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US3622979A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Distress light with selectively useable colored lenses

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1969-09-23
•
Granted: 1971-11-23
•
Expires: 1989-09-23
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Abstract

Abstract A distress light including a housing provided with a top wall from which electrically actuatable illumination means project. A plurality of generally cup-shaped lenses of different colors are provided and may be nested within each other and inverted over the illumination means. Further, the housing includes a removable retaining ring operative to releasably retain either one or all of the inverted cup-shaped lenses over the illumination means. The distress light, while readily useable in many other environments for rendering a visual distress signal, has been specifically designed to provide an assemblage which may be compactly stored in a motor vehicle and utilized by a disabled motorist for signalling caution or requesting various types of aid. The distress light includes a pair of illumination assemblies, one being adapted to receive its power from a motor vehicle storage battery and the other being operable from a selfcontained small battery source of electrical potential contained within the housing of the distress light. In this manner, an extremely dependable distress light is provided and it is to be further noted that the distress light is to be marketed with a plurality of different colored lenses for enclosing the illumination means of the distress light. The different color lenses may include a red lens for signalling the need for medical aid, a green lens for signalling a need for police aid, a blue lens for signalling a need for mechanical aid and an amber or yellow lens for signalling ''''caution'''' where no assistance is required. In addition to the above, the illumination means operative from both the associated vehicle battery and the self-contained source of electrical potential include electrically actuated automatic cycling switch means serially connected between the sources of electrical potential and the illumination means whereby the latter will be alternately actuated.

Inventors

  • 👤 Robert P Dickerson

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-27 07:28
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60Q; B60Q1/00; B60Q1/26; B60Q1/2611; B60Q7/00

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim 297 words
A distress light including an upstanding housing provided with an upper wall portion, electrically actuatable illumination means supported from the upper surface of said upper wall portion and projecting upwardly therefrom, a plurality of different colored and nestable inverted downwardly opening generally cupshaped lenses removably positioned over said illumination means enclosing the latter with said lenses opening downwardly toward said one wall portion, said housing including means removably supported therefrom and operable to coact with said lenses for releasably retaining any number of said lenses on said housing in position enclosing said illumination means, said upper wall portion including an upstanding upwardly projecting neck portion supported therefrom and encircling the lower extremities of said illumination means, said neck portion including an upper end inwardly directed flange, the lower open ends of said lenses including radially outwardly projecting and circumferentially extending beads of generally the same diameter and vertically stacked relative to each other, the lowermost bead of said lenses being abutted against and supported from the flange carried by the upper end of said neck portion, said neck portion being externally threaded and said means removably supported from said housing for releasably retaining the lenses thereon including an axially elongated upstanding retainer ring, said ring being internally threaded and having its lower end removably threadedly supported from the external threads of said neck portion, the upper end of said ring including an inwardly directed flange overlying the uppermost bead of said lenses, the axial extent of the threads upon said neck portion and ring being such to allow said inwardly directed flange on the upper end of said ring to overlie the uppermost bead of said lenses when all of said lenses are supported in nested position on the inwardly directed flange carried by said neck portion.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 297 words
A distress light including an upstanding housing provided with an upper wall portion, electrically actuatable illumination means supported from the upper surface of said upper wall portion and projecting upwardly therefrom, a plurality of different colored and nestable inverted downwardly opening generally cupshaped lenses removably positioned over said illumination means enclosing the latter with said lenses opening downwardly toward said one wall portion, said housing including means removably supported therefrom and operable to coact with said lenses for releasably retaining any number of said lenses on said housing in position enclosing said illumination means, said upper wall portion including an upstanding upwardly projecting neck portion supported therefrom and encircling the lower extremities of said illumination means, said neck portion including an upper end inwardly directed flange, the lower open ends of said lenses including radially outwardly projecting and circumferentially extending beads of generally the same diameter and vertically stacked relative to each other, the lowermost bead of said lenses being abutted against and supported from the flange carried by the upper end of said neck portion, said neck portion being externally threaded and said means removably supported from said housing for releasably retaining the lenses thereon including an axially elongated upstanding retainer ring, said ring being internally threaded and having its lower end removably threadedly supported from the external threads of said neck portion, the upper end of said ring including an inwardly directed flange overlying the uppermost bead of said lenses, the axial extent of the threads upon said neck portion and ring being such to allow said inwardly directed flange on the upper end of said ring to overlie the uppermost bead of said lenses when all of said lenses are supported in nested position on the inwardly directed flange carried by said neck portion.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 37 words
The combination of claim 1 wherein said illumination means comprises a light bulb, a self-contained source of electrical potential disposed within said housing, and conductor means operative to selectively electrically connect said light bulb with said source.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 55 words
The combination of claim 1 wherein said illumination means comprises a light bulb, and flexible elongated conductor means electrically connected to said light bulb at one end and adapted for electrical connection with a remote source of electrical potential at its other end, said conductor means including electrically actuated cycling switch means serially connected therein.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

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US2420307A Cited
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1974-11-22 1975-05-24 1975-11-23 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1978-11-22 1979-05-24 1979-11-23 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1982-11-22 1983-05-24 1983-11-23 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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