Indicator lamp

• US 20060291245A1
• Filed: 12/06/2004
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Okaya Electric Industries Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Okaya Electric Industries Company Limited
• Inventors: Shimada, Toshio
• Granted Patent: US 7,473,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/612
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/69 Details of refractors forming part of the light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0091 using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/00 Use or application of lighting devices or systems for signalling, marking or indicating, not provided for in codes F21W2102/00 – F21W2107/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/58 Optical field-shaping elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/60 Reflective elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

It is sought to provide an indicator lamp, which is excellent not only in short distance visual recognition property but also in long distance one, as well as being further excellent in sight field angle property.

An indicator lamp comprising a light-emitting element 1 and a light-emitting element lens 2 having a light-emitting element mounting cavity 3 form at the bottom is disposed, in which the light-emitting element disposed in the cavity 3 emits light to be fully reflected by the peripheral surface of the lens 1 and proceeds as emission light flux forwardly of the lens 1. The slope angle of the peripheral surface with respect to the lens axis is reduced progressively from the bottom toward the lens front surface 5 in three stages, thus forming circumferential corners 7 and 8 as boundaries between adjacent ones of the three stages. The circumferential corners scatter light emitted from the light emitting element 2 to provide concentric emission light fluxes as viewed from the side of the lens front.

Claims

1. An indicator lamp comprising a light-emitting element and a light-emitting element lens, wherein said light-emitting element lens is constituted by a lens body formed at the bottom thereof with a light-emitting element mounting cavity, said light-emitting device being mounted therein, said lens body having an inverted conical shape peripheral surface for fully reflecting and forwardly re-directing light emitted from said light-emitting device, said peripheral surface having varying angles with respect to the axis of said lens from the bottom toward the front of said lens, thereby forming one or more circumferential corners, which scatter light emitted from said light-emitting element forwardly to provide concentric emission light fluxes as viewed from the side of said lens front.

2. The indicator lamp according to claim 1, wherein said lens body has a convex lens part projecting from the center of said lens front.

3. The indicator lamp according to claim 1, wherein said lens body has a convex lens part projecting from the center of said lens front and also has an annular ridge of a semi-circular sectional profile also projecting from said lens front such as to surround said convex lens part.

4. An indicator lamp comprising a light-emitting element and a lens body with the diameter thereof increasing as one goes forwards, said light-emitting element being disposed at the bottom of said lens body and emitting light to be fully reflected by the peripheral surface of said lens body and proceed forwardly thereof, said lens body being formed at the bottom thereof with a substantially cylindrical cavity accommodating said light-emitting element, light emitted from said light-emitting element such as to be directed toward the peripheral surface of said cavity being incident on said lens body at angles less than the full reflection angle corresponding to the refractive index of said lens body, passing through said lens body, and being incident on the peripheral surface of said lens body to be fully reflected and proceed forwardly of said lens body, light emitted from said light-emitting device such as to be directed toward the front surface of said cavity being incident on said lens body at angles less than said full reflection angle and passing through said lens body to directly proceed forwardly of said lens body.

5. The indicator lamp according to claim 4, wherein the front of said lens body has a convex lens part projecting forwardly of said lens body and also a flat surface part extending around said convex lens part, light emitted from said light-emitting element such as to be directed toward the front surface of said cavity being incident on said lens body at angles less than the full reflection angle of said lens body, passing through said lens body and being converged by said convex lens part to proceed forwardly of said lens body, light emitted from said light-emitting device such as to be directed toward the peripheral surface of said cavity being incident on said lens body at angles less than the full reflection angle of said lens body to be fully reflected and proceed forwardly from said flat surface part.

6. An indicator lamp comprising a light-emitting device and a full reflection lens disposed atop said light-emitting element, said light-emitting element emitting light to be reflected by said full reflection lens and proceed forwardly of said full reflection lens, a convex lens part being disposed atop said light-emitting element, said convex lens part being formed by charging a transparent polymer material into a frame disposed such as to surround said light-emitting element from above said frame such as to be raised in a convex shape.

7. The indicator lamp according to claim 6, wherein said frame is made of a transparent material.