Vehicle light assembly

• US 6,953,264 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2003
• Issued: 10/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gregory T. Royston, South Bay Law Group, PC, The Artak Ter-Hovhanissian Patent Trust
• Original Assignee: American Superlite, Inc.
• Inventors: Ter-Hovhannisian, Artak
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Guiyoung
• Application Number:
  US10/394,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20030156410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 362/241, 362/247, 362/245, 362/800, 362/516, 362/517, 362/518, 362/521, 362/235, 362/309, 362/545
• US Class Current: 362/241
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/32 for indicating vehicle sides , e.g. clearance lights
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/337 the reflector having a structured surface, e.g. with facets or corrugations
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/14 Light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/30 characterised by reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 43/40 characterised by the combination of reflectors and refractors
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1876 Diffractive Fresnel lenses; Zone plates; Kinoforms G02B5/1842, G02B5/1847 take precedence; optical systems having diffractive correction means G02B27/0037; Fresnel lenses operating by refraction G02B3/08

Abstract

A vehicle light assembly includes a reflector having a plurality of depressions, each depression having interruptions on a reflective surface thereof to maximize reflection. One or more light emitting diodes are disposed within each depression so as to be generally surrounded by the depression. A lens is disposed over the reflector for allowing light to pass therethrough. The lens may include a plurality of domes, each dome disposable over a light emitting diode or cluster of light emitting diodes. Preferably, each dome includes a central dimple lens and spaced apart ridges encircling the central dimple lens which serve to direct light in a selected manner.

Claims

1. A vehicle light assembly, comprising:

a light emitting diode;

a reflector positioned relative to the light emitting diode so as to reflect light emitted therefrom, the reflector including a depression substantially surrounding the light emitting diode and having a reflective surface which includes interruptions, wherein the interruptions includes a plurality of protrusions extending from the surface of the depression, or a plurality of dimples or recessions formed in the surface of the depression; and

a lens disposed over the reflector for allowing light to pass therethrough.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the light emitting diode comprises an array of multiple light emitting diodes or clusters of light emitting diodes.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the reflector includes a plurality of depressions surrounding each light emitting diode or cluster of light emitting diodes of the array.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the depressions are generally conical and have a width selected to be less than an angle of illumination of the light emitting diode or cluster of light emitting diodes.

5. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the lens includes a plurality of domes, each dome disposable over a light emitting diode or cluster of light emitting diodes for reflecting at least a portion of light emitting from the light emitting diodes onto the reflector so as to disperse the light.

6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the domes each include a central dimple lens for directing the light onto the reflector.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the domes each include ridges spaced from one another and encircling the central dimple lens.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the protrusions comprise hemi-spherical bumps arranged to maximize a reflective surface of the reflector.

9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the protrusions comprise a plurality of serrations extending from the surface of the depression.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the light emitting diode is disposed within the depression.

11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the light emitting diode extends through an aperture formed in a lower end of the depression.

12. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the light emitting diode is disposed over the depression.

13. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the lens is transparent and the light emitting diode emits red or amber light.

14. A vehicle light assembly, comprising:

a reflector including a plurality of depressions, each depression having interruptions on a reflective surface thereof, wherein the interruptions includes a plurality of protrusions extending from the surface of the depression, or a plurality of dimples or recessions formed in the surface of the depression;

an array of multiple light emitting diodes or clusters of light emitting diodes, the light emitting diode or cluster of light emitting diodes extending through an aperture formed in each depression so as to be generally surrounded by the depression; and

a lens disposed over the reflector for allowing light to pass therethrough.

15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the depressions are generally conical and have a width selected to be less than an angle of illumination of the light emitting diode or cluster of light emitting diodes.

16. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the lens includes a plurality of domes, each dome disposable over a light emitting diode or cluster of light emitting diodes for reflecting at least a portion of light emitting from the light emitting diodes onto the reflector so as to disperse the light.

17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the domes each include a central dimple lens for directing the light onto the reflector, and ridges spaced from one another and encircling the central dimple lens.

18. A vehicle light assembly, comprising:

a reflector including a plurality of generally conical depressions, each conical depression having interruptions on a reflective surface thereof, wherein the interruptions includes a plurality of protrusions extending from the surface of the depression, or a plurality of dimples or recessions formed in the surface of the depression;

a plurality of light emitting diodes disposed within the conical depressions of the reflector; and

a lens disposed over the reflector and light emitting diodes, the lens including a plurality of domes, each dome overlying a conical depression of the reflector for reflecting at least a portion of light emitting from the light emitting diodes onto the reflector so as to disperse the light.

19. The assembly of claim 18, wherein the domes each include a central dimple lens for directing the light onto the reflector, and ridges spaced from one another and encircling the central dimple lens.