Patent Publication Number: US-2020298744-A1

Title: Light guard for a vehicle light

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to vehicle accessories. More particularly, it relates to protective guards for vehicle lighting systems. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Headlight covers are aftermarket modifications made from a variety of materials (e.g., metal, polycarbonate, ABS plastic or self-adhesive vinyl film) which are applied over the headlamps of a new or used car in order to reduce the percentage of light transmitted, to tint the color of the light transmitted and/or to protect the lenses from stone chips, bug splatters, pedestrians and minor abrasions. 
     The use of headlight covers and the modification of light produced by vehicles has continued into the present day in both the military&#39;s development of special blackout head and tail light technologies and in the civilian sector as well. In addition to headlight covers&#39; use in light reduction they have also been employed to protect headlamps from damage in both civilian and combat environments. 
     Many of the current items available on the market for protecting vehicle lights (both front and rear) tend to blur or at least reduce the amount of light displayed from the vehicle. This is not always beneficial or even desired by the user. In many cases, a loss of headlight or taillight integrity can become problematic and even unsafe. In addition, many of the items currently on the market rely on special films or plastic coverings that can become scratched, cracked or even broken when struck by loose impediments on roadways or trails. A suitable solution is desired. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The advantages and features of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following more detailed description and claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements are identified with like symbols, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a front elevation environmental view of certain elements of the vehicle light guard set 5 installed on a vehicle  100 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a rear elevation environmental view of certain elements of the vehicle light guard set 5 installed on a vehicle  100 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is another front elevation environmental view of certain elements of the vehicle light guard set 5 installed on a vehicle  100 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is another rear elevation environmental view of certain elements of the vehicle light guard set 5 installed on a vehicle  100 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5 a    is a front view of a first head light guard  10   a , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5 b    is a front view of a second head light guard  10   b , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5 c    is a rear view of the first head light guard  10   a , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5 d    is a rear view of the second head light guard  10   b , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5 e    is a top view of the first head light guard  10   a , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5 f    is a top view of the second head light guard  10   b , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6 a    is a front view of a first fog light guard  20   a , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6 b    is a front view of a second fog light guard  20   b , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6 c    is a rear view of the first fog light guard  20   a , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6 d    is a rear view of the second fog light guard  20   b , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6 e    is a top view of the first fog light guard  20   a , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6 f    is a top view of the second fog light guard  20   b , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7 a    is a front view of a first tail light guard  30   a , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7 b    is a front view of a second tail light guard  30   b , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7 c    is a rear view of the first tail light guard  30   a , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7 d    is a rear view of the second tail light guard  30   b , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7 e    is a top view of the first tail light guard  30   a , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and, 
         FIG. 7 f    is a top view of the second tail light guard  30   b , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTIVE KEY 
       5  vehicle light guard set 
       10   a  first head light guard 
       10   b  second head light guard 
       11  head light guard fastener 
       15  head light guard border 
       18   a  first head light guard removable fastener 
       18   b  second head light guard removable fastener 
       20   a  first fog light guard 
       20   b  second fog light guard 
       21  fog light guard fastener 
       25  fog light guard border 
       28   a  first fog light guard removable fastener 
       28   b  second fog light guard removable fastener 
       30   a  first tail light guard 
       30   b  second tail light guard 
       31  tail light guard fastener 
       35  tail light guard border 
       38   a  first tail light guard removable fastener 
       38   b  second tail light guard removable fastener 
       100  vehicle 
       101   a  first head light 
       101   b  second head light 
       102   a  first fog light 
       102   b  second fog light 
       103   a  first tail light 
       103   b  second tail light 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment, herein depicted within  FIGS. 1 through 7   f . However, the invention is not limited to the described embodiment, and a person skilled in the art will appreciate that many other embodiments of the invention are possible without deviating from the basic concept of the invention and that any such work around will also fall under scope of this invention. It is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention, and only one (1) particular configuration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope. All of the implementations described below are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the embodiments of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, which is defined by the claims. The terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one (1) of the referenced items. 
