Rear facing light bar

• US 5,988,839 A
• Filed: 08/17/1998
• Issued: 11/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Whelen Engineering Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Whelen Engineering Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Lyons, Jon H., Ford, Robert B., Olson, John F., Pokorney, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUSAR, STEPHEN F
• Application Number:
  US09/132,126
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 362/493, 362/540, 362/541, 362/542, 362/544, 362/503, 340/468, 340/472
• US Class Current: 362/493
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2611 Indicating devices mounted on the roof of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/30 for indicating rear of vehicle, e.g. by means of reflecting surfaces

Abstract

A rear facing light bar for a passenger vehicle comprises a housing shaped to define a rearwardly directed roof extension which increases in depth in the downstream direction. The housing is permanently attached to the vehicle and supports, behind an outer lens, a linear array of individually controllable lights which are rearwardly directed.

Claims

1. A light bar for mounting on a motor vehicle, said light bar comprising:

a housing, said housing having a shape which generally forms a downstream extension of a portion of the roof of the vehicle on which the light bar is to be mounted, said housing including a top, said top having leading and trailing edges in the direction of air flowing over the roof of the vehicle when the vehicle is moving, said housing also including a pair of opposite side edges which extend between said leading and trailing edges, said leading edge being smooth and continuous between said side edges, said housing also having a pair of side walls which extend angularly from respective of said top side edges, said side walls tapering from a maximum height at their junction with said top trailing edge to a minimum height at said top leading edge, said housing further including a rear wall which extends between said side walls at said top trailing edge, said rear and side walls and said top being integral and cooperating to define therebetween a concavity which increases in depth from said top leading edge to said top trailing edge;

a single tier array of lights supported side-by-side from said housing rear wall, said lights extending into said concavity, said lights being supported such that visible radiation produced thereby will be directed rearwardly of the vehicle on which the light bar is mounted; and

means for adhesively securing said housing top leading edge and the bottom edges of said side and rear walls to exterior surfaces of a motor vehicle, said side and rear wall bottom edges being oppositely disposed with respect to said side and trailing edges of said housing top.

2. The light bar of claim 1 wherein said housing rear wall comprises:

a frame which defines an elongated opening; and

a trough defining member disposed in said opening and integral with said frame, said trough defining member having a base which defines a plurality of windows, said windows being sized and shaped to receive individual lights of said array, individual lights of said array being affixed to said base and positioned in respective of said windows.

3. The light bar of claim 1 wherein said housing rear wall includes an opening which is elongated, the perimeter of said opening defining a plane, and wherein said lights of said array are positioned in said opening and are located on the same side of said plane as said top trailing edge whereby said housing functions as an awning for said lights.

4. The light bar of claim 1 wherein said housing further comprises a mounting flange integral with said rear and side wall bottom edges and said top leading edge, said adhesive securing means being disposed between said mounting flange and the vehicle exterior surface.

5. The light bar of claim 1 further comprising:

a common lens extending over all of said lights of said array, said lens being affixed to said housing rear wall and having a smooth surface on the side thereof which faces in the direction in which light is radiated.

6. The light bar of claim 1 wherein said housing further comprises:

at least a first stiffening element integral with said housing top.

7. The light bar of claim 1 further comprising:

an opening in at least one of said side walls;

a flood light mounted in said opening in said one side wall, said flood light including a reflector, a light source and a lens, said reflector, light source and lens cooperating to provide a field of radiation which is angularly skewed in the direction of said housing top leading edge.

8. The light bar of claim 2 wherein the periphery of the opening in said frame defines a plane, and wherein said trough defining member has a side wall which extends outwardly from said base to said plane whereby said lights are recessed with respect to said plane and said trough side wall functions as an awning for said lights.

9. The light bar of claim 8 wherein said housing further comprises a mounting flange integral with said rear and side wall bottom edges and said top leading edge, said adhesive securing means being disposed between said mounting flange and the vehicle exterior surface.

10. The light bar of claim 8 further comprising:

a common lens extending over all of said lights of said array, said lens being affixed to said housing rear wall and having a smooth surface on the side thereof which faces in the direction in which light is radiated.

11. The light bar of claim 9 further comprising:

a common lens extending over all of said lights of said array, said lens being affixed to said housing rear wall and having a smooth surface on the side thereof which faces in the direction in which light is radiated.

12. The light bar of claim 8 further comprising:

an opening in at least one of said side walls;

a flood light mounted in said opening in said one side wall, said flood light including a reflector, a light source and a lens, said reflector, light source and lens cooperating to provide a field of radiation which is angularly skewed in the direction of said housing top leading edge.

13. The light bar of claim 11 further comprising:

an opening in at least one of said side walls;

a flood light mounted in said opening in said one side wall, said flood light including a reflector, a light source and a lens, said reflector, light source and lens cooperating to provide a field of radiation which is angularly skewed in the direction of said housing top leading edge.

14. The light bar of claim 10 wherein said lens is removably engaged with said trough defining member side wall.

15. The light bar of claim 13 wherein said lens is removably engaged with said trough defining member side wall.

16. The light bar of claim 1 wherein said array of lights comprise:

at least five warning lights, said warning lights each including;

a reflector, said reflector having an optical axis, a focal point and an outer perimeter which defines a plane;

a light generator, said light generator being positioned to intercept said focal point; and

a lens, said lens cooperating with said reflector to define a space wherein said light generator being positioned in said space; and

wherein said warning lights are supported from said housing rear wall with said focal points being substantially coplanar and lying approximately in a common horizontal plane, said reflector defined planes being oriented substantially vertically.

17. The light bar of claim 16 further comprising:

a common lens extending over all of said lights of said array, said lens being affixed to said housing rear wall and having a smooth surface on the side thereof which faces in the direction in which light is radiated.

18. The light bar of claim 17 wherein said housing rear wall comprises:

a frame which defines an elongated opening; and

a trough defining member disposed in said opening and integral with said frame, said trough defining member having a base which defines a plurality of windows, said windows being sized and shaped to receive individual lights of said array, individual lights of said array being affixed to said base and positioned in respective of said windows.

19. The light bar of claim 18 wherein the periphery of the opening in said frame defines a plane, and wherein said trough defining member has a side wall which extends outwardly from said base to said plane whereby said lights are recessed with respect to said plane and said trough side wall functions as an awning for said lights.

20. The light bar of claim 19 further comprising:

an opening in at least one of said side walls;

a flood light mounted in said opening in said one side wall, said flood light including a reflector, a light source and a lens, said reflector, light source and lens cooperating to provide a field of radiation which is angularly skewed in the direction of said housing top leading edge.

21. The light bar of claim 1 wherein bottom edges of said side walls of said housing are each provided with a locating groove sized and shaped to receive a gasket which extends about the rear window of the vehicle.

22. The light bar of claim 20 wherein bottom edges of said side walls of said housing are each provided with a locating groove sized and shaped to receive a gasket which extends about the rear window of the vehicle.