Illumination – Light source and modifier – Laser type
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-22
2003-07-01
O'Shea, Sandra (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Light source and modifier
Laser type
C362S372000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06585395
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to illumination for theatrical, architectural and stage lighting systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Longer life and more energy efficient sources of light have become increasingly important thus making alternative light sources important. Recent advances in light emitting diode (LED) technology particularly the development of multi-chip and multi-LED arrays have led to brighter LEDs available in different colors. LEDs are available in both visible colors and infrared. In addition to red, yellow, green, and amber-orange, which were the first available colors, LEDs are now available in blue and even white light. LEDs operate at lower currents and yet produce 100 percent color intensity and light energy. For many applications, LEDs can compete directly with incandescent filament light sources.
LEDs emit a focused beam of color light in a variety of different angles, in contrast to incandescent filament lamps, which emit only the full spectrum of light. In order to obtain color from an incandescent filament lamp, a specific color gel or filter in the desired color spectrum must be used. Such a system results in 90 percent or more of the light energy wasted by the incandescent filament lamp. LEDs on the other hand deliver 100 percent of their energy as light and so produce a more intense colored light. White light is also produced more advantageously by LEDs. White light is obtained from LEDs in two ways: first, by using special white light LEDs; and second, by using an additive mixture of red, green and blue (RGB) LEDs at the same intensity level so as to produce a white light. With regard to the second method, variable intensity combinations of RGB LEDs will give the full color spectrum with 100 percent color intensity and light output energy. The primary colors red, green, and blue of RGB LEDs can be mixed to produce the secondary colors cyan, yellow, magenta (CYM) and also white light. Mixing green and blue gives cyan, as is known in the art of colors. Likewise as is known in the art, mixing green and red gives yellow. Mixing red and blue gives magenta. Mixing red, green, and blue together results in white. Advances in light-emitting diode technology include the development of multi-chip and multi-LED arrays, which have led to brighter LEDs available in different colors. LEDs are available in both visible colors and infrared.
LEDs are more energy efficient as well. They use only a fraction of the power required by conventional incandescent filament lamps. The solid state design of LEDs results in great durability and robustness to withstand shock, vibration, frequent power cycling, and extreme temperatures. LEDs have a typical 100,000 hours or more usable life when they are operated within their electrical specifications. Incandescent filament lamps are capable of generating high-intensity light for only a relatively short period of time and in addition are very susceptible to damage from both shock and vibration.
Incandescent filament lamps of the MR and PAR type are the best known and most widely used technologies of the architectural, theatrical and stage lighting industry. Such lamps are available in different beam angles, producing beam angles ranging from narrow spot lights to wide flood focuses. Such types of lamps are very popular because they have long-rated lives up to 5,000 hours.
Light emitting diode LED technology including white light and full color red, green, blue (RGB) tile array modules have become common in certain areas of illumination, most commonly for large scale lighted billboard displays. Such LED light sources incorporate sturdy, fast-moving and animated graphics with full color. Such flat displays offer only one fixed viewing angle, usually at 100 degrees.
Another use of fixed flat panels for LED arrays are currently used in traffic lights and for stop lights and warning hazard lights mounted on the rear of automobiles.
A recent advance in LED lamp technology has been ICOLOR (a registered trademark of Color Kinetics Inc., 10 Milk Street, Boston, Mass. 02108) MR light sources introduced by such company, and the ICOLOR MR light source is a digital color-changing lamp, which plugs into standard MR 16 type lighting fixtures. This lamp has the advantage of using variable intensity colored LEDS with a long-life of 100,000 hours or more. On the other hand, it has a fixed LED array that is limited to a fixed beam angle of 22 degrees (SPOT). Similarly, Boca Flashes, Inc. offers a compact LED array of up to 24 LEDS in a typical dichroic coated glass reflector. The beam angle is limited to 20°.
Another LED light source is use today takes the form of a flashing warning beacon. The LEDs are arranged in a cylindrical array around the circumference of a tube base. This configuration allows for viewing from a 360 degree angle. The same configuration is also used in wedge base type LED lamps as well as in LED bulbs mounted on a standard screw base.
MR and PAR type incandescent filament lamps are able to be controlled to produce complete control of output beam angles. MR and PAR lamps are fixed focus and are not adapted to control beam angles. LED technology to date does not offer complete control of output beam angles.
Some patents that have addressed this problem are as follows:
1) U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,766 issued to Bailey et al. on May 19, 1998, discloses a focusable lighting apparatus for illuminating area for visual display. A flexible base member, shown in this patent as a cylindrical base member
20
, is supported on a housing and an array of LEDs
22
are supported on the flexible base member. An actuator connected to the base member is operable to move the flexible base member to selected working positions so as to direct LED generated light beams normally, inwardly or outwardly. The LEDs are supported on the flexible base
20
. Base
20
can be deflected (see col. 3, lines 45-49 and also col. 4, lines 43-46) so that the optical axes
39
a
in a parallel mode is made to provide converging light beams indicated by the three lines
39
b
shown in
FIG. 2
thereof, and the bending of flexible base
20
is accomplished by actuator
28
by way of a rod
26
with the second flexed position shown in phantom. It is apparent that the range of beam angles that can be achieved by pulling or pushing flexible base member
20
is limited by the unitary structure of base member
20
. Base member
20
itself is described as flexible so that stretching of base member
20
itself is necessary to change the diode beam angles. The material composition of flexible member
20
is described as being made of any of various polymer or elastomer materials (col. 4, lines 51-62). The unitary structure of base
20
creates a built-in limitation position (col. 4, lines 53-62. The invention described therein has a limitation to its usefulness in the field of stage and theatrical lighting. It is also noted that the limited strength of elastomer base
20
itself to maintain constant diode beam angles is compromised so that the beam angles are significantly misdirected since the diodes
20
cannot maintain constant angles relative to the plane of flexible member
20
because flexible member
20
itself undergoes a warping effect and so maintains no constant plane angle except in the parallel beam mode. Also, the number of diodes
22
that can be mounted to base member
20
is limited by the “relatively thin” (col. 2, line 59) base member
20
. Also, permanent molding of the light emitting elements seems necessary, which indicates a difficulty in replacing the elements when they fail.
2) U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,163 issued to Johnson on Dec. 3, 1996, discloses a plurality of light emitting elements including light bulbs and LEDs attached to a circular flexible membrane that in turn is connected to outer and inner housing that are movable relative to one another so as to flex the membrane in a predetermined manner. The inner housing is threaded into an adjusting nut that can be rotated to move the inner housing relative to the outer housing. The
Altman Stage Lighting Co., Inc.
Lackenbach & Siegel LLP
Negron Ismael
O'Shea Sandra
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