     1. Detailed Description of the Figures 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 through 4 , are various environmental views of the certain elements of the vehicle light guard set (herein described as the “set”) 5, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It is shown in the figures that a typical vehicle  100  has a first head light  101   a  (herein illustrated as the passenger side), a second head light  101   b  (herein illustrated as the driver side), a first fog light  102   a  (herein illustrated as the passenger side), a second fog light  102   b  (herein illustrated as the driver side), a first tail light  103   a  (herein illustrated as the passenger side), and a second tail light  103   b  (herein illustrated as the driver side). The vehicle  100  represented herein is illustrated as a Dodge Ram ( 4 th generation) truck, but it is understood that the set 5 can be configured to accommodate the geometries of the head lights  101   a ,  10   b , fog lights  102   a ,  102   b , and tail lights  103   a ,  103   b  for any particular vehicle  100  and fall under the overall scope of the present teachings. The guards  10   a ,  10   b ,  20   a ,  20   b ,  30   a ,  30   c  of the set 5 are capable of protecting the respective light element  101   a ,  101   b ,  102   a ,  102   b ,  103   a ,  103   c  of the vehicle  100  upon which it is removably attached. The protection is typically from unauthorized tampering or destruction, or normal wear and tear during operation or resting of the vehicle  100  from debris. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the set 5 comprises a first head light guard  10   a  that is removably attached around the first head light  101   a  and has an overall shape and size that conforms to the outer geometry thereof. Similarly, the set 5 further comprises a second head light guard  10   b  that is removably attached around the second head light  101   b  and has an overall shape and size that conforms to the outer geometry thereof. Referring more closely to  FIG. 3 , it can be shown that a second head light guard removable fastener  18   b  is configured to be removably attached about the perimeter of the first head light  101   a  and another second head light guard removable fastener  18   b  is configured to be removably attached about the perimeter of the second head light  101   b . In a preferred embodiment, the second head light guard removable fasteners  18   b  are one-half (½) of a complementary type of fastener set, such as a hook-and-loop style of fastener (e.g. Velcron™). 
     Also referring to  FIG. 1 , the set 5 further comprises a first fog light guard  20   a that is removably attached around the first fog light  102   a  and has an overall shape and size that conforms to the outer geometry thereof. Similarly, the set 5 further comprises a second fog light guard  20   b  that is removably attached around the second fog light  102   b  and has an overall shape and size that conforms to the outer geometry thereof. Referring more closely to  FIG. 3 , it can be shown that a second fog light guard removable fastener  28   b  is configured to be removably attached about the perimeter of the first fog light  102   a  and another second fog light guard removable fastener  28   b  is configured to be removably attached about the perimeter of the second fog light  102   b . In a preferred embodiment, the second fog light guard removable fasteners  28   b  also are one-half (½) of a complementary type of fastener set, such as a hook-and-loop style of fastener (e.g. Velcron™). 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the set 5 also comprises a first tail light guard  30   a that is removably attached around the first tail light  103   a  and has an overall shape and size that conforms to the outer geometry thereof. Similarly, the set 5 further comprises a second tail light guard  30   b  that is removably attached around the second tail light  103   b  and has an overall shape and size that conforms to the outer geometry thereof. Referring more closely to  FIG. 4 , it can be shown that a second tail light guard removable fastener  38   b  is configured to be removably attached about the perimeter of the first tail light  103   a  and another second tail light guard removable fastener  38   b  is configured to be removably attached about the perimeter of the second tail light  103   b . In a preferred embodiment, the second tail light guard removable fasteners  38   b  also are one-half (½) of a complementary type of fastener set, such as a hook-and-loop style of fastener (e.g. Velcron™). 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 5 a -5 f   , various views of the first head light guard  10   a and second head light guard  10   b , are herein described. As previously mentioned, the first head light guard  10   a  and second head light guard  10   b  are each shaped and sized to conform to the overall outer geometry of the first head light  101   a  and second head light  101   b , respectively, of a vehicle  100  that the set 5 is to be attached. Each head light guard  10   a ,  10   b  is comprised of a resilient mesh, preferably in a diamond configuration, that is capable of enabling light to pass through generated by the respective head light  101   a ,  101   b , but of a configuration to protect small, medium, and large pieces of debris from contacting, marring, or breaking the said head light  101   a ,  101   b . The material is most preferably a stainless steel fabrication to resist corrosion and other environmental impact and is shaped and sized to fully cover the head lights  101   a ,  101   b  of the vehicle  100 . An exemplary embodiment provides for protecting the head lights  101   a ,  101   b  on a vehicle  100  such as a Dodge Ram 4 th  generation truck, wherein dimensions include a height of nine inches (9 in.) on an inside edge, a lower height of three and three-quarters inches (3-¾in.) and an upper height of eight inches on an outer edge, a length of sixteen inches (16 in.) at the upper edge, and a length of seventeen and one-half inches (17-½in.) at a lower edge. The thickness is approximately one-half inch (½in.). 
