Granted Patent B2

US 11,268,664 · App. 16/721,328 · Granted Mar 8, 2022

Inventors: William E. Pugh, II (Towson, MD); Chad Aaron Miley (Camden, OH); Russell J. Bohart (Baltimore, MD); Eric Jon Van Fossen (Huntersville, NC); Brandon Rowlan Stumpf (Parkville, MD)

Assignee: Apex Brands, Inc.

F21S4/28B25H3/003F21S9/02F21V21/096F21V23/04F21V33/0084

Abstract

Claims (48)

1. A light bar comprising:

a body;

a battery housed inside the body;

a lighting element housed inside the body;

a switch operably coupled to the lighting element and the battery to enable control of lighting intensity of the lighting element based on a position of the switch;

a first fixing assembly formed at opposing longitudinal ends of the body, the first fixing assembly being configured to engage with corresponding structures in a case to enable the light bar to be removable and rotatable relative to the case while engaged with the corresponding structures; and

a second fixing assembly disposed at a portion of the body between the opposing longitudinal ends;

wherein the light bar is affixable to an object external to the case via interaction of the second fixing assembly with the object when the first fixing assembly is disengaged from the corresponding structures in the case and the light bar is removed from the case.

2. The light bar of claim 1 , wherein the light bar further comprises a multi-position switch disposed at a portion of the body, the multi-position switch defining at least an off position and two on positions corresponding to different light intensity settings.

3. The light bar of claim 1 , wherein the second fixing assembly comprises a magnet disposed in the body to enable the body to be affixed to a metallic object.

4. The light bar of claim 1 , wherein the corresponding structures in the case comprises holding slots, and

wherein the first fixing assembly is configured to be removable from the holding slots and rotatable in the holding slots between selected ones of a plurality of predetermined light bar orientations.

5. The light bar of claim 4 , wherein the first fixing assembly comprises a retention boss formed at each of the opposing longitudinal ends of the body,

wherein the retention boss extends away from a base surface of the body, the retention boss further including an alignment slot formed therein,

wherein the light bar is removable from or insertable into the holding slots based on alignment of the alignment slot and an alignment protrusion of one of the holding slots, and

wherein the light bar is rotatable when retained in the holding slots.

6. The light bar of claim 5 , wherein the base surface comprises a plurality of locking slots extending radially outwardly from the retention boss.

7. The light bar of claim 6 , wherein the corresponding structures in the case further comprises a locking protrusion,

wherein the locking protrusion is alignable with a selected one of the locking slots to insert the locking protrusion into the selected one of the locking slots to fix the light bar relative to the frame member.

8. The light bar of claim 7 , wherein the holding slots each further comprise a collar portion disposed proximate to a locking protrusion and defining a receiving orifice, the locking protrusion and alignment protrusion being disposed on opposite sides of the receiving orifice, and

wherein the retention boss is rotatable within the receiving orifice when neither the alignment slot nor any one of the locking slots engages a respective one of the alignment protrusion and the locking protrusion.

9. The light bar of claim 8 , wherein a first locking slot is substantially aligned with the alignment slot, and the locking protrusion is aligned with the alignment protrusion such that the light bar is positionable to align both the first locking slot with the locking protrusion and the alignment slot with the alignment protrusion to enable installation and fixing of the light bar relative to the frame member.

10. The light bar of claim 8 , wherein a second locking slot is disposed about 45 degrees away from the first locking slot in the base surface, the second locking slot being engageable with the locking protrusion to define a use position in which the light bar is fixed in an orientation in which a light window of the light bar faces substantially perpendicularly away from a base portion forming an outer wall of the case.

11. The light bar of claim 8 , wherein a third locking slot is disposed about 135 degrees away from the first locking slot in the base surface, the third locking slot being engageable with the locking protrusion to define a storage position in which the light bar is fixed in an orientation in which a light window of the light bar faces substantially parallel to a base portion forming an outer wall of the case.

12. The light bar of claim 1 , wherein the first fixing assembly and the second fixing assembly are integrated with and inseparable from the body of the light bar.

13. The light bar of claim 1 , wherein the second fixing assembly affixes the light bar to an object external to the case independent of the first fixing assembly.

14. A case for storing drivable components, the case comprising:

a first half shell and a second half shell operably coupled to each other via a hinge;

a frame member configured to be retained in at least one of the first half shell or the second half shell; and

a light bar comprising a battery operated lighting element,

wherein the frame member comprises holding slots disposed in lateral sides of the frame member, and

wherein the light bar is configured to be removable from or insertable into the holding slots, each holding slot comprising an alignment protrusion that aligns with an alignment slot at a respective longitudinal end of the light bar.

15. The case of claim 14 , wherein the light bar comprises:

a body inside which the light element and the battery are housed; and

a retention boss at each opposing end of the body,

wherein the light bar is rotatable into a plurality of predetermined light bar orientations;

wherein the retention boss is configured to be received in the holding slots in a selected one of a locked state or a rotatable state,

wherein the locked state fixes the light bar relative to the frame member in a selected one of the plurality of predetermined light bar orientations, and

wherein the rotatable state enables the light bar to rotate about an axis of the light bar between selected ones of the plurality of predetermined light bar orientations.

16. The case of claim 14 , wherein the light bar is rotatable into a plurality of predetermined light bar orientations;

wherein a selected one of the plurality of predetermined light bar orientations comprises a use position in which the light bar is fixed in an orientation in which a light window formed in the body faces substantially perpendicularly away from a base portion forming an outer wall of the case.

17. The case of claim 14 , wherein the light bar is rotatable into a plurality of predetermined light bar orientations;

wherein a selected one of the plurality of predetermined light bar orientations comprises a storage position in which the light bar is fixed in an orientation in which a light window formed in the body faces substantially parallel to a base portion forming an outer wall of the case.

18. The case of claim 14 , wherein the light bar is rotatable into a plurality of predetermined light bar orientations;

wherein a selected one of the plurality of predetermined light bar orientations comprises an install/remove position in which the light bar is fixed in an orientation in which a light window formed in the body faces about 45 degrees away from a base portion forming an outer wall of the case.

19. The case of claim 14 , wherein the light bar is rotatable into a plurality of predetermined light bar orientations;

wherein the light bar is configured to be removable from the holding slots from a selected one of the plurality of predetermined light bar orientations, and is also insertable into the holding slots in the same one of the plurality of predetermined light bar orientations.

20. The case of claim 14 , wherein the light bar further comprises a multi-position switch disposed at a portion of the body, the multi-position switch defining at least an off position and two on positions corresponding to different light intensity settings.

Assignments (13)