The subject technology relates to lamps for illumination or decorative lighting, or landscape lighting, which may be powered by solar energy collected by solar cells and stored in a rechargeable battery to power light-emitting diodes (“LEDs”) to emit light.
According to an aspect of the subject technology, a decorative lamp comprises one or more printed circuit boards (“PCBs”), preferably one main PCB having LEDs thereon, housed within a housing including a surrounding translucent glass or plastic enclosure which scatters outgoing light while obscuring a clear view of the PCB from outside the enclosure. The main PCB has mounted thereon LEDs to emit light and circuitry to operate and drive the LEDs. Preferably the LEDs include a first set of LEDs emitting white light (as usually used for illumination) and a second set of colored LEDs, which emit colored light, for example, red, yellow or orange light (i.e., colors which suggest a flame), and/or other colors of light. The enclosure may be cylindrical so that the light is visible from a 360-degree perspective around the device. In an embodiment, a three-position switch is provided on the lamp to turn the lamp off in a first position, gate power to the colored LEDs in a second position, and gate power to the white LEDs in a third position. A rechargeable battery is provided in the lamp to power the LEDs and associated circuitry. The rechargeable battery is charged by a solar cell or cells, preferably positioned on the top of the lamp when installed. The solar cell or cells also are used as a light detector, so that the lamp will illuminate only in low-light conditions. This feature enables unattended operation, which is desirable in a landscape light.
According to an embodiment of the subject technology, a lamp for illumination or decorative lighting comprises a lamp unit. The lamp unit comprises a roof portion and a base portion; and a translucent cylindrical enclosure disposed with in the lamp unit. A single, flat, and rigid first circuit board is disposed within the cylindrical enclosure and mounted to the roof portion or the base portion and has two faces. A white set of LEDs for emitting white light is mounted on the two faces and arranged in a plurality of white rows on each of the two faces. A colored set of LEDs for emitting colored light is mounted on the two faces and arranged in a plurality of colored rows on each of the two faces. Preferably the white rows are interleaved with the colored rows. A rechargeable battery power source is provided to power the white set of LEDs and colored set of LEDs. A user-operated switch and electronic circuitry are provided for selectively powering from the battery and controlling the white set of LEDs and colored set of LEDs. The electronic circuitry configured to operate the lamp in a plurality of modes comprising an off mode, an illumination mode, and a flame mode, selected by the switch. When the off mode is selected the white set and colored set are off, when the illumination mode is selected the white set is powered on continuously and the colored set is off, when the flame mode is selected the colored LEDs of the colored set are powered on selectively to simulate a flame.
According to a non-limiting aspect of the subject technology, shown for example in
The components of the lamp unit 10 are housed within the lamp unit (i.e. the assembly of the roof portion 11 and base portion 12). Within the assembly, a glass or plastic cylindrical enclosure 17 surrounds a main printed circuit board (“PCB”) 20 and its mounted LEDs and other electrical components. Preferably the enclosure 17 is translucent, but not so transparent that the PCB 20 and the mounted components are visible from outside the lamp unit. The enclosure 17 within the lamp unit 10 has the ornamental appearance of the globe or chimney of a traditional lantern.
In an embodiment, the roof portion 11 has an annular ridge 18, surrounding the location of the PCB, for removably mounting the base portion 12 and the enclosure 17 to the roof portion. Each of the base portion 12 and enclosure 17 has a rim 21, 22, respectively, which is configured to engage with the ridge 18 and lock into place by rotating the part slightly. The ridge 18 comprises slots 23 (only one is numbered) and tabs 24 (only one is numbered), which engage with corresponding tabs and slots on the respective rims 21, 22, as best seen in
According to an embodiment, a single, flat, rigid, main PCB 20 is mounted to the roof portion 11 or base portion 12, preferably the roof portion 11 which also bears the solar cells 30 and battery 31, so that it extends for a length within the enclosure 17. The PCB 20 has mounted thereon LEDs to emit light, and circuitry to operate and drive the LEDs. Preferably the LEDs include a first set of LEDs 32 (only one is numbered) emitting white light (as usually used for illumination) and a second set of colored LEDs 33 (only one is numbered), which emit colored light, for example, red, yellow or orange light (i.e., colors which suggest a flame), and/or other colors of light. Preferably the LEDs 32, 33 are arranged in arrays on both sides (i.e., both faces) of the PCB 20. The applicants have discovered that a single, flat, rigid, main PCB with LEDs mounted on both sides, within a light-scattering translucent enclosure, is sufficient to give the impression of a flame, so that multiple flat PCBs or a single flexible, curved PCB are not necessary. This results in a simpler, more durable and less-expensive construction.
In the embodiment shown in
Preferably, the colored LEDs 33 (when turned on) are driven, and artfully turned on and off, by the control circuitry, to simulate a lantern flame burning within the enclosure 17.
A rechargeable battery 31 is provided in the lamp 1 to power the LEDs 32, 33 and associated circuitry. The rechargeable battery 31 is preferably charged by a solar cell or cells 30, preferably positioned on the top of the roof portion 11 when installed. The solar cell or cells 31 may also be used as a light detector, so that the lamp 1 will illuminate only in low-light conditions. In that aspect of the subject technology, if the control circuitry detects sufficient voltage and/or charging current from the solar cells 31 to indicate that there is ambient light in the area of the lamp, enough to indicate that the conditions are not dark, the control circuitry will suppress the operation of the LEDs 32, 33 and not provide power to them; otherwise, the LEDs 32, 33 will be illuminated, or not, under the control of a user-activated switch 34. This feature enables unattended operation, which is desirable in a landscape light.
An auxiliary PCB 25, as shown for example in
User-operable switch 34 is provided and configured in conjunction with the driving circuitry to enable the user to select between a variety of operating modes. In an embodiment, the switch 34 is a three-position switch, and enables user choice of three modes: 1. All Off, 2. White LEDs On, 3. Colored LEDs On in Flame Pattern. In the same embodiment, the solar cells 30 have the function of a light sensor and the controlling circuitry will not power the LEDs 32, 33 if the solar cells 30 detect ambient light above a predetermined level. Other modes of operation may be provided. For example, a second user-operable switch may be provided to override the solar cells' detection of ambient light, so that the LEDs will operate in all ambient lighting conditions. In another example, two switches could independently turn the white LEDs on and the colored LED flame pattern on, so the user could select both to be on at the same time.
It will also be understood that the ornamental appearance of solar lamp as shown and described is within the scope of the subject technology.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles. It will also be understood that the present invention includes any combination of the features and elements disclosed herein and any combination of equivalent features. The exemplary embodiments shown herein are presented for the purposes of illustration only and are not meant to limit the scope of the invention.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/872,890, filed May 12, 2020, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/949,061, filed Dec. 17, 2019, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20210254804 A1 | Aug 2021 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62949061 | Dec 2019 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 16872890 | May 2020 | US |
Child | 17227474 | US |