GB2205391A - A lamp for a bicycle or motorcycle - Google Patents

Abstract

A lamp for a bicycle or motorcycle comprises a casing 20 and a rearwardly facing translucent red cover 14 within which is housed a bulb 15 and a parabolic reflector 16 to provide the normal rear light of the bicycle or motorcycle. In addition, a further bulb is provided in the forward part of the casing and emits white light forwardly through a further transparent lens 18. The white light shining through the lens 18 falls on the legs or back of the rider of the machine, thus enhancing visibility. The lamp casing 20 is formed with an integral loop through which a security chain may be passed to prevent removal of the lamp when the machine is left unattended. <IMAGE>

Description

"A Lamp for a Bicycle or Motorcycle" The present invention relates to a lamp for a bicycle or motorcycle, and particularly to a lamp having improved safety features.

Known lamps for bicycles are adapted specifically for fitting to the front of a bicycle, to project light forwardly to illuminate the path for the cyclist, and at the rear of the bicycle to provide an illumination to serve as a warning of the presence of the bicycle for other drivers.

Bicycles have to be maintained as light as possible in order to facilitate their use and accordingly the electrical energy sources available for illuminating such lamps are small and of low power. Even when electricity generating equipment, the so-called dynamo, is fitted to a bicycle this is nevertheless a low power, light weight unit. Because of the small amount of energy available it has been conventional to deliver this all into a light beam as localised as possible, directed, as far as the front lamp is concerned, into a narrow forwardly projecting beam, and as far as the rear lamp is concerned, into a wider, but still rather narrow, rearwardly projecting beam. In addition, -the rear lamp is provided with a red lens or window through which the light passes so that it can be clearly seen whether the bicycle is approaching or moving away from an observer.

Unfortunately, in many traffic situations, particularly those involving inadequate street lighting, cyclists and other road users are not travelling directly towards or away from one another so that the concentrated light generated by the bicycle's own lamps is not clearly visible to the other road users. This is particularly important at inclined road junctions where collision may be a danger.

The present invention seeks to provide a modified lamp suitable for a bicycle (although the same principles are equally adaptable to lamps for motorcycles) which with a limited amount of available energy nevertheless makes the visibility of the rider much greater without materially increasing the electrical energy requirements of the bicycle so that it is still light in weight and easy to use.

This is achieved, according to the invention, by means of a lamp for a bicycle or motorcycle having a casing with a transparent lens or window therein, the casing having means for mounting it to a bicycle or motorcycle and housing at least one lamp bulb and means for directing light from the lamp bulb through the transparent lens or window in a first direction away from the rider when the lamp is in its normal position of use, and means for directing a beam of light in a second direction, towards the rider, whereby to illuminate at least a part of the rider in use of the lamp.

By means of this arrangement it is possible, with the same source of electricity or a marginally increased source, to make the rider more generally visible to traffic which is not directly in line with the path of movement of the bicycle. This is achieved by directing light from the lamp onto parts of the body of the rider, particularly the legs, which are in motion and which, therefore, act to cause the light to be reflected in different directions. It is well known that a flashing light more effectively draws the attention of an observer than a steady light, and consequently light reflected from the rider in motion will be sent in different directions to cause momentary illuminations and thereby draw the attention of the observer.

The casing of the lamp of the present invention may further have lateral openings therein for allowing light to pass out of the casing at an angle to the light emitted through the said lens or window. In this way a small amount of illumination is allowed to "leak" sideways from the lamp to provide a more permanent indication of the presence of the bicycle to traffic positioned laterally thereof.

The said means for directing a beam of light in the said second direction may comprise a further lens or window in the casing for allowing light from the same light source within the casing to pass out from the casing. In such an arrangement, of course, it may be difficult to provide a reflector for directing the light into a beam of limited width, and this light controlling function may thus be delegated solely to shaped lenses on the interior of the transparent window. Such rhombohedral lenses are already known in the art for directing light emitted omnidirectionally from a lamp into a more restricted beam for concentrating the energy.

Alternatively, however, the said means for directing a beam of light in the said second direction may comprise an entirely separate light source from that generating the light directed in the said first direction, and in such circumstances one or both light sources may be provided with appropriate reflectors for concentrating the light in a given beam.

In embodiments of the invention having two light sources, these may comprise separate incandescent lamps supplied from a common electrical energy source or, alternatively, may be supplied from entirely separate electrical energy sources. To fit the lamp for service as a rear lamp the said lens or window through which light passes in the said first direction is preferably coloured red whilst the lens or window through which light passes in the second direction is not coloured or is white.

As mentioned above the source of electrical energy may be a dry cell or a battery of dry cells housed within the casing, or alternatively may be a dynamo housed separately from the casing for mounting on the bicycle and joined to the casing by appropriate wiring.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the casing is provided with a security loop or ring integrally formed therewith or securely fixed or attached thereto, for receiving a security locking member for securing the casing to a bicycle on which the lamp casing is mounted.

