LED Spotlight

• US 20070253188A1
• Filed: 01/26/2007
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alltemp Products Company Limited (DiversiTech Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Brasscorp Limited
• Inventors: Brass, Jack, Whitfield, Robert, KLIPSTEIN, Donald
• Granted Patent: US 7,758,204 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/105
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/06 with illuminating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/128 provided with means for regulating temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/24 for the mouth, i.e. stomatoscopes, e.g. with tongue depressors tongue depressors per se A61B13/00; Instruments for opening or keeping open the mouth combined with saliva removers A61C17/00; mouth openers for animals A61D15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0088 for oral or dental tissue
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 14/02 capable of hand-held use, e.g. inspection lamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/027 the light sources being a LED
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/04 characterised by the provision of a light source housing portion adjustably fixed to the remainder of the device
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/08 characterised by means for in situ recharging of the batteries or cells
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/74 with fins or blades
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/89 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/20 Lighting for medical use
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/202 for dentistry
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6447 by visual observation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8806 Specially adapted optical and illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/04 Illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

An LED spotlight is made with at least one light emitting diode and a lens placed forward of the light emitting diode to collimate the light from the light emitting diode into a beam. The light emitting diode is preferably a type with a nominal power of at least 1 watt, requiring heatsinking, and having a nominal radiation pattern width of 100 degrees or more. The lens is preferably concavo-convex. The lens can have a thickness less than the distance between the rear surface of the lens and the light emitting diode. The LED spotlight can be mounted on headwear that would be worn on a person'"'"'s head. The LED spotlight can be in the form of a flashlight. The LED spotlight can be in the form of an inspection lamp suitable for causing visible fluorescence of fluorescent materials, such as leaks of fluids that have suitable fluorescent dyes.

Claims

1. An LED spotlight, comprising:

a) a housing;

b) at least one LED within the housing;

c) means for the at least one LED to receive electrical power; and

d) at least one lens within the housing,

wherein each lens of the at least one lens is disposed forward of an associated LED of the at least one LED,

wherein each lens has a width of 15 to 26 millimeters,

wherein each lens collimates a majority of the light from its associated LED into a beam no more than 10 degrees wide, and

wherein substantially all collimation of light by each lens occurs through refraction.

2. The LED spotlight of claim 1, wherein rays of light from each LED are refracted towards an axis of its associated lens upon entering the lens through a rear surface of the lens, and further refracted towards the axis of the lens upon exiting a front surface of the lens.

3. The LED spotlight of claim 1, wherein the lens comprises a rear surface that is more sharply curved in a concave manner towards its edge than towards its axis.

4. The LED spotlight of claim 1, wherein each LED comprises an optical center that is located closer to its associated lens than a focal point of the lens.

5. The LED spotlight of claim 1, wherein each LED comprises an optical center that is located at a focal point of its associated lens.

6. The LED spotlight of claim 1, wherein each LED comprises a nominal radiation pattern width of at least about 100 degrees.

7. The LED spotlight of claim 6, wherein each LED comprises a nominal wattage of 1 watt or more.

8. The LED spotlight of claim 6, wherein each LED comprises a lambertian radiation pattern.

9. The LED spotlight of claim 1, wherein each LED receives power from an external power source.

10. The LED spotlight of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises metal so as to dissipate heat from each LED.

11. The LED spotlight of claim 10, wherein each LED is mounted to a heatsink plate that conducts heat from the LED to the metal housing.

12. The LED spotlight of claim 1, wherein the distance between each LED of the at least one LED and its associated lens is less than the thickness of the associated lens.

13. The LED spotlight of claim 6, wherein the distance between each LED of the at least one LED and its associated lens is less than the thickness of the lens.

14. The LED spotlight of claim 13, wherein the distance between each LED and its associated lens is less than the distance that would produce a focused beam.

15. The LED spotlight of claim 1, wherein each lens is concavo-convex.

16. The LED spotlight of claim 6, wherein each lens is concavo-convex.

17. The LED spotlight of claim 1, wherein the spotlight comprises a flashlight

18. The LED spotlight of claim 17, wherein at least one LED in the flashlight produces light suitable for causing visible fluorescence of fluorescent materials to be detected by use of the flashlight.

19. The LED spotlight of claim 18, wherein the light produced by the at least one LED has a peak wavelength near 365 nanometers.

20. The LED spotlight of claim 18, wherein the light produced by the at least one LED has a peak wavelength near 380 nanometers.

21. The LED spotlight of claim 18, wherein the light produced by the at least one LED has a peak wavelength of about 390 to about 410 nanometers.

