Patent Abstract:
A lighting apparatus usable with a mobile vehicle, which includes first and second housings which contain the power source, the switch mechanism and the light emitting elements therein. A pivoting mechanism allows relative pivotal movement between the two housings thereby allowing the user to manipulate the desired emission angle of illumination. The pivoting mechanism also permits electrical communication between the power source (rechargeable batteries) and the light emitting elements. The lighting apparatus includes an integral charging port for recharging the batteries, such as a micro USB port. The lighting apparatus is adapted to the mobile vehicle by a universal mounting assembly which is configured to be interchangeably attached and detached to fit on different configurations on a particular vehicle. The mounting assembly comprises of a rigid assembly, which attaches the lighting apparatus to the mounting assembly with a flexible fastener to attach the mount to the vehicle.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to a lighting apparatus and mounting assembly for mobile vehicles, and more particularly to a pivotable light apparatus with light emitting diodes (LEDs), integral USB charger and universal mounting assembly which is mountable in various configurations of a mobile vehicle including the method of illuminating, making and operating the same. 
         [0002]    The primary purpose of a light assembly on mobile vehicles such as bicycles is to provide illumination and conspicuity for the cyclist. Light assemblies aid the cyclist in seeing the road ahead of them at times of day and night when there is not enough ambient light to safely ride a bicycle and also allow the cyclist to be seen by oncoming motorists. 
         [0003]    In the prior art, light assemblies have used a single beam of light, which limited the field of vision due to the small size of the single beam of light. For cyclists riding at night, particularly at higher speeds, it is advantageous to have more light and a wider-angle beam than that of a single beam. 
         [0004]    Another disadvantage of the prior art was the difficulty of charging the power supply to the light assembly. The cyclist would have to carry spare batteries as a backup in case of power loss. 
         [0005]    Another important feature in light assemblies is the ease with which the apparatus can be mounted and dismounted on a mobile vehicle, such as a bicycle. This is often necessary when a cyclist has two or more bicycles and does not want to purchase a dedicated light for each bike or if the cyclist wants to remove only the light assembly from the bike for example due to fear of theft of the light assembly. 
         [0006]    Therefore it is desirable to provide a pivotable LED light apparatus with light emitting diodes, integral battery charger and a universal mounting assembly which is mountable in various configurations of a mobile vehicle, as provided by the present invention. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention provides a lighting apparatus usable with a mobile vehicle such as a bicycle. In one embodiment, the lighting apparatus includes a first housing, which includes a power source such as rechargeable batteries and a switch mechanism. A second housing is also included which is comprised of light emitting elements such as LEDs. The advantages of LEDs are their smaller size and weight, increased power efficiency, durability, longer life and instant on-off capability. The limitation is that the LEDs provide stationary beams and the cyclist could not easily manipulate the emitting angle of the resultant beam. However, the housings in the present invention are connected by a pivoting mechanism, which allows relative movement between the two housings and permits electrical communication between the light emitting diodes and the batteries. The pivoting mechanism allows the lighting apparatus to provide illumination at different emission angles. The switch mechanism further allows for multiple configurations of the LEDs. The LEDs may be selected to all turn on; all turn off, turn on in a predesignated configuration or turn on in a sequential or nonsequential flashing mode. 
         [0008]    The first housing also includes an integral charging port in order to recharge the batteries. The USB charger is integrated into the unit, and therefore obviates the need to externally couple the charger with the light assembly in order to charge the batteries. 
         [0009]    According to one aspect of the present invention, the lighting apparatus is adapted to a universal mounting assembly. The mounting assembly may be interchangeably attached and detached on different bicycles or on different mounting positions on a particular bike. In the prior art, one disadvantage was that each mount was specific to one specific diameter of handlebar due to the fastener assembly. The problem was that the mount was not adaptable to be used in different configurations: on the top or bottom of the handlebars or on the stem. The mounting assembly of the present invention comprises of a polymeric fastener, such as a TPE or rubber strap for example. In one embodiment, various sizes of straps are provided in order to properly fit various sizes of bicycle stems and handlebars. Alternatively, the fastener can be a universal strap with cutouts in preconfigured locations to allow the mounting assembly to be sized to fit various configurations of a mobile vehicle. In the prior art, the fasteners were often cumbersome to use and required additional accessories like screwdrivers to affix the fastener to the bike. The mounting assembly of the present invention requires no additional tools and improves the ease of attaching and detatching the mounting assembly from a mobile vehicle. 
