Multicolor emergency vehicle light

• US 4,931,768 A
• Filed: 08/01/1988
• Issued: 06/05/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/1988
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Code 3 Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Public Safety Equipment Incorporated
• Inventors: Latta, Michael D., Jincks, Danny C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US07/227,065
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 340/84, 340/81 P, 340/87, 340/50, 340/90, 340/472, 340/473, 340/471, 362/35, 362/170, 362/373, 362/800, 362/80, 362/83.1, 362/83.2, 362/83.3, 362/235, 362/294, 350/97, 350/99, 350/100, 350/101, 350/102, 350/103, 350/253, 350/248, 246/473.3
• US Class Current: 340/473
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2611 Indicating devices mounted on the roof of the vehicle

Abstract

A base adapted to be mounted on a vehicle supports a light source for generating a rotating light beam. A dome-shaped lens is positioned on the base over the light source to form an enclosure for the light source. A coating may be located on the top of the lens to prevent light passing therethrough and into the passenger compartment. Multiple flashes are created by a reflector positioned adjacent the rear portion of the lens to reflect the rotating beam as a plurality of discrete flashes within a sector relative to the base. A filter generally having a contour of the front portion of the lens may be mounted thereon. The multiple flashes may be of different colors depending on the range of wavelength of light transmitted by the lens and filter and reflected by the reflector. A person viewing the light sees at least four discrete flashes of light which may be of varying colors.

Claims

1. An emergency vehicle light comprising:

a base adapted to be mounted on an emergency vehicle;

lamp means on the base for emitting a beam of light;

reflector means external to and projecting laterally beyond the base having at least three reflector segments arranged generally along a parabolic curve having a focal point coaxial with said lamp means, each reflector segment being adapted to reflect the beam of light emitted by said lamp means for observance by an observer remote from said vehicle; and

means for effecting relative movement between said beam and said three reflector segments whereby said beam of light emitted by said lamp means is adapted repetitively to traverse said reflector segments in sequence whereby said observer is adapted to observe at least three discrete flashes of light in a repetitive sequence after each traverse of said reflective segments by said beam with each flash corresponding to a reflection of said beam off a respective reflector segment.

2. The light of claim 1 wherein said reflector segments comprise a plurality of flat reflectors arranged generally side-by-side along said curve.

3. The light of claim 1 wherein said means for effecting relative movement is operable to move said lamp means relative to said reflector means.

4. The light of claim 3 wherein said means for effecting relative movement is operable to rotate said lamp means about an axis generally perpendicular to the plane of said beam as reflected by said reflector means.

5. The light of claim 1 wherein said reflector segments are adapterd to reflect the beam of light emitted from said lamp means as reflected light beams of one or more colors different from the color of the light beam emitted by said lamp means.

6. The light of claim 1 further comprising a lens on the base for enclosing said lamp means, said lens having a front portion and a rear portion, and filter means releasably mounted on said front portion of the lens for filtering the light beam emitted by said lamp means.

7. The light of claim 6 further comprising lens means on the base for enclosing the lamp means, said lens means having a front portion and an opposing rear portion and means, positioned on the front portion of the lens means, for blocking the light beam passing through the front portion, said means for blocking interchangeable with said filter means.

8. The light of claim 2 further comprising lens means on the base for enclosing the lamp means, said lens means having a front portion and an opposing rear portion and means, releasably mounted on the front portion of the lens means, for blocking the light beam passing through the front portion.

9. An emergency vehicle light as set forth in claim 8 wherein said means for blocking comprises an opaque cover.

10. An emergency vehicle light as set forth in claim 9 further comprising means for spacing the opaque cover away from said lens means to create an air gap therebetween for dissipating heat absorbed by said lens means and/or said opaque cover.

11. An emergency vehicle light as set forth in claim 10 further comprising means for mounting said opaque cover on the front portion of the lens means, and wherein said means for spacing comprising lateral members positioned between the inner surface of the opaque cover and the outer surface of the lens means to separate the opaque cover and the front portion of the lens means when the opaque cover covers the front portion of the lens means whereby overheating of the lens means caused by the opaque cover is minimized.