It is known to provide bicycle lamps with readily detachable resilient clips for mounting onto appropriate brackets on the bicycle, and this makes it possible readily to remove the lamp to allow it to be used, hand held, for other purposes, thereby increasing its range of usefulness. This, however, makes a bicycle lamp rather easily subject to theft, and the above recited feature of the present invention overcomes this in a simple way. The loop may receive a chain or a rod passing through it and through an aperture in the bicycle frame or around a suitable rigid member of the bicycle frame to which it can be locked by any conventional locking means such as a padlock or chain lock.

The present invention also comprehends a safety system in the form of a kit of parts comprising, in combination, a lamp having means for directing light towards the rider as well as outwardly away from the bicycle, and one or a plurality of reflective elements attachable to the body or clothing of the rider. The term "reflective elements" will hereinafter be understood to refer to elements of material having the property of directing incident light in one or a plurality of directions with very little loss of intensity. Reflective paint incorporating highly reflective elements may be applied to strips or other shapes having attachment bands by which the strips can be secured to the clothing.

Velcro or other releasable fasteners may be provided in order to make these readily removable. Likewise, cycle clips or other items of equipment may be provided with appropriate reflective strips which coruscate as the pedals are turned and the cycle clips pass into and out of the range of the beam of light directed towards the rider from the lamp. Such coruscations can have a relatively high intensity and act to draw the attention of observers to the presence of the cyclist whereupon light reflected from elements which are stationary in relation to the light source can be seen also.

Instead of providing a casing having a number of windows through which individual beams of light can be directed, the present invention may alternatively be constituted by an omnidirectional cycle lamp having light shielding means on two opposite sides thereof for restricting the light emanating from the lamp into a limited region including two generally opposite directions. This arrangement allows a broad fan-shape beam to be generated, some of which may fall on the rider with the beneficial results outlined above.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be more particularly described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention formed as a rear lamp and shown partly cut away for clarity, Figure 2 is a perspective view from the side and front of the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1, and Figures 3 and 4 are diagrammatic side elevations of further forms of rear lamp in accordance with the invention.

Referring first to the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, the lamp shown comprises a rectangular external casing 11 provided with a bracket 12 on one major face, by means of which the lamp 11 can be fitted to a mounting bracket on a bicycle. On its upper face the casing 11 carries a switch operating member 13 which can be moved in the direction of the arrows A and B to turn the lamp on and off respectively.

At its rear end (the right hand side as viewed in Figures 1 and 2) the casing 11 is provided with an appropriately coloured transparent or translucent cover 14 having integrally formed internal lens indentations of known and otherwise conventional type, which cover encloses an incandescent lamp bulb 15 mounted in an aperture in a reflector 16 of part-parabolic form. The incandescent bulb 15 is connected to a source of electricity, such as a dry cell or battery of dry cells within the casing 11, by means of the switch 13, and the effect of the reflector 16, together with the lens shapings on the internal face of the cover 14, is to generate an appropriately directed slightly divergent beam of light in the direction of the arrow C.

At its forward lower corner the casing 11 is integrally shaped with a generally cylindrical loop 17 through which can be passed an appropriate security member such as a shaft or chain by means of which the lamp can be secured to the frame of a bicycle on which it is mounted.

At its front upper face the casing 11 is provided with a transparent lens or window 18 which has lateral portions 19 extending into the upper forward corner of a major face 20 of the lamp casing 11. Beneath the lens or window 18, in a recess (not shown) in the casing 11, is housed a further incandescent lamp bulb with its own associated reflector acting to generate, when the lamp is illuminated, a wide fan-shape beam of light the shape of which is suggested by the arrows D of Figures 1 and 2. This fan-shape beam of light has components directed forwardly and to either side, and serves to impinge on the rider, particularly in the region of the legs, and can also be observed directly from the side.

Figure 3 shows an alternative form of rear lamp in accordance with the invention which comprises a main hollow external casing 40. The casing, which may conveniently be moulded from plastics, is circular at its rearwardly facing open end 41 and a circular cover 42 is in screw-threaded engagement with the open end of the casing 40. (The screw threads are not shown in Figure 3).

The cover 42 constitutes a a red coloured translucent lens and a parabolic reflector 43 and electric bulb 44 are mounted within the cover 42.

The forward upper part of the casing 40 is formed with an inclined surface 45 in which is located a clear lens 46, facing forwardly and upwardly, a further electric bulb 47 being located behind the lens 46.

The casing 40 contains a battery compartment, the battery being indicated at 48, and the battery powers the bulbs 44 and 47 by means of conventional wiring, not shown. Switching on and off of the bulbs is effected by a rubber covered operating switch, indicated at 49, on the front surface of the casing. The side of the casing is provided with a conventional fitting 50 for mounting the lamp on a suitable bracket on the bicycle or motorcycle.

The casing 40 is provided at each side of its upper part with registering circular apertures 51 which provide, in effect, a passage passing clearly through the casing from one side to the other thereof. The apertures 51 are of such a size that when the bicycle or motorcycle is left unattended the lamp may be secured to it by passing a security element, such as a chain, through the apertures 51, as in the arrangements previously described.

