Patent Application
20220186914
The present invention is generally directed to lighting panels and, more particularly, to lighting panels that find greater applicability in photographic settings. The present Applicant refers to this lighting panel by its currently intended brand name “LED Mark II.”
The LED Mark II is a light using LEDs to project light. It has LEDs distributed on a central panel and on two smaller folding outside panels. These panels may be permanently hinged to each other. In another embodiment, they may be daisy-chained. The panels may share a common power supply or be individually powered. The light is diffused by optionally removable filters in front of the LEDs that soften the appearance and increase the spread of the light. The Central panel is the key light and emits a fixed value of light and hosts the mounting hardware and power connection. The folding light panels are connected to the central panel with hinges and wires that distribute power. The ability to fold the panels are what makes the light unique and which provides four primary purposes.
First, when the panels are opened flat the light is similar to any flat panel light. Second, the foldable panels allow the available light to be modified by folding the outside panels and thereby modifying the beam angle. Third, they fold to make the light more compact and easily transported. Fourth, the folding panels fold to protect the front face of the light during transport.
The design of the panel is meant to give the user a flat panel flood light with a broad beam angle while replacing conventional barn doors with movable light panels that not only block or modify the light but also project light and create a unique appearance to the light projected.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a foldable light panel which has at least the features summarized above and which can be provided at a reasonable price.
The foregoing and other objects of the invention are realized in accordance with certain preferred embodiments by the panels that are depicted and described below, comprising a main center light panel flanked by foldable left and right light panels, as more fully described below.
In accordance with preferred embodiments, the three-section, hingedly connected lighting panel assembly includes a center light panel, a right light panel and a left light panel, with the right and left light panels being hingedly connected to said center light panel, each at a respective hinge thereof. Each light panel has a respective housing thereof wherein the housing has rear side and front side; each of the light panels being provided with a respective plurality of LED lights being installed in each of the panels, the LED light being mounted to direct light in the front direction of each of the panel housings, each housing including electronics for driving the LED light to selectively emit the light, and wherein. The hinges are configured to allow the left and right panels to lie in a same flat plane with the center panel and to be selectively folded over the center light panel.
Preferably, the three-section, hingedly connected lighting includes a respective filter mountable over the plurality of LED lights of each the panels, which can be slidable. It also includes mounting hardware configured to enable connecting the lighting panel assembly to a tripod or other photographic support.
The lighting panel assembly includes an electrical interface that is configured to provide to the panels one or more of electrical power and control signals and a tightening knob that is configured to maintain the orientations of the left and right panels to the center panel at desired angular directions. Dissipating fins are provided for each of the panel to dissipate heat developing therein.
Also preferably, the lighting panel assembly produces daylight light at a color temperature of about 5600 degrees Kelvin and the left and right panels have respective width and length dimensions in the ranges of 60-70 mm and 165-175 mm. In the folded condition of the left and right panels, the heat dissipating fins extend over most of the outer surface of the lighting panel assembly, most preferably entirely.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention which refers to the accompanying drawings.
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In accordance with preferred embodiments, the light panels 12, 14 and 16 may have width and length dimensions of 60-70 mm and 165-175 mm, respectively. Alternatively, the center panel 10 may be larger than the side panel, preferably twice as large, so that the side panels are foldable over and configured to cover the center panel in the folded position.
As will be apparent to one skilled in the art, the panel can come with various electrical controls for controlling the light emanating from the LEDs and the LEDs can be provided so as to be selectably powered to provide light of a color temperature that can be set in accordance with a user's needs for the particular application, as described in the prior art. In one embodiment, the LEDs out light at a 5600K (daylight) temperature.
Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses 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 claim.
The present non-provisional patent application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/125,327, filed Dec. 14, 2020, by Jacob Frankl, and entitled “THREE-SECTION, HINGEDLY CONNECTED LIGHTING PANEL,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63125327 | Dec 2020 | US |