12. An emergency vehicle light comprising:

a base adapted to be mounted on a vehicle;

a light source on the base adapted to emit a beam of light;

means for rotating the light beam relative to the base about an axis;

lens means on the base enclosing the light source, said lens means being adapted to transmit light within a first wavelength range; and

reflector means positioned external to and releasably mounted on the lens means for reflecting light from the light source, the reflected light being within a second wavelength range different from said first wavelength range whereby, on rotation of the light beam, a person viewing the emergency vehicle light is adapted to see discrete flashes of light of different colors.

13. The light of claim 12 wherein said lens means has a front portion and an opposing rear portion, the reflector means is positioned adjacent the rear portion, and further comprising filter means for filtering the light beam releasably mounted on the front portion of the lens means.

14. The light of claim 13 wherein said filter means transmits light within a third wavelength range different from the first and second ranges.

15. The light of claim 12 further comprising means, releasably mounted on the front portion of the lens, for blocking the light beam passing through the front portion.

16. An emergency vehicle light comprising:

a base adapted to be mounted on an emergency vehicle;

lamp means on the base for emitting a beam of light;

lens means on the base for enclosing said lamp means;

reflector means, adjacent to and projecting laterally beyond said lens means, having at least one curved reflector segment being adapted to reflect the beam of light emitted by said lamp means for observance by an observer remote from said vehicle; and

means for effecting relative movement between said beam and said reflector means whereby said beam of light emitted by said lamp means is adapted repetitively to sequentially traverse said reflector segments whereby said observer is adapted to observe discrete flashes of light in a repetitive sequence with each flash corresponding to a reflection of said beam off the reflector means.

17. The light of claim 16 wherein said means for effecting relative movement is operable to move said lamp means relative to said reflector means.

18. The light of claim 17 wherein said means for effecting relative movement is operable to rotate said lamp means about an axis generally perpendicular to the plane of said beam as reflected by said reflector means.

19. The light of claim 16 wherein said reflector segments are adapted to reflect the beam of light emitted from said lamp means as reflected light beams of one or more colors different from the color of the light beam emitted by said lamp means.

20. The light of claim 16 wherein said lens means has a front portion and a rear portion, and further comprising filter means releasably mounted on said front portion of the lens means for filtering the light beam emitted by said lamp means.

21. The light of claim 20 further comprising means for releasably mounting the reflector means to the lens means.

22. The light of claim 21 wherein said means for releasably mounting the reflector means to the lens means comprises a channel on the reflector means adapted to releasably engage the lens means.

23. The light of claim 22 wherein said channel comprises a web having detents thereon and said lens means includes recesses for receiving the detents.

24. The light of claim 20 further comprising a filter generally having a contour of the front portion of the lens means and means releasably for mounting the filter on the front portion of the lens means.

25. An emergency vehicle light comprising:

a base adapted to be mounted on a vehicle;

a light source on the base adapted to emit a beam of light;

means for rotating the light beam relative to the base about an axis;

connecting means including a wire for connecting the light source to a power supply located outside said enclosure;

a dome-shaped lens adapted to be positioned on the base over the light source to form, in conjunction with the base, an enclosure for the light source, said lens having a top wall and a side wall with a bottom edge projecting below the base; and

strain relief means for securing said wire against strain adjacent the location where the wire exits said enclosure, said strain relief means comprising a notch extending upwardly from said bottom edge for receiving said wire therethrough, said notch being so sized and configured that the lens is adapted to press the wire against the base when the lens is mounted on the base.

26. The light of claim 25 wherein said strain relief means further comprises at least one tooth extending into the notch for engaging the wire and holding it in fixed position relative to the lens and base when the lens is mounted on the base.

27. An emergency vehicle light comprising:

a base adapted to be mounted on a vehicle;

a light source on the base adapted to emit a beam of light;

lens means on the base for enclosing the light source, said lens means having a front portion and a rear portion;

filter means external to and releasably mounted on the front portion of the lens means for filtering the light beam as it passes through the front portion of the lens means.

28. The light of claim 27 wherein said lens means comprises a dome-shaped lens adapted to transmit light within a first wavelength range and said filter means transmits light within a second wavelength range different from the first range.

