Patent Publication Number: US-2005128736-A1

Title: Barricade light

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This application claims an invention which was disclosed in Provisional Application No. 60/524,246, filed Nov. 21, 2003, entitled “Barricade Light”. The benefit under 35 USC §119(e) of the U.S. provisional application is hereby claimed, and the aforementioned application is hereby incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The invention pertains to the field of barricade lights. More particularly, the invention pertains to an LED barricade light where the LED providing illumination is mounted on a candlestick connected to the barricade light structure by a living hinge.  
      2. Description of Related Art  
      Barricades are often seen where it is necessary to block traffic from a particular area or hazard. Thus, barricades are often used to mark potholes or to divert traffic from a dangerous route or obstacle. As such barricades may not be easily visible at night or during difficult weather situations, they are often provided with battery powered barricade lights. These lights are usually pivotally mounted so as to be rotatable to some degree. This allows them to be turned in different directions as the need arises. They are also generally capable of operating in a flashing mode (so as to better attract attention). In recent years, with the development of LEDs capable of acting as energy efficient illumination sources, LEDs have increasingly replaced incandescent bulbs as the primary light source used in such structures. However, barricade light structures in current use are also deficient in terms of durability, resistance to shock and impact, and ease of repair and assembly.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      It is a primary goal of my invention to provide an LED barricade light that is durable, resistant to shock and impact, easy to assemble and repair, and weather resistant. This goal is accomplished by several innovations, including the following.  
      First, by providing an LED barricade light that has an improved candlestick design. This design incorporates a living hinge at its base that allows it to flex. It also has strategically placed locking tabs that ensure that the candlestick will remain in place and will continue to function even if the barricade light receives an impact severe enough to damage or break off the lens parts.  
      Second, by improving the connection between the candlestick and other components. For example, my use of a DC/DC jack allows uninhibited 360-degree freedom of rotation/movement. This eliminates the need for the type of “lens stopping” arrangements that are currently used to prevent existing lights from twisting off their contact wires when being rotated. Moreover, my design allows for on-barricade replacement without disassembly of the lower housing of the barricade light. Further, even if the candlestick should be damaged, my design protects all the other critical components such as the circuit board, photocell and DC connector. Another innovation related to connections between the candlestick and other components involves the use of an annular candlestick bearing surface interacting with a circumannular portion of the upper housing to provide smooth rotation and accurate guidance for mating with the lenses of the barricade light. Candlestick guide rails are also provided and can help guide the accurate mating of the lenses during re-assembly and repair.  
      Third, my invention is more weatherproof than existing designs. A strategic overlapping lens collar maximizes weatherproofing, and unique overhangs on the lower cover keep water out of the interior of the light whether it is right side up or upside-down. The lower cover is molded without perforations, again ensuring weather proofing. Further, even if water should enter the interior of the light, lower cover battery holders are provided to dissipate water and suspend the batteries above any gathered liquid. Moreover, the location of the circuitry and photocell on the battery chassis, below the standard points of impact, protects the important operating components from damage from impact or liquids. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       FIG. 1  provides an exploded view of a barricade light prepared in accordance with the teachings of this invention.  
       FIG. 2  provides a front elevational view of the barricade light illustrated in  FIG. 1 , with frontal lens removed.  
       FIG. 3  provides a cross-sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 .  
       FIG. 4  provides a cross-sectional view taken along line  414  of  FIG. 3 .  
       FIG. 5  provides a side view of the barricade light illustrated in  FIG. 1  with lens removed, illustrating the flexible nature of the candlestick bearing the LED for the light.  
       FIG. 6  provides a more detailed view taken from  FIG. 3 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      As illustrated in the drawing figures, my invention is a barricade light  1  that includes front and rear lenses  2 ,  3  for a light-bearing member (candlestick  4 ) bearing a light producing element (LED  5 ). These are rotatably mounted on a base  6  such that candlestick  4  rotates in tandem with lenses  2 ,  3  so as to retain its orientation with respect thereto. Base  6  includes an upper housing  7  that extends over lower portions of the base  6  such as battery chassis  8 , and a lower cover  9 . These basic parts include and incorporate many new and useful innovations.  
