to press against a lip at one end of a bendable generally rectangular cut-out strip defined on the light element, said lip being otherwise caught in an opening in said outer tube and wherein said light enhancement means comprises a strip of reflective lettering adhesively attached to the inside of said light element.