Locomotive LED/Optics Headlight Assembly

• US 20130051045A1
• Filed: 08/28/2012
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: J.W. Speaker, Corporation
• Original Assignee: J.W. Speaker, Corporation
• Inventors: Kay, Bradley William
• Granted Patent: US 8,931,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/478
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 29/00 Lighting
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 15/02 Head or tail indicators, e.g. light
• CPC Class Codes: B61L 2207/02 using light-emitting diodes [LEDs]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/265 Composite lenses; Lenses with a patch-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/27 Thick lenses
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/285 Refractors, transparent cover plates, light guides or filters not provided in groups F21S41/24 - F21S41/2805
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 45/48 with means for conducting heat from the inside to the outside of the lighting devices, e.g. with fins on the outer surface of the lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 13/04 the elements being reflectors and refractors for vehicle rear lights F21S43/40
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2107/10 for land vehicles

Abstract

A headlamp assembly comprising a housing forming an internal chamber and forming an opening to one side, at least a first light source having a first illumination axis, the first light source mounted in a central portion of the internal chamber substantially at a first depth, at least a second light source having a second illumination axis, the second light source mounted in a circumferential portion of the chamber substantially at a second depth wherein the first depth is greater than the second depth, a first aspherical lens formed about a first optic axis, the first aspherical lens mounted within the opening with the first optic axis aligned with the first illumination axis and a second aspherical lens formed about a second optic axis, the second aspherical lens mounted within the opening with the second optic axis aligned with the second illumination axis.

Claims

1. A headlamp assembly comprising:

a housing forming an internal chamber and forming an opening to one side that opens into the chamber;

at least a first light source having a first illumination axis, the first light source mounted in a central portion of the internal chamber substantially at a first depth and to direct light out the opening;

at least a second light source having a second illumination axis, the second light source mounted in a circumferential portion of the chamber substantially at a second depth and positioned to direct light out the opening wherein the first depth is greater than the second depth;

a first aspherical lens formed about a first optic axis, the first aspherical lens mounted within the opening with the first optic axis aligned with the first illumination axis so that the first aspheric lens substantially collimates at least a portion of the light from the first light source; and

a second aspherical lens formed about a second optic axis, the second aspherical lens mounted within the opening with the second optic axis aligned with the second illumination axis so that the second aspheric lens substantially collimates at least a portion of the light from the second light source.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the chamber has a central portion and a circumferential portion that surrounds the central portion, the central and circumferential portions have the first and second depths, respectively.

3. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the chamber is formed in part by a base wall member, a cylindrical side wall member and a circumferential wall member wherein the base wall member and circumferential wall member each form a substantially flat surface, the base wall member is substantially circular, the circumferential wall member is substantially ring shaped and the side wall member connects an outer edge of the base wall member to an inner edge of the circumferential wall member.

4. The assembly of claim 3 wherein the first and second light sources include first and second LEDs mounted to first and second PCBs, respectively, the first PCB mounted to a central portion of the base wall member and the second PCB mounted to the circumferential wall member.

5. The assembly of claim 4 further including at least a third LED mounted to the second PCB, the third LED having a third illumination axis and positioned to direct light out the opening.

6. The assembly of claim 4 further including a plurality of additional LEDs mounted to the second PCB and a separate lens mounted within the opening and aligned with each of the additional LEDs.

7. The assembly of claim 6 wherein the second PCB is ring shaped.

8. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the housing is formed of aluminum.

9. The assembly of claim 1 further including a plurality of additional light sources mounted in the circumferential portion of the chamber substantially at the second depth and positioned to direct light out the opening and a plurality of additional aspherical lens mounted within the opening, a separate one of the additional aspherical lenses aligned with each of the additional light sources so that the additional aspherical lenses substantially collimates at least portions of the light from the additional light sources.

10. The assembly of claim 9 wherein the second light source and the plurality of additional light sources include a first plurality of light sources, the assembly further including a second plurality of additional light sources mounted in the circumferential portion of the chamber substantially at the second depth and positioned to direct light out the opening and a plurality of concentrator lenses mounted within the opening, a separate one of the concentrator lenses aligned with each of the second plurality of additional light sources.

11. The assembly of claim 10 wherein the first plurality of light sources includes four light sources spaced about the circumferential portion and the second plurality of additional light sources includes six additional light sources.

12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein the second and additional aspherical lenses include a circumferential set of aspherical lenses and wherein the concentrator lenses separate the lenses in the circumferential set.

13. The assembly of claim 10 wherein each of the lenses is formed about an optic axis and wherein all of the optic axis of the lenses are substantially parallel.

14. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the assembly is formed about a light axis and wherein the light pattern created by the light sources is substantially symmetrical about the light axis such that the light pattern is substantially constant irrespective of how the assembly is rotated about the light axis.

