Abstract:
An auxiliary vehicle light harness which includes headlight connector to connect to a headlight, a power connector to connect to a headlight plug, an auxiliary light connector to connect to an auxiliary light, and a switch to control power to the headlight and/or the auxiliary light. The harness may include a control module to direct power to the auxiliary light and/or the headlight upon receiving a signal from the switch. The harness may further include a seal to protect the harness circuit from developing a short.

Description:
This patent application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/344,994 filed on Jun. 25, 1999, now abandoned, which in turn is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/159,035 filed on Sep. 23, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,300 issued Dec. 21, 1999. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the art of exterior lighting for vehicles and, more particularly, to an auxiliary light and wiring arrangement for connecting the auxiliary light to a vehicle. 
     The present invention finds particular utility in connection with vehicles such as snow plows having an attached plow blade and, accordingly, is disclosed and described in detail hereinafter in connection with such use. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is applicable to other lighting and electrical connection uses. 
     Auxiliary lights are light sources utilized to supplement a vehicle&#39;s standard lighting. These lights are often used, for example, on snowplow vehicles and on off-road vehicles. The lights for these uses are designed to either mount on the frame of a snow plow or some other external component of the vehicle capable of supporting the light. Although the use of auxiliary lights is becoming popular for various types of vehicles and vehicle applications, the type of available lights and the wiring harness used to connect these auxiliary to the vehicle&#39;s existing electrical system have many inherent problems. 
     Existing auxiliary light designs commonly utilize a conventional sealed beam headlight within the auxiliary light housing assembly. Due to the size and weight of the conventional sealed beam auxiliary lights, such auxiliary lights are undesirably heavy, thereby requiring stronger and costlier housing materials and/or reinforcement of the components in the auxiliary light housing. These heavy auxiliary lights also limit the mounting locations on a vehicle and can result in increased incidents of damage to the light and/or vehicle when the vehicle is operated in harsh and/or off-road environments. Another problem with existing auxiliary lights is the design of such lights and the difficultly in replacing parts. Replacement of a sealed beam headlight varies in difficulty based on the structure, age and condition of the auxiliary lighting assembly. The removal of the cover plates and support thereof is difficult and time consuming. Dismounting of the auxiliary light can also be difficult since such lights do not include integral mounting components, thereby requiring an additional support member, a bezel, and/or other components to secure the light to the housing. The auxiliary lights typically include pads which provide cushioning and reduce vibration of the light components. The location and number of components of the auxiliary light make it difficult to access, remove, replace and reseal the auxiliary light components. Many of the problems associated with auxiliary lights are addressed and overcome by the improved auxiliary light disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/080,246, filed Dec. 5, 1997 and Ser. No. 09/018,930, filed Feb. 5, 1998, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     The wiring arrangements or harnesses for auxiliary light systems also have many problems. Traditionally, the auxiliary lights were spliced into the existing wiring for the headlights of the vehicle. The splicing of the existing wiring caused many problems. Wires which were not properly spliced together become loose resulting in the auxiliary lights and/or headlights to malfunction. Improperly spliced wires also resulted in electrical shorts which could damaged the electrical system of the vehicle and/or cause a malfunction with one or more electrical systems of the vehicle, including the headlights and/or auxiliary lights. The splicing of OEM wiring of the vehicle further resulted in the voiding of many of the warranties for the OEM wiring of the vehicle and/or headlights of the vehicle. The splicing of the auxiliary light system into the existing electrical system of the vehicle further made it difficult to connect and disconnect the auxiliary lights when the auxiliary lights needed to be repaired or were not needed. Such connecting and disconnecting also resulted in increased wear and damage to the spliced region of the vehicle electrical system thereby resulting in increased incidents of failure or malfunction of the vehicle electrical system. 
     In view of the problems associated with splicing auxiliary lights to the existing electrical system of a vehicle, auxiliary light harnesses were developed to eliminate the need to splice the OEM wiring to the headlights of a vehicle. One such electrical harness is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,062 issued to Richard R. Miller. The Miller harness connects the headlights of a vehicle and two auxiliary lights to a single existing vehicle plug that is connected to a vehicle headlight power source. The Miller harness requires the existing headlight wiring harness to be disconnected prior to using the harness. Therefore, when using the Miller harness, a portion of the OEM wiring of the vehicle is not used and can be discarded. Although the Miller harness overcomes some of the problems associated with splicing OEM wiring for the headlights of the vehicle, several problems exist when using the Miller harness. 
