Patent Application
20200088369
The present disclosure relates a lighting device, for example, a lighting device configured to produce an electronically variable light beam pattern.
Lighting devices, such as flashlights and cap lamps are typically designed to have either a central light to produce a central beam pattern or a peripheral light or lights to produce a peripheral beam pattern. A central beam pattern is typically used for illuminating objects at relatively far distances. A peripheral beam pattern is typically used for shorter distances, and wider field-of-view applications. A peripheral beam pattern typically provides softer light, less eye strain and better peripheral lighting than the central beam pattern. Accordingly, where needs and environments may vary, a user may carry multiple lighting devices having different lighting configurations to produce central beam patterns or peripheral beam patterns as needed.
For example, a firefighter may need a highly focused central beam pattern when inside of a fire with thick smoke. However, a peripheral beam pattern may be more suitable when working in areas around the fire scene, for instance, to identify potential obstacles in areas which are otherwise poorly illuminated. In another example, a utility worker may need to a see a transformer at night that is far away, thus requiring a lighting device configured to produce a central beam. However, when performing maintenance or repair, the utility worker may need a softer, more diffuse light, such as the light provided by a peripheral beam pattern.
However, the need for using multiple lighting devices results in increased equipment costs. In addition, carrying multiple lighting devices at a job site may be burdensome or cumbersome to the user. Further, switching between lighting devices may be time consuming.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,933,122 (“U.S. '122”) provides a lighting device providing both central and peripheral illumination to produce a balanced light beam pattern. To this end, U.S. '122 provides a light assembly having a light source and a reflector having a reflective interior surface and a central opening. A toroidal-shaped toroid optic includes a central bore and the light source is positioned in the central bore. The toroid optic is positioned within the central opening of the reflector. A broadening lens is attached to the reflector and positioned adjacent to the toroid optic. The broadening lens includes a central optic. While the lighting device of U.S. '122 provides a balance between central and peripheral illumination, the beam pattern is fixed for a given optic design. U.S. '122 is commonly assigned with the instant application and is incorporated herein by reference, in its entirety.
Other known lighting devices include mechanical adjustments to adjust optic components relative to the position of the light source in order to vary the beam pattern. Such mechanical adjustments include sliding or screwing mechanisms. However, the mechanical adjustments add complexity to the lighting device, and are limited in the amount of peripheral light which may be obtained. Other known lighting devices include electronically adjustable lenses configured to focus light without requiring mechanical movement of the lens itself. One such lens includes a crystalline orientation which may be varied in response to application of a voltage. Another lens, referred to as a liquid lens, includes an optical liquid material that can change shape to vary the focal length. For example, a radius of curvature of the liquid lens may be electronically controlled to vary the focal length through electrowetting or the use of shape changing polymers. However, such known lighting devices may not be portable, and/or the lenses may be relatively complex to produce and install.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a lighting device configured to provide a user selectable, electronically variable light beam pattern.
According to one embodiment, an electronically variable lighting device includes a power supply, an input device, one or more first light sources, one or more second light sources and circuitry interconnecting the power supply and the input device with the one or more first light sources and the one or more second light sources. The one or more first light sources and the one or more second light sources are configured to produce a light beam shape for producing a light beam pattern. The circuitry is configured to control power supplied from the power supply to the one or more first light sources, the one or more second light sources, or both, to vary the light beam shape.
The circuitry may be configured to control power supplied by the power supply to the one or more first light sources, the one or more second light sources, or both, in response to an input signal received from the input device. The one or more first light sources may be configured to produce a central, narrow light beam pattern. The one or more second light sources may be configured to produce a peripheral, flood light beam pattern. The one or more first light sources may be centrally positioned and the one or more second light sources may be peripherally positioned relative to the one or more first light sources.
The one or more first light sources and the one or more second light sources may be either coplanar or non-coplanar. The lighting device may further include a chamber. The one or more first light sources may be positioned inside the chamber and the one or more second light sources may be positioned outside of the chamber. In another embodiment, the one or more first light sources and the one or more second light sources may be positioned inside the chamber. The one or more first light sources may be spaced from the one or more second light sources in a longitudinal direction of the chamber.
In one embodiment, the circuitry may include a printed circuit board. Alternatively, or in addition, the circuitry may include a microcontroller. Power may be supplied to the one or more first light sources and the one or more second light sources independently of one another. Alternatively, power supplied to the one or more first light sources may be inversely proportional to power supplied to the one or more second light sources. The one or more first light sources, the one or more second light sources, or both, may be light emitting diodes. In another embodiment, the one or more first light sources, the one or more second light sources, or both, may be laser excited phosphor. The lighting device may include one or more optic devices configured to direct a light beam produced by the one or more first light sources, the one or more second light sources, or both. The optic device may be a reflector configured to reflect a light beam produced by the one or more first light sources, the one or more second light sources, or both. In one embodiment, the lighting device may further include a mechanical control operably coupled to the one or more first light sources, the one or more second light sources, one or more optic devices or a combination thereof. The mechanical control is operable to vary the light beam pattern.
