Light bar providing illumination from inside a vehicle
First Claim
1. A light bar providing illumination from inside a vehicle, through a window of the vehicle, said window being of a width extending laterally across the window, said window being of a height extending from bottom to top of the window, said light bar comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LED'"'"'s) in at least one row of length corresponding substantially to the width of said window, a housing defining a channel containing said row of LED'"'"'s, said channel having a throat which directs illumination from said row of LED'"'"'s in a beam restricted by said throat through said window.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A light bar contains one or more rows of light-emitting diodes (LED'"'"'s) in a housing which extends across substantially the entire width of a windshield of a vehicle and is narrow in width to minimize interference with visibility through the windshield. The housing has an interior forming a channel with a throat; the throat acting as a hood which directs the illumination out of the windshield and minimizes stray light. The LED'"'"'s are arranged in banks generally symmetrically arrayed about the center of the length of the housing. Two of the banks, preferably equidistant from the center, are tilted in opposite directions to each other so as to project light toward the right side and left side of the vehicle. The LED'"'"'s may be illuminated continuously or in selected sequence, as established by the user with a switch on the housing. Attached to the housing in a separate compartment is another bank of LED'"'"'s which may direct light inside the vehicle for use as a dome or map light. A mechanism is provided for displacing and tilting the housing and may use pivotal arms attached to the end of the housing or adjustable Z-shaped hangers attached preferably to clamps such as visor clips already on the vehicle.
42 Citations
44 Claims
- 1. A light bar providing illumination from inside a vehicle, through a window of the vehicle, said window being of a width extending laterally across the window, said window being of a height extending from bottom to top of the window, said light bar comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LED'"'"'s) in at least one row of length corresponding substantially to the width of said window, a housing defining a channel containing said row of LED'"'"'s, said channel having a throat which directs illumination from said row of LED'"'"'s in a beam restricted by said throat through said window.
- 32. A light bar providing illumination from inside a vehicle through a window thereof having a width and height, comprising a housing defining a channel extending laterally, said channel having an elongated throat, a plurality of banks of LED'"'"'s each having one more rows of height less than said channel disposed in said housing facing said throat, at least one of said banks being oriented to project illumination in a different direction through said window than others of said banks.
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42. A light bar mountable in the interior of a vehicle comprising:
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a housing extending substantially across a window of said vehicle having a plurality of LED'"'"'s for projecting light through said window in which said LED'"'"'s are oriented to project said light in different directions;
said housing being sufficiently narrow to be located adjacent the top of said window without substantial obstruction of view through said window; and
means for energizing said LED'"'"'s to provide one or more patterns of the light from said LED'"'"'s.
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43. A method for providing an interior light bar for a vehicle comprising the steps of:
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providing a narrow light bar having LED'"'"'s for projecting light in different directions; and
mounting said light bar between the roof and visors of the vehicle to direct light from said light bar out of the windshield of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (44)
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Specification