Patent Application
20160169462
The present application generally relates to the field of light emitting diode (LED) fixtures. Particularly, the application provides a track system for holding the LED strips in a light emitting diode (LED) fixtures.
Recent years have witnessed a tremendous growth in vehicular population across the globe, which has resulted in significant increase of vehicular accidents or damage caused by hail or other natural occurrences. The vehicular accidents may be categorized based upon the degree of damage. Unlike the heavily damaged vehicles, small dents can be repaired easily with the help of Paintless Dent Repair (PDR) tools and techniques. The Paintless dent repair (PDR) is a collection of standard techniques for removing minor dents from an automotive vehicle. With the advent of technology, variety of dent damages can be repaired using PDR. Amongst others, an efficient and effective light source is one of the essential tools while repairing and affirming the repaired dent of the automotive vehicle.
Conventional light emitting diode fixtures exist as efficient and effective light sources. However, the LED lights or strips in existing fixtures are either hard glued or require adhesive on their back to attach onto the LED fixture. Presently, any defects in the LED strips and user's desire for different color combination require either replacing the entire LED fixture or sending the LED fixture to an OEM for repair. In addition, existing manufactures need to make new and expensive molds for each model and size of the lighting fixtures, thereby adding cost of additional tooling or molding for each individual size of the fixtures, and significant engineering and designing costs.
Thus, in the light of the above mentioned background discussion, it is evident that, there is a need for some system or provision in the Light Emitting Diode (LED) fixtures that would help end users customize the LED fixtures, particularly enable changing the LED strips per their requirement at their end avoiding the need to send the fixtures to the manufacturers or OEM for repair or customization.
Before the present systems and methods, enablement are described, it is to be understood that this application is not limited to the particular systems, and methodologies described, as there can be multiple possible embodiments which are not expressly illustrated in the present disclosures. It is also to be understood that the terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing the particular versions or embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present application.
According to an illustrative embodiment of the invention, a track system for light emitting diode (LED) fixture providing multi-directional light to illuminate dents during paint less dent repair (PDR) in automobiles is disclosed. The track system includes a number of tracks running longitudinally along a back plate of the LED fixture. Each track is configured for holding a LED strip of the LED fixture. A number of protruding elements partition the adjacent tracks. The track system is configured such that the LED strips are replaceable.
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. There is shown in the drawings example embodiments, however, the application is not limited to the specific system and method disclosed in the drawings.
Some embodiments, illustrating its features, will now be discussed in detail. The words “comprising,” “having,” “containing,” and “including,” and other forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items, or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items. It must also be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Although any methods, and systems similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments, the preferred methods, and systems are now described. The disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary.
Referring to
Generally, the light emitting diode (LED) fixture (100) for paint less dent repair (PDR) in automobiles is characterized in providing multi directional light to illuminate dents on automotive vehicles while repairing such dents. The LED fixture (100) as shown includes a back plate (102). As seen, the back plate (102) may be defined as a component that may be provided for housing LED strips (104). The back plate (102) as seen in the
As seen, a number of LED strips (104) are affixed along an upper and a lower edge of the back plate (102), running along the length of the back plate (102). The LED strips (104) are employed for providing multi directional light to illuminate dents on automotive vehicles. The LED strips (104) may be evenly spaced and have length equal to the length of the LED fixture (100). The LED strip (104) shown in the example curved LED fixture has length of approximately 120 cm and width of 8 mm or 10 mm and are hard glued onto the back plate (102). The LED strips (104) have colors which include but are not limited to white, yellow, blue, green and/or combinations thereof, and so on.
As seen, a raceway (124) is affixed to an inner surface of the extension (122) of the back plate (102) for accommodating a white translucent lens (not shown). The white translucent lens covers LED strips (104) disposed onto the back plate 102.
Further, a pair of plates (114) is seen affixed in the middle of the back plate (102), one each at the front and the back side of the back plate (102). A brass pivotal ball (not shown) may be screwed in the metal plate (114) on the back side of the back plate (102), providing a passageway for passing through a power cord. The plates (114) are made from any metal that is well known in the art. Examples of the metal may include, but are not limited to a power coated aluminum and steel. The fixture (100) may have set of control switches for controlling action of the LED strips (104) affixed onto the back plate (102). In some embodiment, the control switches may be disposed on the rear side of the back plate (102) and be made of plastic or ABS.