     The Miller harness is designed to connect two basic auxiliary lights to a vehicle&#39;s headlight power source. The Miller harness cannot be used with auxiliary lights that house emergency and/or turning signal lights along with the beam light. Consequently, the Miller harness is limited for use with only certain type of auxiliary lights. The Miller harness is designed to provide power to the vehicle headlights and/or the auxiliary lights from a single vehicle headlight power source. The current drawn on the single vehicle headlight power source during the operation of both headlights and/or auxiliary lights can result in an overload and/or damage to the wiring of the single vehicle headlight source caused by too much current being drawn through the wiring. The Miller harness, during installation, requires a cable containing at least six wires to be inserted through the fire wall of the vehicle so that a six pole switch can be mounted on or near the dashboard of the vehicle. Due to the large number of wires, a large hole must be drilled through the fire wall of the vehicle. Such size a hole can be difficult to form in the fire wall and can result in damage to the vehicle. The switch used in the Miller harness required six or more wires to be connected in a certain arrangement for the switch to operate properly. Improper connection of the wires to the switch results in a short in the harness which could cause damage and/or malfunction to the electrical system of the vehicle and/or damage to the headlights and/or auxiliary lights. In addition, due to the multiple wires connected to the switch of the Miller harness, it is difficult to locate a damaged or faulty wire to the switch and/or replace a wire to the switch. Shorting of the electrical system of the Miller harness and/or vehicle electrical system can occur during the use of the Miller harness. When using the Miller harness, only one of the vehicle headlight power sources is connected to the harness. The other vehicle headlight power source remains disconnected. During the operation of the vehicle, moisture, dirt, etc. can collect in the unused headlight power source and can cause a short during the operation of the vehicle. Furthermore, when the auxiliary headlights are disconnect from the Miller harness and the harness is not removed from the vehicle, the connectors for the auxiliary lights can collect moisture, dirt, etc. which can cause a short during the operation of the vehicle. The Miller harness also cannot be partially or totally detached and reattached in the vehicle without significant difficulty. When the Miller harness is to be repaired and requires the repaired portion to be removed from the vehicle, the complete harness must be removed from the vehicle. This requires the multiple wires to the switch to be pulled through the vehicle fire wall and out of the engine compartment without damaging the wires. When the Miller harness is to be reattached to the vehicle, the multiple wires must be inserted through the fire wall without damaging the wires and properly reattached to the switch. 
     In view of the deficiencies of prior auxiliary light harnesses, there is a need for an auxiliary light harness that can be used with a wide variety of auxiliary lights, which eliminates the need to splice the wiring to the headlights of a vehicle, which is easy to install in a vehicle, which reduces the occurrences of overloading the OEM wiring of the vehicle, which protects against shorting of an electrical circuit, which one or more components of the harness can be easily detached and reattached to the vehicle, and which components of the harness can be easily accessed for easy repair and/or replacement. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An auxiliary light harness in accordance with the present invention overcomes the foregoing and other problems heretofore encountered in connection with the use of prior auxiliary light harnesses. The auxiliary light harness incorporates a simple modular design that simplifies the installation of the auxiliary light harness and improves the safety and reliability of the auxiliary harness. 
     In accordance with a principle feature of the present invention, there is provided an auxiliary light harness for connecting auxiliary headlights such as snow plow lights to the OEM wiring of a vehicle and will be describe with particular reference thereto; however, the invention has broader applications and can be use to connect many types of auxiliary electrical systems and lights to the OEM wiring of a vehicle, aircraft, boat, train, trailer, building, etc. 
     In accordance with another feature of the present invention, the auxiliary light harness includes electrical connectors designed to connect to the OEM wiring of a vehicle headlight and to the OEM wiring for the power source of the vehicle headlight. The vehicle headlights include a connector which can be attached to the power source of a vehicle. The auxiliary light harness of the present invention is designed to have two connectors whereby one of the connectors is connected to the vehicle headlight, and the other connector is connected to the power source to which the vehicle headlight was originally attached. Consequently, the auxiliary harness design utilizes all of the OEM wiring of a vehicle and none of the OEM wiring of the vehicle is discarded or only partially utilized when the auxiliary light harness is attached to the vehicle. 
     In accordance with still another feature of the present invention, the auxiliary light harness is designed to be integrated with the turning signals and/or emergency lighting of the vehicle. In this regard, auxiliary headlights which are attached to the vehicle and include turn signals and/or emergency lighting can be attached to the auxiliary harness so that such turning signals and/or emergency lights are activated when the operator of the vehicle activates such turning signals and/or emergency lights. As a result, the auxiliary light harness can connect a variety of auxiliary lights to the vehicle. 
     In accordance with still another feature of the present invention, the auxiliary light harness includes circuitry which reduces the complexity of installation, operation, maintenance and repair of the auxiliary light harness. In one preferred design, the auxiliary light harness includes solid state circuitry which controls the activation and deactivation of the auxiliary lights. The solid state circuitry increases the reliability of the auxiliary light harness circuitry and reduces the number of wires needed to connect the auxiliary light harness to the OEM wiring of the vehicle. The solid state circuitry also reduces the number of wires which must be threaded through the fire wall of a vehicle into the auxiliary lighting switch located in the operator driving compartment. The reduced number of wires needed for the switch and the overall circuitry of the auxiliary light harness greatly simplifies the installation, maintenance, reliability and repair of the auxiliary light harness. 
     In accordance with still yet another feature of the present invention, the auxiliary light harness is designed to be a modular unit which allows the auxiliary lights to be easily detached and removed from the vehicle without having to dismantle and remove the complete auxiliary light harness from the vehicle. This modular design of the auxiliary light harness also allows for components of the auxiliary light harness to be easily removed and replaced when in need of repair or replacement without having to completely remove or dissemble the auxiliary light harness from the vehicle. 
