Modular light bar

• US 5,826,965 A
• Filed: 08/21/1996
• Issued: 10/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Lafrance LLC (LD Investment LLC)
• Original Assignee: Whelen Engineering Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Lyons, Harold W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yeung, James C.
• Application Number:
  US08/701,163
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 362/61, 362/74, 362/394, 362/287, 362/247, 362/249, 362/238, 362/368, 362/240, 362/396, 340/471, 340/472
• US Class Current: 362/477
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2611 Indicating devices mounted on the roof of the vehicle

Abstract

A light bar assembly employs a unitary support member in the form of a mounting rail and a plurality of light modules which are configured to engage the mounting rail. In a typical use environment, there will be two basic light module configurations, i.e., a module configured for support from a straight section of the mounting rail and a module configured for support from a curved section of the mounting rail. The individual light modules may each include either or both mechanically driven and electronically controlled warning lights. Each of the light modules comprises a base, a light transmissive dome-shaped lens and one or more light sources, the base and dome lens being interlocked in sealed fashion and defining an enclosure for the light source(s). The base is provided with a channel which is sized and shaped to be in-part complementary to the exterior surface of a portion of the mounting rail. The light modules can be arranged in a variety of configurations on the mounting rail to collectively form an array of light modules.

Claims

1. A modular vehicular lightbar comprising:

a support member for supporting a plurality of light modules, said support member comprising an elongated tubular mounting rail having upper and lower portions, said upper and lower rail portions extending the length of said rail and having different cross-sectional shapes;

foot means for affixing said rail to an exterior surface of a vehicle, said foot means comprising at least two spacially displaced mounting feet disposed between said rail and the surface, each of said feet defining an open-sided slot, said rail lower portion being received in said slots and engaged by said feet; and

a plurality of light modules, said modules being positioned along and at least in part supported from said rail, each of said light modules comprising;

a base, said base including at least a bottom wall and first and second opposing side walls, said bottom wall including an external open-sided base channel which extends between said first and second side walls, said base channel being generally complementary in cross-sectional shape to the cross-sectional shape of said upper portion of said mounting rail, said base channel engaging said rail upper portion;

a light transmissive lens affixed to said base, said lens cooperating with said base to define a chamber therebetween; and

at least one light emitter disposed within said chamber, said light emitter being affixed to said base such that at least a portion of the light emitted thereby passes through said lens.

2. A modular light bar as recited in claim 1, wherein said rail has at least a first linear segment and at least a curvilinear segment extending from an end of said linear segment, wherein said base and said lens means of at least one of said light modules cooperate to define a light module configured for mounting on said rail at said curvilinear segment thereof.

3. A modular lightbar as recited in claim 1, wherein a portion of said base of at least one of said light modules defines a light transmissive lens for at least a first clearance light, and wherein said one of said light modules further includes a clearance lamp supported within said chamber such that at least a portion of the light emitted by said clearance lamp passes through said clearance light lens.

4. A modular lightbar as recited in claim 1, wherein said base of each of said light modules is provided with an opening extending through said bottom wall and into said base channel, and wherein said rail is provided with a plurality of apertures through which communication may be established between the interior of said tubular rail and the chamber of each of said modules via said openings.

5. A modular light bar as recited in claim 1, wherein adjacent light modules abut one another such that said exterior surfaces of said plurality of light modules collectively present a generally continuous exterior surface.

6. A modular light bar as recited in claim 1, wherein said base channel of at least one of said light modules extends linearly between said first and second side walls.

7. A modular lightbar as recited in claim 6, wherein said rail is non-linear and comprises both linear and arcuate segments, and wherein said base channel of at least one of said light modules has an arcuate shape which matches at least a portion of said arcuate rail segment.

8. A modular light bar as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of said light modules includes at least a second light emitter, at least one of said light emitters comprising a warning light assembly.

9. A modular light bar as recited in claim 1 wherein said mounting rail and said base channel are provided with at least first complementary shaped bearing surfaces which are in abutment whereby said light modules are at least partly cantilevered from said mounting rail.

