Lighting means having light emitting diodes

• US 6,257,742 B1
• Filed: 06/27/2000
• Issued: 07/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Itab Neon AB
• Original Assignee: Itab Neon AB
• Inventors: Sjöberg, Jonas
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Laura K.
• Application Number:
  US09/605,708
• Time in Patent Office: 378 Days
• Field of Search: 362/800, 362/336, 362/337, 362/309
• US Class Current: 362/336
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• 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 present invention is for a lighting means having light emitting diodes. The invention is primarily intended to be used for light signals, e.g. traffic signals. The object of the present invention is a lighting means of the above mentioned kind having light emitting diodes which are arranged in rows and a lens to obtain the desired light pattern. The lighting means comprises a lens (1) and a number of light emitting diodes (3) which are mounted onto the same plate or circuit card (4). The device is enclosed in a common outer enclosure or housing (3). The lens is based upon a cylindrical structure. The inner surface which faces the light emitting diodes is divided into several bands (5) having a linear lens structure where there is one band corresponding to each row of the light emitting diodes. The band (5) is then divided into non-spherical subsurfaces (11, 12, 13, 14).

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

light emitting diodes, the light emitting diodes being arranged in rows;

a lens having a surface divided into bands, each of the bands corresponding to one of the rows of light emitting diodes and having at least three subbands, each of the subbands including a cylindrical lens having a convex, non-spherical surface.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the bands includes four subbands.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a flat surface positioned adjacent to one of the non-spherical surfaces.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number of rows of light emitting diodes includes an odd number of rows of light emitting diodes.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the number of rows of light emitting diodes includes one of 9 and 11 rows of light emitting diodes.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the light emitting diodes in one of the rows is sloped towards another of the rows of light emitting diodes.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of a facet surface and a prism surface arranged adjacent to at least one of the non-spherical surfaces.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting diodes are arranged in horizontal rows.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the subbands are arranged along the entire length of the band.