         [0010]    In another embodiment of the present invention, a lighting apparatus is configured to be used on a mobile vehicle, which includes a first housing including a first weatherproof chamber enclosed by an upper horizontal surface, a lower horizontal surface, a rear vertical surface, a front surface, and two side surfaces; one or more rechargeable lithium ion batteries placed inside said first weatherproof chamber; a switch on the first housing that may be placed at the upper horizontal surface; an integral charging port on the first housing that may be placed at the rear vertical surface for recharging said batteries; a pedestal located on the lower horizontal surface; a second housing including a second weatherproof chamber, a front vertical surface, a rear faceted surface, and two elongated side arms extending rearward, wherein each arm has an inside face; two or more LEDs placed inside said second weatherproof chamber, each light emitting diode capable of emitting up to at least 180 lumens; wherein said switch controls electrical input from said batteries to said LEDs; a transparent window on the front vertical surface of the second housing; a pivoting mechanism that connects and allows relative pivotal movement between the first and second housings, wherein said second housing is adjustable to pivot in angles from 25 degrees vertically above to 25 degrees vertically below the horizontal axis of the lighting apparatus; and a universal mounting apparatus for detachably attaching to said pedestal and to the mobile vehicle. 
         [0011]    In an aspect of the embodiment, the switch is a push-button switch with a weatherproof cover. In another aspect of the embodiment, the two or more LEDs are capable of operating in a mode selected from the group consisting of: all off, one LED on, two LEDs on, all LEDs on, and a flashing day time mode. In a further aspect of the embodiment, the two or more LEDs are powered on non-simultaneously in the flashing daytime mode. For example, the LEDs can light sequentially or randomly at predetermined intervals, e.g. LEDs emit light every 0.75 seconds. In a yet further aspect of the embodiment, the pedestal is adapted for attaching to the universal mounting apparatus. In another aspect, the pedestal comprises a rectangular column, a first end of said rectangular column attaches to the lower horizontal surface of the first housing, a second end of said rectangular column extends outward to form a base plate, wherein said column has a square cross section. In another variation of the embodiment, the charging port comprises a micro USB port with a flexible cover. In another aspect, the embodiment includes a means for fastening the universal mounting apparatus to the mobile vehicle. In certain aspects, the means for fastening comprises a rubber strap. In certain other aspects, the rubber strap is selected from the group consisting of a small strap, a medium strap and a large strap. In another configuration of the embodiment, the first and second housings are formed of a fusion sealed rigid material. In other aspects of the embodiment, the first housing has a substantially rectangular horizontal cross section that tapers from the front to the rear, wherein a receiving aperture is formed on the front end of each side surface, wherein the front surface has an outwardly concaved contour. In certain aspects, the two side arms of the second housing envelop the first housing, wherein there is a pivot pin on the inside face of each arm, wherein said pivot pins engage the receiving apertures on the first housing. In other aspects, the pivot pins have a hollow tubular structure for conducting electrical wires between the first housing and the second housing. In certain other aspects, a friction device is fitted over each pivot pin to maintain friction between the first and second housings, such as a torque O ring. In another aspect of the embodiment, the lighting apparatus is adapted to be used on a bicycle. 
