Light means and method of lighting

A portable auxiliary light having a case, a battery positioned within the case, and a light house on the end of the case. The light also has bellows interattaching the case and the light house and a related circuitry positioned in the case. The method for lighting includes locating the light behind a rear view mirror such that a recess in the case straddles the support post of the rear view mirror, and securing the light to the mirror. A switch on the case is activated to furnish lighting to the inside of the automobile.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention provides a portable dual auxiliary lighting means for 
lighting the inside of an automobile, or the like. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,012,593 by Strong relates to an inside lamp for 
automobiles. The lamp may be readily shifted into position to direct light 
on reading matter held by an occupant of the front seat or to direct light 
on the face of an occupant employing the rear view mirror as a make-up 
mirror. U.S. Pat. No. 2,466,454 by Logan discloses an illuminated 
automobile sun visor mirror. U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,241 by Morcus teaches a 
visor assembly having a built-in lighted vanity mirror. None of the 
foregoing prior art teach or suggest the particular lighting means and 
method for lighting of this invention. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention accomplishes its desired objects by providing a portable 
dual auxiliary lighting means generally mounted behind the inside interior 
rear view mirror having a support post. The lighting means includes a case 
means; a plurality of battery means situated within the case means; and a 
pair of light housings for securing and housing a pair of light bulbs. A 
pair of bellows means interattaches each of the light housings to the case 
means and a related circuitry means housed within the case means engages 
the battery to each of the light bulbs. A fastener means is positioned on 
the case means for securing the lighting means behind the rear view 
mirror. The method for lighting the inside of an automobile includes 
locating the lighting means behind the interior rear view mirror of the 
automobile, and positioning the lighting means such that the recess 
straddles the support post of the rear view mirror. The lighting means is 
secured to the mirror and a switch on the case means is activated to 
furnish lighting to the inside of the automobile. 
It is an object of the invention to provide a novel lighting means and 
method for lighting. 
Still further objects of the invention reside in the provision of a 
lighting means which can be easily assembled and connected to a rear view 
mirror, and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture. 
These together with the various ancillary objects and features will become 
apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this 
invention, preferred embodiments being shown in the accompanying drawings, 
by way of example only, wherein:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring in detail now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals 
designate similar parts of the invention throughout the various views, 
there is seen a portable dual auxiliary light, generally illustrated as 
10, having a main case 12 and a battery-magnetic housing 14 connected to 
said case 12 by D-ring 15 for housing and holding batteries 16 and magnets 
18. Bellows 20--20 (or boots) attach light housings 22--22 to the ends of 
the case 12 as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 7. Light housings 22--22 house 
and secure a pair of light bulbs 24--24 and replacement light bulbs 26--26 
(see FIG. 8). A pair of lens housing 28--28 respectively connect to each 
of the light housings 28--28, and includes lens-filter 30--30 (see FIG. 
10) slidably lodged therein such as to be slidably positioned over each of 
the light bulbs 24--24 to prevent unwanted light from escaping around the 
edges of the lens housing 28 and being observed by someone other than the 
user of the light. 
Spring biased clips 32--32 are positioned on the main case 12 for clamping 
(see FIG. 5) over the top of a rear view mirror 34, interconnected to 
windshield 36 of an automobile (not shown in the drawings), or the like, 
by a support post 38, in order to hold the lights 10 against the back of 
the mirror 34, as illustrated in FIG. 5. The clips 32--32 each contain a 
torsion spring (not shown in the drawings) with sufficient strength to 
cause the clips 32--32 to be forced into a closed position the mirror side 
of the main case 12. The clips 32--32 can be lifted away from the main 
case 12 and raised to approximately 100 degrees to allow the clips 32--32 
sufficient height to clear the top of the edge of the mirror 34, but not 
enough to prevent the clips 32--32 to extend too far and cause the light 
10 to fall from its position behind the mirror 34. The end 40 of each clip 
32 is bent to form a right angle (see FIG. 5), and then bent inward toward 
the front of the mirror 34 so that the edge fastens under the top of the 
mirror 34. Clips 32--32 may also serve to hold the light 10 to objects 
other than the mirror 34, such as a belt, rope, line, pocket, vehicle 
visor or window, ledge, book, etc. 