15. A headlamp assembly comprising:

a housing forming an internal chamber and forming an opening to one side that opens into the chamber;

at least a first light source having a first illumination axis, the first light source mounted in the internal chamber to direct light out the opening;

at least a second light source having a second illumination axis, the second light source mounted in the chamber and positioned to direct light out the opening;

a first aspherical lens formed about a first optic axis, the first aspherical lens mounted within the opening with the first optic axis aligned with the first illumination axis so that the first aspheric lens substantially collimates at least a portion of the light from the first light source so that the first light source creates a light pattern including an intense central spot and a halo there around where the halo is separated from the intense spot by a low luminance ring; and

a first concentrator lens formed about a second optic axis, the first concentrator lens mounted within the opening with the second optic axis aligned with the second illumination axis so that the first concentrator lens creates a light pattern that is intense within the low luminance ring.

16. The assembly of claim 15 further including at least a third light source mounted within the chamber and a second concentrator lens mounted within the opening and that is aligned with the third light source so that the second concentrator lens creates a light pattern that is intense within the low luminance ring.

17. The assembly of claim 15 further including at least third through seventh light sources mounted within the chamber and second through sixth concentrator lenses mounted within the opening, a separate one of the second through sixth concentrator lenses aligned with each of the third through seventh light sources so that the second through sixth concentrator lenses create a light pattern that is intense within the low luminance ring.

18. The assembly of claim 17 wherein the first aspherical lens is centrally mounted within the opening and the concentrator lenses surround the first aspherical lens.

19. The assembly of claim 18 further including additional light sources mounted in the chamber and a separate additional aspheric lens mounted within the opening and aligned with each of the additional light sources, each of the additional aspheric lenses collimating at least a portion of the light from an aligned light source so that a resulting light pattern includes an intense central spot and a halo there around where the halo is separated from the intense spot by a low luminance ring.

20. A headlamp assembly comprising:

a housing forming an internal chamber and forming an opening to one side that opens into the chamber;

a plurality of light sources, each light source having an illumination axis and each mounted in the internal chamber to direct light out the opening, the plurality of light sources including a first light source;

a first aspherical lens formed about a first optic axis and having a first depth along the first optic axis, the first aspherical lens mounted within the opening with the first optic axis aligned with the illumination axis of the first light source so that the first aspheric lens substantially collimates at least a portion of the light from the first light source;

a plurality of second aspherical lenses, each of the second aspherical lenses formed about a separate optic axis and having a second depth along the separate optic axis that is less than the first depth, each second aspherical lens mounted within the opening with the separate optic axis aligned with one of the illumination axis of one of the light sources so that each second aspherical lens substantially collimates at least a portion of the light from the aligned light source;

wherein, the all of the optic axis are substantially parallel and wherein the second aspherical lenses surround the first aspherical lens.

21. The assembly of claim 20 wherein the first aspheric lens forms a first diameter that is substantially perpendicular to the first optic axis and each of the second aspherical lenses forms a diameter that is substantially perpendicular to the optic axis of the second aspherical lens and wherein the second diameter is less than the first diameter.

22. The assembly of claim 20 wherein the second depth dimension is less than 90% of the first depth dimension.

23. The assembly of claim 22 wherein the second depth dimension is less than half the first depth dimension.

24. The assembly of claim 21 wherein the second diameter is less than 90% of the first diameter.

25. The assembly of claim 24 wherein the second diameter is less than half the first diameter.

26. A headlamp assembly comprising:

a housing forming an internal chamber about a housing axis and forming an opening to one side that opens into the chamber;

a plurality of light sources, each light source having an illumination axis and each light source mounted within the chamber to direct light out the opening;

a first plurality of aspherical lenses, each aspherical lens formed about an optic axis and mounted within the opening with the optic axis of the lens aligned with one of the illumination axis; and

a second plurality of concentrator lenses, each concentrator light source forms about an optic axis and mounted within the opening with the optic axis of the lens aligned with one of the illumination axis;

wherein the light pattern generated by the light sources and first and second pluralities of lenses is substantially symmetric irrespective of orientation of the housing with respect to the housing axis.

27. A light comprising:

a light source that generates light centered along an illumination axis;

an aconical reflector formed about the illumination axis, the reflector having a reflector surface that is symmetrical about the illumination axis and that is open at first and second ends where the reflector tapers away from the illumination axis between the first and second ends and where the angle formed between the surface reflector surface and the illumination axis is different at different locations along the reflector surface, the reflector mounted with the light source located within the opening at the first end;

an aspherical optic mounted at the second end of the aconical reflector;

wherein, a first portion of the light from the light source directly enters the optic and is collimated by the optic to generate a high intensity light spot along the illumination axis and a second portion of the light from the light source reflects off the reflector and enters the optic and emanates from the optic at angles with respect to the illumination axis to generate a low luminance halo about the illumination axis and separated from the spot.