Light emitting diode flashing directional warning lamp

• US 6,552,658 B1
• Filed: 10/17/1997
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Truck-Lite Company LLC (Truck-Lite Holdings 2 Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Truck-Lite Company Incorporated (Truck-Lite)
• Inventors: Roller, Philip C., Suckow, Chris A., Pond, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent A.
• Application Number:
  US08/951,957
• Time in Patent Office: 2,013 Days
• Field of Search: 340/468, 340/471, 340/475, 340/815.45, 340/815.53, 345/82, 362/498
• US Class Current: 340/475
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/2696 Mounting of devices using LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/34 for indicating change of drive direction B60Q1/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/74 with fins or blades
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/75 with fins or blades having different shapes, thicknesses or spacing
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/763 the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of the light emitting axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A light emitting diode directional flashing warning lamp, having a housing, a printed circuit board secured within the housing, a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted to the printed circuit board and operatively arranged to produce light which is directed away from the housing and directionally aimed to project a beam over a minimum area from approximately 20° right to 20° left on a horizontal plane and from 10° up to 10° down on a vertical plane, and a driving circuit operatively arranged to flash the plurality of light emitting diodes.

Claims

1. A light emitting diode flashing directional warning lamp, comprising:

a housing;

a lens secured to said housing;

a printed circuit board secured within said housing;

a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted to said printed circuit board and operatively arranged to produce light which is directed away from said housing and directionally aimed to project a beam through said lens over a minimum area from approximately 20°

right to 20°

left on a horizontal plane and from 10°

up to 10°

down on a vertical plane; and

a driving circuit operatively arranged to flash said plurality of light emitting diodes;

wherein said warning lamp satisfies the minimum photometric requirements of Society of Automotive Engineers Standards J595 and J1318.

2. A warning lamp as recited in claim 1 wherein said lens is transparent.

3. A warning lamp as recited in claim 1 wherein said lens is translucent.

4. A warning lamp as recited in claim 1 wherein said lens is clear in color.

5. A warning lamp as recited in claim 1 wherein said lens is red in color.

6. A warning lamp as recited in claim 1 wherein said lens is amber in color.

7. A warning lamp as recited in claim 1 wherein said lens is signal blue in color.

8. A light emitting diode flashing directional warning lamp as recited in claim 1 wherein said lamp produces white light having a minimum luminous intensity of 80 candela measured at a distance of at least 3 meters away from said lamp.

9. A light emitting diode flashing directional warning lamp as recited in claim 1 wherein said lamp produces yellow light having a minimum luminous intensity of 40 candela measured at a distance of at least 3 meters away from said lamp.

10. A light emitting diode flashing directional warning lamp as recited in claim 1 wherein said lamp produces red light having a minimum luminous intensity of 20 candela measured at a distance of at least 3 meters away from said lamp.

11. A light emitting diode flashing directional warning lamp as recited in claim 1 wherein said lamp produces signal blue light.

12. A light emitting diode flashing directional warning lamp as recited in claim 1 having a minimum flash energy in the range of 2 to 48 candela-seconds measured at a distance of at least 18 meters away from said lamp.

13. A light emitting diode flashing directional warning lamp as recited in claim 1 wherein said lamp produces yellow light having a minimum flash energy in the range of 1 to 22.5 candela-seconds measured at a distance of at least 18 meters away from said lamp.

14. A light emitting diode flashing directional warning lamp as recited in claim 1 wherein said lamp produces red light having a minimum flash energy of 0.5 to 11 candela-seconds measured at a distance of at least 18 meters away from said lamp.

15. A light emitting diode flashing directional warning as recited in claim 1 wherein said lamp produces signal blue light having a minimum flash energy of 0.25 to 11 candela-seconds measured at a distance of at least 18 meters away from said lamp.

16. A light emitting diode flashing directional warning lamp as recited in claim 1 further comprising a light reflecting/directing element secured to said printed circuit board and operatively arranged to project a beam of light through said lens for each light emitting diode.

17. A light emitting diode flashing directional warning lamp as recited in claim 1 wherein said light emitting diodes are secured to said printed circuit board both by soldered leads and by epoxy.

18. A light emitting diode flashing directional warning lamp as recited in claim 1 wherein said driving circuit causes said plurality of light emitting diodes to flash at a rate of 0.8 to 2.2 Hz.