Variable intensity light assembly
First Claim
1. A variable intensity light assembly comprising:
- a mounting plate adapted to be mounted to a vehicle support member and having a variable resistor thereon;
a rotatable member rotatably mounted with respect to said mounting plate, said rotatable member including a member selectively engaging said variable resistor for varying the resistance thereof; and
a lamp subassembly including a lamp mounted within a lamp socket, said socket having one terminal coupled to said variable resistor in a series circuit with a source of operating power, said lamp subassembly being coupled to said rotatable member such that as said lamp subassembly moves the variable resistor varies the intensity of illumination from said lamp, and wherein said lamp subassembly is tiltable with respect to said rotatable member for selectively directing illumination therefrom.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A light assembly comprises a fixed mounting plate on which there is positioned a variable resistor, a rotatable member including an arm engaging the variable resistor and a lamp subassembly pivotally mounted to the rotatable member and keyed to the rotatable member such when the lamp subassembly is rotated in a plane generally parallel to a lens associated with the lamp subassembly, the rotatable member moves with respect to the fixed mounting plate, thereby varying the resistance, which is coupled in series with a lamp contained within the lamp subassembly for varying the intensity of the illumination therefrom. In a preferred embodiment also, the lamp subassembly includes a lens having a knob associated therewith such that the lamp subassembly can be tilted and rotated for directing and varying the intensity of the illumination therefrom.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A variable intensity light assembly comprising:
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a mounting plate adapted to be mounted to a vehicle support member and having a variable resistor thereon; a rotatable member rotatably mounted with respect to said mounting plate, said rotatable member including a member selectively engaging said variable resistor for varying the resistance thereof; and a lamp subassembly including a lamp mounted within a lamp socket, said socket having one terminal coupled to said variable resistor in a series circuit with a source of operating power, said lamp subassembly being coupled to said rotatable member such that as said lamp subassembly moves the variable resistor varies the intensity of illumination from said lamp, and wherein said lamp subassembly is tiltable with respect to said rotatable member for selectively directing illumination therefrom.
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2. A variable intensity light assembly comprising:
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a mounting plate adapted to be mounted to a vehicle support member and having a variable resistor thereon; a rotatable member rotatably mounted with respect to said mounting plate, said rotatable member including a member selectively engaging said variable resistor for varying the resistance thereof; and a lamp subassembly including a lamp mounted within a lamp socket, said socket having one terminal coupled to said variable resistor in a series circuit with a source of operating power, said lamp subassembly being coupled to said rotatable member such that as said lamp subassembly moves the variable resistor varies the intensity of illumination from said lamp, wherein said variable resistor is a resistance strip and said member engaging said variable resistor comprises a conductive wiper arm. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4)
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5. An overhead light assembly for a vehicle comprising:
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a fixed housing for mounting to a vehicle headliner, said housing having a resistive strip thereon; a rotatable member rotatably mounted with respect to said housing, said rotatable member including a conductive wiper arm selectively engaging said resistive strip of said housing; and a lamp subassembly including a lamp mounted within a lamp socket having one terminal coupled to said wiper arm, wherein said rotatable member and lamp subassembly are coupled to one another such that rotation of said lamp subassembly moves said wiper arm with respect to said resistive member for varying intensity of illumination from said lamp. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A tiltable and dimming overhead light assembly comprising:
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a housing for fixed mounting to a vehicle overhead support, said housing having a variable resistor mounted thereto; a rotatable member rotatably mounted with respect to said housing, said rotatable member including an arm selectively engaging said variable resistor of said mounting plate for varying the resistance thereof as said rotatable member is rotated with respect to said housing; and a lamp subassembly including a lamp mounted within a lamp socket having one terminal coupled to said variable resistor, said rotatable member and lamp subassembly being coupled to one another such that rotation of said lamp subassembly rotates said rotatable member to vary the resistance of said variable resistor for varying intensity of illumination from said lamp, wherein one of said rotatable member and lamp subassembly includes a slot and the other of said rotatable member and lamp subassembly includes a mating tab which slideably moves within said slot allowing said lamp subassembly to tilt with respect to said rotatable member but lockably indexing said lamp subassembly when rotated in a plane generally orthogonal to the direction of tilting of said lamp subassembly. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification