Patent Application
20100080542
Embodiments are generally related to surface heaters. Embodiments are also related to infrared light emitting diode (LED) heaters.
Surface heaters generally include a resistive source or an incandescent infrared (IR) source for generating heat. Such surface heaters typically consume significant amounts of energy in order to generate heat. Additionally, the heaters need to be in close proximity to the surface to be heated or in need of a transport mechanism, such as a fan, to carry the heat energy to the surface. Surface mount heaters can be limited by the complexity of the surface. Similarly, proximity and forced transport heaters require additional power for the transport of heat to the surface and are inefficient.
Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are becoming increasingly common as LEDs provide a significantly more energy efficient light source than an incandescent lamp. Further, LEDs have significantly longer lifetimes than incandescent lamps. LED based air port lights need to have included an arctic kit that is designed to increase the temperature of the light's lens by 15° C. in 30 minutes at an ambient temperature of −20° C. The standard arctic kit employs a resistive heater that can be utilized to generate enough temperature to melt ice and snow from the optic lens of light fixtures at an ambient temperature.
Such resistive heaters, in order to radiate enough heat to melt ice and snow from the fixture optics, must consume large amounts of energy in order to generate heat. Hence, an infrared LED technology and materials that are durable and opaque to infrared wavelengths while being transparent in the visible wavelengths can be employed for generating heat.
Infrared energy has widely been utilized to join plastics. In general, it is necessary to have one IR transparent component and one IR opaque component. The IR energy is transmitted through the IR transparent material to the IR opaque material in order to generate heat that then melts the plastice to produce the weld. Interstitial materials have been developed for allowing joining two IR transparent components. The material is transparent to visible light while being opaque to IR wavelengths. This material can be applied to one surface. Such material dissipates and is lost during single operation and is unsuitable for repeated use. Materials have been designed as a filler for plastics that are opaque to infrared wavelengths and transparent in visible wavelengths so that two clear parts can be welded together. These materials are durable and can be energized by IR wavelengths repeatedly.
Based on the foregoing, it is believed that a need exists for an improved infrared heater for heating complex surfaces that need to transmit light while consuming less energy. It is believed that the improved infrared LED heater disclosed herein can address these and other continuing needs.
The following summary is provided to facilitate an understanding of some of the innovative features unique to the embodiments disclosed and is not intended to be a full description. A full appreciation of the various aspects of the embodiments can be gained by taking the entire specification, claims, drawings, and abstract as a whole.
It is, therefore, one aspect of the present invention to provide for an improved surface and/or apparatus heater.
It is another aspect of the present invention to provide for an improved infrared LED heater utilizing IR opaque and visible light transparent filler.
It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide for an improved infrared LED heater for heating complex surfaces that transmit light.
The aforementioned aspects and other objectives and advantages can now be achieved as described herein. An infrared LED heater apparatus for heating complex surfaces that need to transmit light is disclosed. The infrared LED heater includes an infrared LED light source comprising a number of LEDs, which can be utilized to elevate the surface temperature of a lens utilizing less energy. The lens can be filled with an IR opaque and visible light transparent filler to elevate the lens surface temperature utilizing less energy. The filler is durable and opaque to infrared wavelengths and is transparent in the visible wavelengths. The infrared LED heaters can be utilized to heat complex surfaces that transmit light yet consume less energy.
Accordingly, an infrared heated lighting apparatus is described comprising at least one infrared LED, a lens associated with said infrared LED, said lens including material that is infrared opaque and transparent to visible light and is thereby adapted to elevate in temperature using less energy at an ambient temperature and access to a voltage controller adapted to provide electrical power to said infrared LED as needed to maintain a target temperature range
An infrared LED further includes a voltage controller and a power supply, which provides a constant current and/or a constant voltage to the LED light source. The infrared heater can be utilized to realize temperature rise of a surface from a given ambient temperature. The infrared LED heater can be utilized in LED-based airport lighting to increase the temperature of a light fixture's lens. The IR opaque fillers are transparent in visible wavelengths and can be applied to a wide variety of applications where the target surface needs to realize a temperature rise from a given ambient temperature. The infrared LED heater apparatus includes infrared LED technology and materials that are durable and opaque to infrared wavelengths while being transparent in the visible wavelengths; complex surfaces that need to transmit light can be heated while consuming less energy.
The accompanying figures, in which like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally-similar elements throughout the separate views and which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, further illustrate the embodiments and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain the embodiments disclosed herein.
The particular values and configurations discussed in these non-limiting examples can be varied and are cited merely to illustrate at least one embodiment and are not intended to limit the scope thereof.
The infrared LED light source 120 can include a single LED, but can typically include a number of LEDs connected in series and can include a number of LEDs connected in parallel. Referring to
The infrared LED 230 can be utilized to elevate the surface temperature of the light lens 210. The power supply 110 can be utilized to provide electrical energy to the infrared LED module 220. The infrared LED heater apparatus 100 can be utilized to increase the temperature of a surface at an ambient temperature with in a time period. The apparatus 100 can be utilized to increase the temperature of fixture light lens 210 by 15° C. in 30 minutes at an ambient temperature of −20° C. Thus, a robust solution to LED based airport light fixtures are disclosed which can effectively increase the temperature of fixture lights lens 210 at an ambient temperature by utilizing less electrical energy.
Accordingly, an infrared heated lighting apparatus is described comprising at least one infrared LED, a lens associated with said infrared LED, said lens including material that is infrared opaque and transparent to visible light and is thereby adapted to elevate in temperature using less energy at an ambient temperature and access to a voltage controller adapted to provide electrical power to said infrared LED as needed to maintain a target temperature range.
The infrared LED heater apparatus 100 can be utilized to heat complex surface, which transmits light. The infrared LED heater apparatus 100 employs infrared LED technology and materials that are durable and opaque to infrared wavelengths while being transparent in the visible wavelengths; complex surfaces that need to transmit light can be heated while consuming less energy. The infrared LED heater apparatus 100 can also be utilized to generate infrared energy in industrial manufacturing processes such as curing of coatings, heating of plastic prior to forming, plastic welding, processing glass, cooking and browning food.
It will be appreciated that variations of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.