     In accordance with another feature of the present invention, the auxiliary light system is connected to the vehicle power source in a manner as to reduce the occurrences of the auxiliary lights inadvertently draining the power of the vehicle&#39;s battery. Preferably, the auxiliary light harness is connected in series to the ignition switch of the vehicle such that the ignition switch must be activated prior to the auxiliary lights being activated. When the ignition switch of the vehicle is activated, the vehicle&#39;s engine is typically running, thereby supplying sufficient power to the vehicle. During the operation of the engine, the activation of the auxiliary light system can be activated without draining the battery power of the vehicle. 
     In accordance with still yet another feature of the present invention, the auxiliary light harness can be designed to allow the vehicle&#39;s headlights or the auxiliary lights of the vehicle to be activated; or allow both the auxiliary lights and the headlights of the vehicle to be activated. When the auxiliary light harness is used to attach snowplow lights to a vehicle, the headlights of the vehicle are typically deactivated when the snowplow lights are activated since the snowplow blade typically obstructs the light from the headlights. Therefore, it is desirable to deactivate the headlights of the vehicle upon activation of the plow lights so as to preserve the life of the vehicle headlights. In other applications wherein the auxiliary lights are fog lights, it is desirable to have both the fog lights and the headlights simultaneously activated to increase the number of lumens generated by the vehicle. 
     In accordance with another feature of the present invention, the auxiliary light harness incorporates special connectors to ensure that the connectors will not inadvertently become disconnected during operation. Preferably, the connectors include a lock system such as a snap lock, which ensures that the connectors are properly secured together and to further prevent the connections from loosening or becoming disconnected during the operation of the vehicle. The connectors are also preferably designed to allow the connectors to be connected in only one manner, so as to prevent an improper connection. In this manner, the connectors are specially shaped so that the connectors can only be attached together in one manner. 
     In accordance with yet another feature of the present invention, the auxiliary light harness includes a seal arrangement to prevent foreign materials from damaging and/or causing a short in the circuitry of the auxiliary light harness. Preferably, the connectors utilized in the auxiliary light harness include seals that inhibit and/or prevent liquid, dust, dirt and/or other debris from contacting the electrical connections of the auxiliary light harness. In one preferred design, the connectors include rubber, plastic, and/or Teflon seals to prevent foreign materials from interacting with the electrical connections of the vehicle light harness. The seals help prevent corrosion of the electrical connections, bad connections between the electrical connections, shorting of the electrical connections and the like. 
     In accordance with another feature of the present invention, the connectors include plugs which are utilized when the auxiliary lights are disconnected and removed from the vehicle. After the auxiliary lights are disconnected from the auxiliary light harness, the electrical connectors of the auxiliary light harness are exposed to the environment. The connector plugs are designed to connect to the ends of these electrical connections to seal the electrical connections from the environment, thereby inhibiting and/or preventing corrosion of the electrical connections, and/or other debris from depositing on the electrical connections which may impair the operation of the auxiliary light harness when the auxiliary lights are once again attached to the harness. Preferably, these plugs are also used for the ends of the connectors on the auxiliary light harness that connect to the auxiliary light connectors so as to also prevent corrosion and/or debris depositing on and/or in the electrical connections while the auxiliary lights are being stored. 
     It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved auxiliary light harness to be used in conjunction with a vehicle which is simple to install and operate. 
     Another object of the present invention is the provision of an auxiliary light harness which can be used with a wide variety and style of auxiliary lights. 
     Still another object of the present invention is the provision of an auxiliary light harness which utilizes the OEM wiring of a vehicle headlight system without the need to splice the OEM wiring to the vehicle headlights. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of an auxiliary light harness which utilizes all of the OEM wiring for the headlight system of a vehicle. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is the provision of an auxiliary light harness which reduces the occurrence of overloading the OEM wiring of the vehicle during the operation of the auxiliary lights. 
     Another object of the present invention is the provision of an auxiliary light system which protects against the shorting and/or damage of the electrical system of the auxiliary light harness. 
     Still another object of the present invention is the provision of an auxiliary light harness which allows for one or more of the components of the harness to be easily attached and reattached to the vehicle without having to substantially remove the harness from the vehicle. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of an auxiliary light system which can be easily maintained and repaired. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is the provision of an auxiliary light system which reduces the occurrences of the components of the harness being incorrectly connected together. 
     Still a further object of the present invention is the provision of an auxiliary light system which reduces the occurrence of components becoming inadvertently disconnected during the operation of the vehicle. 
     Another object of the present invention is the provision of an auxiliary light harness which includes a modular design that simplifies the installation, repair, maintenance and operation of the auxiliary lights on a vehicle. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of an auxiliary light harness which reduces the occurrence of inadvertent power drain of a vehicle&#39;s battery during the operation of the auxiliary lights. 
     Yet still another object of the present invention is the provision of an auxiliary light harness which includes solid state circuitry to improve the reliability and simplicity of operation, maintenance, installation, and repair or the auxiliary vehicle light harness. 
     Another object of the present invention is the provision of an auxiliary light harness that includes a sealing arrangement to reduce degradation of the electrical circuitry and/or interface with electrical connections. 
