Illumination – Supported by vehicle structure – Bicycle or motorcycle
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-14
2001-09-11
Quach, Y. (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Supported by vehicle structure
Bicycle or motorcycle
C362S473000, C362S191000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06286982
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a lighting apparatus used for a bicycle, and more particularly to a convenient lighting apparatus easy to handle, which has a light emitting unit separable from a battery case so as to easily mount the light emitting unit on a bicycle independent of the battery case.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A flashlight using batteries has been often used conveniently for a bicycle in place of a dynamo generator that requires surplus pedaling force for rotating the dynamo generator to generate electricity.
In general, the conventional flashlight type bicycle light or headlight has one or more batteries and a light bulb incorporated in one housing and is usually mounted on a handlebar or other portion of the bicycle together with the batteries.
As shown in FIG.
1
and
FIG. 2
by way of example, the conventional flashlight
1
applicable to a bicycle typically comprises a battery case
2
in which two batteries
4
are placed in series, and a light emitting unit
3
having a light bulb
5
and a concave reflector
11
surrounding the light bulb
5
. The light emitting unit
3
is detachably united with the battery case
2
. That is, the light emitting unit
3
is screwed on a screw portion
6
a
of the battery case
2
and can be removed when replacing the batteries as shown in FIG.
2
.
In case of using the aforesaid flashlight
1
as a bicycle light, the flashlight
1
having the light emitting unit
3
integrally united with the battery case
2
as shown in
FIG. 2
is fixed on the handlebar of the bicycle.
The flashlight
1
is generally provided with a switch
8
to switch on or off the light. The battery case
2
holds a spring
10
within to push the batteries
4
toward the light bulb
5
. Within a housing
7
of the light emitting unit
3
, there are disposed a lens
12
and a cylindrical positioning member
13
surrounding the light bulb
5
in addition to the aforesaid concave reflector
11
. The light bulb
5
is retained by the positioning member
13
so as to place the bulb glass
5
b
of the light bulb
5
in position within the reflector
11
.
However, the battery case and light emitting unit, which are connected to each other in line, make the flashlight long. Consequently, when such a long flashlight is attached to a handlebar of a bicycle in a usual manner, there is a fear that the long flashlight inconveniently becomes a hindrance to a bicycle rider in handling the bicycle and apt to catch the bicycle rider and experience a shock, and it may possibly be damaged or broken. Furthermore, the conventional flashlight entails problem such as difficulty in mounting on the bicycle.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is to provide a convenient lighting apparatus used for a bicycle, capable of being easily attached to a bicycle and safely used without being obstructive to handling of the bicycle.
Another object of this invention is to provide a handy bicycle lighting apparatus having a light emitting unit separable from a battery case so as to easily mount the light emitting unit on the handlebar of a bicycle independent of the battery case.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a safe lighting apparatus used for a bicycle, having a light emitting unit which can be made compact by being separated from a battery case so that the light emitting unit mounted on the handlebar of the bicycle is not a hindrance to a bicycle rider in handling the bicycle, and consequently, it is hard to experience a shock and be damaged in riding the bicycle.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a convenient light apparatus capable of being easily demounted from a bicycle and used separate from the bicycle as a portable flashlight or the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To attain the object described above according to this invention, there is provided a lighting apparatus used for a bicycle, comprising a battery case for accommodating one or more batteries, a connection adapter detachably attached to the battery case, a light emitting unit with a light bulb, which is separable from the battery case, a fixing supporter detachably attached to the light emitting unit to be fitted to the connection adapter, and a power supply cable for electrically connecting the batteries in the battery case with the light bulb in the light emitting unit
The battery case may be provided with a switch for allowing the light bulb to be selectively connected with or disconnected from the batteries in the battery case to switch on or off the light bulb.
The light emitting unit separable from the battery case can be solely mounted on any position of a bicycle, which is different from that to which the battery case is mounted, and supplied with an electric current through the power supply cable. That is, there may be attached the light emitting unit to a handlebar of a bicycle by use of a retaining member, and the battery case to a down tube of the bicycle by use of mounting means.
By demounting the light emitting unit and the battery case from the bicycle and removing the connection adapter and the fixing supporter from the light emitting unit and the battery case, the lighting apparatus can be used separate from the bicycle as a handy flashlight by joining the light emitting unit directly to the battery case.
Other and fixer objects of this invention will become obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiments about to be described or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1439430 (1922-12-01), Lyhne
patent: 5276593 (1994-01-01), Lighthill et al.
patent: 5833534 (1998-11-01), Lai
Armstrong Westerman Hattori McLeland & Naughton LLP
Quach Y.
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