Patent Publication Number: US-11655969-B2

Title: High visibility headlamp

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/197,868, filed Mar. 10, 2021, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,215,343, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/087,025, filed Nov. 2, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,948,171, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/778,823, filed Jan. 31, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,859,245, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/799,926, filed Feb. 1, 2019, the entire contents of all of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to portable lights and, more particularly, to headlamps. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Construction workers, bicyclists, runners, etc. may wear headlamps order to see in low-light conditions while keeping their hands free. It may also be desirable to increase the visibility of these individuals to others (e.g., passing motorists, equipment operators, etc.). 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, the invention provides a headlamp including a strap, a bracket coupled to the strap, and a first lighting assembly pivotally coupled to the bracket. The first lighting assembly includes a first light housing enclosing a first LED, a battery housing enclosing a battery, the battery configured to provide power to the first LED, and a first actuator operable to toggle the first lighting assembly between a first plurality of operating modes. The headlamp also includes a second lighting assembly coupled to the strap. The second lighting assembly includes a plurality of second LEDs and a second actuator operable to toggle the second lighting assembly between a second plurality of operating modes such that the second lighting assembly is operable independently of the first lighting assembly. The headlamp also includes a wire extending between the first lighting assembly and the second lighting assembly and configured to provide power from the battery to the plurality of second LEDs. The second lighting assembly extends along more than 50% of a circumference of the strap, and the second lighting assembly follows a curvature of the strap. 
     In another aspect, the invention provides a headlamp including a strap, a bracket coupled to the strap, and a first lighting assembly pivotally coupled to the bracket. The first lighting assembly includes a first light housing enclosing a first LED, a battery housing enclosing a battery, the battery configured to provide power to the first LED, and a first actuator operable to toggle the first lighting assembly between a first plurality of operating modes including a high intensity mode, a low intensity mode, and a flashing mode. The headlamp also includes a second lighting assembly coupled to the strap. The second lighting assembly includes a plurality of second LEDs and a second actuator operable to toggle the second lighting assembly between a second plurality of operating modes such that the second lighting assembly is operable independently of the first lighting assembly. A wire extends between the first lighting assembly and the second lighting assembly, and the wire is configured to provide power from the battery to the plurality of second LEDs. The wire includes coils to permit expansion and contraction of the wire. The first LED and the plurality of second LEDs are configured to emit white light. The second lighting assembly extends along more than 50% of a circumference of the strap, and the second lighting assembly is configured to distribute light at least partially around the circumference of the strap to increase visibility of a wearer of the headlamp from multiple directions. 
     In another aspect, the invention provides a headlamp including a strap configured to be worn over a hard hat, a bracket coupled to the strap, and a first lighting assembly pivotally coupled to the bracket. The first lighting assembly includes a first light housing enclosing a first LED, a battery housing enclosing a battery, the battery configured to provide power to the first LED, and a first actuator operable to toggle the first lighting assembly between a first plurality of operating modes including a high intensity mode, a low intensity mode, and a flashing mode. The headlamp also includes a second lighting assembly coupled to the strap by a plurality of couplers such that the second lighting assembly follows a curvature of the strap. The second lighting assembly includes a plurality of second LEDs and a second actuator operable to toggle the second lighting assembly between a second plurality of operating modes such that the second lighting assembly is operable independently of the first lighting assembly. A wire extends between the first lighting assembly and the second lighting assembly. The wire is configured to provide power from the battery to the plurality of second LEDs, and the wire includes coils to permit expansion and contraction of the wire. The first LED and the plurality of second LEDs are configured to emit white light, and the second lighting assembly is configured to distribute light at least partially around the circumference of the strap to increase visibility of a wearer of the headlamp from multiple directions. 
     Other features and aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a front perspective view of headlamp according to one embodiment. 
         FIG.  2    is a rear perspective view of the headlamp of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  3    is a top view of the headlamp of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  4    is a top view of a front light assembly of the headlamp of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  5    is a bottom view of the front light assembly of  FIG.  4   . 
         FIG.  6    is a top view of a rear light assembly of the headlamp of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  7    is an exploded view of the front light assembly of  FIG.  4   . 
         FIG.  8    is a cutaway top view of the headlamp of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  9    is another view of the rear light assembly of  FIG.  6   . 
         FIG.  10    is a plan view of a strap of the headlamp of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  11    is a perspective view of a headlamp according to another embodiment. 
         FIG.  12    illustrates a rear light assembly of the headlamp of  FIG.  11   . 
