LED light hood scoop for a jeep wrangler

The present invention provides a method of installing a hood scoop to a designated recessed area of a hood of a Jeep® Wrangler Rubicon vehicle comprising: providing the hood scoop having a protective member and a hood attachment member having a first cable access feature wherein: edge profile of the hood attachment member matches edge profile of the designated recessed area; the designated recessed area includes a hood aperture that provides access to the vehicle's electrical power and control systems; attaching the attachment member to the designated recessed area using conventional attachment means; and attaching a light fixture to the hood scoop wherein the light fixture's cables pass through the first cable access feature and the hood aperture for communication with the vehicle's electrical power and control systems. The present invention also provides the hood scoop described herein.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to vehicle accessory field. More specifically, it relates to a hood scoop designed specifically to fit onto a Jeep® Wrangler Rubicon's hood wherein the hood scoop is used to house a light fixture such as a light emitting device (“LED”) light bar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring toFIGS.1-6, the present invention provides a hood scoop100having a protective member102and a hood attachment member104wherein the two members102,104form a housing to contain and to protect one or more light fixture(s)106. The light fixture(s)106can be any conventional light but is preferred to be one or more LED lights or light bars. Referring toFIG.5, the hood attachment member104includes a first cable access feature108(e.g., an aperture) that allows passage of the light fixture(s)'106wirings and/or cables to pass through the first cable access feature110.

Referring toFIGS.1-2, the hood scoop100may optionally further include a light attachment member108having a second cable access feature112(e.g., an aperture) that provides an additional or alternative attachment surface for the light fixture(s)106and allowing the light fixture(s)'106wirings and/or cables to go through the second cable access feature112(usually prior to the cables going through the first cable access feature110).

The light fixture(s)106can be attached to any or all of the members102,104,108via conventional attachment means (not shown) such as adhesive, Velcro, attachment clips, nuts and bolts, etc. It should be noted that each of these members (102,104,108) could be constructed of a single piece of material (e.g., a piece of metal or molded plastic) or a combination of multiple pieces of material(s).

Referring toFIGS.7-8, the hood scoop100is specifically designed to fit onto a designated recessed area (10,12) of a hood14of a Jeep® Wrangler Rubicon vehicle. See also https://www.jeep.com/wrangler.html. The hood14includes two of the designated recessed areas (10,12). Each of the designated recessed areas (10,12) has an edge profile that is a mirror image of each other as shown inFIG.7. Furthermore, each of the designated recessed areas (10,12) includes a hood aperture (16,18) that provides access to the vehicle's electrical power and control systems. It is optionally that each of the hood apertures (16,18) has an edge profile that is a mirror image of each other as shown inFIG.7. “Edge profile” is defined herein as the outline (e.g., exterior shape) of the designated component. It is preferred that the edge profile114of the hood attachment member104matches the edge profile20of one of the designated recessed areas (10or12).

Furthermore, the hood attachment member104may optionally include conventional bolt-on clamps118having drill holes for bolts or screws116as shown inFIG.6that can be used to attach the hood attachment member104and the hood scoop100to the hood10. Alternatively, the hood attachment member104can be attached to the hood10without the bolt-on clamps118but instead via other conventional attachment means such as adhesives (e.g., glue, double-sided tape, or the like) or fasteners such as screws, nuts and bolts, retainer clips, etc.

The design of the hood scoop100allows the cables of the light fixture(s)106to pass through the first cable access feature, the optional second cable access feature, and the hood aperture (16or18) in order to communicate with the vehicle's electrical power and control systems.

Referring toFIGS.1-4and8-11, it is preferred that the protective member102is configured and/or shaped to have minimal impact on the aerodynamics of the vehicle.

The above-described components of the hood scoop100may be constructed out of any suitable art-disclosed material. Examples of such material are plastic (e.g., acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (“ABS”), polycarbonate, and other polymeric material; metal such as steel including but are not limited to stainless steel, cold rolled steel, mild steel, high strength steel, tempered steel, aluminum, and other metal alloys; fiberglass; and carbon fiber. The thickness of each individual component may vary. Examples of suitable thickness are in the range from about 1/16″ to about ½″ and from about 1 mm to about 6 mm. The exact size and shape of the hood scoop100are partially dependent upon the configuration of each of the designated recessed areas (10,12).

Unless stated otherwise, dimensions and geometries of the various structures depicted herein are not intended to be restrictive of the invention, and other dimensions or geometries are possible. Plural structural components can be provided by a single integrated structure. Alternatively, a single integrated structure might be divided into separate plural components. In addition, while a feature of the present invention may have been described in the context of only one of the illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of other embodiments, for any given application. It will also be appreciated from the above that the fabrication of the unique structures herein and the operation thereof also constitute methods in accordance with the present invention.

The present invention further provides a method200to install the hood scoop100to the designated recessed area (10or12) of the hood14of a Jeep® Wrangler Rubicon vehicle comprising providing the hood scoop100having the protective member102and the hood attachment member104; attaching the hood attachment member104to the designated recessed area (10or12) using conventional attachment means; and attaching the light fixture(s)106to the hood scoop100wherein the light fixture(s)'106cables pass through the first cable access feature110, optionally the second cable access feature112, and the hood aperture (16or18) for communication with the vehicle's electrical power and control systems. The method200further includes installation of a second hood scoop100to the other designated recessed area (10or12).