Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems – Plural series connected load devices – Christmas lights
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-30
2001-02-06
Vu, David (Department: 2821)
Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems
Plural series connected load devices
Christmas lights
C315S189000, C315S193000, C362S362000, C362S800000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06184628
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to lamp construction using light emitting diode (LED) technology to provide multicolor effects in pools and spas.
2. Description of Related Art
Pool lighting is typically provided by a watertight encasement mounted at one or more locations in the wall of a pool below the waterline. Generally, a clear incandescent bulb rated for 12 volt-ac is used. If a color effect is desired, the encasement must be removed from the wall surface and pulled above the waterline. After removal of the watertight lens, a colored incandescent lamp can be screwed into the lamp socket. The lens is reinstalled and the encasement is placed back into the wall. The pool owner then has a constant single color effect within the pool. Another method of providing changing color effects in water includes a device for an aquarium wherein fixed lamps in combination with rotating transparent plates of varying colors are used.
LED technology for water use is known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,778 to Matthias et al. depicts the use of a single LED located at the end of a wire and placed within an aquarium at a desired location within or near an ornamental object placed inside the aquarium. U.S. Pat. No. 5,561,346 to Byrne depicts an LED lamp construction for adaptation to a traffic light for providing a low voltage light means for traffic signals. The colors are provided by the colored lenses generally attached to traffic signal lamps . . . are known in the art.
The aforementioned devices do not provide the ability to have a multicolor effect in underwater applications wherein the LEDs are sequenced to turn on predetermined arrays of different colored LEDs thereby providing a pool or spa owner with a dynamic multicolored illumination effect to his or her pool or spa.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a multicolor LED lamp bulb which includes a hollow lamp body extending along a central axis, the lamp body further including a substantially tapered and symmetrically-shaped intermediate portion, a longitudinal portion integral to a proximal end of the intermediate portion extending a predetermined distance therefrom, and a stem portion substantially cylindrical in shape extending along the central axis. A proximal end of the stem portion is integral to a distal end of the intermediate portion.
A lens encapsulates the proximal end of the longitudinal portion and is in a watertight and hermetically sealed engagement with an outside surface of the longitudinal portion.
A plurality of different colored light emitting diode (LED) bulbs are mounted in a predetermined spaced-apart arrangement on a circuit board wafer. The circuit board wafer is a printed circuit board which is disposed proximate the intermediate portion proximal end an is secured inside the lamp body wherein it is oriented normal to the central axis of the lamp body. The LED bulbs are mounted on the side of the circuit board wafer facing the lens and the printed wiring from the LED bulbs is on the opposite side for connecting to a controller circuit.
The controller circuit is in electrically operative communication with predetermined arrays of the plurality of different colored LED bulbs and wired in such a manner that the predetermined arrays of the plurality of different colored LED bulbs activate at predetermined sequences for predetermined time intervals.
The controller circuit is also electrically connected to a conventional screw-type base, such as those utilized with standard incandescent light bulbs. The screw-type base is affixed or secured to the stem portion and adapted to engage a conventional lamp socket for voltage transfer.
The controller circuit also includes a rectifier circuit for converting a 12 volt-ac source applied to the LED lamp bulb through electrical connections in the screw-type base to a 12 volt-dc circuit for supplying electrical power to the arrays of the plurality of different colored LED bulbs. The rectifier circuit may be incorporated into the controller circuit printed circuit board or it may be part of a separate printed circuit board that plugs into the printed circuit board with the controller circuit.
The lens optionally includes a grid of grooves in opposite sides of the lens. The grooves on one side are preferably oriented approximately 90° from the direction of the opposite side grooves. The grooves are typically V-shaped grooves and cane be arranged to form diamond, rectangular or square shapes when viewing the lens axially. Although the opposing directional grooves may be on the same side, it is preferable that they be on opposite sides of the lens.
The controller circuit may be integral to the circuit board wafer with the mounted plurality of different colored LED bulbs; although it is preferable for reduced manufacturing costs and ease of assembly and, in particular, replacement of defective controller circuits in an assembly line, that the controller circuit be integrated on a separate printed circuit board.
The plurality of different colored LED bulbs may typically include a combination of red, blue and green LED bulbs at a respective ratio of 5:3:3, for example, 40 red LED bulbs, 24 blue LED bulbs and 24 green LED bulbs, all arranged in predetermined clusters. It was found that this combination provided a substantially equalized and balanced light intensity and brilliance between these particular colors. Of course, different light color combinations may be used and other ratios are contemplated provide the circuitry is adapted to provide a desired equalized and balanced light intensity.
In one practical application of the present invention, an embodiment is presented wherein the plurality of different colored LED bulbs include eight clusters of five red LED bulbs, eight cluster of three blue LED bulbs, and eight clusters of three green LED bulbs, each cluster being in a predetermined spaced-apart arrangement on the circuit board wafer.
The longitudinal portion of the lamp body includes a ridge portion extending peripherally around the outside surface of the longitudinal portion for cooperatively engaging a mating recess portion in an overlapping portion of the lens. The lens is sealed to the lamp body at or near this point or area of contact.
The invention is adapted such that it can be used to replace bulbs currently used in underwater pool light sockets, where a 12 volt-ac power source is supplied through the socket. This novel and nonobvious invention will provide pool owners, residential and commercial, an inexpensive way to have a beautiful display of changing colored lights within their pools.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5165778 (1992-11-01), Matthias et al.
patent: 5313729 (1994-05-01), Sakai et al.
patent: 5374876 (1994-12-01), Horibata et al.
patent: 5561346 (1996-10-01), Byrne
LaPointe Dennis G.
Mason & Associates, PA
Vu David
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