Bicycle light with LED array

• US 6,572,249 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2001
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Trek Bicycle Corporation
• Original Assignee: Trek Bicycle Corporation
• Inventors: Bailey, Randall B.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tsidulko, Mark
• Application Number:
  US09/954,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20020093825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 362/473, 362/474, 362/240, 362/184, 362/191, 362/252, 362/545, 362/249, 362/475, 362/542, 362/543, 362/544, 362/493, 362/236
• US Class Current: 362/473
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 6/04 Rear lights

Abstract

A horizontal disk shaped bicycle light has a plurality of illuminating elements arrayed around its circumference, selectively illuminated at slow, medium and fast (or continuously “on”) rates and selectively illuminated in an all around or a side and rear only pattern.

Claims

1. A bicycle light comprising:

a disk shaped body having a circumference;

said body containing a plurality of illuminating elements arrayed around said circumference;

a control circuit contained within said body;

said control circuit being formed and arranged such that said illuminating elements may be selectively illuminated at a plurality of rates;

said illuminating elements each having a shaped lens;

said lens having a conical base extending circumferentially outwardly and terminating in a flat surface;

said base extending outwardly from an aperture adapted to receive a light emitting device,

said lens operating by the conduction of light from the light emitting device through the conical base, the light emitting from said flat surface.

2. The light of claim 1 further comprising:

said illuminating elements being adapted to be selectively illuminated in a plurality of patterns.

3. The light of claim 2 further comprising:

said patterns including a first pattern in which said elements are illuminated substantially an all around said circumference and a second pattern in which said elements are illuminated in a side and rear only pattern.

4. The light of claim 3 further comprising:

said patterns including a first pattern in which said elements are illuminated substantially an all around said circumference and a second pattern in which said elements are illuminated in a side and rear only pattern.

5. The light of claim 4 further comprising:

said first pattern including a plurality of slightly forwardly facing illuminating elements;

said first pattern extending substantially 330 degrees around said circumference such that said flat surfaces of said forwardly facing illuminating elements and said light emitting devices are visible from a position forward of a perpendicular to a side of a bicycle on which said light is mounted.

6. The light of claim 1 further comprising:

said rates including at least a slow, medium and fast rate in which said fast rate is sufficiently fast to be visually perceptibly continuously “

on”

to an ordinary observer.

7. The light of claim 1 further comprising:

said rates including at least a flashing rate and fast rate in which said fast rate is one of either sufficiently fast to be visually perceptibly continuously “

on”

to an ordinary observer or is continually illuminated.

8. The light of claim 7 further comprising:

said illuminating elements each having a shaped lens;

said lens having a conical base extending circumferentially outwardly and terminating in a flat surface;

said base extending outwardly from an aperture adapted to receive a light emitting device.

9. The light of claim 8 further comprising:

said patterns including a first pattern in which said elements are illuminated substantially an all around said circumference and a second pattern in which said elements are illuminated in a side and rear only pattern.

10. The light of claim 9 further comprising:

said first pattern including a plurality of slightly forwardly facing illuminating elements;

said first pattern extending substantially 330 degrees around said circumference such that said flat surfaces of said forwardly facing illuminating elements and said light emitting devices are visible from a position forward of a perpendicular to a side of a bicycle on which said light is mounted.

11. A disk shaped light for a bicycle, the bicycle having a first direction of travel corresponding to the direction in which a balanced rider propels the bicycle, and a second direction opposite said first direction and sideward directions perpendicular to the first direction comprising:

a plurality of outwardly facing, circumferentially spaced conical lenses;

each of said lenses having a light emitting device at the apex of the cone;

two of said conical lenses are aligned in a generally sideward, but slightly facing said first direction;

three of said conical lenses are aligned generally facing said second direction;

said alignment of said lenses providing generally all-around visibility when all five are energized, and to limit visibility to the side and second direction when only the second direction facing LEDs are illuminated;

said light having a control circuit;

said control circuit controlling the pattern of illumination of said elements selectively between an all around pattern in which all five devices are illuminated and a generally second direction aligned pattern in which said three generally second direction and sideward devices only are illuminated.

12. The light of claim 11 further comprising:

said control circuit controlling the pattern of illumination of said elements selectively between a plurality of rates including at least said rates including at least a flashing rate and fast rate in which said fast rate is one of either sufficiently fast to be visually perceptibly continuously “

on”

to an ordinary observer or is continually illuminated.

13. A disk shaped bicycle light comprising:

control means for controlling the rate and pattern of illumination of the bicycle light;

power means for energizing the bicycle light;

illuminating means for illuminating said light in accordance with a selected pattern and rate;

lens means associated with each of said illuminating means for dispersing light emitted by said illuminating means for an increased apparent size and greater angular direction;

wherein five of said illuminating means and lens means are illuminated in a first pattern and three of said illuminating means and lens means are lighted selectively in a second pattern such that in said first pattern a total of five lens means dispersed horizontally about the periphery of said disk are illuminated and in said second pattern three of said lens means one dispersed rearwardly and two dispersed sidewardly are illuminated;

said lens means each having a conically shaped lens;

said lens means having a conical base extending circumferentially outwardly and terminating in a flat surface;

said base extending outwardly from an aperture adapted to receive a light emitting device;

said lens means operating by the conduction of light from the light emitting device through the conical base, the light emitting from said flat surface.

14. The light of claim 13 further comprising:

said control means illuminating the illuminating means at selected rates;

said rates including at least a flashing rate and fast rate in which said fast rate is one of either sufficiently fast to be visually perceptibly continuously “

on”

to an ordinary observer or is continually illuminated.