         FIG.  13    is a perspective view of a headlamp according to another embodiment. 
         FIG.  14    illustrates a rear light assembly of the headlamp of  FIG.  13   . 
         FIG.  15    is a perspective view of a headlamp according to another embodiment. 
         FIG.  16    illustrates a rear light assembly of the headlamp of  FIG.  15   . 
         FIG.  17    illustrates details of a light pipe of the headlamp of  FIG.  15   . 
     
    
    
     Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG.  1    illustrates a high visibility headlamp  10  according to one embodiment. The illustrated headlamp  10  may be secured to a user&#39;s head, allowing for hands-free illumination. The headlamp  10  includes a first lighting assembly or front light assembly  14 , a second lighting assembly or rear light assembly  18 , and a strap  22  extending between and interconnecting the front and rear light assemblies  14 ,  18  ( FIGS.  1 - 3   ). When the headlamp  10  is worn by the user, the front light assembly  14  is preferably positioned adjacent the user&#39;s forehead, and the rear light assembly  18  is preferably positioned adjacent the back of the user&#39;s head. Accordingly, the front light assembly  14  may emit light in a direction generally forward of the user, and the rear light assembly  18  may emit light in a direction generally rearward of the user. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  4  and  5   , the illustrated front light assembly  14  includes a first light housing or front light housing  26 . The front light housing  26  has a front face  30 , a back face  34  opposite the front face  30 , a top face  38  ( FIG.  4   ), a bottom face  42  ( FIG.  5   ) opposite the top face  38 , and two side faces  46   a ,  46   b  that extend between the top face  38  and the bottom face  42 . In the illustrated embodiment, the side faces  46   a ,  46   b  are angled to converge in a direction from the back face  34  toward the front face  30 , such that at least a portion of the front light housing  26  including the side faces  46   a ,  46   b  is shaped as a trapezoidal prism. 
     The front face  30  has a beveled contour that supports a lens  50  ( FIG.  1   ). The lens  50  is positioned in front of a front light source, which in the illustrated embodiment includes a first light source  54  and a second light source  58  at least partially enclosed within the front light housing  26  ( FIG.  7   ). In some embodiments, the first light source  54  and the second light source  58  may be entirely enclosed by the front light housing  26 . Additionally or alternatively, the front light source may include a single light source or may include more than two light sources. In addition to protecting the light sources  54 ,  58 , the lens  50  may also diffuse light emitted by the first and second light sources  54 ,  58  to the surrounding area. In other embodiments, the lens  50  may focus or collimate light from one or both of the light sources  54 ,  58 . In yet other embodiments, the lens  50  may not substantially alter the light emitted by the light sources  54 ,  58 . 
     With continued reference to  FIG.  7   , in the illustrated embodiment, the first and second light sources  54 ,  58  each include one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs). In particular, the first light source  54  includes a first LED  54   a , and the second light source  58  includes first and second LEDs  58   a ,  58   b . The LEDs  54   a ,  58   a ,  58   b  are preferably white LEDs and are each mounted to a common printed circuit board (PCB)  60 . In other embodiments, the first and second light sources  54 ,  58  may include any number or arrangement of LEDs, which may be mounted to one or more PCBs. A spotlight reflector  61  is positioned in front of the first light source  54  to direct light emitted by the first light source  54  in a specific direction to form a relatively concentrated beam of light (i.e., a relatively narrow beam angle). The second light source  58  emits less concentrated light over a wider area (i.e., a relatively wider beam angle). Thus, the illustrated front light assembly  14  is usable as a spotlight when the first light source  54  is illuminated, and as a floodlight when the second light source  58  is illuminated. In other embodiments, other suitable light sources may also or alternatively be employed. 
