Removable, reusable safety light

• US 6,193,385 B1
• Filed: 03/10/1999
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Libra Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Maklite, LLC
• Inventors: Kwit, Scott A., Maki, William M.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sawhney, Hargobind S.
• Application Number:
  US09/265,681
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 362/103, 362/104, 362/105, 362/106, 362/108, 362/240, 362/255, 362/234, 362/219, 362/806, 362/800, 362/320, 362/278, 362/109, 362/186, 362/184, 362/185, 362/252, 224/7
• US Class Current: 362/108
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 7/00 Arrangement or adaptation of portable emergency signal devices on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/615 illuminated
• 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: F21W 2111/10 for personal use, e.g. hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

A removable, reusable safety light comprises a light strip and a protective jacket. The light strip comprises a plurality of microlights, such as LEDs, connected together in parallel by electrical lead wires and encased in a weather and shock resistant microlight protective housing. Control circuitry is provided for controlling operation of the light strip, and comprises control electronics and a printed circuit board. A power source, such as a battery, is included for powering the light strip. The battery is connected to the plurality of microlights via the control circuitry. The control electronics, printed circuit board and battery are housed in a control circuitry housing affixed to the microlight housing tube. The protective jacket is configured to hold the light strip, and can be configured for removably mounting the safety light on an object or the clothing of an individual.

Claims

1. An illuminatible safety light comprising:

a plurality of spaced microlights connected together by flexible electrical lead wires;

a flexible, tubular, translucent microlight protective housing enclosing said plurality of microlights and said lead wires;

control circuitry operably connected to said lead wires to illuminate said plurality of microlights;

a power source operably connected to said control circuitry and said plurality of microlights for powering said plurality of microlights and said control circuitry;

a control circuitry protective housing affixed to said microlight protective housing and enclosing said control circuitry and said power source; and

a flexible protective jacket enclosing said translucent microlight protective housing and said control circuitry protective housing.

2. An illuminatible safety light comprising:

a light strip comprising;

a plurality of spaced microlights connected together by flexible electrical lead wires;

a flexible tubular translucent microlight protective housing enclosing said plurality of microlights and said lead wires;

control circuitry operably connected to said lead wires to illuminate said plurality of microlights;

a power source operably connected to said control circuitry and said plurality of microlights for powering said plurality of microlights and said control circuitry; and

a control circuitry protective housing affixed to said microlight protective housing and enclosing said control circuitry and said power source; and

a flexible protective jacket for enclosing said light strip, wherein said protective jacket further comprises a translucent pocket for holding said microlight protective housing and a handle section for covering said control circuitry protective housing.

3. The safety light of claim 2 wherein said protective jacket comprises two strips of material operably connected together to form said protective jacket with an opening for inserting said light strip therein.

4. The safety light of claim 2 wherein said handle section comprises two flaps having fastening means for fastening said flaps around said control circuitry protective housing.

5. The safety light of claim 4 wherein said two flaps are longer than said control circuitry protective housing such that portions of said two flaps extend past said control circuitry protective housing when said light strip is held in said protective jacket and wherein said fastening means further comprises a hook and loop fastener wherein a first flap of said two flaps includes a first fastener on its inner surface and a second flap of said two flaps includes a second complementary fastener on its inner surface such that said first fastener on said portion of said first flap that extends past said control circuitry protective housing mates with said second complementary fastener on said portion of said second flap that extends past said control circuitry protective housing for securing said light strip in said protective jacket.

6. The light strip of claim 5 wherein a side of said control circuit protective housing adjacent said first flap includes a third fastener configured to mate with said first fastener on said first flap and a side of said control circuit protective housing adjacent said second flap includes a fourth fastener configured to mate with said second fastener on said second flap for securing said light strip in said protective jacket.

7. The safety light of claim 3 wherein said control circuitry protective housing comprises a body portion and a neck portion and wherein said neck portion is operably connected to one end of said microlight protective housing.

8. The safety light of claim 2 wherein said plurality of microlights comprise a plurality of light-emitting diodes.

9. The safety light of claim 2 wherein said power source comprises a battery and said control circuitry protective housing includes a removable battery door for replacing said battery.

10. The safety light of claim 2 wherein said plurality of microlights are connected together electrically in parallel.

11. The safety light of claim 2 wherein said control circuitry is configured to operate in at least two modes wherein in a first mode said plurality of microlights are continually illuminated and in a second mode said plurality of microlights are illuminated in an periodic manner.