     These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description used to illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the auxiliary light harness and components attached thereto in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an electrical schematic drawing of the auxiliary light harness illustrated in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an electrical schematic drawing of a circuit used in the electrical auxiliary light harness in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a electrical schematic drawing illustrating the circuit of FIG. 3 controlling one vehicle headlight and one auxiliary headlamp; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a connector and a connector plug in accordance with the invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view along line  6 — 6  of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a detached perspective view of two connectors in accordance with the invention; 
     FIG. 8 illustrates the connectors in FIG. 7 in a sealed arrangement; 
     FIG. 9 is a front elevation view of the connectors to a circuit; and 
     FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view along line  10 — 10  of FIG.  9 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the preferred embodiment of the drawings, wherein the showings are for the purpose of illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention, FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic drawings of the auxiliary light harness  10  in accordance with the present invention. Auxiliary harness  10  is designed to electrically connect auxiliary lights  30  to the electrical system of a vehicle. As specifically illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, auxiliary lights  30  are auxiliary headlights  35  and  36  which are electrically connected to the headlight electrical circuitry of a vehicle. 
     In a typical vehicle, the vehicle includes two headlights  20  wherein each of the headlights includes wiring  22  which electrically connects to the light in the headlight at one end and includes a connector  24  at the other end. Headlight wire connector  24  is electrically connected to the OEM headlight wiring  100  of the vehicle. Specifically, connector  24  connects to connector  102  of the OEM headlight wiring. The vehicle also typically includes a turn/emergency light  40  which has a turn emergency light  44  and a park light  46 . Wiring  42  connects turn light  44  and park light  46  to the OEM light wiring of the vehicle. 
     Auxiliary light harness  10  is designed to connect to the headlight wiring connectors, turn and emergency light wiring and to the OEM headlight wiring connectors. Once the auxiliary light harness  10  is properly connected to the electrical system of a vehicle, all the OEM wiring to the headlights of the vehicle is operational and used by the harness. 
     Referring specifically to FIG. 1, the auxiliary light harness is connected to the OEM headlight wiring of the vehicle and to the turn light and emergency light wiring of the vehicle. When the auxiliary light harness  10  is installed, headlight wiring connector  24  is disconnected from OEM headlight wiring connector  102 . Harness headlight wiring connector  62  is then connected to the headlight wiring connector  24 . Furthermore, harness headlight power connector  64  is connected to OEM headlight wiring connector  102 . Connectors  62  and  64  are part of harness headlight wiring  60  which connects to a harness control module  50 . Harness headlight wiring  60  includes a port connector  66  which connects to module headlight port  52  of control module  50 . As illustrated in FIG. 1, each set of auxiliary light  30  and headlight  20  has its own harness control module  50 . Typically, harness  10  will only include two harness control modules since most vehicles typically have only two headlights. 
     Auxiliary light  30  includes auxiliary light wiring  32  which connects at one end to the lights in auxiliary light  30  and at the other end includes a wiring connector  34 . Wiring connector  34  is connected to harness auxiliary light connector  72  which in turn is connected to one end of harness auxiliary light wiring  70 . At the other end of auxiliary light wiring  70  is a port connector  74  which connects to auxiliary light port  54  of control module  50 . 
     Turn light/emergency light  40  are electrically connected to OEM wiring. Harness switch wiring  80  includes two wires  86 ,  88  which connect to wiring  42  by connectors  90 ,  92 . The electrical connectors can take any form which creates an electrical connection between turn/emergency light wiring  42  and turn light wire  86  and emergency light wire  88 . Preferably, the connectors are electrical splices. Harness switch wiring  80  is connected to include a port connector  82  which connects to module switch port  56  of control module  50 . Harness switch wiring  80  also includes a ground connection and switch wire  84 . 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the switch wires  84  from each of the two control modules  50  are connected together by switch wire connector  110 . The other end of switch wire connector  110  is connected to a switching wire  112  which terminates at one end of auxiliary light switch  120 . 
     The auxiliary headlights  30  can be a variety of different styles and types of headlights. One preferable type of auxiliary headlight is disclosed in the assignee&#39;s U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/080,246, filed Dec. 5, 1997 and 09/018,930, filed Feb. 5, 1998. The manner in which the auxiliary headlights can be connected to the vehicle will depend on the style and type of the vehicle and the style and type of auxiliary headlight. One preferable arrangement for mounting the auxiliary headlight is disclosed in assignee&#39;s U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 29/080,246 and 09/018,930. 
     As illustrated in FIG. 1, control module  50  includes a module mount hole  58 . Mount hole  58  is designed to allow the control modules to be secured in the interior of a vehicle by bolts, screws or the like. Preferably, the control module  50  is mounted near each headlight of the vehicle. As can be appreciated, the wiring for the electrical harness may be secured by ties, clamps and the like to ensure that the wiring is secured in place during the operation of the vehicle. 