     Each head light guard  10   a ,  10   b  comprises a front side and a rear side. The rear side of each is configured to mate with the respective second head light guard removable fastener  18   b  via a first head light guard removable fastener  18   a . A head light guard border  15  is conformably attached to the perimeter of the front side of each head light guard  10   a ,  10   b  and has a length enabling full circumscribing thereof. The first head light guard removable fastener  18   a  is removably attached to the outer perimeter of the rear side of the head light guard border  15  and is preferably one-half (½) of a complementary type of fastener set, such as a hook-and-loop style of fastener (e.g. Velcro™), capable of mating with the second head light guard removable fastener  18   b . In certain embodiments, the front side of the head light guard border  15  comprises a deformable cushioning material to deflect and provide further protection during an impact force. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 6 a -6 f   , various views of the first fog light guard  20   a  and second fog light guard  20   b , are herein described. As previously mentioned, the first fog light guard  20   a  and second fog light guard  20   b  are each shaped and sized to conform to the overall outer geometry of the first fog light  102   a  and second fog light  102   b , respectively, of a vehicle  100  that the set 5 is to be attached. Each fog light guard  20   a ,  20   b  is comprised of a resilient mesh, preferably in a diamond configuration, that is capable of enabling light to pass through generated by the respective fog light  102   a ,  102   b , but of a configuration to protect small, medium, and large pieces of debris from contacting, marring, or breaking the said fog light  102   a ,  102   b . The material is most preferably a stainless steel fabrication to resist corrosion and other environmental impact and is shaped and sized to fully cover the fog lights  102   a ,  102   b  of the vehicle  100 . An exemplary embodiment provides for protecting the fog lights  102   a ,  102   b  on a vehicle  100  such as a Dodge Ram 4 th  generation truck, wherein dimensions include a height of three and one-eighths inches (3-⅛in.) on both inside and outside edges, and a length of seven and three-quarters inches (3-¾in.) at both the upper and lower edges. The thickness is approximately one-half inch (½in.). 
     Each fog light guard  20   a ,  20   b  comprises a front side and a rear side. The rear side of each is configured to mate with the respective second fog light guard removable fastener  28   b  via a first fog light guard removable fastener  28   a . A fog light guard border  25  is conformably attached to the perimeter of each fog light guard  20   a ,  20   b  and has a length enabling full circumscribing thereof. The first fog light guard removable fastener  28   a  is removably attached to the outer perimeter of the rear side of the fog light border guard  25  and is preferably one-half (½) of a complementary type of fastener set, such as a hook-and-loop style of fastener (e.g. Velcro™), capable of mating with the second fog light guard removable fastener  28   b . In certain embodiments, the front side of the fog light guard border  25  comprises a deformable cushioning material to deflect and provide further protection during an impact force. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 7 a -7 f   , various views of the first tail light guard  30   a  and second tail light guard  30   b , are herein described. As previously mentioned, the first tail light guard  30   a  and second tail light guard  30   b  are each shaped and sized to conform to the overall outer geometry of the first tail light  103   a  and second tail light  103   b , respectively, of a vehicle  100  that the set 5 is to be attached. Each tail light guard  30   a ,  30   b  is comprised of a resilient mesh, preferably in a diamond configuration, that is capable of enabling light to pass through generated by the respective tail light  103   a ,  103   b , but of a configuration to protect small, medium, and large pieces of debris from contacting, marring, or breaking the said tail light  103   a ,  103   b . The material is most preferably a stainless steel fabrication to resist corrosion and other environmental impact and is shaped and sized to fully cover the tail lights  103   a ,  103   b  of the vehicle  100 . An exemplary embodiment provides for protecting the tail lights  103   a ,  103   b  on a vehicle  100  such as a Dodge Ram 4th generation truck, wherein dimensions include a height of thirteen inches (13 in.) on the inside edge, a height of fourteen inches (14 in.) on an outside edge, a length of ten inches (10 in.) on an upper edge, and a length of twelve and three-quarters inches (12-¾in.) on a lower edge. The thickness is approximately one-half inch (½in.). 
