Side turn/marker lamp

• US 7,055,996 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2003
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Truck-Lite Company LLC (Truck-Lite Holdings 2 Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Truck-Lite Company Incorporated (Truck-Lite)
• Inventors: Kolstee, Todd, Pond, Greg, Roller, Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): Ward, John Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choi, Jacob Y.
• Application Number:
  US10/392,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20030179584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 362/485, 362/496, 362/543, 362/544, 362/545, 362/516, 362/518, 362/520, 362/522, 362/228, 362/242, 362/243, 362/244, 362/245, 362/247, 362/498
• US Class Current: 362/498
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/32 for indicating vehicle sides , e.g. clearance lights
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/34 for indicating change of drive direction B60Q1/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/045 the lens having discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lenses
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0025 Combination of two or more reflectors for a single light source array of reflectors for a cluster of light sources F21V7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A lamp comprising a housing, at least one planar substrate supporting a plurality of light sources, and a light directing member comprising a plurality of reflective surfaces. Each of the reflective surfaces is generally parabolic and reflects light emitted from the plurality of light sources. A lamp comprising a housing, at least one planar substrate, a plurality of light sources supported by each planar substrate, a lens, and a light directing member that reflects light emitted from the plurality of light sources. The light directing member produces a light distribution pattern spanning substantially five degrees to substantially ninety degrees in one direction along the longitudinal axis of said lamp.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a housing having a base;

at least one planar substrate, each of said at least one planar substrate adapted to engage with said housing;

a first plurality of light sources mounted on and supported by one of said at least one planar substrate;

a second plurality of light sources mounted on and supported by one of said at least one planar substrate;

a lens, said lens positioned adjacent to said first plurality of light sources and said second plurality of light sources; and

a light directing member operatively secured to said housing and substantially under said lens, said light directing member directing light substantially in one direction along a longitudinal axis of said lamp, said light directing member comprised of a plurality of substantially vertical reflective elements, each corresponding to one of said first plurality of light sources and arranged within said lamp to reflect light emitted from said first plurality of light sources outward from said device and a plurality of substantially horizontal reflective elements, each also corresponding to one of said first plurality of light sources, said plurality of substantially vertical reflective elements arranged at an angle less than or substantially equal to ninety degrees relative to said plurality of substantially horizontal reflective elements.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said light directing member further produces a light distribution pattern spanning approximately 35 degrees above a longitudinal axis of said device and substantially 20 degrees below said longitudinal axis of said lamp.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least one planar substrate is disposed substantially parallel to said base.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of reflective elements of said light distribution member is operatively disposed at an angle approximately eighty degrees from said base.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of reflective elements of said light distribution member is generally parabolic in shape.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein each of said substantially horizontal reflective elements of said light directing member is generally parabolic in shape.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein each of said first plurality of light sources and each of said second plurality of light sources are a light emitting diode.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein each of said at least one planar substrate is a circuit board.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein said first plurality of light sources is comprised of three high-flux light emitting diodes capable of emitting a minimum flux of approximately 10 Lumens, and wherein said second plurality of light sources is comprised of eight low-flux light emitting diodes capable of emitting a minimum flux of approximately 0.1 Lumens.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein said lens further comprises a plurality of wedge optics.

11. The lamp of claim 1, wherein said lens further comprises a plurality of Fresnel rings, each of said plurality of Fresnel rings corresponding to one of said first plurality of light sources.