         [0012]    In another embodiment, a lighting apparatus configured for use on a mobile vehicle includes a universal mounting assembly for interchangeably attaching to a mobile vehicle in one or more mounting configurations. The universal mounting assembly includes a channel assembly with a substantially rectangular rigid body for engaging a pedestal, said channel assembly including: a recess at the upper surface of the channel assembly bound by a front wall, two side walls, and a bottom plane, wherein the rear of the recess is open, wherein said two side walls are perpendicular to the front wall, wherein each side wall has a rim that forms a groove inside the recess, a knob protruding on the front face of the channel assembly, two parallel raised tabs on a bottom surface of the channel assembly, a rear lower wall on the bottom surface of the channel assembly, said rear lower wall including a substantially rectangular window; a rubber strap member including a back end block, a middle strap portion, and a front-end block, wherein an elongated cutout extends from the middle strap portion to the front-end block; wherein the middle strap portion is adapted to pass through the substantially rectangular window; wherein the elongated cutout is adapted to engage with the knob on the front face of the channel assembly. 
         [0013]    In another aspect of the embodiment, the front end block of the strap member is about the same as thick as the middle strap portion, is a little over twice as wide as the center strap portion, and has a rounded curvature on the peripheral of the front end block, and wherein the back end block is wider and thicker than the center strap portion, includes two slits on a first surface for fitting on the two parallel raised tabs on the bottom surface of the channel assembly, and is curved on a second surface for fitting on a tubular object. In certain aspects, the bottom plane includes a cutout tab formed between two parallel cutouts, said cutout tab having a raised notch at the rear opening of the recess, said cutout tab extends outside of the recess forming a finger tab. 
         [0014]    In a further embodiment, a method of illuminating a mobile vehicle includes the steps of: providing a first housing comprising one or more lithium ion rechargeable batteries, wherein said first housing comprises an integral charging port for recharging said batteries; providing a second housing comprising two or more LEDs each capable of outputting at least 180 lumens; controlling electrical input from said batteries to said LEDs using a switch on said first housing for; and pivoting said second housing relative to said first housing a pivotal mechanism to provide illumination at different emission angles. In another aspect of the embodiment, the first housing comprises a pedestal for attaching to a mounting apparatus. In certain aspects, the embodiment further includes providing a translucent window on a forward vertical surface of the second housing. In other aspects, the first and second housings are formed of a rigid material. In certain other aspects, three LEDs are provided. In further aspects, the three LEDs are capable of being independently controlled. In another aspect of the embodiment, the switch is a push-button switch. In various aspects, the mobile vehicle is a bicycle. 
         [0015]    In yet a further embodiment, a method of making a lighting apparatus configured for use on a mobile vehicle includes the following steps in any order: making a first housing including a first weatherproof chamber enclosed by an upper horizontal surface, a lower horizontal surface, a rear vertical surface, a front surface, and two side surfaces; installing one or more rechargeable lithium ion batteries placed inside said first weatherproof chamber; providing an integral charging port on said first housing, e.g., on the rear vertical surface capable of recharging said batteries; providing a pedestal on the lower horizontal surface; positioning a switch on the first housing, e.g., on the upper horizontal surface; making a second housing including a second weatherproof chamber and a front vertical surface; providing a transparent window on the front vertical surface of the second housing; installing two or more LEDs inside said second weatherproof chamber, each light emitting diode capable of emitting up to at least 180 lumens; connecting the first housing and the second housing via a pivoting mechanism that allows relative pivotal movement between the first and second housings, wherein said second housing is adjustable to pivot in angles from 25 degrees vertically above to 25 degrees vertically below the horizontal axis of the lighting apparatus; and providing a universal mounting apparatus for detachably attaching said pedestal and to the mobile vehicle. 
         [0016]    In another aspect of the embodiment, the switch controls electrical input from said batteries to said diodes. In certain other aspects of the embodiment, the switch is a push on-off switch. In another variation of the embodiment, the pedestal is adapted for slidably attaching to the universal mounting apparatus. In yet another aspect, the embodiment further includes a means for fastening the universal mounting apparatus to the mobile vehicle. In a further aspect, the means for fastening comprises a polymeric strap, such as a rubber strap. In another variation of the embodiment, the rubber strap is selected from the group consisting of a small strap, a medium strap and a large strap. In other aspects of the embodiment, the first and second housings are formed of a fusion sealed rigid material. In other configurations of the embodiments, the pivoting mechanism comprises a friction device, such as a torque O-ring to maintain the second housing at a predetermined configuration. In a further aspect of the embodiment, the three LEDs are capable of operating sequentially. In a yet further aspect, the method includes a flashing daytime mode capable of emitting 180 lumens every 0.75 seconds. In various aspects, the lighting apparatus is adapted to be used on a bicycle. 
