Patent Grant
11982434
The present invention pertains to devices which illuminate an area and illuminate a surface with a colorful light pattern, design, or moving image. More specifically, the invention pertains to a device or devices which heavily diffuse projected light while maintaining sufficient translucent properties to provide illumination to an area.
Projected light patterns, designs, or moving images produced from light-emitting diodes (LED) are commonly found in lighting apparatuses. These images are often cast onto a wall, ceiling, or other surface. The light beams emitted from the LED or other light source may be transformed by one or more optical elements. The beams may be reflected, refracted, or pass through shaped openings, windows, or cutouts. Images may obtain movement through motorized functions, and systematic, sequential, or random timing of power supplied to the light source.
Tabletop light sources are commonly found, and serve a variety of functional and aesthetic purposes, including: illumination to an area, nightlight, seasonal lighting, reading illumination, among others. Some tabletop lights may have a shade or cover which controls the dispersement of light beams from a light source.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,719,654 discloses a LED or laser light device having a plug-in power source, an interchangeable power source, or a USB power source. The device incorporates more than one optical element having more than one reflective or refractive surfaces at different positions, distances, or orientations relative to the LEDs or laser-light source of the LED or laser light. Light beams reflect or refract before passing through the optical elements and create or project an image, message, time, geometric art, nature scene, galaxy, milky way, sky, cloud, start, moon, water-wave, aurora light, animal, characters, cartoon, sign, logo, commercial to at least one surface surrounding the light device. The optical elements may have a predetermined texture and/or shaped openings, windows, cutouts, or variable thicknesses and further may incorporate parts and accessories such as a motor to provide moving image effects with a wide viewing angle and variable colors or patterns.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,859,221 discloses a LED projection night light for night time or dark area use which includes a plug-in wall outlet night light or direct current operated night light with projection features to project an image, message, data, logo, or time on a ceiling, walls, floor, or other desired surface. The LED night light incorporates optics-lens with a preferred focus calculation to create a bigger image to shown on locations. The device may comprise the following parts: an optics-lens, slides, openings, or cut-outs, and/or a transparent material piece, translucent material piece, telescope assembly, housing-member, slide-film, slide-disc, elastic-member, tilt-means, rotating means, adjust-means, roller-means, mechanical-means, extend-means, convex lens, and/or concave lens designed to make the desired image, message, data, logo, or time project to the ceiling, walls, floor, or other desired surface to be seen by a viewer. The LED light upgrade model has an interchangeable power source arrangement, permitting the night light to be selectively powered by either an AC powered sealed-unit or a DC powered battery pack.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,989,378 discloses a LED or laser light string which has more than one light performance function. The device comprises LED or-and laser light bulb which has a built-in LED or laser or both to offer the one or more LED or-and laser light performance or functions select from illumination, projection, party light, lighted patterns, light beams, lighted image, flood light, color changing light garden torch light, garden landscape light string or other light string. The device contains circuitry and controller built-in only light string to configure the LED or-and laser light sources to turn-on and turn-off.
The present invention comprises a lighting device with contained motion light. The invention transforms a device that projects motion projectable light onto a wall, ceiling or other surface into a device which provides contained tabletop lighting.
Embodiments described for the present invention comprise a projectable light base with at least one LED light source, a hollow spherical cover, where the hollow spherical cover is configured to capture LED light beams, emitted from the projectable light base, shown onto a surface to produce a colorful light pattern, design, or moving image. The hollow spherical cover is configured to display a colorful light pattern, design, or moving image, and illuminate an area with soft light. The hollow spherical cover is comprised of translucent material.
Embodiments of the cover may comprise a heavily frosted or milky surface to heavily diffuse the projected light beams from the at least one LED light source. The attaching or detaching of the cover prevents or enables the light from casting onto a ceiling, wall, or other surface. A locking mechanism secures the cover to the projectable light base.
It should be appreciated that combinations of the foregoing concepts and additional concepts discussed in greater detail below are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. In particular, all combinations of claimed subject matter appearing at the end of this disclosure, or elsewhere herein, are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter.
These and other systems, methods, objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the drawings.
One or more embodiments are illustrated by way of example, and not by limitation, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, having the same numeral designations to represent like elements throughout and wherein:
While the invention has been described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, other embodiments would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art and are encompassed herein.
The claimed subject matter is described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the subject innovation. It may be evident, however, that the claimed subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in order to facilitate describing the subject innovation. Moreover, it is to be appreciated that the drawings may not be to scale.
In this embodiment, the dome lens 12 is clear transparent and configured to provide low diffusion of light. Light beams traveling through the dome lens may be distorted by varying patterns and thickness of the lens. Minimal light is lost, and the ceiling and surroundings receive maximum light exposure. An entire room may be provided illumination from the light beams traveling through the dome lens 12.
The spherical cover rim 4 of the spherical cover 2 attaches to base 8 by twisting into the grooves of the spherical base locking mechanism 14. The attachment of the spherical cover 2 to the base 8 transforms a projection light into a contained motion light.
In this embodiment, the base 8 is comprised of a base top outer ring 16 and a base top edge 18. Both the base top outer ring 16 and the base top edge 18 may aide in the handling of the device and provide an aesthetically pleasing design element. A user may hold the base 8 with one or two hands hand, while one or more thumbs secure the base top outer ring 16.
Device lighting and user functions may be controlled through pushbuttons 10 on the base 8 of the device. In some embodiments, timer control, dimming, temperature control, motion, motion detection, occupancy detection, and sound may all be functionally controlled by the pushbuttons 10. Embodiments of the device may further comprise remote control, app control, or other external control means.
The LED 24 is offset to one side of the lens disc 26. LED light shines through the lens disc 26, and then through the dome lens 12. The motorized rotation of the lens disc 26 produces the motion of the projected light. Light emission varies as the light beams pass through the rotating, heavily textured lens disc 26, which may have varying thickness. Light emission may be further distorted by the dome lens interior side 28. The dome lens interior side 28 may be comprised of varying patterns, textures, and thickness.
Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is preferred, therefore, that the present invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims. Alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Further, the particular feature or structure may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9719654 | Chien | Aug 2017 | B2 |
| 10859221 | Chien | Dec 2020 | B2 |
| 10989378 | Chien | Apr 2021 | B2 |
| 11156352 | Li | Oct 2021 | B1 |
| 11181249 | Chien | Nov 2021 | B2 |
| 11281083 | Xin | Mar 2022 | B1 |
| 20100296300 | Chiu | Nov 2010 | A1 |
| 20150211701 | Chien | Jul 2015 | A1 |
| 20170038031 | Chien | Feb 2017 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 209960355 | Jan 2020 | CN |