12. A lamp, comprising:

a housing, said housing comprised of a base;

a first plurality of light sources;

a first substantially planar substrate adapted to engage with said housing and disposed substantially parallel to said base, said first planar substrate supporting said first plurality of light sources;

a second plurality of light sources;

a second substantially planar substrate adapted to engage with said housing and disposed substantially parallel to said base, said second planar substrate supporting said second plurality of light sources;

a light directing member secured to said base, said light directing member directing light emitted from said first plurality of light sources outward from said lamp in a light distribution pattern spanning approximately five degrees to approximately ninety degrees substantially in a rearward direction along a longitudinal axis of said lamp, said light directing member comprised of a plurality of substantially vertical reflective elements, each of said plurality of substantially vertical reflective elements corresponding to one of said first plurality of light sources and arranged within said lamp, and a plurality of substantially horizontal reflective elements, each of said plurality of substantially horizontal reflective elements also corresponding to one of said first plurality of light sources, said plurality of substantially vertical reflective elements arranged at an angle less than or substantially equal to ninety degrees relative to said plurality of substantially horizontal reflective elements; and

a lens, said lens positioned adjacent to and substantially covering said first plurality of light sources, said second plurality of light sources, said first planar substrate, said second planar substrate, and said light directing member.

13. The lamp of claim 12, wherein each of said plurality of substantially horizontal reflective elements of said light directing member is generally parabolic in shape.

14. The lamp of claim 12, wherein each of said first plurality of light sources is a high-flux light emitting diode capable of emitting a minimum flux of approximately 10 Lumens, and wherein each of said second plurality of light sources is a low-flux light emitting diode capable of emitting a minimum flux of approximately 0.1 Lumens.

15. The lamp of claim 12, wherein said first plurality of light sources comprises three light sources arranged substantially in a row, and wherein said second plurality of light sources comprises eight light sources arranged generally in a rectangle.

16. The lamp of claim 12, wherein said lens further comprises a plurality of wedge optics.

17. The lamp of claim 12, wherein said lens further comprises a plurality of Fresnel rings, each of said plurality of Fresnel rings corresponding to one of said first plurality of light sources.

18. A combined side turn/marker lamp, comprising:

a housing, said housing having a base;

a first planar substrate, said first planar substrate adapted to engage with said housing;

a second planar substrate, said first planar substrate adapted to engage with said housing;

a first plurality of LEDs disposed on said first planar substrate;

a second plurality of LEDs disposed on said second planar substrate;

a light directing member operatively secured to said housing and substantially under a lens, said light directing member comprised of a first plurality reflective elements and a second plurality of reflective elements, wherein said first plurality of reflective elements are disposed substantially vertical relative to said base, each of said first plurality of reflective elements corresponding to one of said first plurality of LEDS, and arranged within said lamp to reflect light emitted from said first plurality of light sources, and wherein each of said second plurality of reflective surfaces corresponds to one of said first plurality of light sources and extending substantially parallel to said base, and also arranged within said lamp to reflect light emitted from said first plurality of light sources, wherein said light directing member produces a light distribution pattern spanning approximately five degrees to approximately ninety degrees in a rearward direction along a longitudinal axis of said lamp; and

said lens positioned adjacent to said plurality of light sources and having a plurality of Fresnel rings and a plurality of wedge optics, each of said plurality of Fresnel rings corresponding to one of said first plurality of LEDs, and said plurality of wedge optics to direct light in both said rearward direction and in a forward direction.

19. The lamp of claim 18, wherein said light directing member also produces a light distribution pattern spanning approximately thirty five degrees above a longitudinal axis of said lamp and substantially twenty degrees below said longitudinal axis of said lamp.

20. The lamp of claim 18, wherein said first planar substrate and said second planar substrate are disposed substantially parallel to said base.

21. The lamp device of claim 18, wherein each of said first plurality of reflective elements of said light distribution member is operatively disposed at an angle approximately eighty degrees from said base.

22. The lamp of claim 18, wherein each of said first plurality of reflective elements and said second plurality of reflective elements of said light distribution member are substantially parabolic in shape.

23. The lamp of claim 18, wherein said first planar substrate and said second planar substrate are each a circuit board.

24. The lamp of claim 18, wherein said first plurality of LEDs are comprised of three high-flux LEDs capable of emitting a minimum flux of approximately 10 Lumens, and wherein said second plurality of LEDs is comprised of eight low-flux light emitting diodes capable of emitting a minimum flux of approximately 0.1 Lumens.