         [0017]    According to another embodiment, a method of operating a lighting apparatus includes the following steps: charging the lighting apparatus, wherein said lighting apparatus includes a first housing including the electrical switch, one or more rechargeable batteries, and a charging outlet, a second housing including two or more LEDs, and a pivot mechanism connecting the first housing and the second housing and allowing the first housing to pivot against the second housing, wherein at least one of said LEDs is equipped with a narrow angle beam reflector, and at least one of said LEDs is equipped with a wide angle beam reflector; turning on said light apparatus by actuating an electrical switch causing electrical power to be supplied to all of one or more LED to output light with a total light output of up to 540 lumens or more. Depending on the specification of the wide angle beam reflector, lighting pattern from said mobile device can create a wide angle beam wherein said angle is at least 30 degrees from the centerline of said one or more LED. 
         [0018]    According to another aspect, the embodiment includes actuating said electrical switch so that only one of said LED emits light. In another aspect, actuating said electrical switch causes only two of said LED to emit light. In a further aspect, actuating said electrical switch causes the LEDs to emit light sequentially, one at a time, or two or more at a time. In a yet further aspect, the electrical switch is a push-button switch that is actuated by pushing the button to the desired configuration. In another aspect, the embodiment includes pivoting said second housing relative to said first housing up or down up to 25 degrees each direction. In yet another aspect, the embodiment includes attaching a universal mounting apparatus to a mobile vehicle, and attaching said lighting apparatus to said universal mounting apparatus. 
         [0019]    In a further embodiment, a lighting apparatus configured for use on a mobile vehicle, comprises a first weatherproof housing including an electrical switch, one or more rechargeable batteries, and a charging outlet; a second weatherproof housing including more than one LED, wherein at least one of said LED is equipped with a narrow angle beam reflector, at least one of said LED is equipped with a wide angle beam reflector, and the combined light output capacity of the LED is at least 500 lumen; and a weatherproof pivot mechanism that connects the first housing and the second housing and allows the first housing to pivot against the second housing. 
         [0020]    In another aspect of the embodiment, the lighting apparatus includes an electrical circuit so configured that by actuating said electrical switch the LED operate in various modes including: only one of said LED emits light, only two of said LEDs emit light, and all of said LEDs emit light at the same time. In yet another aspect of the embodiment, the lighting apparatus includes an electrical circuit so configured that by actuating said electrical switch the LED emits light sequentially. In a further aspect of the embodiment, the electrical switch is a push-button switch. In a yet further aspect of the embodiment, the pivot mechanism allows said second housing pivot relative to said first housing up or down up to 25 degrees in each direction. In another variation of the embodiment, the lighting apparatus further includes a universal mounting apparatus for attaching said lighting apparatus to a mobile vehicle. In yet another variation of the embodiment, the light apparatus is made to be used on a bicycle. 
         [0021]    Reference to the remaining portions of the specification, including the drawings and claims, will realize other features and advantages of the present invention. Further features and advantages of the present invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention, are described in detail below with respect to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0022]      FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective side view of the lighting apparatus. 
           [0023]      FIG. 2  illustrates a perspective rear view of the lighting apparatus. 
           [0024]      FIG. 3  illustrates a perspective rear view of the universal mounting assembly. 
           [0025]      FIG. 4  illustrates a perspective side view of the universal mounting assembly. 
           [0026]      FIG. 5  illustrates a perspective front view of the universal mounting assembly. 
           [0027]      FIG. 6  is a flow chart for a method of illuminating a mobile vehicle. 
           [0028]      FIG. 7  is a flow chart for a method of making a lighting apparatus. 
           [0029]      FIG. 8  is a flow chart for a method of operating a lighting apparatus. 
