Abstract:
A bicycle light for securing to a handlebar or other part of a bike, or to a rider&#39;s helmet, has an angled front face that allows use of a single, flat LED circuit board with one or more deep conic or parabolic reflectors positioned in front of the upper part of the board and one or more shallow reflectors in front of the bottom part of the board. This provides for both a spot beam produced by the deep reflector and flood light produced by the shallow reflector, in a compact and efficient assembly. Another important feature of the device is side lighting which can be independently controlled, important in affording the rider side lighting while in street traffic but the option to pulse or switch off the side lighting when riding on a trail.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This invention concerns bicycle lights attachable to a bicycle (e.g. to handlebars) or to a rider&#39;s helmet. In particular the invention concerns a bicycle light of efficient and compact configuration, producing both spot and flood lighting and preferably with side lights. 
         [0002]    Front and rear bicycle lights have been available in many different forms. Front bike lights have been provided for attachment to handlebars and to helmets, have been self-contained with battery or wired to a separately mounted battery. The front lights typically have several modes of operation, i.e. steady or flashing, and sometimes have ability to adjust brightness. Some have switched on automatically with darkness. Side lights have been included on a few of them. Many models of front lights have been offered by Planet, Cygolite, Busch &amp; Mueller, NightRider, Cat Eye, Knog, and Light &amp; Motion. 
         [0003]    Some bicycle lights have provided light projection with fill light around a spot beam, useful for illuminating trails. Light &amp; Motion&#39;s SECA light had upper deep biconic reflectors and lower shallower reflectors behind a single curved front face. The challenges with that design was the difficulty in creating a curved face that is optically clean. 
         [0004]    However, in available bicycle lights prior to this invention there has not been a compact and efficient front light providing spot and flood beams, with efficient optics and with optional side lights, as in the bicycle light described below. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    As explained above, the optimum beam pattern for a bike light has a deep-penetrating spot beam down the center, with fill light to the sides to illuminate trail edges while allowing the rider to see far down the trail. An efficient way to achieve this beam pattern, in accordance with the invention, is with reflector cones, which requires two reflector cones, one to essentially collimate light from one or more LEDs, and the other to direct LED light more widely as a flood beam, at a wide enough angle to fill in the sides of the trail for a bike rider. An efficient spot beam generator must be a deep cone or parabolic reflector receiving and projecting the light of one or more LEDs. However, for flood light, or fill light, a shallower reflector cone is needed (the flood reflector could also be deep, but if so must spread widely so as to require additional total area at the front end of the light). In the compact and efficient construction of the current invention the deep spot and wider angle beams are positioned one above the other, so that the deeper reflector cone extends from an LED circuit board farther forward than the adjacent shallow, wider-angle reflector. The two reflectors are positioned closely adjacent to one another, preferably formed in the same component. A window plate of the housing, just forward of the reflector component, is angled with respect to vertical (and with respect to the LED circuit board), affording greater depth as needed for the spot beam reflector and lesser depth as needed for the flood reflector. Preferably the spot beam is above the flood beam, so that the window plate angles downwardly, preferably about 12° with respect to vertical or with respect to the LED circuit board. The angle should be at least 7°, more preferably at least about 10°; and optimally 12° to 15°. 
         [0006]    Another feature of the invention is side lights provided on the light housing, preferably amber light, for safety in traffic. These side lights may comprise amber lenses or windows, fed by one or more LEDs separate from the spot and flood LEDs (or the lenses can be clear and colorless, with the side LEDs being color LEDs). An important feature of the front light of the invention is a separate switch for the side lights, to optionally switch them off when not needed, such as on a trail. A second switch is provided, serving under the main switch, so that the side lights cannot be activated without the main lights, but while the main lights are operating, the side lights can be on, or switched to a pulse mode, or off. 
         [0007]    It is among the objects of the invention to provide a front bicycle light with an optimum beam pattern while also providing for efficient use of the light either in traffic or on a trail. These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment, considered along with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a bicycle light according to the invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view showing the bicycle light. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2A  is another exploded view. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a frontal view showing components of the bicycle light. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a side elevation view in section, as seen along the plane  4 - 4  in  FIG. 3 , showing internal components of the assembled bicycle light. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a detailed view in top plan section showing components of side lights of the device. 
