Communications: electrical – Systems – Signal light systems
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-20
2004-02-17
Tong, Nina (Department: 2632)
Communications: electrical
Systems
Signal light systems
C340S691400, C340S286070, C362S215000, C362S225000, C362S236000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06693514
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to signaling devices, and more particularly to a signaling device for annunciating a status of a monitored person or object.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Communication is a very important aspect of health care. Consequently, health care facilities such as hospitals, outpatient clinics and assisted living facilities generally have communication systems that allow patients or residents to summon caregivers. One component of such systems is corridor lights which are situated, for example, outside of each of the patient rooms. These corridor lights provide signals that are indicative of the status or priority of a particular call from the patient housed in the room. For example, the corridor light may be configured to provide different signals for a normal nurse call and an emergency call such as a “code blue” situation.
Many of these corridor lights use conventional incandescent bulbs to provide illumination. These incandescent bulbs are subject to failure when the filament breaks or bums out. Accordingly, the bulbs have to be replaced periodically, creating a maintenance issue. More importantly, because they are used in a health care environment, the reliability of these corridor lights can be a very important consideration. To address this concern, corridor lights used in critical care environments can be equipped with supervisory circuits which monitor the integrity of the filament in, at least, the bulbs corresponding to the most critical calls, such as a “code blue” situation. However, these supervisory circuits are expensive, increasing the overall cost of the corridor light.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a signaling device for annunciating in a hallway of a building a status of a monitored person or object. The signaling device includes at least two vertically stacked sections for announcing a status of the monitored person or object with each section announcing a status of a different condition.
Each vertically stacked section includes a solid-state, light-emitting device (LED) that is supported such that when the device is mounted to the wall of the hallway a beam of light from the LED is substantially aimed at a wall opposing the wall to which the device is mounted. A pair of opposing planar surfaces extends along diverging planes and is supported over each LED to receive the LED's beam of light. Each of the planar surfaces extends at an angle approximately equal to a characteristic optical beam angle of the beam of light. This arrangement causes light from the light beam to substantially uniformly illuminate an entirety of each of the planar surfaces when viewed from an angle approximately perpendicular to a direction in which the beam of light is aimed.
Moreover, each of the planar surfaces has an area sufficient to be easily viewed at a location in the hallway remote from where the device is mounted such that one planar surface of the pair is easily seen from one end of the hallway and the other planar surface is easily seen from the other end of the hallway. The signaling device further includes a lens for diffusing light reflected from the planar surfaces.
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Grabowski Steven J.
Perea, Jr. Levi J.
Perkins Michael C.
Leydig , Voit & Mayer, Ltd.
Rauland-Borg Corporation
Tong Nina
LandOfFree
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