10. A modular light bar as recited in claim 9 wherein said complementary surfaces are at least in part linear, said linear surfaces extending angularly with respect to a plane transverse to a surface to which said feet are affixed.

11. A modular lightbar as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said feet includes means for releasably capturing said rail in said slot.

12. The modular lightbar as recited in claim 1, wherein said upper portion of said rail is defined by a top surface and a pair of side surfaces which extend therefrom in the direction of said rail lower portion, said side surfaces defining a rail cross-section which enlarges from said top surface in the direction of said rail lower portion.

13. The modular lightbar as recited in claim 12 wherein said rail side surfaces diverge relative to one another from said top surface in the direction of said rail lower portion.

14. A modular vehicular lightbar comprising:

an elongated tubular mounting rail, said rail having an exterior surface defined by upper and lower portions which extend the length of said rail, said upper and lower rail portions having different cross-sectional shapes; and

a plurality of light modules positioned on said mounting rail, each of said light modules comprising;

a base, said base having a bottom wall and a pair of opposing side walls which extend outwardly from said bottom wall, said base further having a rear wall which extends between said side walls, said bottom wall including an external channel which is proximal to said rear wall, said channel extending longitudinally between said pair of side walls and being substantially parallel to said rear wall, said channel being generally complementary in shape to said upper portion of said exterior surface of said rail, said channel of said base engaging said rail along a portion of the lenath thereof;

a light transmissive lens sealingly attached to said base, said lens and said base cooperating to define a chamber therebetween; and

at least one light emitter disposed within said chamber, said one light emitter being affixed to said base and being positioned such that at least a portion of the light emitted by said one light emitter passes through said lens.

15. The modular lightbar of claim 14 further comprising:

a plurality of spacially displaced mounting feet for rigidly mounting said rail to an exterior mounting surface of a vehicle, each of said feet defining an open-sided slot of generally complementary cross-sectional size and shape to at least a part of said lower portion of said rail, said rail lower portion being received in said slots and being rigidly engaged by said feet, said feet being rigidly mounted to the vehicle mounting surface.

16. The modular lightbar of claim 15 wherein the vehicle mounting surface has at least one aperture extending therethrough, wherein at least one of said feet has a passage therethrough extending from said slot, wherein said rail includes a bottom wall having a hole extending therethrough, said rail further defining an interior channel which is in registration with said hole, and wherein the mounting surface aperture, said hole and said passage are, at least in part, in registration with one another.

17. The modular lightbar of claim 14 wherein at least one of said light modules further comprises at least a second light emitter disposed within said chamber and affixed to said base such that at least a portion of the light emitted from said second light emitter passes through said lens.

18. The modular bar of claim 14 wherein at least one of said light modules further comprises at least one clearance light, said clearance light comprising a light transmissive lens cap, said lens cap cooperating with said base to define a second chamber therebetween, said clearance light further comprising a lamp disposed within said second chamber, at least a portion of the light emitted by said lamp passing through said lens cap.

19. The modular lightbar of claim 18 wherein said lens cap is integrally formed with said base.

20. A modular light bar assembly as recited in claim 14, wherein said rail is a generally U-shaped rail having a pair of generally parallel linear members, a bottom member extending between said linear members, and first and second curved regions connecting said bottom member to said linear members.

21. The modular lightbar as recited in claim 14 wherein said upper portion of said rail is defined by a top surface and a pair of side surfaces which extend therefrom in the direction of said rail lower portion, said side surfaces defining a rail cross-section which enlarges from said top surface in the direction of said rail lower portion.

22. The modular lightbar as recited in claim 14 wherein said rail side surfaces diverge relative to one another from said top surface in the direction of said rail lower portion.

