Vehicle with leaky light pipe
AssigneePhantom Frames, Inc.
InventorForrest Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A frame-supported vehicle, such as a bicycle or the like, has at least one frame component made of a light diffusing or fluorescent translucent or transparent material to form a leaky light pipe, and at least one light source in light communication with the frame component, whereby light propagates within the frame and is visible from outside the frame by diffusion or fluorescence or a combination thereof. The bicycle is highly visible at night, and may carry logos or other indicia that are enhanced by the background illumination, which may be redirected out of the tube. The frame component may be load bearing or non load bearing. In the latter case, it may be provided as an add-on accessory.
Claims20
A frame-supported vehicle comprising at least one frame component made of a material with light diffusing properties forming a leaky light pipe, and at least one light source for launching light into the leaky light pipe, and wherein the light source is disposed such that the light therefrom propagates internally away from said at least one light source axially along the light pipe and is externally visible off axis, at least in part due to the light diffusing properties of the material, as the light propagates internally within the light pipe, and wherein said at least one frame component is a load-bearing component.
A frame-supported vehicle comprising at least one frame component made of a material with light diffusing properties forming a leaky light pipe, and at least one light source for launching light into the leaky light pipe, and wherein the light source is disposed such that the light therefrom propagates internally away from said at least one light source axially along the light pipe and is externally visible off axis, at least in part due to the light diffusing properties of the material, as the light propagates internally within the light pipe, and wherein said at least one frame component is a non load-bearing component.
An accessory for mounting on a vehicle supported by a frame, comprising a component made of a material with light diffusing properties forming a leaky light pipe, and at least one light source for launching light into the leaky light pipe, and wherein the light source is disposed such that the light therefrom propagates internally away from said at least one light source axially along the light pipe and is externally visible off axis, at least in part due to the light diffusing properties of the material, as the light propagates internally within the light pipe, and wherein said component is a configured for attachment onto said frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.