WO2008004166A1

WO2008004166A1 - Vehicle light unit

Info

Publication number: WO2008004166A1
Application number: PCT/IB2007/052528
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pierre John De Villiers
Original assignee: Pierre John De Villiers
Priority date: 2006-07-01
Filing date: 2007-06-29
Publication date: 2008-01-10
Also published as: ZA200810724B

Abstract

The invention provides a vehicle light unit (1) comprising a housing (2) with a light (3,4) and a wireless receiver connected to a control means for controlling the light (3,4).

Description

VEHICLE LIGHT UNIT

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a vehicle light unit and more particularly, but not exclusively, to a wireless vehicle light unit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are many types of trailers in existence such as camper, cargo and boat trailers. The lights for these trailers are hardwired to a connector that connects to a plug at the rear of a towing vehicle.

There are several drawbacks and limitations to using connector plugs for tow vehicle and trailer interconnections. When the tow vehicle is not actively towing and the connector plugs are not being used, the plugs may become corroded. Boat trailers and campers are, for the most part, infrequently used. Such infrequent use leads to the connector plugs being subjected to increase wear and tear. Furthermore, mating the connector plugs every time a trailer is connected to a tow vehicle could become a time consuming chore.

Permanent tail lights on a tow vehicle or self-driven vehicle may fail creating a hazardous situation, especially at night.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle light unit that, at least partially, alleviates some of the abovementioned difficulties.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with this invention there is provided a vehicle light unit comprising a housing with a light and a wireless receiver connected to a control means for controlling the light. There is provided for an attachment means to attach the light unit to a vehicle.

There is further provided for a power supply to be connected to the control means.

A further feature of the invention provides for the power supply to be connected to the light.

A yet further feature of the invention provides for the control means to control the power supply to the light.

There is further provided for the wireless receiver to receive a signal from a transmitter, the transmitter being electrically connected to an electrical circuit of a vehicle for transmitting signals received from the electrical circuit to the receiver.

A further feature of the invention provides for the attachment means to be a magnet.

There is provided for a spacer to extend past an operatively outer surface of the magnet so that the magnet is prevented from touching a surface towards which it is magnetically attracted.

There is further provided for the spacer to be a ring and for an outer edge, which extends past an operatively outer surface of the magnet.

A further feature of the invention provides for the attachment means to be a hook formation.

A yet further feature of the invention provides for the hook formation to be a closed hook formation for receiving an elongate fastening means there through.

A further feature of the invention provides for the hook formation to be attached to a rear of the housing.

A further feature of the invention provides for the control means to be a microprocessor.

A yet further feature of the invention provides for a manually operable switch to provide manual control for the light. A further feature of the invention provides for the switch to be activated manually to selectively turn the light on or off or to set the light to flash intermittently

A yet further feature of the invention provides for the power supply to be rechargeable batteries.

This invention extends to a transmitter comprising a housing having a connector connectable to a tow connector of a vehicle and a transmitter for transmitting signals received from the tow connector of the vehicle.

A further feature of the invention provides for the power supply to be supplied by one positive wire from the vehicle

A yet further feature of the invention provides for one single receiver/controller unit mounted in a single housing whsch connects to the existing taiHights of a towed vehicle and may have its power supplied by batteries or a single positive wire from the towing vehicle and the chassis of the trailer

A further feature of the invention provides for the vehicle indicator signals to be transmitted along the same single wire that is used to power the receiver/controller units In this configuration, the signals may not be transmitted via radio frequency, but in the form of digital signals aiong the power supply wire

These and other features of the invention are described in more detail below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One embodiment of the invention is described below, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective front view of a vehicle light unit;

Figure 2 shows a perspective rear view of the vehicle light unit of figure 1 ; Figure 3 shows a rear view of a vehicle with two vehicle light units of the type shown in figures 1 and 2 attached to the rear of the vehicle;

Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional side view of the vehicle light unit of figures 1 and 2 and part of the vehicle of figure 3 and enlarged detail as indicated; and

Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a transmitter for transmitting a signal to the vehicle light unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With reference to the drawings, in which like features are indicated by like numerals, a vehicle a light unit is generally indicated by reference numeral 1.

The light unit 1 consists of a housing 2 with two lights, a brake light 3 and an indicator light 4, attached in a wall of the housing so that the lights face forwardly outward from the housing. In the same wall, a manually operable switch in the form of a touch switch 5 faces outwardly for use by a user of the light unit 1. Three indicator lights 6 are also located in the wall of the housing adjacent the touch switch 5.

Attachment means in the form of magnets and hooks are provided. A rear wall 15 of the housing 2 has two ring-shaped magnets 12 attached inside spacers in the form of plastics material rings 13 extending with their main axes perpendicular to the rear wall 15 of the housing 2, and located in a spaced apart configuration on the rear wall 15 of the housing 2. Outer edges of the rings extend past an operatively outer surface of each magnet. Hook formations 14 in the form of closed attachment hooks are located diametrically opposite each other on an outer surface of the rings 13 and extend generally radially outwardly from the rings 13.

A wireless receiver (not shown) and controller (also not shown) are also located in the housing.

As is shown in figure 4, the outer free edges of the rings 13 extend past the operatively outer surfaces of the magnets 12 so that the magnets 12 will not come into contact with a flat metallic surface to which the light unit 1 is attached thus preventing such surface from being scratched by the magnets 12.