In one embodiment, the optic device may be a lens, such as an electronically controlled lens. In one embodiment, at least one light source of the one or more first light sources or the one or more second light sources and at least one other light source of the one or more first light sources or the one or more second light sources may be oriented to emit light beams in substantially non-parallel directions relative to one another.
According to another aspect, a method of electronically varying a light beam pattern produced by a lighting device includes supplying power to one or more first light sources, supplying power to one or more second light sources, and varying the power supplied to the one or more first light sources, the one or more second light sources, or both.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, in conjunction with the appended claims.
While the present device is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the figures and will hereinafter be described a presently preferred embodiment with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the device and is not intended to be limited to the specific embodiment illustrated.
The first and second light sources 16, 18 are configured to produce a light beam shape resulting in light beam pattern having properties of the narrow light beam pattern, the flood light beam pattern, or a combination of both (which may be referred to herein as a combined light beam pattern). In the embodiments described herein, the light beam shape may generally refer to shape of the light emitted from the first and/or second light sources 16, 18, and the light beam pattern may generally refer to the beam shape, and optionally a beam angle, as seen when the light is projected onto a surface or surfaces. The one or more first light sources 16 and the one or more second light sources 18 may be light emitting diodes (LEDs). However, other suitable light sources, or combinations of suitable light sources, are also envisioned. For example, another suitable light source includes laser excited phosphor (LEP).
The first and second light sources 16, 18 may be arranged in a predetermined manner, for example, depending on an intended application or type of the lighting device 10. To this end, a quantity, positioning, pattern, or the like, of the first light sources 16, the second light sources 18, or both, may be varied during manufacture. For example, in the embodiment of
The present disclosure is not limited to the configuration of the first and second light sources 16, 18 shown and described with reference to the example of
In one embodiment, the circuitry 14 may include a printed circuit board (“PCB”). In one embodiment, the one or more first light sources 16, the one or more second light sources 18, or both, may be mounted on the PCB. Alternatively, or in addition, the circuitry 14 may include a microcontroller having a memory configured to store program instructions, a microprocessor configured to execute the program instructions to control functions of the lighting device 10, and a communication module configured to send and receive signals.
The input device 22 may be any suitable device configured to receive an instruction from a user relating to a desired light beam pattern, and transmit an input signal to the circuitry 14 based on the instruction received from the user. For example, the input device 22 may include a microphone configured to receive a verbal input, a switch, knob, dial, slider, keypad or the like configured to receive a mechanical input, a touchpad, trackpad, touchscreen or the like configured to receive a gesture control, any other known suitable input device, or any suitable combination of the same. In one embodiment, separate input devices 22 may be provided to transmit input signals for the first light sources 16 and the second light sources 18, respectively. In one embodiment, user input may be remotely received in a known manner, for example, by transmitting the input using RF signals, Bluetooth, LiDar and other known, suitable, communication techniques. The power supply 24 may be a battery, for example.
Accordingly, power supplied to one of, or both, the one or more first light sources 16 and the one or more second light sources 18 may be varied to control an output, such as the brightness, of the first and second light sources 16, 18 in a desired manner. By varying power supplied to the one or more first light sources 16, the one or more second light sources 18, or both, the light beam shape produced by the first and second light sources 16, 18 may be electronically varied, based on the input signal, to produce a desired light beam pattern suitable for use in a desired application.
It is understood that the light beam patterns B1-B3 shown and described in
In one embodiment, the lighting device 10 may include one or more optic devices configured to vary the light beam shape produced by the first and second light sources 16, 18 and thus, may also vary the light beam pattern by directing light emitted from a light source 16, 18 in a predetermined manner. In one embodiment, the one or more optic devices may be configured, for example, to diffract, refract, diffuse, reflect, focus or otherwise alter a beam shape produced by the first and second light sources 16, 18. In one embodiment, the optic device is configured to change a beam angle of the light emitted from one or both of the light sources 16, 18. In one embodiment, different optic devices may be associated with different light sources 16, 18, or with different individual light sources of the one or more first light sources 16 and/or the one or more second light sources 18. In one embodiment, multiple optic devices may be used in combination with one another.
The optic device may include, for example, a reflective surface, a toroid optic, broadening optic, a lens or other similar, suitable device. In one embodiment, the optic device may be disposed in a path of the light emitted from one or more of the first and second light sources 16, 18. Non-limiting examples of suitable optic devices are described in the aforementioned U.S. '122 patent, in which a toroid optic and/or a broadening optic are configured to refract light emitted by an LED.
The present disclosure is not limited to the examples described above. For example, in other embodiments, it is envisioned that the light beam shape produced by the first and second light sources 16, 18 may be varied by a combination of electronic control as described above, and mechanical control. The mechanical control may be a known mechanical control operably coupled to the one or more first light sources 16, the one or more second light sources 18, the optic device or devices, or a combination thereof. The mechanical control may be operated to vary the light beam shape produced by the light sources 16, 18, to produce a desired light beam pattern.
