Conductive spring current for warning light

• US 6,814,478 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2003
• Issued: 11/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PowerArc, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Fire Products Company
• Inventors: Menke, W. Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Ward, John Anthony
• Application Number:
  US10/374,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20040165399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 362/271, 362/272, 362/281, 362/282, 362/283, 362/284, 362/323, 362/324, 362/499, 362/542, 340/471, 340/472, 439/840
• US Class Current: 362/499
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2611 Indicating devices mounted on the roof of the vehicle

Abstract

An electric current path for an oscillating warning light of an emergency vehicle includes a spring that is connected between a stationary base of the warning light and an oscillating assembly of the warning light.

Claims

1. An oscillating light apparatus comprising:

a stationary base;

a light assembly mounted on the base for oscillating movements of the light assembly about an axis relative to the base;

a motive source operatively connected with the light assembly to selectively move the light assembly in oscillating movements about the axis relative to the base;

an electric circuit operatively connected with the light assembly to selectively supply electric power to the light assembly to illuminate the light assembly;

a spring that is part of the electric circuit; and

,

the spring having a length with opposite first and second ends, the spring first end being operatively connected to the base and being held stationary relative to the base and the spring second end being operatively connected to the light assembly and being held stationary relative to the light assembly whereby the spring second end will move in oscillating movements relative to the base with the light assembly.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

the spring having a least one winding formed in the spring between the spring first and second ends.

3. An oscillating light apparatus comprising:

a stationary base;

a light assembly mounted on the base for oscillating movements of the light assembly about an axis relative to the base;

a motive source operatively connected with the light assembly to selectively move the light assembly in oscillating movements about the axis relative to the base;

an electric circuit operatively connected with the light assembly to selectively supply electric power to the light assembly to illuminate the light assembly;

a spring that is part of the electric circuit;

the spring being a spiral spring; and

,

the spring having an axis that the spring spirals around and the spring axis being coaxial with the axis of the light assembly.

4. An oscillating light apparatus comprising:

a stationary base;

a light assembly mounted on the base for oscillating movements of the light assembly about an axis relative to the base;

a motive source operatively connected with the light assembly to selectively move the light assembly in oscillating movements about the axis relative to the base;

an electric circuit operatively connected with the light assembly to selectively supply electric power to the light assembly to illuminate the light assembly;

a spring that is part of the electric circuit;

the spring being a coil spring; and

,

the spring having an axis that the spring coils around and the spring axis being coaxial with the axis of the light assembly.

5. An oscillating light apparatus comprising:

a stationary base;

a light assembly mounted on the base for oscillating movements of the light assembly about an axis relative to the base;

a motive source operatively connected with the light assembly to selectively move the light assembly in oscillating movements about the axis relative to the base;

an electric circuit operatively connected with the light assembly to selectively supply electric power to the light assembly to illuminate the light assembly;

a spring that is part of the electric circuit;

a pivot mount mounting the light assembly to the base for the oscillating movements of the light assembly relative to the base, the pivot mount having a hollow interior bore extending through the pivot mount; and

,

the electric circuit extending through the hollow interior bore of the pivot mount.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

the pivot mount hollow interior bore having a bore axis that is coaxial with the axis of the light assembly; and

,

the spring being a spiral spring having a spring axis that the spring spirals around and the spring axis being coaxial with the bore axis and the axis of the light assembly.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

the spring being a spiral spring having a length with opposite first and second ends with the first end being at an outer periphery of the spiral spring and the second end being at a center of the spiral spring; and

,

a conductive rod connected to the spiral spring second end and extending through the pivot mount hollow interior bore, the conductive rod being part of the electric circuit.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

the spring being a coil spring that extends through the pivot mount hollow interior bore.

9. An oscillating light apparatus comprising:

a stationary base;

a light assembly operatively mounted on the base for oscillating movements of the light assembly relative to the base;

a spring having a length with opposite first and second ends, the spring first end being operatively connected to the base and being held stationary relative to the base and the spring second end being operatively connected to the light assembly and being held stationary relative to the light assembly whereby the spring second end will move in oscillating movements relative to the base with the light assembly; and

,

an electric circuit operatively connected to the spring first and second ends where the spring is a conductor in the electric circuit.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

the spring having at least one winding formed in the spring between the spring first and second ends.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

the spring being a spiral spring.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

the light assembly being mounted on the base for oscillating movements of the light assembly about a light assembly axis; and

,

the spring being a spiral spring that spirals around a spring axis and the spring axis being coaxial with the light assembly axis.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

the spring being a coil spring.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

the light assembly being mounted on the base for oscillating movements of the light assembly about a light assembly axis; and

,

the spring being a coil spring that coils around a spring axis and the spring axis being coaxial with the light assembly axis.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a pivot mount mounting the light assembly to the base for oscillating movement of the pivot assembly about a pivot axis relative to the base, the pivot mount having a hollow interior bore and the pivot axis extending through the hollow interior bore; and

,

the electric circuit extending through the pivot mount hollow interior bore.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

the spring being a spiral spring having a spring axis that the spiral spring spirals around and the spring axis being coaxial with the pivot mount pivot axis.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

the spring being a spiral spring having a length with opposite first and second ends with the first end being at an outer periphery of the spring and the second end being at a center of the spring; and

,

a conductive rod connected to the spiral spring second end and extending through the pivot mount hollow interior bore, the conductive rod being part of the electrical circuit.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

the spring being a coil spring that extends through the pivot mount hollow interior bore.