           [0030]      FIG. 9  illustrates a perspective view from above showing the light emitting diodes including a narrow angle beam reflector and two wide-angle beam reflectors. The pivoting mechanism is also shown. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0031]      FIG. 1  shows one embodiment of the lighting apparatus ( 100 ) including a first housing  101  which houses rechargeable batteries, such as Li Ion batteries (not shown), and an integral charging port with a flexible cover  103  on a rear vertical surface  107  capable of recharging the batteries. A pedestal  104  is located on a lower horizontal surface  108 , for attaching to a universal mounting apparatus  105 . A second housing  106  is shown consisting of three 180 lumen light emitting diodes  114  (capable of emitting 180, 360 and 540 lumens), encased in a transparent window  109  on a forward vertical surface  110  and a pivoting mechanism  111  which allows relative pivotal movement between the first and second housings. The pivoting mechanism provides a maximum pivoting angle of 25 degrees vertically above and below the horizontal axis thereby allowing the user to select the desired emission angle of the light. A switch mechanism  112  on an upper horizontal surface  113  provides electrical input from said battery to said diodes, whereby illumination is provided. 
         [0032]    In another aspect of the embodiment, the lighting apparatus is provided wherein the pedestal  104  comprises a slidable member on the lower horizontal surface  108  of the first housing. In other various aspects of the embodiment the slidable member of the pedestal  104  attaches to the mounting apparatus  105  to form a lighting apparatus assembly on a mobile device. In other certain aspects, the illuminated mobile device is a bicycle (not shown). 
         [0033]    In another aspect of the embodiment, the lighting apparatus is provided wherein the mounting apparatus  105  further comprises a means for fastening (not shown) the mounting apparatus  105  to a mobile vehicle (not shown). In other various aspects of the embodiment, the means for fastening the mounting apparatus to the mobile device is a rubber strap coupled on a first end to a formed seat and on a second end to a formed tab. In certain aspects the rubber strap means for fastening and the slideable member means for fastening create a universal mounting device to the mobile device. In certain aspects the mobile device is a vehicle. In other various aspects the vehicle is a bicycle. 
         [0034]    In another aspect of the embodiment, the lighting apparatus  100  is provided wherein the first  101  and second  106  housings are formed of a fusion sealed rigid material. In other various aspects of the embodiment, wherein the three LEDs  114  operate sequentially to provide varied light output. In another aspect of the embodiment, the switch mechanism  112  is a push on-off switch. 
         [0035]      FIG. 2  shows the rear perspective view of the lighting apparatus ( 200 ) having a first housing  201 , connected to the second housing  206  by a pivoting mechanism  211 . The first housing includes an integral charging port  203  on the rear vertical surface  207  and a switch  212 . A universal mounting apparatus  205  is shown on the lower horizontal surface  208  of the first housing  201 . 
         [0036]    In another embodiment as shown in  FIG. 3 , a universal mounting assembly  310  is configured to a lighting apparatus (not shown) which is capable of being attached in one or more mobile device mounting configurations. In certain aspects of the embodiment, the universal mounting assembly  310  includes a channel assembly  311  capable of being rigidly coupled to a pedestal (not shown) of the lighting apparatus, wherein the pedestal slidably engages with a recess  312  in the channel assembly  311 . The recess  312  includes a bottom plane  313 , and a rear face  314  which is open. The bottom plane  313  includes a cutout tab  315  formed between two parallel cutouts, said cutout tab having a raised notch  316  at the rear opening of the recess  312 , said cutout tab extends outside of the recess forming a finger tab  317 . The channel assembly  311  includes a rear wall  319  having a cutout window  318  to engage a fastening means, such as a rubber strap member  321 . The rubber strap member  321  includes a first rubber strap end tab  322 , a middle strap portion  323  and a second rubber strap end cover  324 . wherein an elongated cutout extends from the middle strap portion  323  to the front-end block; wherein the middle strap portion  323  is adapted to pass through the substantially rectangular window  318  and wherein the elongated cutout is adapted to engage with a knob  320  on the front face of the channel assembly. In yet another aspect of the embodiment, the rubber strap is designed to accommodate various lengths and diameters, for example, small, medium, and large 
         [0037]      FIG. 4  shows a side view of the universal mounting apparatus  410 , including a rubber strap member  421  having a first end  422  and a second end  424 . The first end  422  is engaged with the cutout window (not shown) at the rear wall of the universal mounting apparatus  410 . In one aspect of the embodiment, the front end of the rubber strap member  422  has a rounded curvature  425 , for fitting on a tubular object, such as a handlebar or stem of a mobile vehicle. 