     Each tail light guard  30   a ,  30   b  comprises a front side and a rear side. The rear side of each is configured to mate with the respective second tail light guard removable fastener  38   b  via a first tail light guard removable fastener  38   a . A tail light guard border  35  is conformably attached to the perimeter of each tail light guard  30   a ,  30   b  and has a length enabling full circumscribing thereof. The first tail light guard removable fastener  38   a  is removably attached to the outer perimeter of the rear side of the tail light guard border  35  and is preferably one-half (½) of a complementary type of fastener set, such as a hook-and-loop style of fastener (e.g. Velcro™), capable of mating with the second tail light guard removable fastener  38   b . In certain embodiments, the front side of the tail light guard border  35  comprises a deformable cushioning material to deflect and provide further protection during an impact force. 
     2. Operation of the Preferred Embodiment 
     The preferred embodiment of the present invention can be utilized by the common user in a simple and effortless manner with little or no training. It is envisioned that the set 5 would be constructed in general accordance within  FIGS. 1 through 4 . The user would procure the set 5 through normal procurement channels typically used to purchase automotive aftermarket items. The set 5 may be provided as an integral component to newly purchased vehicles  100 . Special attention would be paid to make and model of the vehicle  100  which would correspond to the accompanying set 5 that is required to properly fit and protect the head lights  101   a ,  101   b , fog lights  102   a ,  102   b , and tail lights  103   a ,  103   b.    
     To apply the set 5 to the vehicle  100 , the area around the desired light element  101   a ,  101   b ,  102   a ,  102   b ,  103   a ,  103   b  is to be cleaned from any dirt and debris, prior to attachment of the respective second light guard removable fastener  18   b ,  28   b ,  38   b . The respective light guard border  15 ,  25 ,  35  is then obtained and shaped to fit about the perimeter of the respective light guard  10   a ,  10   b ,  20   a ,  20   b ,  30   a ,  30   b . The respective first light guard removable fastener  18   a ,  28   a ,  38   a  is then removably attached about the perimeter of the second side of the light guard  10   a ,  10   b ,  20   a ,  20   b ,  30   a ,  30   b . Finally, the respective light guard  10   a ,  10   b ,  20   a ,  20   b ,  30   a ,  30   b  is removably attached about the respective light element  101   a ,  101   b ,  102   a ,  102   b ,  103   a ,  103   b  by mating the respective first light guard removable fasteners  18   a ,  28   a ,  38   a  to the respective second light guard removable fasteners  18   b ,  28   b ,  38   b.    
     In certain embodiments, the set 5 may come with the fastener sets (i.e.,  18   a  and  18   b ,  28   a  and  28   b ,  38   a  and  38   b  ) already pre-fastened, with the adhesive portion of the rear of the respective second light guard removable fasteners  18   b ,  28   b ,  38   b  covered with a peel-away backing. To install, the user removes the backing from the respective second light guard removable fasteners  18   b ,  28   b ,  38   b  and places the entire respective light guard  10   a ,  10   b ,  20   a ,  20   b ,  30   a ,  30   b  around the respective light element  101   a ,  101   b ,  102   a ,  102   b ,  103   a ,  103   b.    
     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.