Securable cover for vehicle lights

• US 8,200,390 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2009
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Control Solutions Incorporated (ADAMA Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Control Solutions Incorporated (ADAMA Ltd.)
• Inventors: Brown, Alyn, Wiff, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Diacou, Ari M
• Application Number:
  US12/512,881
• Publication Number:
  US 20110029194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,048 Days
• Field of Search: 701/36, 359265-275, 362/509
• US Class Current: 701/36
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/14 having dimming means
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/28 Cover glass
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/645 by electro-optic means, e.g. liquid crystal or electrochromic devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/10 Protection of lighting devices cooling of lighting devices F21S45/40; waterproofing of lighting devices F21S45/50
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 1/16 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/08 for producing coloured light, e.g. monochromatic; for reducing intensity of light with provision for controlling the colour F21V9/40
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/15165 Polymers
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/64 Normally black display, i.e. the off state being black
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/66 Normally white display, i.e. the off state being white

Abstract

A cover for use in connection with one or more vehicle lights is provided. A lens of the cover contains an electrically activatable material that prevents the transmission of visible light from entering into and reflecting out from one or more of the vehicle lights when the electrically activatable material is set to a light inhibiting state. The cover may be configured to be releasably installed over one or more of the vehicle lights such as military combat vehicle lights. A coupling device electrically couples the electrically activatable material to an electrical power source. An actuator is adapted to set the electrically activatable material of the lens to the light inhibiting state in response to user operation such that the lens prevents the transmission of visible light from entering into and reflecting out from the one or more vehicle lights to reduce the observability of the one or more vehicle lights.

Claims

1. A cover for use in connection with one or more vehicle lights, comprising:

a lens having an electrically activatable material in which the electrically activatable material prevents the transmission of visible light from entering into and reflecting out from the one or more vehicle lights when the electrically activatable material is set to a light inhibiting state, the lens is held in a housing of the cover and wherein the housing is adapted to be releasably secured over the one or more vehicle lights;

a coupling device adapted to electrically couple, at least in part, the electrically activatable material to an electrical power source; and

an actuator adapted to set the electrically activatable material of the lens to the light inhibiting state in response to user operation such that the lens prevents the transmission of visible light from entering into and reflecting out from the one or more vehicle lights to reduce the observability of the one or more vehicle lights.

2. The cover of claim 1 wherein the electrically activatable material is an electrochromatic material.

3. The cover of claim 2 wherein the electrochromatic material comprises at least one layer of electrochromatic film.

4. The cover of claim 3 wherein the at least one layer of electrochromatic film is affixed to at least one layer of a transparent material of the lens.

5. The cover of claim 4 wherein the transparent material is a glass or a polycarbonate material.

6. The cover of claim 5 wherein the transparent material is glass material comprising at least one of:

(a) plexiglass; and

(b) bullet resistant glass.

7. The cover of claim 3 wherein the electrochromatic film is disposed between layers of transparent material of the lens.

8. The cover of claim 7 wherein the lens is housed in a bezel adapted to be removably affixed to the one or more vehicle lights.

9. The cover of claim 1 wherein the electrically activatable material comprises at least one of:

(a) suspended particle device (SPD) material;

(b) liquid crystal display (LCD) material; and

(c) phase dispersed liquid crystals (PDLCs).

10. The cover of claim 1 wherein the vehicle lights are military combat vehicle lights or security vehicle lights.

11. The cover of claim 10 wherein the electrically activatable material is adapted to selectively pass light of a particular spectrum and block out light at wavelengths outside of the spectrum.

12. The cover of claim 11 wherein the electrically activatable material selectively passes light ranging from 700 nanometers to 1200 nanometers.

13. The cover of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises at least one rim adapted for releasable securement of the cover to the one or more vehicle lights.

14. The cover of claim 1 wherein the at least one rim is formed from metal, molded rubber, or composite material.

15. The cover of claim 10 wherein the electrically activatable material becomes opaque upon being electrically energized and the electrically activatable material becomes transparent upon being electrically de-energized.

