Bicycle light

• US 8,974,098 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2012
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2012
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Light & Motion Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Light & Motion Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: McCaslin, Christopher, Weisenfeld, Greg, Robertson, Beau Jesse, Lo, Roxanne
• Primary Examiner(s): Neils, Peggy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harris, William N
• Application Number:
  US13/470,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20130301285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 362/473, 362/396, 362/476, 362/577, 362/581, 362/346, 362190-191, 362/183, 362/253, 362/205, 362/208, 362/249.02, 362/307, 362/297, 362242-243, 362/184, 362/171, 362/178, 362/311.06, 362/475, 362540-545, 362/199, 362/236, 362/202, 362/186
• US Class Current: 362/473
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 6/015 using electrical power not supplied by the cycle motor generator, e.g. using batteries or piezo elements
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 6/02 Headlights
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 6/029 characterised by the structure, e.g. casings
• CPC Class Codes: B62J 6/03 Supporting means therefor, e.g. mounting brackets

Abstract

A bicycle light for securing to a handlebar or other part of a bike, or to a rider'"'"'s helmet, has an angled front face that allows use of a single, flat LED circuit board with one or more deep conic or parabolic reflectors positioned in front of the upper part of the board and one or more shallow reflectors in front of the bottom part of the board. This provides for both a spot beam produced by the deep reflector and flood light produced by the shallow reflector, in a compact and efficient assembly. Another important feature of the device is side lighting which can be independently controlled, important in affording the rider side lighting while in street traffic but the option to pulse or switch off the side lighting when riding on a trail.

Claims

1. A bicycle light, comprising:

a light housing,

a connector on the housing for securing the bicycle light to a bicycle or to a user,

a battery contained within the housing,

an LED circuit board within the housing, and including an external switch on the housing for providing power from the battery to the LED circuit board when desired, the LED circuit board being essentially planar and containing at least one surface-mounted LED in an upper part of the board and at least one surface-mounted LED in a lower part of the board, both LEDs directed toward a front end of the housing,

reflectors positioned in the housing directly in front of the LED circuit board to reflect light from the LEDs in a forward direction out the front of the housing, the reflector at the upper LED being a deep reflector producing a spot beam and the reflector at the lower LED being a shallow reflector, shallower than the deep reflector and extending forward less than the deep reflector and producing a flood light beam out through the front of the housing, and

a front port or window in the housing including a transparent window plate sealed in the housing, at least a part of the window plate being planar and angled obliquely downwardly relative to the LED circuit board and relative to the direction of projection of light from the LEDs, such that a lower part of the window plate is receded farther back than an upper part of the window plate, so as to provide greater depth of space in the housing accommodating the deeper reflector in the upper part of the housing, the deeper reflector occupying such greater depth of space, and lesser depth of space accommodating the shallow reflector in the lower part of the housing, the shallow reflector occupying such lesser depth of space.

2. The bicycle light of claim 1, wherein the window plate upper part is essentially vertical and the window plate lower part is angled.

3. The bicycle light of claim 2, wherein the window plate lower part is angled about 15°

from vertical.

4. The bicycle light of claim 2, wherein the window plate is an integrally formed plastic molding.

5. The bicycle light of claim 1, wherein the window plate defines a single plane.

6. The bicycle light of claim 5, wherein the window plate is angled at least about 7°

from the planar LED circuit board.

7. The bicycle light of claim 5, wherein the window plate is angled at least about 10°

from the planar LED circuit board.

8. The bicycle light of claim 5, wherein the window plate is angled about 12°

the planar LED circuit board.

9. The bicycle light of claim 1, wherein the deep reflector at the upper LED is a parabolic reflector.

10. The bicycle light of claim 1, wherein the deep reflector at the upper LED is a biconic reflector.

11. The bicycle light of claim 1, with two LEDs in the upper part of the circuit board, a said deep reflector being provided for each of the upper LEDs.

12. The bicycle light of claim 1, wherein the battery is a rechargeable battery, and the housing including a micro USB charging port for recharging the battery.

13. The bicycle light of claim 1, further including left and right side lights on the housing, the side lights producing amber light.

14. The bicycle light of claim 13, wherein the side lights include at least one side light LED, including a second switch on the housing, independently controlling the side light LED so that the side lights need not be on when the forward-projecting lights are on.

15. The bicycle light of claim 14, wherein the side light LED is mounted on the LED circuit board.

16. A bicycle light, comprising:

a light housing,

a connector on the housing for securing the bicycle light to a bicycle or to a user,

a battery contained within the housing,

an LED circuit board within the housing, and including an external switch on the housing for providing power from the battery to the LED circuit board when desired, the LED circuit board containing at least one LED directed toward a front end of the housing,

a reflector positioned in the housing directly in front of the LED circuit board to reflect light from the LED in a forward direction out the front of the housing,

a single side light LED in the housing and side light means for directing light from the side light LED to side light windows at left and right on the housing, for side lights, and

a second switch on the housing, independently controlling the side light LED so that the side lights need not be on when the forward-projecting lights are on.

17. bicycle light of claim 16, wherein the side light means comprises light pipes from the side light LED to the side light windows.

18. The bicycle light of claim 16, wherein the side light LED is mounted on a back side of the LED circuit board.

19. The bicycle light of claim 16, wherein the light housing comprises two parts, a front metal part and a rear plastic part, the rear part containing the battery and sliding into the front part as assembled, the external switch being supported on the plastic part and the metal part serving to dissipate heat to exterior of the bicycle light.