     Referring now to FIG. 2, a more detailed diagram of how the headlights, turn lights, emergency lights, and auxiliary lights are electrically connected to auxiliary wire harness  10  is illustrated. In particular, auxiliary light switch  120  is connected in series to the vehicle ignition switch  140 . By connecting the auxiliary light harness  10  in such fashion, auxiliary lights  30  cannot be activated before the ignition switch of the vehicle is engaged. This connection arrangement is different from the vehicle headlight switch  160  connection wherein headlights  20  can be activated independently of the engagement of ignition switch  140 . As can be appreciated, auxiliary lights  30  are prevented from draining the power from the vehicle battery. This arrangement is very beneficial in that the auxiliary lights  30  typically draw substantially more power than standard headlights, and thus can drain a vehicle&#39;s battery in a substantially shorter time than the vehicle&#39;s headlights. However, after an operator activates the ignition switch of the vehicle thereby causing the vehicle engine to run, the power generated by the engine is more than sufficient to power the auxiliary lights, thus preventing the power drain of the vehicle battery by the auxiliary lights. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, a more detailed electrical diagram of the auxiliary light harness  10  is illustrated. In FIG. 4, a detailed electrical connection arrangement for the switch wire is illustrated. Switching wire  112  is shown to be connected to one end of auxiliary light switch  120 . The other end of auxiliary light switch  120  is connected by a light switch wire  122  to a fuse box  130  of a vehicle. The specific fuse selected is to be in series with ignition switch  140  of the vehicle so as to prevent current from passing through switching wire  112  until both auxiliary light switch  120  and ignition switch  140  are activated. 
     FIG. 4 also illustrates a standard dimmer switch  162  connected in series with headlamp switch  160 . Dimmer switch  162  is used to activate the low beam light  26  and the high beam light  28  of headlight  20  and the low beam light  35  and high beam light  36  of auxiliary light  30 . 
     As illustrated in both FIGS. 3 and 4, control module  50  is designed to activate the auxiliary lights  30  and deactivate headlights  20  of a vehicle when auxiliary light switch  120  and ignition switch  140  are activated. When ignition switch  140  and/or auxiliary light switch  120  are deactivated, Control module  50  can be designed to allow the vehicle&#39;s headlights to remain activated when the auxiliary lights of the vehicle are activated. As a result, auxiliary lights  30  and/or the vehicle headlights can be activated and deactivated by a light selection switch which includes auxiliary light switch  120  and/or ignition switch  140 . headlights  120  are automatically reactivated and auxiliary lights  30  are automatically deactivated. 
     As shown in FIG. 4, switch wire  84  receives current from power source  150  when both ignition switch  140  and auxiliary light switch  120  are activated. Switch wire  84  transfers such current to control module  50  through the module switch port. Referring specifically to FIG. 3, wire  464  is connected to the switch wire at the module switch port. Wire  464 ,  468  and  472  are electrically connected to three solid state switches  400 , 420  and  440  contained in harness control module  50 . Specifically, wire  464  is connected to switch controllers  406 ,  426  and  446  of solid state switches  400 ,  420  and  440 , respectively. The solid state switches illustrated in FIG. 3 are schematic representations of any of a number of a type of solid state switches. Preferably, the solid state switch is a transistor, magnetic switch or similar electrical switching device. When current passes through wire  464  and into switch controllers  406 ,  426  and  446 , the switch controllers cause switch blades  404 ,  424  and  444  to connect to wires  476 ,  478  and  480 , respectively. When current ceases to pass through wire  464 , switch controllers  406 ,  426  and  446  cause switch blades  404 ,  424  and  444 , connected at terminals  402 ,  422  and  442  to move back into their original positions so as to once again be engaged with wires  456 ,  458   460 ,  450 ,  452  and  454 , respectively. 
     Referring to both FIG.  3  and FIG. 4, the operation of control module  50  of auxiliary light harness  10  will be briefly described. Auxiliary light harness  10  is designed such that when auxiliary light switch  120  and/or ignition switch  140  are not switched on, the solid state switches and control module  20  are in their initial contact position. In such a position, the headlights  20  of the vehicle operate in their standard manner, and the auxiliary lights  30  are deactivated. In this mode of operation, the headlights  20  of the vehicle operate in their standard fashion along with the operation of the turn/emergency lights  40  of the vehicle. When the operator activates the ignition switch  140  by turning on the vehicle and also activating auxiliary light switch  120 , which is typically located in the driving compartment of the vehicle, current is directed through switch wire  84  into control module  50 . The current passing through switch wire  84  in turn causes the solid state switches in the control module  50  to move to the activated position. In such a position, the power to the vehicle&#39;s headlights is rerouted to the auxiliary lights  30  of the vehicle. This rerouting of power causes the headlights of the vehicle to become deactivated and the auxiliary lights  30  to become activated. 