           [0014]      FIGS. 6 and 7  are front and perspective views showing another embodiment of the bicycle light of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0015]      FIG. 1  shows a front bicycle light  10  of the invention, with a housing or casing  12  on which are mounted push button type switches  14  and  16 , preferably at a top side as shown. 
         [0016]    A connector bracket  18  is seen secured to the bottom side of the light casing  12 . In a preferred form this connector has a handlebar-engaging surface  20 , appropriately curved as shown, and a connection point  22  for a flexible, stretchable strap to be wrapped tightly around the bottom of the handlebar and secured back to the connector device  18 . Other forms of connection to a bicycle can be used. 
         [0017]    Left and right side lights  24  are included in a preferred embodiment of the front light of the invention. These project yellow or amber light, but other colors are also possible. 
         [0018]    The front end  26  of the bicycle light is angled downwardly, as described above. The downward angle is relative to vertical or with respect to a plane indicated at  28  and defined by a decorative circumferential groove as shown (the plane being perpendicular to the length of the casing  12 ). This downward angle is also relative to an LED circuit board, described below. 
         [0019]    As indicated in the partially exploded view of  FIG. 2 , the bicycle light assembly  10  has an internal LED circuit board  30  supporting, in this preferred embodiment, two upper LEDs  32  and a lower LED  34 , with some of the LED driver electronics indicated at  36 . The LED board  30  is mounted essentially vertically within the casing  12 , that is, essentially perpendicular to the direction of light projection from the head lamp  10 . As explained above, however, other components are angled downwardly, including a multi-cone LED light reflector  38 , a transparent window or port  40 , and a snapped-in securing bezel  42 . The reason for this angled relationship is to accommodate the required deeper reflectors for the upper LEDs  32 , which form a spot beam for deeper penetration into the darkness along a trail, and a shallower reflector as required for the lower LED  34 , which produces a wider flood beam. The angling of the front face of the head lamp device conserves space and total size and volume of the device, while efficiently providing for spot and flood beams. 
         [0020]      FIG. 2A  shows the casing  12  exploded, revealing a preferred construction with the casing being assembled from a metal housing component  12   a  and a plastic housing component  12   b,  the latter carrying the push button switch activators  14  and  16  and receiving a battery (shown in  FIG. 4 ). The metal housing component  12   a  dissipates heat. 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  shows the assembled bicycle head lamp  10  in a frontal view. The integrated reflector block  38  is shown, with its three reflector cones  38   a  and  38   b,  in position to produce the spot beam from the LEDs  32  and the flood beam from the LED  24 . The word “cone” is used to mean a reflector of an effective shape to produce the beam desired, typically a parabolic reflector, not usually in the shape of a true cone. The reflector device  38  is preferably a single unit with the three reflectors, and it can be produced of metallized molded plastic. The bottom reflector  38   b  may be greater in width than height, to produce the desired wide flood beam to illuminate a wide area in front of the rider, including the sides of a trail.  FIG. 3  shows that the headlamp casing  12 , at its front end  26  and preferably also through its length, is elliptical or oblong in cross section, although it could be other shapes, including circular. 
         [0022]      FIG. 3  also shows the snapped-in securing bezel  42 , a top clip  42   a,  and legs or standoffs  40   a  that are integral with the window  40  to position the window correctly (see  FIG. 4 ). 
