Signal lamp with LEDs

• US 5,947,587 A
• Filed: 10/14/1997
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting North America Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Van Hees, Antonius J. M., Keuper, Matthijs H.
• Primary Examiner(s): CARIASO, ALAN B
• Application Number:
  US08/943,310
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 362/227, 362/235, 362/236, 362/240, 362/242, 362/243, 362/244, 362/252, 362/800, 362/268, 362/331
• US Class Current: 362/235
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/02 for roads, paths or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

The invention relates to a signal lamp comprising a box-shaped housing having an open end, a number of LEDs being provided in the housing and the open end of the housing being closed by means of a spreading window. The invention is characterized in that the LEDs are clustered around the central axis of the housing and in that the lamp comprises a positive lens (preferably a fresnel lens). The signal lamp in accordance with the invention provides an optimum, homogeneous brightness distribution on the surface of the spreading window. Preferably, the lens has a focal distance f, the LEDs are arranged at a distance v from the lens, and 0.55<v/f<0.975. This measure contributes to the intended optimum homogeneous brightness distribution.

Claims

1. A signal lamp comprising

a housing arranged about a central axis, said housing having an open end on said axis, and an inner surface on said axis opposite from said open end,

a spreading window closing said open end of said housing,

a positive lens arranged between the inner surface and the spreading window, said lens having an area, and

a plurality of light emitting diodes arranged on the inner surface for directing light toward said positive lens, said light emitting diodes being clustered about the central axis over an area which is less than 25% of the area of the lens.

2. A signal lamp as in claim 1, wherein said lens is a fresnel lens.

3. A signal lamp as in claim 1 wherein said lens has a focal point behind said inner surface, a focal distance f from said lens to said focal point, and a distance v from the lens to the light-emitting diodes, and 0.55<

v/f<

0.975.

4. A signal lamp as in claim 1 wherein the light-emitting diodes are arranged so that substantially all light emitted by said light-emitting diodes is incident on the lens.

5. A signal lamp as in claim 1 wherein the light-emitting diodes are asymmetrically arranged with respect to a first plane in which the central axis is located.

6. A signal lamp as in claim 5 wherein the light emitting diodes are symmetrically arranged with respect to a second plane in which the central axis is located, said second plane being perpendicular to said first plane.

7. A signal lamp as in claim 1 wherein said housing is rotationally symmetric with respect to said central axis.

8. A signal lamp as in claim 1 wherein the central axis extends substantially perpendicularly to the positive lens.