Working spotlight and vehicle with a working spotlight

Abstract

A working spotlight for a vehicle is provided, featuring a housing, a light source, and a light guide system for guiding working light generated by the light source in a predefined direction out of the housing and into a working area. In and/or on the housing, a means of generating a motif is arranged for projecting at least one motif onto a projection surface outside of the housing.

Claims

1. A working spotlight for a vehicle, the spotlight comprising: a housing; a light source; and a light guide system for guiding working light generated by the light source in a predefined direction out of the housing and into a working area, wherein a means of generating a motif is arranged at least one of in and on the housing for projecting at least one motif on a projection surface outside of the housing; and wherein the means of generating the motif features a switching unit for switching between different motifs for projection onto the projection surface outside of the housing.

2. A working spotlight for a vehicle, the spotlight comprising: a housing; a light source; and a light guide system for guiding working light generated by the light source in a predefined direction out of the housing and into a working area, wherein a means of generating a motif is arranged at least one of in and on the housing for projecting at least one motif on a projection surface outside of the housing; and wherein the working spotlight features a zoom unit to achieve optical zooming of the motif onto the projection surface.

3. A working spotlight for a vehicle, the spotlight comprising: a housing; a light source; and a light guide system for guiding working light generated by the light source in a predefined direction out of the housing and into a working area, wherein a means of generating a motif is arranged at least one of in and on the housing for projecting at least one motif on a projection surface outside of the housing; and wherein a floodlight unit is arranged at least one of in and on the housing for floodlighting an area on the projection surface around the at least one motif.

4. The working spotlight in accordance with claim 1, wherein the light source features at least one LED.

5. A working spotlight for a vehicle, the spotlight comprising: a housing; a light source; and a light guide system for guiding working light generated by the light source in a predefined direction out of the housing and into a working area, wherein a means of generating a motif is arranged at least one of in and on the housing for projecting at least one motif on a projection surface outside of the housing; and wherein a signal reception unit is arranged in or on the housing for receiving a setting signal for setting the motif.

6. The working spotlight in accordance with claim 5, wherein a working spotlight control unit is arranged in or on the housing for automatically setting the motif depending on the setting signal received.

7. The working spotlight in accordance with claim 1, wherein a mounting section is arranged on the housing for mounting the working light on the vehicle.

8. The working spotlight in accordance with claim 1, wherein the means of generating a motif is arranged for projecting the at least one motif together with the working light onto a projection surface outside of the housing and within the working area.

9. A vehicle with a working spotlight in accordance with claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Reference is now made more particularly to the drawings, which illustrate the best presently known mode of carrying out the invention and wherein similar reference characters indicate the same parts throughout the views.

(2) FIG. 1 is a front view of a working spotlight according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(3) FIG. 2 is a side view of the working spotlight depicted in FIG. 1.

(4) FIG. 3 is a working spotlight that is depicting a motif according to an embodiment of the present invention.

(5) FIG. 4 is a vehicle with a working spotlight according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(6) Elements with the same function and modes of action are each given the same reference numbers in FIGS. 1 through 4.

(7) FIG. 1 shows a working spotlight 1 for a vehicle 2 with a housing 3, a light source 4 with several LEDs and a light guide system 5 (cf. FIG. 2) for guiding working light generated by the light source 4 in a predefined direction out of the housing 3 into a working area. Within the housing 3, a means of generating a motif 6 is arranged for projecting a motif 7 (cf. FIG. 3) onto a projection surface outside of the housing 3.

(8) The means of generating a motif 6 features a switching unit 8 for switching between different motifs 7 that can each be projected on the projection surface outside of the housing 3. The switching unit 8 depicted is designed in the form of a revolving system, by means of which different transparencies can be positioned in the light path of the working spotlight 1. The working spotlight 1 further features a zoom unit 15 to achieve optical zooming of the motif 7 onto the projection surface. The zoom factor of the zoom unit 15 can be adjusted by turning a zoom ring on the zoom unit 15, where different optical elements of the zoom unit 15 are moved in relation to each other.

(9) According to the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, a floodlight unit 10 for illuminating an area on the projection surface around the motif 7 is arranged in the housing 3. In the present example, the floodlight unit 10 comprises the light source 4. This means that the light source 4 generates the working light with which the motif 7 can be illuminated. Consequently, the means of generating a motif 6 for projecting the motif 7 onto a projection surface together with the working light is arranged outside of the housing 3 and within the working area.

(10) As depicted in FIG. 1, a signal reception unit 9 is arranged in or on the housing 3 for receiving a setting signal for setting the motif 7. In the present case, the signal reception unit is designed for receiving radio signals from an external computer, for example in the form of or as a component of a smartphone, such that the working spotlight 1 can be controlled by the smartphone. For this purpose, a working spotlight control unit 12 for automatically setting the motif 7 depending on the setting signal received is arranged on the housing 3. This means that when, for example, a motif with a warning triangle enclosing an exclamation point is selected, the same is automatically generated by means of the working spotlight control unit 12 and correspondingly projected into the working area.

(11) The working spotlight depicted in FIG. 1 features a mounting section 11 on the housing intended for mounting the working spotlight 1 on the vehicle 2 or bolting it to the vehicle 2.

(12) FIG. 2 shows a side view of the working spotlight 1 depicted in FIG. 1 in which the light guide system 5 in particular is depicted in the form of a reflector in the housing 3. Furthermore, FIG. 2 depicts the working spotlight control unit 12 in which a computer program 14 is installed for executing the functions of the working spotlight control unit 12.

(13) FIG. 3 shows the working spotlight 1 depicted in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 in an operating mode in which a motif 7 involving a warning triangle surrounding an exclamation point is projected onto a projection surface in an working area, where an area on the projection surface around the motif 7 is illuminated by means of the floodlight unit 10.

(14) FIG. 4 depicts a vehicle 2 in the form of a tractor with a working spotlight 1 mounted on its engine cover that projects a motif 7 or a logo onto the ground in a working area. The vehicle 2 features a vehicle control unit 13 by means of which the working spotlight 1 can be controlled. The vehicle control unit 13 can be linked by signal connection to control elements in a vehicle cab of vehicle 2 such that a worker can control the working spotlight 1 by actuating the control elements. The signal connection between vehicle 2 and working spotlight 1 may be wireless or wired.

(15) In addition to the embodiments depicted, the invention permits further design principles. This means that the invention should not be seen as being limited to the sample embodiment explained with reference to the figures. For example, a means of adjusting the focus can be arranged in or on the working spotlight 1 for focusing a zoomed motif 7 in addition to the zoom unit 15. In contrast to the embodiment depicted, the floodlight unit 10 and the light source 4 can be arranged separately from each other such that a further light source can be provided for illumination purposes alongside the light source 4 for the working light. Furthermore, the working spotlight 1 can feature a separate handle section by means of which it can be held and/or carried by one person.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(16) 1 Working spotlight 2 Vehicle 3 Housing 4 Lighting products 5 Light guide system 6 Means of generating a motif 7 Motif 8 Switching unit 9 Signal reception unit 10 Floodlight unit 11 Mounting section 12 Working spotlight control unit 13 Vehicle control unit 14 Computer program 15 Zoom unit