         [0023]      FIG. 4  shows the bicycle head lamp  10  in side elevational section as seen along the midline. The casing or housing  12  contains a relative large battery  44 , preferably a rechargeable battery, chargeable via a charging port  46 , which can be a micro USB port, protected by a removable cover  48 . Also shown are the two switches  14  and  16  that are included in a preferred embodiment. The switch  14  is a main switch, which will turn on the spot and flood lights together, with additional pushes of the switch providing a different light level or a pulsing mode, and also switching off the head lamp. Operation of the switch  16  requires that the main switch  14  be on at one of its settings; the switch  16  operates the side lights indicated at  24  in  FIGS. 1 and 2  and also shown in  FIG. 5 . This gives the bike rider the option to use side lighting for urban riding, but to switch off the side lights when riding on trails. Additional settings such as flashing of the side lights can also be provided. The external push-button switches  14  and  16  operate momentary switches  14   a,    16   a  inside the housing, these being connected on a switch circuit board  50  which connects with the battery  44  and with the LED board  30 , and supports some of the LED driver electronics. A connector from the PC board  50  to the LED board is shown at  51 . The LED driver requires some space, and the components that heat up most are on the LED pcb  30  for best heat dissipation as explained below. 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  also shows that the LED circuit board  30  is secured to a metal heat sink block  52  via machine screws  54  (only one of which is visible in  FIG. 4 ), the block  52  being in heat conducting contact with the metal exterior portion  12   a  of the casing and with a mounting base  55  (with which the block  52  preferably is integral), which connects to the connector bracket  18 . This dissipates heat from the battery and particularly from the LED board  30 . In  FIG. 4  a plastic rib  56  is seen below and supporting the battery  44 . 
         [0025]    At the front end of the head lamp  10 ,  FIG. 4  shows the multi-cone reflector  38 . Since this cross section is taken through the midline of the head lamp device, a shared wall  60  of the two top reflectors  38   a  is seen, indicated in cross section. The lower LED  34  is visible in cross section, but the upper LEDs  38   a  are not seen in  FIG. 4 . Just left of the junction area  60  in  FIG. 4  is seen the exterior of the left-side reflector  38   a.    
         [0026]      FIG. 4  shows the end profile of the front  26  of the housing as an inwardly curving line  26   a.  This is a decorative feature by which the front end sweeps concavely inwardly at left and right. 
         [0027]      FIG. 5  shows the bicycle light  10  in a cross section taken on a horizontal plane approximately at mid-level through the housing, at the level of the side lights  24  seen in  FIG. 1 . The side light structures  24  are each light pipes/lenses to carry light from internal LEDs  62  to the sides of the head lamp. Each side light LED  62  is preferably mounted on the back side of the LED board  30 . Although the light pipes/lenses  24  could be amber colored with the LED producing approximately white light, preferably the LEDs have the yellow or amber color, with the light pipes/lenses  24  being clear, essentially without color. 
         [0028]      FIGS. 6 and 7  show a modified embodiment of the bicycle light  70  of the invention. The light structure  70  is similar to the light  10  of the first embodiment, having upper and lower LEDs  32  and  34  on a common printed circuit board (not shown), oriented generally upright in the housing  12   a,  and with a reflector structure  38   c  which again has a lower, shallower reflector cone  38   d  for wide angle beam projection. The lower reflector cone  38   d,  not being as deep as the spot reflector cones  38   e  above, does not protrude as far forward at the front of the light housing, thus being receded with respect to the reflector cones  38   e.  The difference from the earlier embodiment is that the front window  72  of the light assembly is not a sloped single plane but instead has two separate planar sections, an upper part which is a plane  72   a  and which may be essentially vertical and perpendicular to the light path, and a lower part which is a plane  72   b  which is sloped back, to conform to the receded lower reflector  38   d  surface. The window  72  can be a single plastic molding comprising the two separate planes  72   a  and  72   b.    
         [0029]    In other respects the light assembly  70  is similar to that described above, especially with regard to internal components. The LED circuit board (not shown) is vertical or approximately vertical, essentially perpendicular to the light path. The reflector block  38   c  is similar to that shown in  FIG. 4  but with the upper portion having an essentially vertically oriented front and the lower portion being angled or recessed to recede as described above. The angle of this lower portion can be in the range of about 15° to 30°. When angles are described herein as “about” a specific number of degrees, this should be considered as including a range of ten percent above and below that figure. 
         [0030]    The above described preferred embodiments are intended to illustrate the principles of the invention, but not to limit its scope. Other embodiments and variations to these preferred embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.