     A control panel  62  is provided to control the front light assembly  14  (e.g., to turn the light sources  54 ,  58  ON and OFF using a power actuator  66 , and to change an operating mode of the light sources  54 ,  58  using a mode actuator  70 ). The power and mode actuators  66 ,  70  are pushbuttons in the illustrated embodiment, but alternatively can include and combination of buttons, touch sensors, motion sensors, ambient light sensors, switches, or the like to control operation of the front light assembly  14 . The mode actuator  70  may toggle the front light assembly  14  between a plurality of different modes. For example, in some embodiments, the front light assembly  14  may be operable in five different modes: a first mode in which both the first and second light sources  54 ,  58  emit light (e.g., a maximum brightness mode), a second mode in which the first light source  54  does not emit light and the second light source  58  emits light at a high intensity (e.g., a high flood mode), a third mode in which the first light source  54  does not emit light and the second light source  58  emits light at a medium intensity (e.g., a medium flood mode), a fourth mode in which the first light source  54  does not emit light and the second light source  58  emits light at a low intensity (e.g., a low flood mode), and a fifth mode in which the first light source  54  emits light at a high intensity and the second light source  58  does not emit light (e.g., a spot mode). In alternative embodiments, the front light assembly  14  may be operable in other modes, such as flashing or strobe modes, and/or in any combination or subset of the five modes. The user may cycle through modes (e.g., first, second, third, fourth, fifth modes) by repeatedly pressing the mode actuator  70 . In other embodiments, the user may cycle through modes by pressing the mode actuator  70  in a predetermined pattern, holding down the mode actuator  70 , or the like. In other embodiments, the mode actuator  70  may be omitted, and the user may cycle through modes by depressing the power actuator  66  in predetermined patterns (e.g., multiple short presses, etc.). 
     The headlamp  10  may include an internal control unit, including, for example a microprocessor and memory, capable of storing information and executing functions. The internal control unit is configured to store the operating mode of the front light assembly  14  (as set by the mode actuator  70 ) when the front light assembly  14  is powered ON and OFF by the power actuator  66 . This results in a light that may be turned ON and OFF while maintaining the most recent state of the front light assembly  14  (e.g., the mode of the front light assembly  14 ), thereby allowing the user to turn the front light assembly  14  ON with the last setting without having to readjust the light  14 . 
     The bottom face  42  of the illustrated front light housing  26  includes a charging port  74  ( FIG.  5   ). The illustrated charging port  74  is configured as a USB port, although other suitable charging ports may also or alternatively be included on the front light assembly  14 . The charging port  74  is electrically connected to a rechargeable battery  80  ( FIG.  7   ). In the illustrated embodiment, the battery  80  is generally cylindrical and is at least partially accommodated within a battery housing  78  positioned behind the PCB  60 . The battery housing  78  includes battery terminals (not shown) electrically coupled to the PCB  60  to provide power from the battery  80  to the light sources  54 ,  58 . In some embodiments, the battery  80  may have a Li-ion chemistry. 
     The battery  80  is insertable and removable from the battery housing  78  by opening a battery cover  82 , which may be pivotally coupled to the battery housing  78 . Alternatively, the battery cover  82  may be coupled to the battery housing  78  in other ways. The battery  80  can be recharged via the charging port  74  without removing the battery  80  from the battery housing  78 , or the battery  80  can be removed for charging and, optionally replaced by a similar battery  80  to allow for continued operation of the headlamp  10 . In other embodiments, the battery  80  may not be removable from the housing. In yet other embodiments, the charging port  74  may be omitted, and the battery  80  may be a single-use battery (e.g., an alkaline battery). 
     Referring to  FIG.  3   , the illustrated headlamp  10  includes an electrical wire  86  extending between the front light assembly  14  and the rear light assembly  18 . Specifically, the wire  86  transmits power from the battery  80  to the rear light assembly  18 , allowing both the front and rear light assemblies  14 ,  18  to receive power from the battery  80 . In other embodiments, the battery  80  may be housed within the rear light assembly  18 , and the wire  86  may be configured to provide power from the rear light assembly  18  to the front light assembly  14 . In the illustrated embodiment, the wire  86  is positioned on an exterior surface of the strap  22  (i.e., the surface facing away from a user). In other embodiments, the wire  86  may be positioned on an interior surface of the strip  22  (i.e., the surface facing toward a user). Alternatively, the user may be embedded within the strap  22  (e.g., positioned between two or more layers of material that form the strap  22 ). 
     With reference to  FIGS.  4  and  5   , the front light housing  26  is coupled to a bracket  90 . A wire port  88 , for receiving the wire  86 , extends through the bracket  90  and into the housing  28 . The bracket  90  is generally U-shaped and includes a back  94  and two generally semi-circular sides or flanges  98 . The back  94  extends parallel to the back face  34  of the front light housing  26 . The flanges  98  extend perpendicularly from beveled transition portions  102  disposed at opposite ends of the back  94 . The front light housing  26  is sandwiched between and pivotally coupled to the flanges  98 . The front light housing  26  is therefore pivotable relative to the bracket  90  about a pivot axis  101  ( FIG.  1   ), to adjust the orientation of the front light housing  26  up or down. The wire port  88  is coaxial with the pivot axis  101  in the illustrated embodiment, such that the wire  86  is not moved up or down when pivoting the front light housing  26 . 
