LED lamp with reflector and multicolor adjuster

• US 6,149,283 A
• Filed: 09/22/1999
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Original Assignee: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Inventors: Conway, Kathryn M., Zhou, Yutao
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WARD, JOHN A
• Application Number:
  US09/401,137
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: 362/231, 362/236, 362/240, 362/241, 362/249, 362/439, 362/800
• US Class Current: 362/236
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/233 specially adapted for generating a spot light distribution, e.g. for substitution of reflector lamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 10/02 changing colors F21S10/002 - F21S10/007, F21S10/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 11/14 with many small apertures
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/02 the elements being transformers, impedances or power supply units, e.g. a transformer with a rectifier
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/763 the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of the light emitting axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/83 the elements having apertures, ducts or channels, e.g. heat radiation holes
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0008 providing for indirect lighting
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/09 with a combination of different curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/10 comprising a two-dimensional array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/12 characterised by the geometrical disposition of the light-generating elements, e.g. arranging light-generating elements in differing patterns or densities
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/13 comprising an assembly of point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A lighting device has a support that can be screwed into a standard 120 volt light socket. A ring with multiple, alternating color, circumferentially spaced LEDs, is connected to the support and a reflector is provided over the ring for reflecting light from the LEDs past the ring. A power supply circuit is connected to the LEDs for powering the LEDs to emit light. The light can be white if the LEDs are a combination of red, blue and green or other white-forming combinations, or the power circuit can selectively power subsets of the LEDs to produce and desired color. The same circuit can be used to vary the intensity of the light in the manner of a dimmer.

Claims

1. A lighting device comprising:

a support with socket means for providing electrical power to the device;

a channel which is open toward the support;

a row of LEDs connected to the support, the row of LEDs comprising LEDs of at least two different colors, the LEDs being spaced from each other and recessed in and along the channel so that the LEDs are concealed from direct view in the channel and emit light toward the support;

a reflector connected between the support and the channel and positioned for reflecting light from the LEDs in the row, the reflector having a textured surface and being curved in at least one plane which extends between the channel and the support so that light from the LEDs is mixed by the reflector and reflected past the row and out of the device; and

a power supply circuit connected between the LEDs and the socket means for powering the LEDs to emit light.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the row of LEDs comprises a ring of a plurality of LEDs in a white-producing color combination.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein at least some of the LEDs are red.

4. A device according to claim 2, wherein at least some of the LEDs are green.

5. A device according to claim 2, wherein at least some of the LEDs are blue.

6. A device according to claim 2, wherein the power supply circuit includes means for separately manually adjusting a subset of said LEDs, each subset containing LEDs of only one color.

7. A device according to claim 1, including wherein the socket means comprises a screwbase connected to the support for screwing the device into a power socket.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein the support comprises a cylindrical section between the screwbase and the reflector for containing the power circuit, the row being a ring of LEDs.

9. A device according to claim 8, including a housing around the reflector between the ring of LEDs and the support.

10. A device according to claim 1, including a housing connected between the support and the row of LEDs, the housing being around the reflector.

11. A device according to claim 10, wherein the housing is opaque.

12. A device according to claim 10, wherein the housing is at least partly translucent.

13. A device according to claim 1, wherein the power supply circuit comprises a transformer for stepping power voltage down to a voltage that can be used by the LEDs, a bridge connected to the transformer and a plurality of adjustable LED circuits each containing a subset of LEDs, each subset having a different color.

14. A device according to claim 13, including an adjustor connected to each subset of LEDs for separately manually adjusting an amount of power supplied to each subset of LEDs.

15. A device according to claim 1, including heat sink means connected to the row of LEDs for dissipating heat from the LEDs.

16. A device according to claim 15, wherein the row is a ring, said heat sink means comprises metal corrugations in heat transfer contact with the ring of LEDs.

17. A device according to claim 1, wherein and, the LEDs comprises a plurality of subsets of LEDs each having a different color.

18. A device according to claim 17, including an adjustor in the power supply circuit is separate for each subset of LEDs.

19. A device according to claim 18, wherein said adjustor is a manually operable potentiometer.