     As can be appreciated, when headlight switch  160  is deactivated, the headlights  20  of the vehicle are off, since no power is connected to the headlights. In addition, when headlamp switch  160  is deactivated, the auxiliary lights  30  cannot be activated since headlight switch  160  continues the power flow through OEM wiring  100 . Consequently, the auxiliary lights  30  cannot be activated until headlight switch  160 , ignition switch  140  and auxiliary switch  120  are all activated at the same time. The wiring of the control module  50  is designed such that the signal caused by dimmer switch  162  is received by auxiliary lights  30  the same as when the headlights  20  are activated. Consequently, dimmer switch  162  controls the low beam light  35  and the high beam light  36  of auxiliary light  30  in a similar manner as when dimmer switch  162  controls the low beam light  26  and the high beam light  28  of headlight  20 . Auxiliary light harness  10  also routes power from turn/emergency light wiring  42  to auxiliary light  30 . However, unlike the circuitry between the vehicle headlights and the auxiliary lights, auxiliary light harness  10  does not deactivate the vehicle&#39;s turn signals or the vehicle&#39;s emergency lights when the auxiliary lights are activated. As shown in the circuit diagrams of FIGS. 3 and 4, when the vehicle turn signal and/or the vehicle emergency light is activated, harness turn light wire  86  and harness emergency light wire  88  route such signals from turn/emergency light wiring  42  through harness control module  50  and into auxiliary turn, emergency light  37  and auxiliary park light  38  of auxiliary light  30  to thereby cause such lights to activate simultaneously with the vehicle&#39;s turn light  44  and/or park light  46 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, auxiliary light harness  10  has a modular design in that the various components can be connected, replaced, and/or repaired without having to completely dissemble and/or remove the harness from the vehicle. The solid state construction of the control module simplifies the wiring of the electrical harness, and ensures the desired operation of the headlights of the vehicle and the auxiliary lights of the vehicle occurs during an emergency or some unforeseen circumstance. The reduced number of wires through the fire wall of the vehicle and into the driving compartment of the vehicle also simplifies installation of the harness, and simplifies and reduces the time for maintenance and repair of the vehicle, and further reduces unnecessary damage to the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 1, switching wire  112  is a single wire that connects to switch  120 . Consequently, only a small hole is needed through the fire wall of the vehicle to connect switch wire  112  to switch  120 , thus significantly simplifying installation and repair of the auxiliary light harness. Switch  120  preferably includes an indicator, such as a light, to notify a vehicle operator of the position of switch  120 . As can be appreciated, the majority of the wiring of the harness, the control modules and the harness and the switch of the harness can remain in the vehicle from season to season, even though the auxiliary lights are periodically removed, reinstalled and/or replaced on the vehicle. This can be accomplished by simply disconnecting auxiliary light connector  34  from harness auxiliary light wire connector  72  and dismounting the auxiliary light from the vehicle. When the auxiliary light once again is to be reinstalled, connector  34  of the auxiliary light is simply reconnected to the harness auxiliary light connector  72 . 
     The integrity of the auxiliary light harness  10  is maintained by several seals which are utilized at the connections with the control module and with the connection between the auxiliary light connector  34  and harness headlight connector  62 . As can be appreciated, a similar seal construction can be created for harness headlight power connector  64  and OEM light wiring connector  102 . Referring now to FIGS. 5-8, a seal connector  170  is illustrated. Seal connector  170  includes a male connector housing  180  and a female connector housing  220 . As best shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, male connector housing  180  includes a neck portion  182  designed to be telescopically inserted into female connector housing  220 . At the front end of neck portion  182  is a plurality of neck openings  183 . Positioned inside of each of the neck openings is a conductor socket  184 . Each conductor socket  184  is secured in place by a socket lock tab  185 . Each conductor socket includes a socket contact  186  designed to engage a conducting pin when positioned in female connector housing  220 . 
     The neck portion  182  of male connector housing  180  includes one or more neck ridges  188 . These neck ridges define a particular shape of the outer surface of the neck portion so as to only allow the neck portion to be inserted in one specific manner into female connector housing  220  so as to ensure the proper electrical connection between the male connector housing  180  and the female connector housing  220 . 
     Neck portion  182  also includes a seal surface  189  which supports a seal  210 . Seal  210  includes a plurality of seal ribs  212 . Seal  210  is designed to create a seal between neck portion  182  of male connector housing  180  and female connector housing  220  when the neck portion is telescopically inserted into female connector housing  220 . The seal prevents and/or inhibits liquids, dust, dirt and the like from coming into contact with the conducting sockets  184  in male connector housing  180  and conductor pins  226  in female connector housing  220 . The seals inhibit and/or prevent the conductor sockets and the conductor pins from corroding or allowing foreign materials to interfere with the electrical connection between the conducting sockets and the conductor pins when the male and female connector housings are connected together. 
     Positioned adjacent to the rear of neck portion  182  of male connector housing  180  is a lock latch  190 . Lock latch  190  includes two latch arms  192 . Connected between the two latch arms is a latch handle  194 . The latch handle  194  includes a handle bar  196  and a slot  198 . Latch arms  192  are made of material which is flexible to allow the latch handle to be lifted. 
     The rear of male connector housing  180  includes a plurality of connector rear openings  200 . The openings are sized to allow wire  204  to pass through the openings. Wire seal  187  seals wire  204  within rear opening  200  so as to inhibit and/or prevent liquids, dust, dirt and the like from entering the rear opening and corroding and/or interfering with the electrical connections with conducting socket  184 . 
     A security cable opening  202  is positioned adjacent to the rear openings of the male connector housing. Security cable opening  202  is designed to receive security cable  258 . 