In some embodiment, the control switches may be in the form of push buttons (212) disposed on the side plate (213) as shown in
In the LED fixture (100) design briefly described above, whenever any defect occurs in any LEDs or the end user requires different LED light combination, the end user needs to either discard the LED fixture and buy a new fixture or send the existing LED fixture to an OEM for repair and/or customization.
As shown in
As seen in
Further, the track system (204) may be employed for holding the LED strips (210) such that the LED strips (210) may slide within the tracks (206). Hence, if any LED strip (210) may get defective or fused, a user may pull out the defective or fused LED strip (210) from the track (206) and reinstall a new LED strip (210), thereby avoiding replacement of the entire LED fixture (200).
According to the illustrative embodiment, it is shown each track system (204) can hold four LED strips (210). Further, in the illustrative embodiment, three track systems (204) are shown configured on the back plate (202) of the LED fixture (200), thereby allowing the user to accommodate up to 12 LED strips (210). But it should be understood that number of tracks (206) in each track system (204) can be increased or decreased based on the requirement. The various criteria on which the increase and decrease in the number of tracks (206) and track system (204) for any LED fixture may depend on tooling cost towards manufacturing of the track systems (204) and varying sizes of LED light fixture (200).
In an embodiment of the invention, LED strips (210) of different colors may slide within the tracks (206) of the track system (204). Thus, a user may have provision to use LED strips (210) of different color combinations of their choice. For example, the user may use up to 12 LED strips (210) in the LED fixture (200) using three track systems (204), and each LED strips (210) may be of different color of user's choice. Based on the requirement, the user may have option to use varied number of LED strips (210) at various preferred locations. For example, some users desire to have more light illumination near the middle, or top or bottom of the fixture (200). For user those who have light preference at the middle of the fixture (200) may avoid placement of LED strips (210) at the top and bottom tracks (206) of the track systems (204) lying at the upper and a lower edge of the back plate (202).
In some other embodiments of the invention, a user may have provision for using LED strips (210) of different light intensities, for example, one LED strip (210) may be of DC 12V and other LED strip (210) may be of DC 14V. Sometimes, the user may require repairing a dent in immense dark, thus the LED strips (210) of greater light intensity may slide within the tracks (206).
According to some embodiment, the track systems(204) as illustrated in the
In some embodiments, the track system (204) may be made from materials that are well known in the art. Examples of materials may include but are not limited to plastic, ABS and so on.
Looping back to
The push buttons (212) are defined as buttons which may be employed to switch on and off, thereby causing the LED strips (210) to switch on and off respectively. One push button (212) may control operation of one or more LED strip (210). In the illustrative embodiment shown, the push buttons (212) are shown in one of the side plates (213), but it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the push buttons (212) may be present on both the side plates (213). Though six push buttons are shown configured in the illustrative embodiment to control six LED strips (210), it is assuming the user at a time may be using at most six LED strips (210), but it should be apparently understood that suitable connectors might be employed to extend the use of the push buttons (212) for increased numbers of LED strips(210) without increasing number of push buttons (212) in the LED fixtures (200).
As shown in
The invention as described above is with reference to curved LED fixture, it should be apparently understood the invention is not limited in its scope to its use with the curved LED fixture, rather the invention can be reduced into practice with any other lighting fixtures commonly available in the industry, may it be linear or curved.
The illustrations of arrangements described herein are intended to provide a general understanding of the structure of various embodiments, and they are not intended to serve as a complete description of all the elements and features of apparatus and systems that might make use of the structures described herein. Many other arrangements will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. Other arrangements may be utilized and derived there from, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Figures are also merely representational and may not be drawn to scale. Certain proportions thereof may be exaggerated, while others may be minimized. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.
The preceding description has been presented with reference to various embodiments. Persons skilled in the art and technology to which this application pertains will appreciate that alterations and changes in the described structures and methods of operation can be practiced without meaningfully departing from the principle, spirit and scope.
