Multi-array LED warning lights

• US 6,431,728 B1
• Filed: 07/05/2000
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Whelen Engineering Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Whelen Engineering Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Fredericks, Thomas M., Stopa, James L.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): WARD, JOHN A
• Application Number:
  US09/610,137
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 362/555, 362/249, 362/800, 363/236, 363/240, 340/901, 340/945
• US Class Current: 362/244
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2696 Mounting of devices using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2203/00 Aircraft or airfield lights using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/06 for indicating aircraft presence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A warning light has multiple juxtapositioned arrays of light emitting diodes, each of the arrays defining a plane oriented transversely to the parallel axes of the lenses of the diodes comprising the array. The arrays are supported so that the planes defined thereby angularly intersect. The radiation pattern of the light is controlled by selection of the diodes comprising each array and adjustment of the angles of intersection of the array defined planes.

Claims

1. A high intensity light having a predetermined radiation pattern comprising:

a plurality of arrays of light emitting diodes, the diodes each having an integral lens which defines a viewing angle for emitted light, the diodes of each of said arrays being mounted on a separate support member with the axes of their lenses being substantially parallel, the said support member for each of said arrays defining a plane oriented substantially transverse to said axes;

means for establishing a predetermined spatial relationship between said arrays, said spatial relationship including a preselected angular orientation of each of said array support member defined planes, at least two of said planes being non-parallel and intersecting at an angle; and

means for delivering energizing current to said diodes,

wherein one of said arrays comprise at least two diodes each having a different viewing angle.

2. The light of claim 1, wherein each of said arrays comprises at least one row of diodes.

3. The light of claim 1, wherein said support members comprise printed circuit boards, said energizing current delivering means in part comprising conductors on said boards.

4. The light of claim 1 further comprising a light transmissive dust cover disposed to pass light emitted by all of said diodes.

5. The light of claim 1, wherein there are at least three of said arrays, said relationship establishing means positions said arrays in a serial arrangement with adjacent arrays being juxtapositioned to one another, and wherein the planes defined by the support members of adjacent arrays intersect at angles.

6. The light of claim 1, wherein said support members have opposite sides and opposite ends, and wherein said relationship establishing means engages said opposite ends of each of said support members.

7. The light of claim 1, further comprising a housing, said relationship establishing means being affixed to an interior surface of said housing.

8. The light of claim 7 further comprising a light transmissive dust cover, said dust cover being attached to said housing to provide a hermetically sealed lighthead wherein light emitted by said diodes will pass through said dust cover.

9. The light of claim 1 further comprising a mounting bracket affixed to said relationship establishing means, said bracket comprising a rigid material characterized by high thermal conductivity.

10. The light of claim 9, wherein said relationship establishing means comprises a pair of printed circuit boards, said energizing current delivering means in part comprising conductive paths on said boards.

11. The light of claim 5, wherein each of said arrays comprises at least one row of diodes.

12. The light of claim 11, wherein said support members comprise printed circuit boards, said energizing current delivering means in part comprising conductors on said boards.

13. The light of claim 12, wherein said printed circuit boards each have opposite sides and opposite ends, said sides of said boards being generally parallel in said serial arrangement, said relationship establishing means engaging said opposite ends of each of said boards.

14. The light of claim 13 further comprising a housing, said relationship establishing means being affixed to an interior surface of said housing.

15. The light of claim 14 further comprising a light transmissive dust cover, said dust cover being attached to said housing to provide a hermetically sealed lighthead wherein light emitted by said diodes will pass through said dust cover.

16. The light of claim 11, wherein said support members comprise printed circuit boards, said energizing current delivering means in part comprising conductors on said boards.

17. The light of claim 16, wherein said printed circuit boards each have opposite sides and opposite ends, said sides of said boards being generally parallel in said serial arrangement, said relationship establishing means engaging said opposite ends of each of said boards.

18. The light of claim 17 further comprising a light transmissive dust cover disposed to pass light emitted by all of said diodes.