In another embodiment, it is envisioned that the light beam pattern may be varied by way of electronic control of the first and second light sources 16, 18 as described above and electronic control of the one or more optic devices to vary the beam shape. In still another embodiment, it is envisioned that the beam pattern may be varied by way of a scanning light beam which is variable to produce desired peripheral light.
In one embodiment, an electronically controlled optic device may include an electronically controlled lens or lenses. Examples of such lenses include liquid lenses and lenses having voltage-sensitive crystalline orientations. The electronically controlled optic device may be operably connected to the power supply 24 via the circuit 14. The electronically controlled optic device may be operated, for example, in response to an input received from the input device 22. For example, in one embodiment, voltage may be selectively applied to an electronically controlled lens from the power supply 24 to change a crystalline orientation of the lens. In this manner, the lens may focus the light emitted from the first and/or second light sources 16, 18 to change the beam shape and produce a desired beam pattern. In another embodiment, the liquid lens may be operated to focus the light emitted from the first and/or second light sources 16, 18 to change the beam shape and produce a desired beam pattern.
In one embodiment, different lenses may be associated with different light sources 16, 18. Thus, beam shapes produced by the first and/or second light sources 16, 18 can be individually varied, or a combined light beam shape produced by the first and/or second sources 16, 18, can be varied to produce a desired light beam pattern. Thus, in embodiments above, a desired light beam pattern may be produced by a combination of electronic control of the one or more first and second light sources 16, 18 and one or more of mechanical control of first and second light sources 16, 18, mechanical control of the one or more optic devices and electronic control of the one or more optic devices.
For example,
In the embodiments above, power may be supplied to the one or more first light sources 16 and the one or more second light sources 18 independently, and thus, may be varied at each of the first and second light sources 16, 18 independently, for example by user input at separate input devices 22. Alternatively, the power supplied to one of first light source 16 and the second light source 18 may be dependent on the power supplied to the other of the first light source 16 and the second light source 18. For example, the power supplied to one of the first light source 16 and the second light source 18 may be inversely proportionate to the power supplied to the other of the first light source 16 and the second light source 18.
In the embodiments above, a lighting device 10 may include various configurations of the one or more first light sources 16 and the one or more second light sources 18. For example, the first and second light sources 16, 18 may be positioned substantially coplanar with one other, non-coplanar with one another (i.e., at different longitudinal positions along a length of a chamber or in the direction of emitted light), at different radial locations, in different patterns, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the one or more first light sources 16 and the one or more second light sources 18 may be mounted to different components of the lighting device 10. The present disclosure is not limited to these examples, and other arrangements of the first and second light sources 16, 18 in a 3D space are envisioned.
In one embodiment, the one or more first light sources 16 and the one or more second light sources 18 may be oriented in the same direction or different directions. For example, the first and second light sources 16, 18 may be oriented to emit light in generally parallel directions relative to one another. Alternatively, the first light sources 16 and the second light sources 18 may be oriented to emit light in directions generally non-parallel relative to one another. Similarly, in one embodiment, at least one light source of the first sources 16 may be oriented in the same direction or a different direction than at least one other light source of the first light sources 16. Likewise, in one embodiment, at least one light source of the second light sources 18 may be oriented in the same direction or a different direction than at least one other light source of the second light sources 18. Thus, in one embodiment, at least one light source of the one or more first light sources or the one or more second light sources and at least one other light source of the one or more first light sources or the one or more second light sources are oriented to emit light beams in substantially non-parallel directions relative to one another. Various combinations of different directions, including multiple different directions, for the first lighting sources 16, second lighting sources 18, or both, are envisioned as well.
The lighting devices described in the embodiments above may be portable lighting devices, such as handheld lighting devices or lighting devices configured to be mounted on or attached to an article of clothing, helmet or other wearable equipment. In one embodiment, such a portable lighting device may be battery powered and include an interface configured to have a battery attached thereto. Such an interface may include, for example, an electrical contact and one or more fasteners or closures to secure the batter to the portable lighting device. Alternatively, or in addition, the portable lighting device can include an interface configured for a wired electrical connection to an external, portable battery. Thus, such a portable lighting device may be used without a wired connection to an external power supply such as a wall outlet or a generator.
Features from any one of the embodiments described above may be implemented in, combined or used together with, or replace features from any of the other embodiments described above.
It is understood the various features from any of the embodiments above are usable together with the other embodiments described herein.
All patents referred to herein, are hereby incorporated herein by reference, whether or not specifically done so within the text of this disclosure.
In the present disclosure, the words “a” or “an” are to be taken to include both the singular and the plural. Conversely, any reference to plural items shall, where appropriate, include the singular. In addition, it is understood that terminology referring to orientation of various components, such as “upper” or “lower” is used for the purposes of example only, and does not limit the subject matter of the present disclosure to a particular orientation.
From the foregoing it will be observed that numerous modifications and variations can be effectuated without departing from the true spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the present disclosure. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific embodiments illustrated is intended or should be inferred. The disclosure is intended to cover all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62730895 | Sep 2018 | US |
