Abstract:
A rotating flashing warning signal lamp is disclosed to include a housing houses a LED type light source, a reflector, which has an anchoring member for positioning, a flat reflecting panel for reflecting light from the LED type light source, and a friction hinge coupled between the flat reflecting panel and the anchoring member for allowing adjustment of the reflecting angle of the flat reflecting panel, and a power drive, which has a driven member that supports the anchoring member of the reflector, a motor, and a driving member driven by the motor to rotate the driven member, thereby turning the reflector about the LED type light source to produce a flashing warning signal when the LED type light source is turned on.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to signal lamps and more particularly, to a rotating flashing warning signal lamp, which provides an optimum signaling effect. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    A rotating flashing warning signal lamp may be used in a fixed place such as construction worksite, dangerous bridge, road, fence, gate, etc., or on a moving object such as ambulance, police car, patrol car, or the like. A rotating flashing warning signal lamp may also be used for advertising or decoration purpose.  FIGS. 9 and 10  show a conventional rotating flashing warning signal. According to this design, the rotating flashing warning signal comprises a hollow base A, a gearwheel A 1  pivotally mounted in the base A on the middle, a motor and pinion set A 2  mounted inside the base A and controllable to rotate the gearwheel A 1 , an incandescent lamp bulb B 1  and a disk reflector B fixedly supported on the gearwheel A 1 , and a lampshade C covered on the base A over the an incandescent lamp bulb B 1  and the disk reflector B. When starting the motor of the motor and pinion set A 2 , the incandescent lamp bulb B 1  and the disk reflector B are turned with the gearwheel A 1 , proving a flashing warning signal. 
         [0005]    The aforesaid conventional rotating flashing warning signal lamp has numerous drawbacks as follows: 
         [0006]    1. The incandescent lamp bulb B 1  becomes hot quickly during working, and tends to burn out after a long use. Therefore, the maintenance cost of this design of rotating flashing warning signal lamp is high. 
         [0007]    2. The incandescent lamp bulb B 1  consumes much power supply during working, and therefore, it is necessary to frequently charge or replace the connected external storage battery or dry battery. 
         [0008]    3. The disk reflector B is a hollow rounded reflecting member. Light from the incandescent lamp bulb B 1  are diffused when reflected by the disk reflector B, and a person looking at the flashing warning signal may feel dizzy. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide a rotating flashing warning signal lamp, which provides an optimum signaling effect without causing the person looking at the flashing warning signal to feel dizzy. 
         [0010]    According to one aspect of the present invention, the rotating flashing warning signal lamp comprises a housing, power drive means, and a reflector. The housing has an enclosed space and light source means fixedly mounted in the enclosed space. The power drive means comprises a motor fixedly mounted in the enclosed space inside the housing, a driven member, and a driving member coupled between the motor and the driven member for rotating the driven member when the motor is started. The reflector is adapted to reflect light from the light source means, comprising an anchoring member fixedly fastened to the driven member, a flat reflecting panel, which has at least one planar reflecting surface for reflecting light from the light source means, and a friction hinge coupled between one side of the anchoring member and one side of the flat reflecting panel. 
         [0011]    According to another aspect of the present invention, the light source means comprises a circuit board fixedly mounted in the enclosed space inside the housing, and a plurality of LEDs (light emitting diodes) installed in the circuit board by means of a surface mounting technique. Because the light source means uses LEDs to give off light, it does not become hot during working and is durable in use. 
         [0012]    According to still another aspect of the present invention, the flat reflecting panel is set at 45° above the upright LEDs of the light source means to reflect vertically extending light rays from the LEDs into horizontally extending light rays, enhancing the signaling effect. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a rotating flashing warning signal lamp in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of a part of  FIG. 1 , showing the structure of the power drive. 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a sectional side view of the rotating flashing warning signal lamp in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a schematic drawing showing the reflecting action of the reflector of the rotating flashing warning signal lamp in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a schematic sectional side view of a rotating flashing warning signal lamp in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a schematic sectional side view of a rotating flashing warning signal lamp in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a schematic sectional side view of a rotating flashing warning signal lamp in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is a schematic sectional side view of a rotating flashing warning signal lamp in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  is an elevational view of a warning signal lamp according to the prior art. 
           [0022]      FIG. 10  is a sectional side view of the warning signal lamp according to the prior art. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0023]    Referring to  FIGS. 1˜3 , a rotating flashing warning signal lamp in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is shown comprising a housing  1 , a light source  13 , a power drive  2 , and a reflector  3 . 
         [0024]    The housing  1  has an enclosed space  11 , and a rack  12  fixedly provided at the bottom side inside the enclosed space  11 . 
         [0025]    The light source  13  is fixedly mounted on the rack  12  inside the housing  1 , comprising a circuit board  131  electrically connected to power supply (storage battery, dry battery, city power supply, etc.) and a plurality of LEDs (light emitting diodes)  132  installed in the circuit board  131 . 
         [0026]    The power drive  2  comprises a motor  21 , a driving member  22 , and a driven member  23 . 
         [0027]    The reflector  3  comprises an anchoring member  31 , a flat reflecting panel  32 , and a friction hinge  311  coupled between one side of the anchoring member  31  and one side of the reflecting panel  32 . The reflecting panel  32  has a planar reflecting surface  321  on one side or each of two opposite sides thereof. 