19. The light of claim 18 further comprising a mounting bracket affixed to said relationship establishing means, said bracket comprising a rigid material characterized by high thermal conductivity.

20. The light of claim 19, wherein said relationship establishing means comprises a further pair of printed circuit boards.

21. The light of claim 3, wherein said circuit boards are segments of a unitary printed circuit, said unitary circuit having been subdivided along score lines to define said boards.

22. The light of claim 3, wherein said energizing current delivering means further includes jumper conductors which bridge the spaces between adjacent of said boards.

23. The light of claim 1, wherein each of said arrays comprises at least two rows of diodes.

24. The light of claim 15, wherein each of said arrays comprises at least two rows of diodes.

25. A method for manufacturing a warning light comprising the steps of:

providing a printed circuit board including a plurality of through-holes for receiving the electrical leads of a plurality of LEDs, said printed circuit board comprising circuitry connecting pre-selected groups of said through-holes;

providing LEDs having a plurality of different viewing angles;

providing electrical jumpers;

mounting selected LEDs to said printed circuit board so that one of said pre-selected groups includes at least two LEDs each having a different viewing angle;

mounting selected electrical jumpers to said printed circuit board to electrically connect the circuitry for each said pre-selected group with the circuitry of an adjacent pre-selected group so that all of said selected LEDs are electrically connected to receive electrical energy from a single source; and

separating said printed circuit board into sections,

wherein each said section supports one of said pre-selected groups and each said section remains electrically connected to an adjacent section by said electrical jumpers.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said step of providing a printed circuit board further comprises the step of:

weakening said printed circuit board between said pre-selected groups to facilitate said step of separating.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of:

fixing said sections to a support structure where each said section is held in a pre-determined angular relationship to each other said section.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein said steps of mounting selected LEDs and mounting selected electrical jumpers comprise soldering said selected LEDs and selected jumpers to said circuitry.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein said step of weakening comprises scoring said printed circuit board.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein said step of weakening comprises perforating said printed circuit board.

31. A light source comprising:

a plurality of light producing arrays, each of said arrays comprising;

a support board; and

a plurality of LEDs, each LED having a lens defining an optical axis generally perpendicular to a support surface opposite the lens, said plurality of said LEDs being mounted to said support board with said support surfaces adjacent one side of said support board,

wherein the optical axes of said plurality of LEDs mounted to each support board collectively define a direction of light transmission for each of said arrays and said arrays are fixed in a concave configuration such that the direction of light transmission of each array intersects the direction of light transmission of each other array.

32. The light source of claim 31 wherein each said array has a longitudinal axis and comprises a single row of LEDs arranged along said longitudinal axis.

33. The light source of claim 32, wherein said arrays are fixed side by side with said longitudinal axes generally parallel to each other.

34. The light source of claim 31, comprising:

at least one alignment plate defining a plurality of through holes,

wherein each said support board comprises opposed projections and at least one of said projections from each support board are received in said plurality of through holes such that each of said plurality of support boards is held in a pre-established angular orientation relative to the other support boards.

35. The light source of claim 31, wherein each of said plurality of support boards includes circuitry for providing energizing current to the plurality of LEDs mounted to the support board and said at least one alignment plate comprises circuitry for delivering said energizing current to each of said arrays, a portion of each alignment plate defining each of said through holes being plated and said projections are soldered to said plated portions to establish an electrical connection between the circuitry of said support boards and the circuitry of said at least one support plate.

36. The light source of claim 34, wherein each said array has a longitudinal axis and comprises a single row of LEDs arranged along said longitudinal axis and said opposed projections are longitudinally separated, said at least one alignment plate comprises two alignment plates, with each said alignment plate substantially orthogonal to said longitudinal axes and receiving at least one projection from each said array.

37. The light source of claim 31, wherein each of said arrays emits stray light and stray light from each of said arrays is at least partially blocked by an adjacent array.