Night vision clearance light

• US 6,491,417 B1
• Filed: 06/13/2001
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Original Assignee: Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Estate of Heinz Hermann Thiele)
• Inventors: Matko, Mark A., Haen, Craig S.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): DELGIZZI, RONALD ERNEST
• Application Number:
  US09/880,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20020191407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 362/485, 362/545, 362/11, 362/540, 362/254, 362/800, 362/493, 362/246, 362/240, 362/234, 362/236, 250/330, 250/214, 250/353
• US Class Current: 362/485
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0023 the element being a sensor, e.g. distance sensor, camera
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/32 for indicating vehicle sides , e.g. clearance lights
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/04 Mounting of cameras operative during drive; Arrangement of controls thereof relative to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/004 outside the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2011/0042 characterised by mounting means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A night vision clearance light assembly includes a shell, an array of visible light emitting elements, and a night vision device. The visible light emitting elements are preferably LEDs mounted on a ring received in the shell. The night vision device is operatively connected to an associated night vision camera and sees through an opening in the ring and the lens. The assembly is easily mounted in a standard factory-cut clearance light housing in the exterior of a truck cab.

Claims

1. A night vision clearance light assembly comprising:

a shell transparent to visible light having an opening therethrough;

a light source received in the shell for emitting light; and

a night vision device directed through the opening in the shell.

2. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a mounting ring and the light source is a plurality of visible light emitting elements secured to the mounting ring.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the opening extends through a center of the mounting ring and the shell.

4. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the mounting ring contains a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings and wherein the light source includes individual light emitting elements secured in the mounting openings.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the light source includes individual light emitting diodes.

6. The assembly of claim 5 wherein the lens includes a plurality of non-diffuse regions corresponding in number to light emitting diodes.

7. The assembly of claim 5 wherein the light emitting diodes are connected in a common electrical circuit.

8. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a mounting ring having an opening aligned with the opening in the shell through which the night vision device sees.

9. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the visible light elements protrude through the top of the shell.

10. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the night vision device is adapted for operative connection with an associated infrared camera.

11. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a potting compound for sealing the light source and shell.

12. A method for constructing an illumination system for use in motor vehicles comprising:

securing a plurality of visible light emitting elements to a ring, the elements being interconnected to form a circuit;

securing a shell over the rigid ring, the top of the shell being constructed such that light emitted from the visible light emitting elements is able to pass through the shell;

placing a night vision device behind a central hole defined by the shell and the ring;

inserting the assembly comprising the shell, the ring and the night vision device into a mounting hole in the exterior surface of a motor vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the mounting hole is a factory cut clearance light hole in the exterior of a truck cab.

14. The method according to claim 12 wherein the night vision device is secured to see through the shell and ring assembly after the assembly is inserted into the mounting hole.