         [0028]    During installation, the motor  21  of the power drive  2  is mounted in the enclosed space  11  inside the housing  1 , the driven member  23  is pivoted to the bottom side of the light source  13 , the driving member  22  is coupled between the motor  21  and the driven member  23 , and the anchoring member  31  of the reflector  3  is affixed to the top side of the driven member  23 . According to this embodiment, the driven member  23  is a gearwheel pivoted to the bottom side of the light source  13  in horizontal, and the driving member  22  is a pinion fixedly mounted on the output shaft of the motor  21  and meshed with the gearwheel  23 . Alternatively, rack and gear transmission means, belt and belt wheel transmission means, chain and chain wheel transmission means, or any of a variety of transmission means may be used to substitute for the pinion and gearwheel transmission mechanism. After installation, the reflecting panel  32  is turned relative to the anchoring member  31  to the desired angle (for example, 45°), keeping the planar reflecting surface  321  to face the LEDs  132 . 
         [0029]    The LEDs  132  may be bonded to the circuit board  131  through a surface mounting technique. The light source uses the LEDs  132  to give off light for the advantages of low power consumption, no heat after working, and long service life. Further, the planar reflecting surface  321  of the reflecting panel  32  reflects light from the LEDs  132  in a predetermined direction, thereby lowering loss of luminous intensity and enhancing the light intensity of the LEDs  132 , i.e., lowering the number of times in maintaining and replacing the warning signal lamp. 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , when in use, power supply is electrically connected to the light source  13 , causing the LEDs  132  to give off light. At the same time, the motor  21  of the power drive  2  drives the driving member  22  to rotate the driven member  23 , therefore the reflector  3  is turned with the driven member  23  relative to the LEDs  132  and the circuit board  131 . Because the planar reflecting surface  321  of the reflecting panel  32  of the reflector  3  reflects light from the LEDs  132 , a flashing visual signal is produced during rotation of the reflector  3  with the driven member  23 . Further, the reflecting panel  32  is kept at 45° above the LEDs  132  that are installed in the circuit board  131  in vertical. Therefore, the planar reflecting surface  321  of the reflecting panel  32  reflects the vertically extending light rays of the LEDs  132  into horizontally extending light rays to prevent diffusion of light and to lower loss of luminous intensity. Any person looking at the flashing warning signal produced by the rotating flashing warning signal lamp does not feel dizzy. Further, the friction hinge  311  allows the user to adjust the angle of the reflecting panel  32  subject to the amount and location of the LEDs  132 . According to this embodiment, the housing  1  houses only one light source  13 . Alternatively, two or more light sources may be used. 
         [0031]    In the aforesaid first embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 4 , the light source  13  is fixedly mounted on the rack  12 , and the reflecting panel  32  of the reflector  3  is kept at 45° above the light source  13 .  FIG. 5  is a schematic sectional side view of a rotating flashing warning signal lamp in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is substantially similar to the aforesaid first embodiment with the exception of the installation position of the light source  13 . According to this second embodiment, the light source  13  is affixed to the inner side of the horizontal top wall of the housing  1 , and the reflecting panel  32  of the reflector  3  is kept at 45° below the light source  13 .  FIG. 6  is a schematic sectional side view of a rotating flashing warning signal lamp in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. According to this embodiment, two light sources  13  are respectively affixed to the rack  12  and the inner side of the horizontal top wall of the housing  1 , and the reflector  3  is kept at 45° between the two light sources  13  with the two opposite planar reflecting surfaces  321  to face the LEDs  132  of the two light sources  13 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 7  is a schematic sectional side view of a rotating flashing warning signal lamp in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention. According to this embodiment, the motor  21  of the power drive  2  is fixedly mounted in the enclosed space  11  of the housing  1  at one side; the driven member  23  is horizontally pivotally coupled to the rack  12  inside the enclosed space  11  of the housing  1  and meshed with the driving member  22  at the output shaft of the motor  21 ; the circuit board  131  of the light source  13  is vertically mounted in the enclosed space  11  of the housing  1  at an opposite side to hold the LEDs  132  in horizontal at different elevations; the reflecting panel  32  of the reflector  3  is kept in vertical with the planar reflecting surface  321  facing the LEDs  132  of the light source  13 . This embodiment achieves the same effect as the aforesaid various different embodiments. 
         [0033]      FIG. 8  is a schematic sectional side view of a rotating flashing warning signal lamp in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is substantially similar to the aforesaid fourth embodiment with the exception that two light sources  13  are vertically mounted in the enclosed space  11  of the housing  1  at two opposite sides. 
         [0034]    As stated above, the invention provides a rotating flashing warning signal lamp, which has the following benefits: 
         [0035]    1. The light source  13  uses a plurality of LEDs  132  to give off light. Therefore, the rotating flashing warning signal lamp saves much power, has a long service life, will not become hot during working, and does not fail easily, i.e., the rotating flashing warning signal lamp does not require a maintenance work frequently, thereby saving the maintenance cost. 
         [0036]    2. The LEDs  132  of the rotating flashing warning signal lamp consume a small amount of power supply. Therefore, it is not necessary to frequently charge or replace the connected external storage battery or dry battery. 
         [0037]    3. The reflector  3  has a flat reflecting panel  32  with one or two planar reflecting surfaces  321  to reflect light rays from the light source  13  at right angles, eliminating diffusion of light and enhancing the light intensity. 
         [0038]    4. The flat reflecting panel  32  of the reflector  3  can be adjusted relative to the LEDs  132  to the desired angle to reflect light rays from the LEDs  132  toward the desired direction so that the flashing warning signal is clearly visible from distance. 
         [0039]    Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.