Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems – Special application – Vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-27
2003-01-07
Wong, Don (Department: 2821)
Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems
Special application
Vehicle
C307S010800, C037S231000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06504306
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to snowplow lighting systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to an adapter for connecting an existing vehicle power supply and headlight controls to a snowplow wiring harness.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of the most common ways to move and remove fallen snow is with a snowplow attached to a vehicle. However, most vehicles are not dedicated to this single purpose. That is, during the milder seasons the snowplow is removed and the vehicle will be used for other purposes. These types of vehicles usually have headlights to facilitate night driving. However, when a snowplow is attached, it obscures the headlights making night driving or night plowing difficult if not impossible. Consequently, most snowplows have their own integrated headlights that are coupleable to the existing vehicle wiring system controls and power supply.
Traditionally, connecting snowplow headlights to the existing vehicle headlight wiring system has entailed the difficult and time consuming task of cutting and splicing wires. More modem wiring systems have utilized the existing plugs and terminals or receptacles. Thus, they have eliminated the need for a separate switch on the interior or exterior of the vehicle. For example U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,062 teaches an auxiliary light wiring harness that connects one existing vehicle plug to a pair of vehicle headlights and a pair of auxiliary headlights. The harness also includes a switch to allow an operator to activate the vehicle headlights or the auxiliary headlights when the existing lighting controls are actuated. U.S. Pat. No. 5,420,480 teaches an automatic headlamp switching system that utilizes a pair of relays that to enable the existing vehicle headlight controls to operate the snowplow headlights when the snowplow is electrically connected to the vehicle.
The known snowplow headlight wiring systems still have many problems. In systems like that taught in the '062 Patent, the auxiliary lights are hard-wired to the existing lighting system. Thus the entire system can only be used on the specific vehicle for which it is designed.
Known systems that utilize a wiring harness coupled to the existing lighting system by an adapter only connect to one side of the vehicle. Specifically, they attach to only one of the lights on the vehicle, thus, only drawing power from one side of the vehicle. The system is less reliable because if that one side fails, both headlights on the snowplow fail.
Known adapters usually have three to five different parts making installation more difficult. Complex instructions must be provided to enable the operator to properly attach the lights. This number of components and connectors also increases the chances of corrosion and shorts in the electrical system. Specifically, known systems have more than one connection to the wiring harness per headlight. Additionally, known systems do not pick up the ground of the vehicle or of the vehicle headlights, which can be positive or negative depending on the vehicle manufacturer. Consequently, known systems do not provide an uninterrupted common ground for the snow plow headlights. Thus, the snowplow headlights are not operating with a known potential reference. This can create undue strain on the snowplow wiring system and lead to a system failure because of a short circuit. This is especially problematic because the plow and associated lights are wired some distance from other electrical components making it difficult to connect to any ground but the plow itself which does not likely provide a good electrical connection.
Finally, known adapters have connectors that are not waterproof. This is largely because older vehicles do not have waterproof connectors for the adapter to plug into. However, given the harsh and often very wet conditions that exist when plowing snow, the lack of a waterproof system increases the likelihood of electrical shorts and lighting system failure. Consequently, newer vehicles come equipped with waterproof connectors that are not compatible with known adapters. Additionally, known systems to not have a waterproof connection to the wiring harness.
Therefore, there exists a need to provide an easily installed snowplow headlight adapter and adapter system that is highly reliable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a one-piece headlight adapter. Two of these one-piece adapters can be used in tandem interchangeably on either headlight of a vehicle to create a two-piece headlight adapter system. The adapter provides a simple and efficient coupling to connect the existing vehicle headlight controls and power supply with a snowplow wiring harness. In a preferred embodiment the adapter is a three-component adapter that includes one connector compatible with the existing headlight power supply outlet on a vehicle, one connector compatible with the existing headlight plug-in on a vehicle, and one connector compatible with the headlight wiring harness on the snowplow. The connectors are coupled to the vehicle wiring system in such a way that the high and low beam headlight power supply, vehicle headlight ground signal, and the lighting controls, are electrically connected to the wiring harness. Thus, the vehicle operator can control the snowplow headlights from the inside of the vehicle using the vehicle's existing controls. A switch or a relay may also be electrically connected to the wiring harness so that the existing vehicle headlight controls can operate either the snowplow headlights, or the existing vehicle headlights, with the adapter in place.
The snowplow headlights operate efficiently by using the vehicle's headlight power supply and common ground, which can be a positive or a negative ground. The common ground connection ensures a fixed potential for the snowplow headlights. This is an improvement over the uncertain potential produced by known adapters which are not tied to a common signal source or a common ground. Consequently, the lights in these known systems may fluctuate and lead to faster burnout of the snowplow headlights. The adapter is also highly reliable because it utilizes a minimum number of components and, for newer vehicles, may have a self contained wiring structure such that the entire assembly is waterproof.
In another embodiment, a five-component one-piece adapter is provided for use on a vehicle having headlights with two connections. One connection is for high beams and the other connection is for low beams. In this embodiment the adapter includes two connectors coupleable to the existing vehicle headlight outlets, two connectors coupleable to the existing vehicle headlight plug-ins, and one connector coupleable to the snowplow wiring harness. This five-component adapter has the same advantages of simplicity and reliability as the three-component adapter.
When an identical pair of the above described adapters is used in combination, one adapter for each vehicle headlight, a novel adapter system is created. The system is easily implemented because the individual adapters are identical and interchangeable. That is, they can each be used for either the left or right headlight. More importantly, the system is highly reliable because it draws power from both vehicle headlight connections. Also, reliable common signal or common ground connections are made at each headlight connection. Thus, there is less demand on any given point in the vehicle headlight electrical system because the current running through each vehicle headlight is only that which is needed to power one snowplow headlight. This provides for increased control of the electrical signals in the lighting system. Controlling the current in the lighting system is a major improvement over the known adapters that draw current for both snowplow headlights from one vehicle headlight control connection. Additionally, safe operation of the lights is insured—if one side of the system does fail (be it the adapter itself or the vehicle's i
M.P. Menze Research & Development Inc.
Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly LLP
Tran Thuy Vinh
Wong Don
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