      Many of these innovations relate to the candlestick  4 . For example, my improved candlestick  4  design incorporates a living hinge  10  at its base that allows it to flex (see, e.g.,  FIG. 5 ) if the lens surface should experience a catastrophic impact. Furthermore, strategically placed locking tabs  11  on the candlestick  4  frictionally interfere with mating tabs on the inside of the upper housing  12 A and the lowest surface of the lens&#39; neck flange  12 B (below the most common point of breakage) while anchored in the battery chassis. This ensures that the candlestick  4  will remain in place and will continue to function even if the barricade light  1  receives an impact severe enough to damage or break off the lens parts. These developments will allow the light  1  to continue to function and provide some level of warning even after severe damage that would render existing products inoperable.  
      Other innovations have been made with regard to the connection between the LED candlestick  4  and other components. For example, my mode of connection (or connection interface) uses a DC/DC jack  20  that allows uninhibited  360  degree freedom of rotation/movement and eliminates the need for the type of “lens stopping” arrangements that are currently used to prevent existing lights from twisting off their contact wires when being rotated. Furthermore, this design guarantees that there will be no strain related failures related to such wires, such as the pinching or severing of wires during assembly, disassembly or repair that can cause loss of electrical contact between the LED  5  and its batteries.  
      Repair and replacement of lenses  2 ,  3  (and candlestick  4 , in the unlikely event it should be needed) can also take place without opening the housing in the field. Thus, my design allows for on-barricade replacement without disassembly of base  6 . Further, even if the candlestick  4  should be damaged, my design protects all the other critical components inside the upper housing  7  (i.e.-circuit board  13 , photocell  14 , and female DC connector  21 ); hereby ensuring less potential points of failure that would need diagnosis. In short, my light  1  would have to be completely demolished for all the other critical electronic components to be damaged. Also, the replacement candlestick  4  of my invention is so compact and simple it can be carried in a pocket for easy application in the field.  
      Another innovation related to connections between the LED candlestick  4  and other components involve the candlestick bearing surface  30  and candlestick guide rails  31 . Annular candlestick bearing surface  30  interacts with a circumannular portion  7 A of the upper housing  7  to provide smooth rotation and accurate guidance for mating with lenses  2 ,  3 . Further, even after the candlestick  4  is mated with the upper housing  7  and battery chassis  8  during assembly, the candlestick guide rails  31  can help by guiding the accurate mating of the lenses  2 ,  3  during re-assembly and repair. Once the light  1  is assembled, these guide rails  31  also serve as a further retention device which, once again, is below the lens neck flange (the lowest point of potential breakage). This design ensures that the candlestick  4  is held properly in place and is correctly oriented with the lenses, but prevents the candlestick  4  from being ripped out should the lenses  2 ,  3  be severed from the body due to abuse.  
      In addition, my invention is more weatherproof than existing designs. Candlestick  4  and upper housing  7  mate with strategic overlapping lens collar  15  to maximize weatherproofing. The interface between upper housing  7  and lower cover  9  includes overlapping/overhanging portions such as overhangs  9 A on the lower cover  9  that keep water out of the interior of base  6 , whether it is right side up or upside-down. Unlike other products in the industry, the lower cover is molded without perforations, again ensuring weather proofing. Further, even if water should enter the interior of the light  1  (through, e.g., extended submersion), the vertical supports  9 C of lower battery holders  9 B are designed to allow water to drain away from any batteries held therein, and suspend the batteries above any gathered liquid.  
      Moreover, the location of the circuitry  13  and photocell  14  on the battery housing (battery chassis  8 ), below the standard points of impact, protects the important operating components from damage from impact or liquids. The photocell  14  is anchored in the battery chassis  8 , not on the candlestick  4 , while supported by the upper housing  7 . LED wiring and DC/DC jack  20  are all enclosed for protection. A slide switch is covered by a moveable slide switch cover  16  which protects the switch mechanism from damage or intrusion. Finally, my durable exterior tab-lock design offers access to the battery chassis  8  with or without a screwdriver.  
      However, notwithstanding the foregoing description of a particular embodiment, my invention is subject to numerous variations. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention herein described are merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Reference herein to details of the illustrated embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the claims, which themselves recite those features regarded as essential to the invention.