Illuminated rub-rail/bumper assembly
Assigneei3 Ventures, LLC
InventorBrian N. Tufte
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rub-rail assembly that, in some illustrative embodiments, includes a carrier and an insert. The carrier may include, for example, a back support, and first and second legs extending from the back support. The insert may include a main body, and a pair of legs adapted to provide an interference fit with the legs of the carrier when the insert is installed in a seat position with the carrier. The some illustrative embodiments, the main body of the insert may include a lumen extending lengthwise for receiving an elongated light source, and in other embodiments the carrier may include the lumen for receiving an elongated light source. An elongated bumper assembly is also disclosed.
Claims22
A rub-rail assembly, comprising:
- a carrier having a back support, a first leg and a spaced second leg, wherein the first leg and the second leg extend out from the back support to form a carrier cavity;
- an insert having a main body, a first leg and a second leg, the first leg adapted to provide an interference fit with the first leg of the carrier and the second leg adapted to provide an interference fit with the second leg of the carrier when the insert is installed in a seat position with the carrier;
- and
- the insert having a light receiving cavity or lumen extending lengthwise for receiving an elongated light source, the insert further having an at least partially transparent material that extends from the light receiving cavity or lumen to an outer surface of the insert on a viewing side of the rub-rail assembly, and further having a substantially non-transparent material also on the viewing side of the rub-rail assembly, wherein the first leg and the second leg of the insert are formed from a substantially non-transparent material.
A rub-rail assembly, comprising:
- a carrier having a back support, a first leg with an inside surface and an outside surface, and a spaced second leg with an inside surface and an outside surface, wherein the first leg and the second leg extend out from the back support to form a carrier cavity therebetween, the inside surface of the first leg and the inside surface of the second leg defining at least part of the carrier cavity;
- an insert having a main body, a first leg and a second leg, the first leg adapted to provide an interference fit with the inside surface of the first leg of the carrier, and the second leg adapted to provide an interference fit with the inside surface of the second leg of the carrier, with the main body engaging at least part of the outside surface of the first leg and at least part of the outside surface of the second leg of the carrier when the insert is installed in a seat position with the carrier;
- and
- a light receiving cavity or lumen extending lengthwise for receiving an elongated light source, with an at least partially transparent material extending from the light receiving cavity or lumen to an outer surface on a viewing side of the rub-rail assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.