         [0038]      FIG. 5  shows another side view of the universal mounting apparatus  510  having a channel assembly with a recess  512  for engaging a pedestal (not shown). The mounting apparatus  510  includes a rubber strap member  521  with a first rubber strap end  522  and a second rubber strap end cover  524  which engages with the knob  520  to attach the mounting assembly to the mobile vehicle. 
         [0039]    In a further embodiment, a method of illuminating a mobile vehicle  600  is shown in  FIG. 6  and includes the steps of powering a lighting apparatus by using one or more lithium ion rechargeable batteries  610 , wherein said first housing comprises an integral charging port for recharging said batteries; providing a second housing including two or more LEDs  620  each capable of outputting at least 180 lumens; controlling electrical input from said batteries to said LEDs actuating a switch  630  on said first housing; and pivoting said second housing relative to said first housing a pivotal mechanism  640  to provide illumination at different emission angles. Charging can be achieved by connecting an external charger to the integral charging port  650 . The relative angle between the first housing and the second housing is maintained by friction between the two housings, which can be enhanced by using a friction ring. In another aspect of the embodiment, the first housing comprises a pedestal for attaching to a mounting apparatus. In certain aspects, the embodiment further includes providing a translucent window on a forward vertical surface of the second housing. In other aspects, the first and second housings are formed of a rigid material. In yet other aspects, three LEDs are provided. In a further aspect, the three LEDs are capable of being independently controlled. In another aspect of the embodiment, the switch is a push-button switch. In various aspects, the mobile vehicle is a bicycle. 
         [0040]    In a yet further embodiment, a method of making a lighting apparatus configured for use on a mobile vehicle  700  is shown in  FIG. 7  and includes the following steps in any order: making a first housing including a first weatherproof chamber  710  enclosed by an upper horizontal surface, a lower horizontal surface, a rear vertical surface, a front surface, and two side surfaces; installing one or more rechargeable lithium ion batteries inside said first weatherproof chamber  720 ; providing an integral charging port  730  on said first housing, e.g., on the rear vertical surface capable of recharging said batteries; providing a pedestal on the lower horizontal surface  740 ; positioning a switch on the first housing  750 , e.g., on the upper horizontal surface; making a second housing including a second weatherproof chamber  760  and a front vertical surface that can be flat or curved; providing a transparent window on the front vertical surface of the second housing  770  that can be flat or curved; installing two or more LEDs inside said second weatherproof chamber  780 , each light emitting diode capable of emitting up to at least 180 lumens; connecting the first housing and the second housing via a pivoting mechanism  790  that allows relative pivotal movement between the first and second housings, wherein said second housing is adjustable to pivot in angles from 25 degrees vertically above to 25 degrees vertically below the horizontal axis of the lighting apparatus; and providing a universal mounting apparatus  795  for detachably attaching said pedestal to the mobile vehicle. 
         [0041]    In another aspect of the embodiment, the switch controls electrical input from said batteries to said diodes directly or indirectly. For example, the switch sends a signal to an electronic circuit, and the electronic circuit controls the flow of electricity to the LEDs according to the signal from the switch. In certain other aspects of the embodiment, the switch is a push on-off switch. In another variation of the embodiment, the pedestal is adapted for slidably attaching to the universal mounting apparatus. In yet another aspect, the embodiment further includes a means for fastening the universal mounting apparatus to the mobile vehicle. In a further aspect, the means for fastening comprises a rubber strap. In another variation of the embodiment, the rubber strap is selected from the group consisting of a small strap, a medium strap and a large strap. In other aspects of the embodiment, the first and second housings are formed of a fusion sealed rigid material. In other configurations of the embodiments, the pivoting mechanism comprises a torque O-ring to maintain the second housing at a predetermined configuration. In a further aspect of the embodiment, the three LEDs are capable of operating sequentially. In a yet further aspect, the method includes a flashing daytime mode capable of emitting 180 lumens every 0.75 seconds. In various aspects, the lighting apparatus is adapted to be used on a bicycle. 
