A first embodiment of LED unit 10 is shown best in
Housing 12 also supports LED assembly 22 comprising LED base 24 which holds LED 26 including LED lens 28, sheath 30, screw knob 32, screw 34, collar 36 and assembly member 38. LED assembly 22 is connected to unit housing 12 and is supported opposite reflector 14 by one or more leg 40. Leg 40 is secured at a first end to LED assembly member 38 and at a second end to unit housing 12. LED assembly 22 is supported by leg 40 so the emitting face of LED 26 in LED base 24 emits light into reflector 14. LED base 24 with LED 26 is also slidably mounted in sheath 30 which is secured to assembly member 38. LED unit 10 has a longitudinal axis L1 and the components of LED assembly 22 are assembled generally along the longitudinal axis L1.
LED base 24 holds LED 26 in a first end. At a second and opposite end of LED base 24 is a bore. Collar 36 is retained in the bore at an outside circumference of collar 36. Collar 36 retains a first end of screw 34 at an inside circumference. Screw 34 can rotate in collar 36 freely, but has limited motion along the screw length. LED base 24 slides in sheath 30 in operative relation to screw 34. At a second end of screw 34, knob 32 is sized to manually turn the screw. Between the first and second ends, screw 34 passes through a threaded hole in assembly member 38.
LED 26 and base 24 slide longitudinally in sheath 30 as screw 34 rotates in the threaded hole of assembly member 38. Screw 34 moves in and out of member 38 longitudinally. LED 26 also moves in relation to the focal point of reflector 14. The beam emitted by LED unit 10 widens or narrows in response to sliding movement of LED 26 and base 24 in sheath 30.
This is an example for illustration purposes only and should not be considered a limitation. LED assembly 22 may have a different configuration than that shown. LED assembly member 38 and sheath 30 could be a single unit. Screw 34 could be linked to LED base 24 without collar 36 and still be within the scope of this disclosure. The position of LED 26 may be adjusted by other means than screw 34.
Unit housing 12 may support power supply electronics 42. LED 26 may require a different power than the power supplied by appliance 4 connected to unit 10. Power supply 42, where required, conditions the power supplied by appliance 4 to make it compatible with LED 26. For example, power supply 42 may change the voltage from 120 volts to 12 volts. Power supply 42 may change alternating current to direct current. Electrical power is supplied to LED 26 through leg 40.
Reflector 14 has an outward facing concave surface when assembled into unit housing 12. The concave surface has a highly polished or reflective face. The concave face may form a parabolic curve and is configured to collimate light from LED 26 and emit it as a narrow beam.
Pins 18 and insulator 20 assemble in plug base 16 which is assembled to unit housing 12. Power supply electronics 42 are assembled into unit housing 12, and are operably connected to pins 18, which supply power to electronics 42. Reflector 14 is assembled to unit housing 12, covering and enclosing power supply 42.
LED 26 with LED lens 28 and collar 36 are assembled to LED base 24. Collar 36 in base 24 also retains a first end of screw 34. Assembled LED base 24 slides into sheath 30, which is assembled to assembly member 38. Screw 34 is screwed into the threaded hole on the longitudinal axis L1 of assembly member 38. Knob 32 is fixed to, or formed in the second end of screw 34. A first end of leg 40 is attached to LED assembly member 38 and a second end of leg 40 is attached to unit housing 12 to support LED assembly 22 above reflector 14. Leg 40 may comprise more than one member.
Plug base 16 may have terminals configured to connect to other socket form factors than those with pins. Plug base 16 may be configured with a first terminal with threads and a second terminal acting as a pressure contact. This plug base is similar to a screw in light bulb and may be sized to existing standards.
In an alternate configuration of the first embodiment, LED assembly 22 may support a plurality of LEDs in LED base 24. In another alternate configuration, LED 26 may not be movable in LED assembly 22 and may be fixed in place.
For clarity, similar numbering may be used in this and later figures as was used in previous figures. LED unit 50 again includes a unit housing 12, a plug base 16 retaining plug pins 18 and insulator 20, an LED 26 operably connected to plug pins 18. LED unit 50 may further include a power supply 42 and a support frame 52 configured to align and support internal components, a light guide 54 and a front cover 56. LED 26 may be mounted on and supported by power supply 42.
As depicted in
Admitter face 70 typically includes three faces. The first face, which shall be referred to as an annular base 80, is in the general configuration of an annular ring. In the depicted embodiment, annular base 80 contacts LED substrate 64 when annular base 80 is assembled into unit housing 12. The second face shall be referred to as a protrusion 82 facing LED emitter 62. The third face shall be referred to as an interior face 84. Interior face 84 extends from annular base 80 to protrusion 82.
Protrusion 82 and emitter face 78 may be curved as shown to form hemispheres, but may have other shapes to form faces of different configurations. Side wall 86 may form a generally parabolic surface as shown in the preferred embodiment of
Light guide 54 may not include hole 74 in emitter face 72. Emitter face 72 may be a smooth and continuous surface.
A well known property of light guide 54 is that the light exiting the light guide at emitter faces 72 and 78, where the light guide is sufficient in length, will be relatively uniform in brightness. This relatively uniform brightness is due to the mixing within light guide 54 due to multiple reflections within the light guide.
Referring again to
Admitter face 70 of light guide 54 is assembled over LED 26 so annular base 80 contacts substrate 64. Front cover 56 is assembled to unit housing 12. Primary emitter face 72 seats on retaining lip 58. Light guide 54 is held between lip 58 and LED substrate 64. In an alternate configuration (not shown), annular base 80 has an inside diameter larger than the LED substrate 64. In this configuration, annular base 80 abuts a flat surface of power supply electronics 42, and LED 26, including substrate 64, is seated into admitter face 70.
Again referring to
Light guide 54 may be configured to accommodate a plurality of LEDs 26. Annular base 80 may be wide enough to encompass multiple LEDs in admitter face 70. Alternately, light guide 54 may have multiple admitter faces 70 in one light guide 54 such that each of multiple LEDs 26 has an annular base 80 and a protrusion 82 to admit light to the light guide.
Lighting unit structural components such as unit housing 12, plug 16, LED assembly 22 and front cover 56 may be made from a metal such as aluminum or steel or a plastic such as ABS. Component materials may be selected to be compatible with lighting unit operation in harsh environments such as very high or very low ambient temperatures.
Although the invention has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration, it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose, and variations can be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, except as it may be limited by the claims.
Applicants regard the subject matter of their invention to include all novel and non-obvious combinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features, functions and/or properties disclosed herein. No single feature, function, element or property of the disclosed examples is essential to all examples. The following claims define certain combinations and subcombinations which are regarded as novel and non-obvious. Other combinations and subcombinations of features, functions, elements and/or properties may be claimed through amendment of the present claims or presentation of new claims in this or a related application. Such claims, whether they are different, broader, narrower or equal in scope to the original claims, are also regarded as included within the subject matter of applicants' invention.