23. A modular lightbar comprising:

a unitary support for a plurality of light modules, said support including an elongated mounting rail having upper and lower portions, said rail having at least a first linear segment and at least a curvilinear segment extending from an end of said linear segment;

foot means for affixing said rail to a surface, said foot means comprising at least two spacially displaced mounting feet disposed between said rail and the surface, each of said feet defining an open-sided slot which is generally complementary in shape to said lower portion of said rail, said rail lower portion being received in said slots and being engaged by said feet; and

a plurality of light modules, each of said light modules comprising;

a base, said base including a bottom wall and at least first and second opposing side walls, said base further having oppositely disposed front and rear sides which extend between said side walls, said bottom wall including an external open-sided base channel which extends longitudinally between said first and second side walls, said base channel being defined by plural surfaces and having a cross-sectional shape which is, at least in part, generally complementary to the cross-sectional shape of said upper portion of said mounting rail, said base channel engaging said rail upper portion to thereby at least in part support said module from said mounting rail, said front and rear sides of said base extending generally parallelly to said base channel, said base channel of at least one of said light modules having a curvilinear configuration in the longitudinal direction, said curvilinear configuration matching at least a portion of said curvilinear rail segment whereby said one light module may be mounted on said curvilinear rail segment;

a light transmissive lens affixed to said base, said lens having side walls and front and rear sides, said lens walls and sides being shaped to cooperate with respective of said base walls and sides to define a chamber between said base and lens; and

at least one light emitter disposed within said chamber, said one light emitter being mounted on said base and being positioned such that at least a portion of the light emitted by said one emitter will pass through said lens.

24. The modular lightbar as recited in claim 23 wherein said upper portion of said rail is defined by a top surface and a pair of side surfaces which extend therefrom in the direction of said rail lower portion, said side surfaces defining a rail cross-section which enlarges from said top surface in the direction of said rail lower portion, said top surface and side surfaces extending the length of said rail.

25. The modular lightbar as recited in claim 24 wherein said rail side surfaces diverge relative to one another from said top surface in the direction of said rail lower portion.

26. A modular vehicular lightbar comprising:

a generally U-shaped light module support, said support comprising an elongated tubular mounting rail, said rail having at least a first linear segment and a pair of curvilinear segments, said curvilinear segments extending from opposite ends of said linear segment, said rail having upper and lower portions which extend along said segments between opposite ends of said U-shaped support; and

a plurality of light modules positioned on said mounting rail, each of said light modules comprising;

a base, said base having a bottom wall and a pair of opposing side walls which extend outwardly from said bottom wall, said base further having a rear wall which extends between said side walls, said bottom wall including an external channel which is proximal to said rear wall, said channel extending longitudinally between said pair of side walls and being substantially parallel to said rear wall, said channel being generally complementary in size and shape to said upper portion of at least a part of one of said segments of said rail, said channel of said base engaging said rail along a portion of the length of said rail which is sized and shaped to engage said channel;

a light transmissive lens sealingly attached to said base, said lens and said base cooperating to define a chamber therebetween; and

at least one light emitter disposed within said chamber, said one light emitter being affixed to said base and being positioned such that at least a portion of the light emitted by said one light emitter passes through said lens.

27. The modular lightbar of claim 26 wherein said channel of said base of at least a first of said light modules extends generally linearly between said pair of side walls and engages a linear segment of said U-shaped rail, and wherein said channel of said base of at least a second of said light modules base extends arcuately between said pair of side walls and engages a first of said curvilinear segments of said U-shaped light module support.

28. The modular lightbar of claim 27 wherein said channel of said base of at least a third of said light modules is curvilinear and complementary to at least part of the second of said curvilinear rail segments, and wherein said third light module is supported from said second curvilinear segment of said U-shaped light module support.

29. The modular lightbar as recited in claim 28 wherein said upper portion of said rail is defined by a top surface and a pair of side surfaces which extend therefrom in the direction of said rail lower portion, said side surfaces defining a rail cross-section which enlarges from said top surface in the direction of said rail lower portion.

30. The modular lightbar as recited in claim 29 wherein said rail side surfaces diverge relative to one another from said top surface in the direction of said rail lower portion.

31. The modular lightbar of claim 26 wherein said channel of said base of at least a pair of said light modules is curvilinear and complementary to at least part of said curvilinear rail segments, and wherein said pair of light modules are supported from respective of said curvilinear segments of said U-shaped light module support.