Illumination – Self powered lamp – Having plural lamp bulbs or lamp sockets
Reexamination Certificate
2002-01-30
2004-06-22
Husar, Stephen (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Self powered lamp
Having plural lamp bulbs or lamp sockets
C362S247000, C362S295000, C362S545000, C362S800000, C340S815450
Reexamination Certificate
active
06752515
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the field of illumination and, more particularly, the invention relates to a solid-state lighting source such as a light-emitting diode (LED) device that provides for multi-level illumination in emergency or temporary situations that demand such.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Frequently, homes, offices and industrial plant facilities experience many types of emergency situations involving power failures where an interior or an exterior area has no light. Electrical short circuits, brownouts, fire, accidents, natural disasters (i.e. floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.) or a planned shutdown of electricity may cause these power failures to a facility or dwelling. As a result of these emergencies, most facilities, and especially residential homes, do not have emergency generators to provide temporary back-up lighting or are limited to emergency lighting in the form of portable light sources, such as flashlights or lanterns.
Conventionally, incandescent light bulbs have been used in most of the emergency lighting devices, such as flashlights. However, incandescent bulbs are generally inefficient in terms of energy use and subject to frequent replacement due to their limited lifetime. Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) have become an attractive alternative as a lighting source in emergency lighting devices. LEDs consume a fraction of the energy used to illuminate incandescent bulbs, therefore costly electrochemical power, typically battery power, is preserved. By comparison, LEDs implemented in a lighting array will require ninety percent less energy to produce optimum lumen output than that required by a similar incandescent lighting element. Additionally LEDs have a much longer use-life than conventional incandescent bulbs. However, in battery operated devices as electrical power is withdrawn from the cell, the voltage available across a given current load will decrease. This decreased available voltage across the given load causes reduced light output, gradually dimming the light as the battery charge depletes. LEDs have voltage, current and power parameters that must be controlled in order to maximize the extended device life. For an example of a flashlight device incorporating the use of LEDs see U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,661, entitled “Method and Apparatus for an LED Flashlight”, issued on Aug. 1, 2000 in the name of inventor Lebens et al.
While LEDs have many exciting and practical characteristics that make them attractive to new applications, they also present technical limitations such as narrow band spectra, extremely directional light distribution, and reliability concerns. Attempts have been made to address the directional limitations in numerous inventive ways. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,679, entitled “LED Light Bulb”, issued on May 8, 2001 in the names of inventors Zhang et al. The Zhang '679 patent addresses the directional limitations by providing for an array of LEDs in which the individual LED units are concentrically mounted and point at various angles to attempt to provide equal light intensity throughout the viewable lighting area.
Reflection means have also been implemented to try and compensate for the directional limitations of the LED. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,645, entitled “LED Lighting System for Producing White Light”, issued on May 22, 2001, in the name of inventors Borner, et al. In the Borner '645 patent an array of LEDs are mounted on the periphery of a circle and pointing in the direction of the reflector and the area to be lighted. The light emitted from the LEDs is reflected off of a conical shaped reflector and directed outward. Also see for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,283, entitled “LED Lamp With Reflector and Multicolor Adjuster”, issued on Nov. 21, 2000, in the name of inventors Conway et al. The Conway '283 patent teaches the use of an array of LEDs disposed in a circular array and pointed toward a reflector and away from the area to be lighted. The light emitted from the LEDs is reflected off a circular, dome shaped reflector and directed outward toward the area to be illuminated. While these reflection means have made some improvements in providing LED light with greater directional capacity, further improvements are still desired to provide broader illumination coverage in emergency lighting devices that implement LEDs.
A need exists to develop an electrochemical LED lighting system capable of providing prolonged illumination over the life of one battery pack. By providing for long-term, interim illumination a solution to electrical service disruption will be gained, especially in areas such as stairwells, bathrooms, corridors, kitchens and offices.
An additional need exists to develop an LED lighting device that is capable of providing wide area illumination coverage. By providing for a device with wide area illumination coverage the device will have useful application in a variety of tasks that include building trades, maritime operations, recreational camping and the like. Additionally, the device should provide for a highly portable unit that can affixed to walls or ceilings, or a free-standing unit that can be positioned on a table, counter or the like.
Also, a need exists to develop a multi-level lighting scheme that will provide identification of the lighting device and the immediate surrounding area so that the device can be located when electrical service interruption occurs. The multi-level lighting scheme should also provide different levels of lighting (i.e., mid-level illumination and maximum illumination) to accommodate the degree of lighting necessary to sufficiently illuminate the area.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides for an improved emergency or interim lighting device and associated methods for providing emergency or temporal lighting. The device of the present invention satisfies the need for an electrochemical lighting system capable of providing prolonged illumination over the life of the electrochemical power unit. The device benefits from the use of light emitting diodes (LEDs) as the illumination source, which provide optimum lumen output with considerably less power consumption than conventional incandescent lighting devices. By providing for a unique combination of diode arrangement and reflector the present invention overcomes the directional limitations of conventional LED lighting devices and results in wide area illumination coverage. Additionally the multi-level lighting scheme of the present invention provides for a means of identifying the device during electrical power outage and providing multiple levels of lighting intensity.
In one embodiment of the invention a lighting device that is capable of providing long-term, interim lighting includes an array of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) in electrical communication with corresponding electrical circuitry. The array will typically be configured in an elliptical pattern although other patterns such as generally conical, generally circular and the like are also feasible and within the inventive concepts herein disclosed. In one specific embodiment the LEDs comprise both amber and white LED units. The device also includes a means for providing electrical energy to the array of LEDs. In many embodiments the chosen source for electrical energy will be a direct current source, such as an electrochemical source. However, it is also possible to provide energy to the LEDs via other forms such as solar power, conventional alternating current power or any other means of supplying electrical energy.
The lighting device also includes a parabolic reflector positioned proximate to the array of light emitting diodes that reflects light from the LEDs to provide a wide area coverage of illumination. The geometric relationship between the LEDs and the parabolic reflector aids in dispersing the lumen output such that the lighting device is capable of broadcasting a wide-area blanket of light from the reflector. In one embodiment of the invention the elements comprisi
Brady Robert O.
Chartier Joel R.
Evans Donald F.
Johnson Thomas E.
Alston & Bird LLP
Cranson, Jr. James W
Cyberlux Corporation
Husar Stephen
LandOfFree
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