     With reference to  FIGS.  2 - 3   , the bracket  90  includes two slots  106  extending through the bracket  90  adjacent the respective transition portions  102 . The slots  106  are shaped to receive the strap  22  to couple the bracket  90  to the strap  22 . In the illustrated embodiment, the strap  22  includes a first end  22   a  and a second end  22   b  coupled to the slots  106  of the bracket  90  by looping the ends  22   a ,  22   b  through the respective slots  106  and fastening the ends  22   a ,  22   b  to the body of the strap  22  (e.g., by stitching). In other embodiments, the strap  22  and the bracket  90  can be coupled together in other ways. When assembled with the headlamp  10 , the strap  22  may define a ring shape ( FIG.  3   ). 
     The strap  22  may include one or more elastic or stretchable portions  114  and one or more inelastic or non-stretchable portions  115  ( FIG.  10   ). The elastic portions  114  permit the strap  22  to be adjusted to different sizes by stretching the strap  22 , allowing the headlamp  10  to be worn over a hard hat, helmet, or directly on a user&#39;s head, for example. In other embodiments, the strap  22  may include one or more strap adjusters to allow a user to vary the diameter of the strap  22 . The strap  22  may include reflective material  110  (e.g., reflective tape, reflective paint, reflective printing, or the like) affixed to the exterior side of the strap  22  to enhance visibility of the user when wearing the headlamp  10 . The reflective material  110  is preferably provided on non-stretchable portions of the strap  22  to inhibit wrinkling or tearing of the reflective material  110 . The wire  86  may be woven into a bottom portion of the strap  22  to prevent the wire  86  from protruding or slipping. The wire  86  may be arranged in waves or coils where the wire  86  spans the elastic portions  114  of the strap  22  to permit expansion and contraction of the wire  86  with the strap  22  without straining the ends of the wire  86 . 
     The rear light assembly  18  is coupled to the strap  22  at a position opposite the front light assembly  14  ( FIGS.  1 - 3   ). The wire  86  extends along the strap  22  from the first side face  46   a  of the first light housing  26  to the rear light assembly  18 . In some embodiments, the strap  22  includes a sleeve  87  ( FIG.  2   ) extending along a bottom portion of the strap, and the wire extends through the sleeve  87 . The rear light assembly  18  is coupled to the strap  22  via a connector portion  118 . More specifically, the connector portion  118  includes two slots  122 . The strap  22  weaves through the slots  122  of the connector portion  118  in order to couple the strap  22  to the rear light assembly  18 . 
     The illustrated rear light assembly  18  also includes a second light housing or rear light housing  126  coupled to the connector portion  118  and having two side faces  142   a ,  142   b . The rear light housing  126  at least partially encloses a rear light source, which in the illustrated embodiment includes a third light source  146  and a fourth light source  150  ( FIG.  9   ). In some embodiments, the rear light housing  126  entirely encloses the rear light source. The third light source  146  and the fourth light source  150  may each be a single LED (e.g., a domed top LED) mounted to a single printed circuit board or PCB  154  and facing in opposite directions; however, the third and fourth light sources  146 ,  150  may include multiple LEDs and may be mounted or arranged in other ways. In the illustrated embodiment, the third and fourth light sources  146 ,  150  include red LEDs configured to emit red light. However, in alternative embodiments, the third and fourth light sources  146 ,  150  may emit different colored light (e.g., white light, green light, yellow light, etc.). In addition, the light sources  146 ,  150  may each emit the same color, or may emit different colors in some embodiments. The light emitted from the rear light assembly  18  may be the same as the color of the light sources  146 ,  150 , or the rear light assembly  18  may include color-changing filters. 
     The rear light assembly  18  directs light emitted by the light sources  146 ,  150  through light pipes  158  extending from the side faces  142   a ,  142   b . Specifically, the light pipes  158  direct light emitted by the third light source  146  through the first side face  142   a  and direct light emitted by the fourth light source  150  through the second side face  142   b . In the illustrated embodiment, the light pipes  158  are at least partially made of optically-clear material (e.g., an optically-clear plastic such as polycarbonate, silicone, or acrylic) to transmit light from the respective light sources  146 ,  150  along the light pipes  158  with relatively low intensity loss along the lengths of the light pipes  158 . In some embodiments, the light pipes  158  may include one or more optical fibers. 
