Vehicular lighting system
A vehicular lighting system including an elongated mounting base having a body. The body has a central portion with a central bearing surface for contacting a mounting surface. The body includes a pair of flanges having upwardly depending portions extending from the central portion and downwardly depending portions extending from the central portion. The downwardly depending portions form bearing surfaces spaced from the central bearing surface for bearing on the mounting surface. The central portion includes an elongated groove extending along the base opposed from the central bearing surface. The elongated groove and inner surfaces of the flanges defining an elongated receptacle for a flexible light strip, which is positioned and retained in the receptacle by the flanges. The light strip is substantially contained within the receptacle and comprises a substantially transparent polymeric body with a plurality of light sources encapsulated in the polymeric body. The light strip includes contacts for electrically coupling the light sources to a power supply.
1. A vehicular lighting system comprising:
an elongated mounting base having a body, said body having a central portion with a central bearing surface for contacting a mounting surface, said body including a pair of flanges having upwardly depending portions extending from said central portion and downwardly depending portions extending from said central portion, said downwardly depending portions forming bearing surfaces spaced from said central bearing surface for contacting the mounting surface, and said central portion having an elongated groove opposed from said central bearing surface, said elongated groove extending along said base, said elongated groove and inner surfaces of said flanges defining an elongated receptacle; and
a flexible light strip positioned and retained in said receptacle by said flanges, said light strip being substantially contained within said receptacle, and said light strip comprising a substantially transparent polymeric body and a plurality of light sources encapsulated in said polymeric body, and said light strip having contacts for electrically coupling said light sources to a power supply.
2. The lighting system according to claim 1 , wherein said light sources comprise light emitting diodes.
3. The lighting system according to claim 1 , wherein said polymeric body comprises a polyvinyl chloride body.
4. The lighting system according to claim 1 , wherein said lower portions of said flanges and said central portion form therebetween recesses.
5. The lighting system according to claim 4 , wherein said recesses between said lower portions of said flanges and said central portion comprise mounting openings, said mounting openings for receiving couplers.
6. The lighting system according to claim 5 , said base comprising a first base, further comprising a second base, said second base being coupled to said first base by couplers, said couplers extending into said mounting openings of said respective bases to thereby couple said bases together, wherein said light strip comprises a light strip extending through both of said receptacles of said respective bases to form a longer lighting system.
7. The lighting system according to claim 6 , wherein said couplers comprise pins.
8. The lighting system according to claim 7 , wherein said pins comprises coiled spring pins.
9. The lighting system according to claim 1 , further comprising terminal end members, said terminal end members coupling to opposed ends of said base and for securing at least end portions of said base to the vehicle.
10. The lighting system according to claim 1 , wherein said elongated groove has an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper portion and said inner surfaces of said flanges defining said elongated receptacle.
11. The lighting system according to claim 1 , wherein said elongated receptacle comprises a round elongated receptacle.
12. The lighting system according to claim 1 , further comprising a light assembly, said light assembly mounted over said light strip and said base.
13. The lighting system according to claim 12 , wherein said light assembly comprises a housing and at least one light source in said housing, said light source of said light assembly being adapted for coupling to a power supply.
14. The lighting system according to claim 13 , wherein said housing comprises a housing base, said housing base having a transverse passage therethrough for receiving said light strip and said mounting base wherein said light assembly provides a supplemental illumination source to said light strip.
15. The lighting system according to claim 14 , wherein said light assembly is mounted to an end portion of said mounting base to thereby form a terminal member for said mounting base.
16. The light assembly according to claim 14 , wherein said light source of said light assembly and said light sources of said light strip are electrically coupled to the same power supply.
17. The lighting system according to claim 1 , further comprising terminal end members, said terminal end members coupling to opposed ends of said base and for securing at least end portions of said base to the vehicle.