Using the magnets 12, two light units are magnetically attachable to the rear of a vehicle 7, as shown in figure 3, such that the indicator lights 4 of each light unit are the laterally innermost lights of the units. It will thus be appreciated that the light units are mirror images insofar as the brake light 3 and indicator light 4 are concerned.

The vehicle 7 has a tow connector 8, as is known in the art, for connection to an electrical plug connected to an electrical harness of a trailer to electrically connect the lights of such trailers and possibly also brakes and other hydraulic systems on such trailers to the electrical system of the towing vehicle.

The housing also houses a wireless receiver. However, figure 5 shows a transmitter housing 9, having an aerial part 11 extending form the transmitter housing, and the tow connector 10 at the opposite side of the transmitter housing.

A control means in the form of a microprocessor is connected to the receiver in the housing and to the lights (3 and 4). The microprocessor controls the switching of the lights. A power supply in the form of rechargeable batteries powers the receiver, microprocessor and lights.

The touch switch is located adjacent to three lights. The touch switch manually controls the switching of the lights.

In use, the transmitter is plugged into the tow connector 8 on the motor vehicle 7 so that it is powered through the electrical circuit of the motor vehicle 7. Two light units are now magnetically attached to the motor vehicle or trailer. Alternatively, the light units may be attached to the motor vehicle or trailer using the attachment hooks 14.

The controls of the motor vehicle including the headlights, indicator lights, brake lights and hazard lights, will also now control the lights (3 and 4) on the light units 1. The light units 1 are switched on by touching their touch buttons 5 and one of the three lights (indicated by numeral 6) will turn green if the rechargeable batteries in the light units 1 are of sufficient charge to operate the lights 3 and 4. If this is not the case, that light will turn red or one of the other lights will turn red. In this way, should the lights of a motor vehicle fail, the light units may be attached to the rear of the vehicle or should a trailer not have lights or should a trailer's light fail, the light units can be attached to the rear of the trailer for proper use of a trailer not having lights, or of a trailer in an emergency where the trailer lights are defective.

The indicator lights 4 will now operate in the normal manner receiving signals from the normal electrical system of the motor vehicle through the transmitter 9. The brake lights will operate in similar fashion. When the headlights are turned on at night, the brake lights may shine at a reduced illumination when the brakes are not activated, to indicate that the motor vehicle's headlights are turned on. When the brakes of the motor vehicle 7 are activated, the brake lights will then illuminate at fully or increase illumination indicating that the driver of the motor vehicle has applied the brakes of the motor vehicle. When the hazard lights of the motor vehicle are switched on both indicator lights will flash as is known in the art.

Another functionality build into each light unit 1 is that when the transmitter is defective or the receiver in the inside of the light unit housing 2 is defective both the brake light and indicator light will be turned on permanently if so selected by touching the touch button twice in short succession. This will allow a user to display at least lights at the rear of his vehicle even when the transmitter or the vehicles electrical circuit is not working.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art at various embodiments of the invention are possible without departing from the scope thereof. For example, the combination of lights turned on or off or the frequency of flashing of one or both lights of each unit may be selected by touching the touch switch a number of times.

Claims

1. A vehicle light unit comprising a housing with a light and a wireless receiver connected to a control means for controlling the light.

2. A vehicle light unit as claimed in claim 1 in which the housing has an attachment means to attach the light unit to a vehicle.

3. A vehicle light unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which a power supply is connected to the control means.

4. A vehicle light unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which a power supply is connected to the light.

5. A vehicle light unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the control means controls the power supply to the light.

6. A vehicle light unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the wireless receiver receives a signal from a transmitter, the transmitter being electrically connected to an electrical circuit of a vehicle for transmitting signals received from the electrical circuit to the receiver.

7. A vehicle light unit as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6 in which the attachment means is a magnet.

8. A vehicle light unit as claimed in claim 7 in which a spacer magnet extends past an operatively outer surface of the magnet so that the magnet is prevented from touching a surface toward which it is magnetically attracted.

9. A vehicle light unit as claimed in claim 8 in which the spacer is a ring, an outer edge of which extends past an operatively outer surface of the magnet.

10. A vehicle light unit as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 6 in which the attachment means is a hook formation.

11. A vehicle light unit as claimed in claim 10 in which the hook formation is a closed hook formation for receiving an elongate fastening means therethrough.

12. A vehicle light unit as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 11 in which the hook formation is attached to a rear of the housing.

13. A vehicle light unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the control means is a microprocessor.

14. A vehicle light unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which a manually operable switch provides manual control for the light.

15. A vehicle light unit as claimed in claim 14 in which the switch is activated manually to selectively turn the light on or off or to set the light to flash intermittently.

16. A vehicle light unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the power supply is rechargeable batteries.

17. A vehicle light unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the power supply is supplied by one positive hard-wired connection from the vehicle.

18. A vehicle light unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which a controller unit mounted in a housing connects to the existing taillights of a towed vehicle and has its power supply supplied by batteries or a positive wire from the towing vehicle and a chassis of the trailer.

19. A vehicle light unit as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 18 in which the vehicle indicator signals are transmitted along the same single wire that is used to power the controller unit.

20. A transmitter comprising a housing having a connector connectable to a tow connector of a vehicle and a transmitter for transmitting signals received from the tow connector of the vehicle.