In the arrangement of Figure 3, however, the rear cover 42 is integrally formed with a forwardly extending projection 52 which lies beneath passage provided by the apertures 51. Thus, when the security chain or other element is passing through the apertures 51 it is impossible to unscrew the cover 42 since the projection 52, in trying to rotate across the space between the apertures 51, fouls the locking chain or other element preventing further unscrewing rotation of the cover 42. This prevents unauthorised access to the interior of the casing by removal of the cover 42.

Figure 4 shows an alternative design of rear lamp which is generally similar in principle to the arrangement of Figure 3. It comprises a main casing 53 the open rear side of which is closed by a red lens cover 54 which is screwed into the open side of the casing and carries a parabolic reflector 55 and a bulb 56. The cover 54 has a forward projection 57 which passes across the space between the security apertures 58 as the cover is unscrewed from the casing.

The forward part of the casing 53 is generally hemispherical and carries a clear lens 59 behind which is a parabolic reflector 60 and bulb 61.

A battery 62 is located within the casing and a rubber covered switch, indicated at 63 is provided in the upper part of the casing for operation of the bulbs 56 and 61. A conventional device 64 is provided for mounting the lamp on a suitable bracket on the bicycle or motorcycle.

In the arrangements of Figures 3 and 4 the rearwardly facing bulbs 44 and 56 provide the required red rear light, while the forwardly and upwardly facing bulbs 47 and 61 shine white light on to the rider of the machine.

Claims (1)

1. A lamp for a bicycle or motorcycle having a casing with a transparent lens or window therein, the casing having means for mounting it to a bicycle or motorcycle and housing at least one lamp bulb and means for directing light from the lamp bulb through the transparent lens or window in a first direction away from the rider when the lamp is in its normal position of use, and means for directing a beam of light in a second direction, towards the rider, whereby to illuminate at least a part of the rider in use of the lamp.

2. A lamp according to Claim 1, wherein the casing of the lamp has lateral openings therein for allowing light to pass out of the casing at an angle to the light emitted through the said lens or window.

3. A lamp according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein said means for directing a beam of light in the said second direction comprise a further lens or window in the casing for allowing light from the same light source within the casing to pass out from the casing.

4. A lamp according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein said means for directing a beam of light in the said second direction comprise an entirely separate light source from that generating the light directed in said first direction.

5. A lamp according to Claim 4, wherein the, or each, light source is provided with a reflector for concentrating the light in a given beam.

6. A lamp according to Claim 4 or Claim 5, wherein the two light sources comprise separate incandescent lamps supplied from a common electrical energy source.

7. A lamp according to Claim 4 or Claim 5, wherein the two light sources comprise separate incandescent lamps supplied from separate electrical energy sources.

8. A lamp according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said lens or window through which light passes in the said first direction is coloured red whilst a lens or window through which light passes in the second direction is not coloured or is white.

9. A lamp according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the casing has means for housing within it a source of electrical energy comprising a dry cell or a battery of dry cells, and means for electrically connecting the cell or cells to the lamp bulb or bulbs.

10. A lamp according to any of Claims 1 to 8, wherein there is provided a dynamo housed separately from the casing for mounting on the bicycle and joined to the casing by appropriate wiring.

11. A lamp according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the casing is provided with an aperture for receiving a security locking member for securing the casing to a bicycle or motorcycle on which the lamp casing is mounted.

12. A lamp according to Claim 11, wherein the aperture is provided by a security loop or ring integrally formed with the casing or securely fixed or attached thereto.

13. A lamp for a bicycle or motorcycle, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, or Figure 3, or Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A safety system comprising a kit of parts including, in combination, a lamp having means for directing light towards the rider as well as outwardly away from the bicycle, and in accordance with any of the preceding claims, and one or a plurality of reflective elements attachable to the body or clothing of the rider.

15. A lamp for a bicycle or motorcycle having a casing with a transparent lens or window therein, the casing having means for mounting it to a bicycle or motorcycle and housing at least one lamp bulb and means for directing light from the lamp bulb through the transparent lens or window, the casing being provided with an aperture for receiving a security locking member for securing the casing to a bicycle or motorcycle on which the lamp casing is mounted.

16. A lamp according to Claim 15, wherein the aperture is provided by a security loop or ring integrally formed with the casing or securely fixed or attached thereto.

17. A lamp according to Claim 15 or Claim 16, wherein the casing is formed with a removable cover for providing access to the interior thereof, and wherein the removable cover is provided with a portion which, when the security locking member is in position through said aperture, is engageable with said locking member in a manner to prevent removal of the cover from the casing.

18. A lamp according to Claim 17, wherein there are provided two registering apertures in opposite side walls of the casing, and wherein said portion of the removable cover is required to pass across the space between said apertures, within the casing, as the cover is removed from the casing.

19. A lamp according to Claim 17 or Claim 18, wherein the transparent lens or window is provided on said removable cover.

20. A lamp according to any of Claims 17 to 19, wherein the removable cover is in screw-threaded engagement with the casing.