     Connected to the other end of security cable  258  is male seal connector  206 . Male seal connector  206  includes a connector cavity which is designed to receive neck portion  182  and seal  210  on male connector housing  180 . Inside connector cavity  208  is a positioning cavity  214  which is designed to allow neck portion  182  to be inserted into connector cavity  208  in only the proper manner. Male seal connector  206  also includes a lock tab  215 . Connected to lock tab  215  is a tab guide  216  and a tab landing  217 . Male seal connector  206  also includes a security cable opening  218  which receives the second end of security cable  258 . 
     Female connector housing  220  includes a connector cavity  222  at the front of the female connector housing. Connector cavity  222  has a cross sectional shape and size which is designed to receive neck portion  182  of male connector housing  180 . Within connector cavity  222  is a positioning cavity  224 . Positioning cavity  224  is sized and shaped to specifically telescopically receive a portion of neck portion  182  such that male connector housing  180  can only be connected to female connector housing  220  in a certain manner. 
     Also positioned within connector cavity  222  are a plurality of conducting pins  226 . Each conducting pin  226  is secured within female connector housing  220  by pin lock tabs  228 . 
     The top of female connector housing  220  includes a lock tab  230 . Lock tab  230  includes a tab guide  232  which is adapted to slide through handle slot  198  on male connector housing  180  when male connector housing  180  is telescopically inserted into connector cavity  222  of female connector housing  220 . Lock tab  230  also includes a tab landing  234  which engages a portion of latch handle  194  on male connector housing  180  to secure male connector housing  180  and female connector housing  220  together once male connector housing  180  is fully inserted in female connector housing  220 . 
     The rear of female connector housing  220  includes a plurality of connector rear openings  240 . Latch handle  194  can be lifted to be disengaged from the landing  234  to allow male and female connector housings to be disengaged from one another. Positioned in each of the rear openings is a wire  204  which connects to the end of conductor pins  226 . Wire seal  241  seals the space between wire  204  and rear opening  240  to prevent liquids, dust, dirt and the like from corroding and/or interfering with the electrical connection between conducting pin  226  and conducting sockets  184 . 
     Positioned adjacent to connector rear openings  240  is a security cable opening  242 . Security cable opening  242  receives one end of security cable  258 . The second end of security cable  258  is connected to security cable opening  253  of female seal connector  243 . 
     Female seal connector  243  includes a neck portion  244  which is designed to be telescopically inserted into connector cavity  222  of female connector housing  220 . The front of female seal connection  243  includes a neck portion  244 . At the front end of neck portion  244  is a plurality of neck openings  245  which are designed to receive conducting pin  226  within connector cavity  222  of female connector housing  220  when female seal connector  243  is inserted into connector cavity  222 . Neck portion  244  of female seal connector  243  includes a neck ridge  246 . Neck ridge  246  is designed to provide neck portion  244  with a distinct cross sectional shape such that female seal connector  243  can only be inserted one way into connector cavity  222 , to thereby ensure the proper insertion of female seal connector  243  into female connector housing  220 . One portion of the neck portion  244  includes a seal surface  247 . Seal  254  is positioned on seal surface  247 . Seal  254  includes a plurality of seal ribs  255  which are designed to create a seal between neck portion  244  and the inner surface of connector cavity  222  to inhibit and/or prevent liquids, dust, dirt and the like from corroding and/or otherwise damaging or interfering with electrical connections provided by conductor pins  226 . Female seal connector  243  includes a lock latch  248 . Lock latch  248  includes two flexible latch arms  249  and a latch handle  250  connected therebetween. Latch handle  250  includes a handle bar  251  and a handle slot  252 . 
     As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 7, male connector housing  180  includes a corresponding male seal connector  206  which is attached to the male connector housing  180  by a security cable  258 . In addition, female connector housing  220  includes a female seal connector  243  which is connected to female connector housing  220  by a security cable  258 . As specifically illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, male connector housing  180  and female connector housing  220  provide a secure and sealed electrical connection when such connectors are connected together. 
     As best shown in FIG. 5, the bottom portion of latch handle  194  of lock latch  190  on male connector housing  180  engages tab landing  234  on female connector housing  220  thereby securing female connector housing and male connector housing together. As shown in FIG. 6, when male connector housing  180  and female connector housing  220  are connected together, conducting pins  226  electrically engage with the corresponding conducting sockets  184  thereby forming the desired electrical connection. Seals  187 ,  210  and  241  ensure that liquids, dust, dirt and the like are inhibited and/or prevented from entering the interior components of the connectors so as to prevent such materials from damaging the conducting pins and/or conducting sockets while female connector housing and male connector housing are connected together. As shown in FIG. 5, male seal connector  206  and female seal connector  243  may also be connected together when male connector housing  180  is connected to female connector housing  220 . 
     Referring now to FIG. 6, seal  210  includes a plurality of ribs  212  which contact the interior surface of conductor cavity  222  to form the seal between neck portion  182  of male connector housing  180  and conductor cavity  222  of female connector housing  220 . Seal  210  is preferably made of a flexible plastic material, flexible rubber material or other flexible material which allows seal ribs  212  to compress and/or flex when such seal ribs contact the interior of connector cavity  222  to thereby provide the desired seal. 