29. The light of claim 27 further comprising means for releasably mounting said filter means on the front portion of the lens means, said means for releasably mounting comprising lateral members positioned between the inner surface of the filter means and the outer surface of said lens means to separate the filter means and the front portion of the lens means when the filter means covers the front portion of the lens means whereby overheating of the lens means caused by the filter means is minimized.

30. The light of claim 29 wherein the members comprise projections on the inner surface of the filter means.

31. The light of claim 27 wherein said filter means include a channel adapted to releasably engage the lens means.

32. The light of claim 31 wherein said channel comprises a web having detents thereon and said lens means includes recesses for receiving the detents.

33. The light of claim 27 wherein the filter means includes a section adapted to be removed from the filter means to decrease the area of the lens means covered by the filter means.

34. The light of claim 33 wherein said section comprises a panel of reduced thickness adjacent an edge of the filter.

35. The light of claim 27 further comprising means for shielding the lens from heat rising from the light source.

36. The light of claim 35 wherein said means for shielding comprises a substantially flat, heat reflective member spaced away from and located between the light source and the lens and supported by the supporting means.

37. The light of claim 27 further comprising a support adapted to support the base on the vehicle, the support having first and second flaps and a web, each flap pivotally connected to an end of the web, the first flap adapted to engage the base and the second flap adapted to engage the vehicle.

38. The light of claim 37 wherein said web has parallel side flanges perpendicular to the web and said flaps have tabs perpendicular to the flaps and pivotally engaging the side flanges.

39. The light of claim 27 further comprising a reflector adapted to be positioned adjacent the rear portion of the lens means to reflect the light beam and including means for releasably mounting the reflector on the rear portion of the lens means.

40. The light of claim 39 wherein said means for mounting includes means for spacing the reflecting means away from said lens means to create an air gap therebetween for dissipating heat absorbed by said lens means and/or said reflector.

41. The light of claim 27 wherein said filter means comprises means releasably mounted on the front portion of the lens means, for blocking the light beam.

42. The light of claim 41 wherein said means for blocking comprises an opaque cover.

43. The light of claim 42 further comprising means for spacing the opaque cover away from said lens means to create an air gap therebetween for dissipating heat absorbed by said lens means and/or said opaque cover.

44. The light of claim 43 further comprising means for mounting said opaque cover on the front portion of the lens means, said means for mounting comprising spacers positioned between the inner surface of the opaque cover and the outer surface of the lens means to separate the opaque cover and the front portion of the lens means when the opaque cover covers the front portion of the lens means whereby overheating of the lens means caused by the opaque cover is minimized.

45. The light of claim 41 further comprising means for releasably mounting the blocking means to the lens means.

46. The light of claim 45 wherein said means for releasably mounting comprises a channel on the blocking means adapted to releasably engage the lens means.

47. The light of claim 46 wherein said channel comprises a web having detents thereon and said lens includes recesses for receiving the detents.

48. An emergency vehicle light comprising:

a base adapted to be mounted on a vehicle;

a light source on the base adapted to emit a beam of light;

lens means on the base enclosing the light source and having a top for absorbing heat and light within a first wavelength range and for readily dissipating absorbed heat to air surrounding the top of said lens means.

49. The light of claim 48 wherein said top of said lens means comprises a layer over an outer surface of said lens means.

50. The light of claim 49 wherein said layer comprises a coating on the outer surface of said lens means thereby preventing excessive heat build-up within the lens means.

51. The light of claim 50 wherein said coating comprises an opaque material adhered to the outer surface of said lens means.

52. An emergency vehicle light comprising:

a base adapted to be mounted on an emergency vehicle;

lamp means on the base for emitting a beam of light;

lens means on the base enclosing said lamp means;

reflector means having at least one reflector segment being adapted to reflect the beam of light emitted by said lamp means for observance by an observer remote from said vehicle;

means for releasably mounting said reflector means to said lens means; and

means for effecting relative movement between said beam and said reflector means whereby said beam of light emitted by said lamp means is adapted repetitively to traverse said reflector segments in sequence whereby said observer is adapted to observe discrete flashes of light in a repetitive sequence with each flash corresponding to a reflection of said beam off a respective reflector segment.