Vehicle utility/emergency light assembly

A detachable utility light assembly for vehicles and machinery comprising:

• a housing;
• a lamp assembly;
• a mounting bracket having either a mounting member or a recess for slidably mounting said housing for said lamp assembly, and a releasable, flexible latch adjacent said mounting member or recess;
• said housing having an opposite one of said mounting member or said recess in an exterior surface thereof for detachably, slidably receiving said mounting member or said recess of said bracket to retain said housing on said bracket, said housing having a portion adapted for engagement with said latch when said housing is mounted on said mounting bracket, said latch being disengagable from said housing portion for removal of said housing from said mounting bracket;
• and
• said lamp assembly sealed in said housing for emitting light.

A detachable utility light assembly for vehicles and machinery comprising:

• a housing;
• a lamp assembly;
• a mounting bracket having either a mounting member or a recess for slidably mounting said housing for said lamp assembly;
• said housing having an opposite one of said mounting member or said recess in an exterior surface thereof for detachably receiving said mounting member or said recess of said bracket to retain said housing on said bracket;
• and
• said lamp assembly sealed in said housing for emitting light;
• a spool journaled for rotation in said housing and having a cavity for receiving said lamp assembly;
• a cap attached to one side of said spool and generally closing said housing;
• and
• a lens extending through said cap and sealing with said spool over said cavity for transmitting light emitted by said lamp assembly;
• said housing also including:
• a member in a base of said housing and concentrically engaging said spool, about which said spool rotates;
• and
• a plurality of fingers engaging a peripheral edge of said spool for retaining said spool in said housing and providing a circumferential bearing surface.

A detachable utility light assembly for vehicles and machinery comprising:

• a housing closed at one end and open at an opposite end to define a substantially cylindrical cavity having at least one wall upstanding perpendicularly from said one end, and a plurality of tabs defined in said upstanding wall, each tab having a boss extending into said cavity;
• a mounting member on an exterior surface of said housing adapted to attach said housing to a support structure;
• a spool journaled to said one end, engaging and retained by said plurality of tabs, for rotation within said housing and adapted to receive an elongated electrical conductor coiled thereabout for reeling and unreeling;
• a top attached to said spool and substantially closing said open end of said housing;
• a lamp assembly disposed in said spool and adapted for connection to the elongated electrical conductor;
• and
• a lens attached to said top and extending over said lamp assembly.

A utility light assembly for a vehicle, comprising in combination:

• a mounting bracket for attachment to the vehicle, and having a male mounting member;
• a position-responsive switch attached to said mounting bracket and adapted to be operably coupled to a power source;
• a utility light housing having a cylindrical wall closed at one end, and open at an opposite end, said cylindrical wall containing a plurality of radially spaced tabs, said one end having a recess defined in an exterior surface configured to slidaly receive said male mounting member and detachably retain said utility light housing on said mounting bracket;
• and
• a top assembly closing said opposite end of said utility light housing and configured for rotational movement within said utility light housing, said top assembly including a spool disposed within said utility light housing detachably retained by said plurality of radially spaced tabs, a lamp assembly disposed within said spool and operably coupled to said position-responsive switch through a length of conductor storable on said spool.

A compartment light for a vehicle, comprising:

• a mounting bracket;
• a position-responsive switch attached to said bracket and configured to be coupled to a power source;
• a casing slidably received on said bracket, said casing having a cylindrical opening in one side including a plurality of tabs defined in one wall of said casing;
• a spool disposed within said cylindrical opening in said casing and detachably retained by said plurality of tabs, said spool adapted to receive a length of electrical conductor one end of which is connected to said position-responsive switch;
• a lamp assembly mounted on said spool including a lamp and electrical connections for connecting said lamp to an opposite end of said electrical conductor;
• a cap assembly attached to said spool and generally closing said cylindrical opening in said casing;
• and
• a lens mounted in said cap assembly substantially above and sealing said lamp assembly from moisture and debris;
• said position-responsive switch adapted to control on/off activation of said lamp assembly upon movement of said mounting bracket.