16. The cover of claim 15 wherein the electrically activatable material becomes electrically energized upon reaching a voltage potential threshold such that the lens does not allow the transmission of ambient light into a light reflector from the one or more vehicle lights when the electrically activatable material is electrically energized.

17. The cover of claim 15 wherein the electrically activatable material is adapted to block the transmission of ambient light from entering the one or more military vehicle lights upon being electrically energized.

18. The cover of claim 10 wherein the electrically activatable material becomes opaque upon being electrically de-energized and the electrically activatable material becomes transparent upon being electrically energized.

19. The cover of claim 18 wherein the electrically activatable material becomes electrically de-energized upon removal of a voltage potential threshold such that the lens does not allow the transmission of ambient light into a light reflector from the one or more vehicle lights when the electrically activatable material is electrically de-energized.

20. The cover of claim 18 wherein the electrically activatable material is adapted to block the transmission of ambient light from entering the one or more military vehicle lights upon being electrically de-energized.

21. The cover of claim 10 wherein the actuator is positioned at a control panel within the vehicle and wherein the actuator comprises at least one of:

(a) a switch;

(b) panel touch screen;

(c) button; and

(d) sensor.

22. The cover of claim 10 wherein the actuator comprises at least one of:

(a) a hardwired switch;

(b) a software switch; and

(c) wireless control.

23. The cover of claim 10 wherein the electrical power source comprises vehicle power and wherein the vehicle power is coupled with a control panel of the military vehicle.

24. The cover of claim 10 wherein the electrical power source comprises a vehicle battery and wherein the vehicle battery is coupled with a control panel of the military vehicle.

25. The cover of claim 10 wherein the electrical power source comprises an accessory battery and wherein the accessory battery is coupled with the control panel, the control panel is adapted to re-charge the accessory battery based on conditions of a vehicle battery.

26. A method of utilizing a cover in connection with one or more vehicle lights comprising:

providing a lens having an electrically activatable material in which the electrically activatable material prevents the transmission of visible light from entering into and reflecting out from the one or more vehicle lights when the electrically activatable material is set to a light inhibiting state;

holding the lens in a housing of the cover and releasably securing the housing over the one or more vehicle lights;

electrically coupling, at least in part, the electrically activatable material to an electrical power source; and

switching the electrically activatable material of the lens from a light passing state to the light inhibiting state such that, in the light inhibiting state, the lens prevents the transmission of visible light from entering into and reflecting out from the one or more vehicle lights to reduce observability of the one or more vehicle lights.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the electrically activatable material further comprises at least one layer of electrochromatic film.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising positioning the at least one layer of electrochromatic film between layers of transparent material of the lens.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the transparent material is glass material comprising at least one of:

(a) plexiglass; and

(b) bullet resistant glass.

30. The method of claim 28 further comprising placing the lens in a bezel adapted to be removably affixed to the one or more vehicle lights.

31. The method of claim 26 wherein the electrically activatable material comprises at least one of:

(a) suspended particle device (SPD) material;

(b) liquid crystal display (LCD) material; and

(c) phase dispensed liquid crystals (PDLCs).

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the vehicle lights are military combat vehicle lights or security vehicle lights.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising selectively passing light of a particular spectrum through the lens and blocking out light at wavelengths outside the spectrum.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising selectively passing light ranging from 700 nanometers to 1200 nanometers through the lens.

35. The method of claim 26 further comprising electrically energizing the electrically activatable material such that the electrically activatable material becomes opaque, and

de-energizing the electrically activatable material such that the electrically activatable material becomes transparent.

36. The method of claim 26 further comprising electrically de-energizing the electrically activatable material such that the electrically activatable material becomes opaque, and

electrically energizing the electrically activatable material such that the electrically activatable material becomes transparent.

37. The method of claim 26 wherein the electrical power source comprises vehicle power and further comprising coupling the vehicle power with a control panel of the vehicle.

38. The method of claim 26 wherein the electrical power source comprises a vehicle battery and further comprising coupling the vehicle battery with a control panel of the vehicle.

39. The method of claim 26 wherein the electrical power source comprises an accessory battery and further comprising coupling the accessory battery with a control panel of the vehicle, and

recharging the accessory battery based on conditions of the vehicle battery.