     Referring to  FIG.  2   , the light pipes  158  extend out of the rear light housing  126  along the strap  22  and toward the front light assembly  14 . The illustrated light pipes  158  are coupled to the strap  22  via couplers  180  (e.g., straps, loops, stitches, adhesives, or the like), which keep the light pipes  158  aligned with the curvature of the strap  22 . In other embodiments, the light pipes  158  may integrated into the strap  22 . In some embodiments, each of the light pipes  158  may extend from the rear light housing  126  at least 10% of the circumference of the strap  22 . That is, the light pipes  158  may collectively extend along at least 20% of the circumference of the strap. In other embodiments, each of the light pipes  158  may extend along at least 12.5% of the circumference of the strap  22 , such that the light pipes  158  may collectively extend along at least 25% of the circumference of the strap. In yet other embodiments, the light pipes  158  may collectively extend along 15% to 50% of the circumference of the strap  22 , or greater than 50% of the circumference of the strap  22  in other embodiments. Thus, the light pipes  158  define an illumination element that may distribute light from the rear light assembly  18  over a relatively large portion of the strap  22 , advantageously providing the user of the headlamp  10  with greater visibility to others in the vicinity. 
     Referring to  FIG.  6   , the third and fourth light sources  146 ,  150  are controlled via a rear light assembly control panel  162  on the top face  138  of the rear light assembly  18 . The rear light assembly control panel  162  is electrically connected to the third and fourth light sources  146 ,  150  to control the rear light assembly  18  (e.g., using an actuator  166 ). The rear light assembly control panel  162  advantageously allows the user to operate the third and fourth light sources  146 ,  150  separately from the first and second light sources  54 ,  58 . The actuator  166  could be a button, switch, or any suitable control mechanism that is configured to control the rear light assembly  18 . In the illustrated embodiments, the actuator  166  may be depressed to toggle the rear light assembly between three different operating modes: a first mode in which the third and fourth light sources  146 ,  150  are emitting light, a second mode in which the third and fourth light sources  146 ,  150  are emitting light in a predetermined pattern (e.g., a flashing pattern), and a third mode in which the third and fourth light sources  146 ,  150  are not emitting light. In alternative embodiments, the actuator  166  may toggle the rear light assembly  18  between other operating modes. In still further embodiments, the rear light assembly control panel  162  may additionally include a power actuator to separately control turning the light sources  146 ,  150  on and off (e.g., similar to the power actuator  66  described above). In some embodiments, the actuator  166  may send signals to the internal control unit in the front light assembly  14  (e.g., via the wire  86 ), which may then control operation of the rear light assembly  18 . In other embodiments, the rear light assembly  18  may include a separate internal control unit. 
     During operation of the headlamp  10 , the front light assembly  14  may be operated as a spot light and as a flood light by changing between different operating modes via the mode actuator  70 . Power is provided from the battery  80  contained within the front light housing  26  to the first and second light sources  54 ,  58  as well as to the third and fourth light sources  146 ,  150  (via the wire  86 ). The user may separately control the illumination of the front and rear light assemblies  14 ,  18  via the first and second control panels  62 ,  162 . As such, the user may change operating modes of the front and rear light assemblies  14 ,  18  separately and thus illuminate the front and rear light assemblies  14 ,  18  separately or concurrently. The rear light assembly  18  illuminates the light pipes  158  via the third and fourth light sources  146 ,  150 . The light pipes  158  distribute the light from the third and fourth light sources  146 ,  150  at least partially around the strap  22  and produce a glowing effect to increase the visibility of the user from behind and from the sides. As opposed to diffusers, which are optically-opaque and scatter light over a wide angle, the light pipes  158  provide more consistent and uniform illumination along their entire lengths. The reflective portions  110  may provide additional visibility by reflecting light from the light sources  54 ,  58 ,  146 ,  150  and/or the environment. 
       FIGS.  11 - 12    illustrate a headlamp  210  according to another embodiment. The illustrated headlamp  210  is similar to the headlamp  10  described above with reference to  FIGS.  1 - 10   . Components that are similar to those described in the headlamp  10  have the same reference number plus “200.” In addition, the following description focuses primarily on differences between the headlamp  210  and the headlamp  10 . 