12. The safety light of claim 2 wherein said microlight protective housing and electrical lead wires are sufficiently flexible to allow said microlight protective housing to be folded without breaking.

13. An illuminatible safety light comprising:

a light strip comprising;

a plurality of spaced microlights connected together by flexible electrical lead wires;

flexible, tubular, translucent microlight protective housing enclosing said plurality of microlights and said lead wires;

control circuitry operably connected to said lead wires to illuminate said plurality of microlights;

a power source operably connected to said control circuitry and said plurality of microlights for powering said plurality of microlights and said control circuitry; and

a control circuitry protective housing affixed to said microlight protective housing and enclosing said control circuitry and said power source, wherein said control circuitry protective housing comprises a body portion and a neck portion and wherein said neck portion is operably connected to one end of said microlight protective housing and wherein said microlight protective housing includes an aperture near one end thereof and said neck portion includes a pin and hollow post wherein said pin in configured for insertion through said aperture into said hollow post for securing said microlight protective housing to said control circuitry protective housing.

14. A illuminatible safety light comprising:

a light strip comprising;

a plurality of spaced microlights connected together by electrical lead wires;

a translucent microlight protective housing enclosing said plurality of microlights;

control circuitry operably connected to said lead wires to illuminate said plurality of microlights;

a power source operably connected to said control circuitry and said plurality of microlights for powering said plurality of microlights and said control circuitry; and

a control circuitry protective housing affixed to said microlight protective housing and enclosing said control circuitry and said power source; and

a portable protective jacket for enclosing said light strip.

15. The safety light of claim 14 wherein said protective jacket further comprises:

a translucent pocket for holding said light strip; and

fastening means for fastening said protective jacket and said light strip onto a surface.

16. The safety light of claim 15 wherein said protective jacket further comprises a base and a cover operably connected together to form said protective jacket with an opening for inserting said light strip therein wherein said cover is made of translucent material and said fastening means is operably connected to said base.

17. The safety light of claim 16 wherein said base includes a reflective inner surface adjacent to said translucent microlight protective housing for enhancing the illumination of said plurality of microlights.

18. The safety light of claim 14 further comprising two translucent microlight protective housings each enclosing a plurality of microlights and two protective jackets for holding said two microlight protective housings wherein said control circuitry protective housing comprises a body portion and two neck portions with each said neck portion being operably connected to one end of one of said two microlight protective housings to form a V-shaped safety light.

19. The safety light of claim 18 wherein said two microlight protective housings form an angle of approximately 60 degrees with respect to each other.

20. The safety light of claim 18 further comprising two half-length microlight protective housings each encasing at least one microlight, each of said two half-length microlight protective housings being connected to one of said two microlight protective housings at an end opposite said control circuitry protective housing, and each of said two half-length microlight protective housings enclosed by a protective jacket such that said two microlight protective housings and said two half-length microlight protective housings are configured to form a triangular safety light.

21. The safety light of claim 14 wherein said power source comprises a battery and said control circuitry protective housing includes a removable battery door for replacing said battery.

22. The safety light of claim 14 wherein said plurality of microlights are connected together electrically in parallel.

23. The safety light of claim 14 wherein said control circuitry is configured to operate in at least two odes wherein in a first mode said plurality of microlights are continuously illuminated and in a second mode said plurality of microlights are illuminated in an periodic manner.

24. The safety light of claim 14 wherein said microlight protective housing and said electrical lead wires are flexible allowing said microlight protective housing to be folded without breaking.

25. The safety light of claim 14 wherein said plurality of microlights comprise a plurality of light-emitting diodes.

26. An illuminatible safety light comprising:

a light strip comprising;

a plurality of spaced microlights connected together by electrical lead wires;

a translucent microlight protective housing enclosing said plurality of microlights;

control circuitry operably connected to said lead wires to illuminate said plurality of microlights;

a power source operably connected to said control circuitry and said plurality of microlights for powering said plurality of microlights and said control circuitry; and

a control circuit protective housing affixed to said microlight protective housing and enclosing said control circuitry and said power source; and

a protective jacket for enclosing said light strip, the protective jacket comprising a translucent pocket for holding said light strip; and

fastening means for fastening said protective jacket and said light strip onto a surface, wherein said protective jacket further comprises a handle section such that said translucent pocket is sized to hold said microlight protective housing and said handle section is sized to accommodate said control circuitry protective housing, said handle section including fastening means for fastening said control circuitry protective housing to said handle section.