The present invention is a flexible surface lighting system with replaceable LED module. In particular, the present invention is directed to a flexible surface lighting system with a set of soft flanges and a more rigid base with a channel for electrical leads and lighting.
Generally, theater and auditorium venue lighting systems use lighting mounted on floors, seating and/or walls to guide patrons and provide a pleasing aesthetic while reducing the effect of said lighting on any events at the venue. However, these venue lighting systems are often exposed to difficult environmental factors such as beverage spills and cleaning agents. A number of lighting systems are known including U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,554,446, 6,283,612, 6,145,996, 6,116,748, 6,582,100, 6,386,733, and 5,954,425. However, these lighting systems generally do not provide for, inter alia, adequate resistance to the environmental factors, simplified replacement of individual lights or sets of lights, or flexible options for mounting the lighting systems on various venue surfaces.
The present invention provides a flexible surface lighting system for use on various venue surfaces, is more resistant to venue environmental factors, and provides for an easier method of installing/replacing one or more lights.
The present invention is a flexible surface lighting system with replaceable LED module. In particular, the present invention is directed to a system with a set of soft flanges and a more rigid base with a channel for electrical leads and lighting. A preferred embodiment has a base extrusion of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) of 89–98 Duro on the Shore OO scale with a channel. The base is connected, on opposite sides of the channel, to a first flange extrusion and a second flange extrusion of PVC with a hardness of preferably of 90 Duro. Electrical leads are placed in the channel. A lens is inserted into the channel over the leads. A replaceable LED module having a circuit board secured to a module base is attached to the leads. The circuit board preferably has a gasket, an LED and two contact teeth that make electrical contact with the leads.
The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the general principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide flexible surface lighting system with replaceable LED modules.
Referring now to
The first flange 220 shown in
The preferred embodiment shown in
The base 210 is preferably co-extruded with the first flange 220, second flange 230 and impact buffers 250. The preferred embodiment of the base 210 has a hardness of 89–98 Duro on the Shore OO hardness scale, preferably 94 Duro. PVC of 94 Duro is generally considered “rigid” PVC. The preferred embodiment of the first flange 220, second flange 230 and impact buffer 250 extrusions have a hardness less than the base extrusion ranging from 85–95 Duro on the Shore OO hardness scale, preferably 90 Duro. PVC of 90 Duro is generally considered “flexible” PVC. By having extrusions of differing hardness, the invention 200 provides various advantages. For example, the flexible PVC flanges absorb more impact from patrons stepping on the invention 200. This provides for a more comfortable venue surface. The more rigid base 210 provides a more solid channel to hold light sources, such as the LED module 10, and electrical leads 100, 105 in place. The more rigid base 210 allows for cuts of specific lengths and easier installation on irregular surfaces.
Additionally, the flexible PVC flanges 220, 230 and lens buffers 250 act as gaskets to seal against the sides 212 of the channel 217 and the lens 240. This provides additional protection for the light sources and electrical leads. Referring to
Referring now to
The combination of the flexible PVC 220, 230 and 250 and the rigid PVC 210 allow for an overall flexible lighting system for mounting on surfaces in a variety of curves while maintaining a channel for the light sources and electrical leads. Segments of the invention 200 in a “carpet to carpet” configuration, as shown in
Referring now to
Thus, a flexible surface lighting system with replaceable LED modules is described above that is for use on various venue surfaces, is more resistant to venue environmental factors, and provides for an easier method of installing/replacing one or more lights as discussed below. In each of the above embodiments, the different positions and structures of the present invention are described separately in each of the embodiments. However, it is the full intention of the inventor of the present invention that the separate aspects of each embodiment described herein may be combined with the other embodiments described herein. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, other plastics can be used for extrusion. Alternately, various elements of the invention can be separately extruded and later connected. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.
The flexible surface lighting system described above is suited for use with a novel replaceable LED module described below. By using this module, the system has improved resistance to the deleterious effects of immersion in fluids found in typical theater environments. Referring to
This LED module 10 is also described in a co-pending patent application (U.S. patent Ser. No. 10/798,752) that is incorporated herein by reference. Referring now to
Preferably, the base 30 is open-ended and contains at least one pair of electrical leads 100 and 105 passing through the ends of the base 30. Additional leads can be present as well. For example, the use of 3 pairs of leads can provide Red-Green-Blue (RGB) LED functionality. The circuit board 20 is held snugly with the electrical leads 100 and 105 by the set of snap tabs 32. Preferably, a protective gasket 40 creates an environmentally protective seal between the circuit board 20 and the electrical leads 100 and 105.
Referring now to
The contact teeth 24, 26 are preferably sharp enough to pierce the gasket 40. The preferred gasket material is vinyl foam tape with acrylic adhesive. Thus, the gasket 40 forms a protective barrier on the circuit board 20 while the contact teeth 24, 26 provide a conductive pathway to the circuit board 20 and the LED 25. A preferred embodiment of the gasket 40 installed on the circuit board 20 is shown in
Alternately, the gasket 40 can have pre-cut openings to allow the teeth 24, 26 to pass through the gasket 40 to allow electrical contact between the circuit board 20 and electrical leads. However, the gasket 40 should be sufficiently snug to the teeth 24, 26 to continue to provide protection for the circuit board 20.
Returning to
Thus, an improved replaceable LED module is described above that is capable of easy installation and replacement while offering improved environmental resistance. In each of the above embodiments, the different positions and structures of the LED module are described separately in each of the embodiments. However, it is the full intention of the inventor of the present invention that the separate aspects of each embodiment described herein may be combined with the other embodiments described herein. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
For example, the circuit board 20, except for the contact teeth 24, 26, can be coated in a protective sealant and held snugly to the non-conductive sheath of the electrical leads 100 and 105, thereby omitting the gasket 40. Another alternate embodiment comprises a plastic circuit board with built-in circuit leads and LED(s) that then snaps onto the base. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.
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