Patent ID: 7048419

Claim:
An auxiliary illumination system for a semi truck having a trailer, said system comprising: a base plate having a back side and a front side, said back side being attached to the trailer adjacent to and above rear wheels of the trailer, a top wall being attached to said plate and extending outwardly away therefrom, said top wall having first side edge, a second side edge and an outer edge, a lip being attached to and extending downwardly from said outer edge of said top wall, a reflective wall being attached to said lip, said reflective wall extending toward a bottom edge of said base plate such that said reflective wall is angled with respect to said top wall, said reflective wall having a reflective surface facing away from said plate, said reflective wall extending from said first side edge toward said second side edge; a vertical wall being attached to and extending downward from said top wall, said vertical wall extending from said outer edge to said plate and being positioned between said second side edge and said reflective wall, said covering extending over said vertical wall such that a second compartment is defined between said vertical wall and said covering; a translucent covering being removably attached to said lip and extending from said lip and over said reflective wall such that a first compartment is defined between reflective wall and said covering; a plurality of light emitters, at least two of said light emitters being mounted in said first compartment and extending away from said reflective wall, at least one of said light emitters being mounted in said second compartment and extending away from said vertical wall, said light emitters in said second compartment being directed rearward of the trailer; and a control being electrically coupled to a turn signal system and a running light system of the truck, said control being electrically coupled to said light emitters mounted in said first compartment, wherein said control is adapted for turning on said light emitters mounted in said first compartment when both of said running light and turn signal system is turned on, an actuator being electrically coupled to said light emitter mounted in said second compartment and being adapted for selectively turning such on or off, said actuator being electrically coupled to said running light system such that power is supplied to said actuator when said running light system is on.