Case 12 has a recess 42 for straddling the support post 38 (see FIG. 5) 
while the spring biased clips 32--32 are situated over the top of the rear 
view mirror 34. Case 12 also has a pair of internal depressions 44--44 (or 
recesses) on each side of its ends to capture each of the bellows 20--20 
when the same are depressed or in a collapsed position as illustrated in 
FIGS. 1-3. Switches 46--46 and recharge plug 48 are mounted on top and 
side of the main case 12, respectively, and are part of a related 
circuitry (see FIG. 6), generally illustrated as 50, which electrically 
engages the battery 16--16 to each of the light bulbs 24--24. 
Circuitry 50 (see FIG. 6) contains two autonomous or independent lighting 
systems, each comprised of a switch 46, a light bulb 24, a battery 16, and 
diodes 52--52 (IN 4001) in series between switch 46 and light bulb 24 in 
order to drop the voltage so that the light bulbs 24--24 at their designed 
voltage ratings, which in a preferred embodiment of the invention is 2.25 
v. The related circuitry 50 is constructed such that the batteries 16--16 
of both independent lighting systems can be recharged through recharge 
plug 48 which may receive a dc input voltage of between about 7 to 35 
volts. The input voltage is applied to a 7805 chip 54 where it is dropped 
down to approximately 5 v. The reduced 5 v voltage passes through diode 56 
(IN 4001) where it is dropped further down to 4.3 v. The reduced 5 v 
voltage also passes through a resistor 58 (ohms) and an indicator light 60 
as a monitoring circuit to monitor the power potentials of batteries 
16--16. As the charge to batteries 16--16 increases, the intensity of 
indicator light 60 increases. Likewise as the power potentials of 
batteries 16--16 decrease through usage, the intensity of indicator light 
60 decreases. Diodes 62--62 (IN 4001) drop the voltage further to the 
proper charging potential for the batteries 16--16 which may vary 
depending on the size of batteries 16--16. 
Circuitry 50 also comprises a pair of flexible cables 64--64, not shown in 
FIG. 6 but illustrated in FIG. 7. Each flexible cable 64--64 is partly 
housed or encased by bellows 20--20 while having an end 66 slidably lodged 
on ribs 67--67 (or sleeve) within the case 12 (as shown in FIG. 7). 
Bellows 20--20 covers the flexible cables 64--64 and connects the main 
case 12 with the light housings 22--22 and provides a means of shielding 
the flexible cables 64--64 and the wiring inside from the atmospheric 
elements and helps resist moisture that might enter either the main case 
12 or the light housings 22--22 via openings in housings 22--22 where the 
cables 64--64 pass. Each end of the bellows 20--20 fits tightly into the 
main case 12 and the light housings 22--22; however, the light housings 
22--22 are loose enough to permit them to be rotated 360 degrees without 
twisting the bellows 20--20. 
With continuing reference to the drawings for operation of the invention 
and the method for lighting or illuminating the inside of an automobile, 
or the like, the portable dual auxiliary light 10 is located behind 
interior rear view mirror 34 of the automobile, or the like, and 
positioned such that the recess 42 straddles the support post 38. Spring 
biased clips 32--32 are pulled out and positioned over the top of the 
mirror 34 to secure the light 10 to the back of same. Either or both 
switches 46--46 may be pushed down to close one or both of the independent 
or autonomous battery circuits to light one or both light bulbs 24--24 to 
furnish illumination or lighting to the inside of the automobile. After 
either or both of light bulbs 24--24 are lit, the respective light housing 
22 or housings 22--22 may be withdrawn from depression 44 or depressions 
44--44 manipulated in any predetermined direction in order to channel the 
light to a desired location. When the power of batteries 16--16 is low, 
the light 10 may be recharged through recharge plus 48 as has been 
previously described. 
Light 10 is designed to allow it to be removed from the back of the mirror 
34 and utilized elsewhere, such as for changing a tire in the dark, or a 
passenger looking for something in the back seat or in the glove 
compartment. The magnets 18--18 are strong enough to allow the light 10 to 
be attached to an object (fender or hood of a vehicle) at any angle from 0 
degrees to 180 degrees which would be upside down. 
While the present invention has been described herein with reference to 
particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various 
changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure, and it 
will be appreciated that in some instances some features of the invention 
will be employed without a corresponding use of other features without 
departing from the scope of the invention as set forth.