     Referring now to FIG. 8, when male connector housing  180  is removed from female connector housing  220 , such as when auxiliary light  30  is disconnected from the auxiliary light harness, the connectors at one end of the auxiliary light harness and at one end of the auxiliary light can be sealed so as to prevent the electrical connectors from becoming damaged while unconnected. FIG. 8 illustrates male connector housing  180  and female connector housing  220  being sealed by male seal connector  206  and female seal connector  243 , respectively. Male seal connector  206  is designed so as to connect to and secure to male connector housing  180  in a similar fashion as female connector housing  220  would connect to male connector housing  180 . Similarly, female seal connector  243  connects to female connector housing  220  in a similar fashion as male connector housing  180  would connect to female connector housing  220 . When male seal connector  206  is connected to male connector housing  180 , seal  210  on male connector housing  180  forms a seal between the interior of connector cavity  208  of male seal connector  206  and neck portion  182  of male connector housing  180 . This seal inhibits and/or prevents liquids and/or other materials from damaging conductor sockets  184  from becoming corroded or otherwise damaged. Female seal connector  243  includes a seal  254  to thereby form a seal between neck portion  244  of female seal connector  243  and the inner surface of conductor cavity  222  of female connector housing  220  when female seal connector  243  is connected with female connector housing  220 . This seal inhibits and/or prevents liquids and/or other materials from damaging the conducting pins  226  within female conductor housing  220  as long as female seal connector  243  is connected to female connector housing  220 . Both male seal connector  206  and female seal connector  243  can easily be removed from male connector housing  180  and female connector housing  220 , respectively, to once again allow male connector  180  to be connected to female connector housing  220 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10, a seal arrangement is also provided for the electrical connection between control module  50  and harness headlight wiring connectors  62 ,  64  and  66 . Control module  50  includes three module port seal connectors  260 . Module port seal connectors  260  are designed to telescopically receive a port male connector  280 . These port connectors are connected to the ends of harness headlight wiring connectors  62 ,  64  and  66 . Each module port seal connector  260  includes a module casing  262  which is preferably made of a rigid material such as a hard plastic, metal, rubber, fiberglass and the like. 
     Module casing  262  includes a casing cavity  264 . Within casing cavity  264  is a positioning cavity  266 . Within casing cavity  264  is also a plurality of conductor pins  268 . A lock tab  270  is positioned on the top of module casing  262 . 
     Each port male connector  280  includes a neck portion  282 . At the front of neck portion  282  is a plurality of neck openings  284 . Positioned within each neck opening  284  is a conductor socket  286 . On the outer surface of neck portion  282  is provided a neck ridge  288 . Neck ridge  288  is designed to create a specific cross sectional shape of neck portion  282  such that port male connector  280  can only fit in casing cavity  264  and positioning cavity  266  in a specific manner so as to ensure the proper connection of port male connector  280  within modular port seal connector  260 . 
     Neck portion  282  also includes a seal surface  290 . Positioned on seal surface  290  is a cavity seal  292 . Cavity seal  292  includes a plurality of seal ribs  294  Cavity seal  292  is preferably made of a flexible material such as a flexible plastic, rubber or the like to allow seal ribs  294  to compress and/or flex when port male connector  280  is inserted into modular port seal connector  260 . 
     Positioned on the top of port male connector  280  is a lock latch  300 . Lock latch  300  includes two flexible latch arms  302  and a latch handle  304  connected therebetween. Latch handle  304  includes a latch bar  306 . 
     Positioned at the rear of port male connector  280  is a connector rear cavity  310 . Positioned in connector rear cavity  310  is a socket cavity  312 . The socket lock cavity  314  is provided to secure conductor sockets  286  within socket cavity  312 . Extending from connector rear cavity  310  is a plurality of wires  204  which are secured at one end to conductor sockets  286 . Wire  204  is sealed within socket cavity  312  by a cavity seal  320 . Cavity seal  320  includes a plurality of seal ribs  322 . Cavity seal  320  is preferably made of a material similar to the material of cavity seal  292 . 
     As best shown in FIG. 10, when port male connector  280  is telescopically received within modular casing  262  of modular port seal connector  260 , conductor sockets  286  in port male connector  280  engage the conductor pins  268  within modular casing  262  thereby providing a electrical connection between wire  204  and the electrical circuitry within control module  50 . When port male connector  280  is fully inserted into modular port seal connector  260 , latch bar  306  on latch handle  304  engages lock tab  270  thereby securing or locking together port male connector  280  to male port seal connector  260 . Cavity seal  320  and seal  292  inhibit and/or prevent liquid, dust, dirt and the like from contacting conductor sockets  286  and conducting pins  268  thereby ensuring the longevity of the electrical connection. When port male connector  280  is to be removed from modular port seal connector  260 , latch handle  304  is lifted to thereby unlock latch bar  306  from lock tab  270  to allow port male connector  280  to be removed from port seal connector  260 . 
     The invention has been described with reference to preferred and alternate embodiments. Modifications and alterations will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the detailed discussion of the invention provided for herein. This invention is intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the present invention.