Light bar and method for making

• US 8,636,395 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2011
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Federal Signal Corporation
• Original Assignee: Federal Signal Corporation
• Inventors: Gergets, Paul M., Fleszewski, Vince S., Mostello, Allan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): DZIERZYNSKI, EVAN P
• Application Number:
  US13/040,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20110156589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 362/493, 362/499, 362/542
• US Class Current: 362/493
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2611 Indicating devices mounted on the roof of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/52 for indicating emergencies
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/00 Illuminating devices specially adapted for vehicle exteriors, e.g. headlamps reversing lights F21S43/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/148 the main emission direction of the LED being perpendicular to the optical axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/151 arranged in one or more lines
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/285 Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S41/24-F21S41/28
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/321 the reflector being a surface of revolution or a planar surface, e.g. truncated
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/323 the reflector having two perpendicular cross sections having regular geometrical curves of a distinct nature
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/13 characterised by the type of light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/15 Strips of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/195 Details of lamp holders, terminals or connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/31 Optical layout thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/37 Attachment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/10 Protection of lighting devices cooling of lighting devices F21S45/40; waterproofing of lighting devices F21S45/50
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/47 Passive cooling, e.g. using fins, thermal conductive elements or openings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/04 the elements being switches safety devices F21V25/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A light bar is described that is of a modular construction based on one or more large circuit boards that are populated with light beam assemblies and then fastened to an interior space of the light bar housing. Keys that automatically align the light beam assemblies on each of the boards precisely control placement of the assemblies on the board. In turn, each of the boards is keyed to the interior of the light bar housing so that when the board is fastened to the housing the light beam assemblies are automatically registered into alignment with the lenses in the housing so that the beams from the assemblies are properly oriented. The light bar is inexpensive to fabricate and can be assembled quickly and reliably, yet it provides for a high degree of customization, which is a requirement in the emergency vehicle lighting industry.

Claims

1. A process for making an emergency light whose external housing is divided into separable sections and contains light assemblies comprising beam shaping devices that each produce a separate light beam, the process including:

populating a circuit board with two or more of the light assemblies by registering each of the light assemblies with respect to one or more references on the circuit board, which registration properly positions the light assembly for generating a light beam;

fastening each of the light assemblies to the circuit board at the proper position, where the proper position orients the light beam produced by the beam shaping device of the light assembly to be substantially in a direction perpendicular to a normal of a flat surface of the circuit board;

piloting the circuit board to mate with an interior surface of at least one of the sections of the housing by aligning one or more references fixed to the circuit board and one or more references fixed to the housing, which alignment registers each of the light assemblies fastened to the circuit board with a lens in the housing such that each individual light assembly corresponds to an individual lens in the housing;

fastening the circuit board to the interior surface of the housing section; and

mating the sections of the housing so that the circuit boards and the light assemblies are contained within a closed space defined by the interior of the housing.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein populating the light assemblies includes selecting each light assembly from a group of different types of light sources, where the types include LEDs, halogen lamps, high intensity discharge (HID) lamps, lasers, strobe lamps, incandescent lamps and light engines.

3. The process of claim 1 including

populating another circuit board with two or more light assemblies by registering each of the light assemblies with respect to one or more references on the circuit board and then fastening the light assembly to the circuit board at a proper position determined by the one or more references;

placing said another circuit board in the housing section; and

,

connecting a wiring harness between the said another circuit board and the circuit board.

4. The process of claim 1 including placing the circuit board and the said another circuit board in the housing section such that the flat section of the circuit board is substantially coplanar with a flat section of said another circuit board.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the proper position of at least one of the light assemblies optically aligns the beam shaping device of the assembly to light emitting diodes (LEDs) supported on the circuit board such that the LEDs and the beam shaping device cooperate to create the light beam.

6. The process of claim 1 including adding a wireless receiver within the housing for receiving remotely generated commands controlling the two or more light sources.

7. The process of claim 1 including physically attaching an energy source to the emergency light for providing energy to all energy consuming devices within the housing, including the light assemblies.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the emergency light is a light bar.