22. The LED spotlight of claim 18, wherein the light produced by the at least one LED has a peak wavelength in the blue region of the visible spectrum.

23. The LED spotlight of claim 18, wherein the light produced by the at least one LED has a peak wavelength near 450 nanometers.

24. The LED spotlight of claim 18, wherein the light produced by the at least one LED has a peak wavelength of about 455 to about 475 nanometers.

25. The LED spotlight of claim 1, in combination with headwear.

26. The LED spotlight and headwear combination of claim 25, wherein the headwear is in the shape of an eyeglass frame.

27. The LED spotlight and headwear combination of claim 25, wherein the LED spotlight is integrated with the headwear.

28. The LED spotlight and headwear combination of claim 25, wherein the LED spotlight is mounted to the headwear.

29. The LED spotlight and headwear combination of claim 25, wherein the LED spotlight is detachably mounted to the headwear.

30. The spotlight and headwear combination of claim 29, wherein the combination is suitable for use while performing medical or dental work.

31. The LED spotlight of claim 1, wherein the thickness of each lens at a central axis of the lens exceeds the distance between a rear surface of the lens at the central axis of the lens and its associated LED.

32. The LED spotlight of claim 1, wherein half the thickness of each lens at a central axis of the lens exceeds the distance between a rear surface of the lens at the central axis of the lens and its associated LED.

33. The LED spotlight of claim 1, wherein half the diameter of each lens exceeds the distance between a rear surface of each lens at a central axis of the lens and its associated LED.

34. The LED spotlight of claim 31, wherein the distance between each LED and its associated lens is less than the distance that would produce a focused beam.

35. The LED spotlight of claim 32, wherein the distance between each LED and its associated lens is less than the distance that would produce a focused beam.

36. The LED spotlight of claim 33, wherein the distance between each LED and its associated lens is less than the distance that would produce a focused beam.

37. The LED spotlight of claim 15, wherein a concave rear surface of each concavo-convex lens comprises a convex central portion and a concave outer portion about the central portion.

38. The LED spotlight of claim 1 wherein each LED of the at least one LED has a radiation pattern width of about 55 degrees.

39. An LED spotlight, comprising:

a) a housing;

b) at least one LED within the housing;

c) means for the at least one LED to receive electrical power; and

d) at least one lens within the housing,

wherein each lens of the at least one lens is disposed forward of an associated LED of the at least one LED,

wherein each lens collimates a majority of the light from its associated LED into a beam no more than about 10 degrees wide,

wherein substantially all collimation of light by each lens occurs through refraction, and

wherein each LED of the at least one LED has a radiation pattern width of at least about 100 degrees.

40. The LED spotlight of claim 39, wherein the spotlight comprises a flashlight.

41. The LED spotlight of claim 40, wherein at least one LED in the flashlight produces light suitable for causing visible fluorescence of fluorescent materials to be detected by use of the flashlight.

42. The LED spotlight of claim 39, in combination with headwear.

43. The LED spotlight of claim 39, wherein the lens is concavo-convex.

44. The LED spotlight of claim 39, wherein rays of light from each LED are refracted towards an axis of its associated lens upon entering the lens through a rear surface of the lens, and further refracted towards the axis of the lens upon exiting a front surface of the lens.

45. The LED spotlight of claim 39, wherein the lens comprises a rear surface that is more sharply curved in a concave manner towards its edge than towards its axis.

46. An LED spotlight, comprising:

a) a housing;

b) at least one LED within the housing;

c) means for the at least one LED to receive electrical power; and

d) at least one lens within the housing,

wherein each lens of the at least one lens is disposed forward of an associated LED of the at least one LED,

wherein each lens comprises a width of about 15 to about 26 millimeters,

wherein each lens is concavo-convex,

wherein each lens has its rear surface more sharply curved in a concave manner towards its edge than towards its axis,

wherein the distance between each lens and its associated LED is less than the thickness of the lens,

wherein each lens collimates light from the lens into a beam that has a width of no more than about 10 degrees, and

wherein substantially all collimation of light by each lens occurs through refraction.

47. An LED spotlight, comprising:

a) a housing;

b) at least one LED within the housing;

c) means for the at least one LED to receive electrical power; and

d) at least one lens within the housing,

wherein each lens of the at least one lens is disposed forward of an associated LED of the at least one LED,

wherein each lens collimates a majority of the light from its associated LED into a beam no more than about 10 degrees wide,

wherein substantially all collimation of light by each lens occurs through refraction,

wherein each LED of the at least one LED has a radiation pattern width of about 55 degrees,

wherein each LED has a power rating of at least 1 watt, and

wherein each LED produces light of wavelengths suitable for causing visible fluorescence of fluorescent materials.