         [0042]    According to another embodiment, a method of operating a lighting apparatus  800 , shown in  FIG. 8  includes the following steps: charging the lighting apparatus  810 , wherein said lighting apparatus includes a first housing including the electrical switch, one or more rechargeable batteries, and a charging outlet, a second housing including two or more LEDs, and a pivot mechanism connecting the first housing and the second housing and allowing the first housing to pivot against the second housing, wherein at least one of said LEDs is equipped with a narrow angle beam reflector, and at least one of said LEDs is equipped with a wide angle beam reflector; turning on said light apparatus  820  by actuating an electrical switch causing electrical power to be supplied to all of one or more LED to output light with a total light output of up to 540 lumens or more. Depending on the specification of the wide angle beam reflector, lighting pattern from said mobile device can create a wide angle beam wherein said angle is at least 30 degrees from the centerline of said one or more LED. 
         [0043]    According to another aspect, the embodiment includes actuating said electrical switch so that only one of said LED emits light  830 . In another aspect, the method includes actuating said electrical switch so that only two of said LEDs emit light  840 . In a further aspect, the method includes actuating said electrical switch so that the LEDs emit light sequentially  850 , one at a time, or two or more at a time. The sequence may or may not be random. In a yet further aspect, the electrical switch is a push-button switch that is actuated by pushing. In another aspect, the embodiment includes pivoting said second housing relative to said first housing up or down up to 25 degrees each direction  860 . In yet another aspect, the method includes attaching a universal mounting apparatus to a mobile vehicle, and attaching said lighting apparatus to said universal mounting apparatus  870 . 
         [0044]    In a further embodiment as shown in  FIG. 9 , a lighting apparatus  900  configured for use on a mobile vehicle (not shown), comprises a first weatherproof housing  901  including an electrical switch  912 , one or more rechargeable batteries (not shown), and a charging outlet (not shown); a second weatherproof housing  906  including three LEDs  914 , 915 , 916 , wherein at least one of said LED is equipped with a narrow angle beam reflector, at least one of said LED is equipped with a wide angle beam reflector, and the combined light output capacity of the LED is at least 500 lumen; and a weatherproof pivot mechanism  911  that connects the first housing and the second housing and allows the first housing to pivot against the second housing. 
         [0045]    In another aspect of the embodiment, the lighting apparatus  900  includes an electrical circuit (not shown) so configured that by actuating said electrical switch  912  the LEDs ( 914 , 915 , 916 ) operate in various modes including: only one of said LED emits light, only two of said LEDs emit light, and all of said LEDs emit light at the same time. In yet another aspect of the embodiment, the lighting apparatus includes an electrical circuit so configured that by actuating said electrical switch the LED emits light sequentially. In a further aspect of the embodiment, the electrical switch  912  is a push-button switch that is actuated by pushing. In a yet further aspect of the embodiment, the pivot mechanism  911  allows said second housing  906  to pivot relative to said first housing  901  up or down up to 25 degrees in each direction. In another variation of the embodiment, the lighting apparatus  900  further includes a universal mounting apparatus (not shown) for attaching said lighting apparatus to a mobile vehicle (not shown). In yet another variation of the embodiment, the light apparatus is made to be used on a bicycle (not shown). 
         [0046]    In another aspect of the embodiment, the LEDs ( 914 , 915 , 916 ) are shown with a narrow angle beam reflector and wide angle beam reflectors. 
         [0047]    Whereas the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the specific embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements as would be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8