     The headlamp  210  includes a front light assembly  214 , a strap  222 , and a rear light assembly  218 . A rearward face  330  of a rear light housing  326  supports a lens  344 , and the rear light housing  326  and the lens  344  enclose a third light source  346 . In the illustrated embodiment, the third light source  346  includes three LEDs positioned on a single circuit board  354 . The rear light assembly  218  does not include light pipes in the illustrated embodiment. Rather, the lens  344  and, optionally, the rear light housing  326  may be partially opaque to diffuse light emitted from the third light source  346  to the surrounding area. In the illustrated embodiment, the third light source  346  emits red light. However, in alternative embodiments, the third light source  346  may emit different colored lights. 
       FIGS.  13 - 14    illustrate a headlamp  410  according to another embodiment. The illustrated headlamp  410  is similar to the headlamp  10  described above with reference to  FIGS.  1 - 10   . Components that are similar to those described in the headlamp  10  have the same reference number plus “400.” In addition, the following description focuses primarily on differences between the headlamp  410  and the headlamp  10 . 
     The headlamp  410  includes a front light assembly  414 , a strap  422 , and a rear light assembly  418  opposite the front light assembly  414 . A rearward face  530  of a rear light housing  526  supports a lens  544 . The rear light housing  526  and the lens  544  enclose a third light source  546 , a fourth light source  550 , and a fifth light source  552 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, each of the light sources  546 ,  550 ,  552  includes a single LED, and the LEDs are mounted to a single circuit board  554 . Specifically, the third light source  546  and fourth light source  550  include opposite-facing domed LEDs, and the fifth light sources  552  includes an LED oriented transverse to the third and fourth light sources  546 ,  550 . In the illustrated embodiment, the light sources  546 ,  550 ,  552  all emit red light. However, in alternative embodiments, one or more of the light sources  546 ,  550 ,  552  may emit different colors of light. The rear light assembly  418  is configured to direct light emitted by the fifth light source  552  in a direction rearward of the user. The rear light assembly  418  additionally directs light emitting by the third and fourth light sources  546 ,  550  to light pipes  558  extending from the rear light housing  526  in the same manner as the light pipes  158  described above. 
     During operation of the headlamp  410 , the user may operate the rear light assembly  418  independently of the front light assembly  414 , and may select modes including, for example, a first mode that energizes only the fifth light source  552  to direct light rearward from the user, a second mode that energizes only the third and fourth light sources  546 ,  550  to illuminate the light pipes  558 , and a third mode that energizes all of the third, fourth, and fifth light sources  546 ,  550 ,  552  to provide maximum illumination. 
       FIGS.  15 - 17    illustrate a headlamp  610  according to another embodiment. The illustrated headlamp  610  is similar to the headlamp  10  described above with reference to  FIGS.  1 - 10   . Components that are similar to those described in the headlamp  10  have the same reference number plus “600.” In addition, the following description focuses primarily on differences between the headlamp  610  and the headlamp  10 . 
     The headlamp  610  includes a front light assembly  614 , a strap  622 , and a rear light assembly  618 . Instead of being positioned directly opposite the front light assembly  614 , the rear light assembly  618  in the illustrated embodiment is offset to one side. The rear light assembly  618  includes a rear light housing  726  that encloses a third light source  746 . In the illustrated embodiment, the third light source  746  includes a domed top light emitting diode (LED) positioned on a circuit board  754 . In the illustrated embodiment, the light source  746  emits red light. However, in alternative embodiments, the light source  746  may emit different colored light. The rear light assembly  618  directs light emitting by the third light source  746  to a single light pipe  758  extending in one direction from the rear light housing  726 . In particular, the light pipe  758  extends out of the rear light housing  726  along the strap  622  in a direction toward the rear of the strap  622  opposite the front light assembly  614 . The light pipe  758  evenly disperses light from and third light source  746  throughout the light pipe  758 . 
     With reference to  FIG.  17   , in some embodiments, the inside of the light pipe  758  may be lined with a plurality of ridges  784 . The ridges  784  located further from the light source  746  may be deeper than the ridges  784  closer to the light source  746 . More specifically, the ridges  784  may gradually deepen when moving in a direction away from the light source  746 . As light enters the light pipe  758 , the light catches and reflects off of the ridges  784 . Including deeper ridges further from the light source  746  provides more surface area for the light to reflect off of, increasing the reflection intensity as the overall intensity of light reaching the ridges is reduced due to increasing distance from the light source  746 . Therefore, the varying ridge depth advantageously allows the light to be evenly dispersed throughout the length of the light pipe  758  and provides the light pipe  758  with an even glow during operation. 
     Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.