LED warning beacon

• US 7,158,020 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2003
• Issued: 01/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James A. Grady Jr
• Original Assignee: James A. Grady Jr
• Inventors: Grady, James A. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): SWARTHOUT, BRENT
• Application Number:
  US10/646,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20040046678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 340/471, 340/472, 340/473, 340/474, 340/321, 340/332, 116/63.T, 409/03, 405/50, 406/00, 405/41, 362/612, 362/623, 362/546, 362/157, 362/362, 362/500
• US Class Current: 340/473
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 7/00 Arrangement or adaptation of portable emergency signal devices on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/33 being semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A warning beacon includes a transparent housing, having a triangular shape suggestive of a warning sign, the housing having a front face, a back face, and side edges. A mounting plate is disposed within the housing between the front and back faces, and a plurality of LEDs are supported by the mounting plate, and oriented to provide light in at least a forward direction through the front face.

Claims

1. A warning beacon, comprising:

a) a transparent housing, having a triangular shape configured to provide substantial strength, and including a transparent front face, a transparent back face, and transparent side edges, wherein the housing is constructed from an impact resistant plastic material;

b) a mounting plate, disposed within the housing between the front and back faces;

c) a plurality of LEDs, supported by the mounting plate, and oriented to provide light in at least a forward direction through the front face and a rearward direction through the back face, wherein the LEDs are high intensity, narrow beam LEDs configured to project directional light to enable the LEDs to be visible for a substantial distance; and

d) wherein the impact resistant plastic material is configured to internally reflect a portion of the light from the plurality of narrow beam LEDs from one side of the transparent housing to another side of the transparent housing to enable a substantially omnidirectional visibility of the warning beacon through the transparent front face, the transparent back face, and the transparent side edges.

2. A warning beacon in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a base configured to support the housing.

3. A warning beacon in accordance with claim 2, wherein the base comprises a structure selected from the group consisting of fixed legs, folding legs, a magnetic mount, a battery pack, and a support flange.

4. A warning beacon in accordance with claim 1, wherein the mounting plate comprises a printed circuit board including control circuitry and electronic components for actuation and control of the LEDs.

5. A warning beacon in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of LEDs comprises a plurality of clusters of LEDs, each cluster containing at least two LEDs.

6. A warning beacon in accordance with claim 5, wherein the clusters of LEDs include clusters oriented in substantially orthogonal directions.

7. A warning beacon in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of LEDs are configured to flash in a substantially random pattern.

8. A warning beacon in accordance with claim 1, wherein the plurality of LEDs further include LEDs oriented to provide light in a direction substantially perpendicular to the front face.

9. A warning beacon in accordance with claim 1, wherein the LEDs produce light of a color selected from the group consisting of red, orange, amber, white, blue, and green.

10. A warning beacon in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a power supply.

11. A warning beacon in accordance with claim 10, wherein the power supply comprises one or more dry cell batteries.

12. A warning beacon in accordance with claim 11, further comprising a battery mount disposed on an outside of the housing.

13. A warning beacon in accordance with claim 10, wherein the power supply is configured to accommodate an input voltage of from 6v to 36v DC.

14. A warning beacon in accordance with claim 10, wherein the power supply is configured to be wired directly to a piece of equipment.

15. A warning beacon in accordance with claim 1, wherein the housing enhances a luminescence of the plurality of LEDs.

16. A warning beacon in accordance with claim 1, further comprising light reflective material disposed on the housing.

17. A warning beacon in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a warning sign disposed adjacent the housing.

20. A warning beacon as in claim 1, wherein the transparent housing is configured to internally reflect at least 8 percent of the light from the plurality of LEDs to enable the substantially omnidirectional visibility.

21. A warning beacon as in claim 1, wherein the narrow beam LEDs have a beam width of less than 7 degrees.

22. A warning beacon as in claim 1, wherein the substantial distance at which the high intensity, narrow beam LEDs are visible is for a distance of at least one mile.

18. A warning beacon, comprising:

a) a base;

b) a transparent housing, supported by the base, having a three-dimensional triangular shape configured to provide substantial strength, including a front face, a back face parallel to the front face, and side edges, and enclosing an interior space;

c) a triangularly shaped circuit board, vertically disposed in the interior space of the housing between the front and back faces;

d) a plurality of narrow beam, high intensity LEDs, supported by the circuit board, and oriented to provide light in forward and rearward directions through the front face and back face, respectively; and

e) wherein the transparent housing is configured to reflect within the interior space a portion of the light from the plurality of narrow beam LEDs from one side of the transparent housing to another side of the transparent housing to enable a substantially omnidirectional visibility of the warning beacon through the transparent front face, the transparent back face, and the transparent side edges.

19. A warning beacon, comprising:

a) a transparent body, configured to be attached to a piece of equipment, having a triangular shape to provide substantial strength, an inside cavity, and a depth;

b) a printed circuit board, vertically disposed within the cavity;

c) a plurality of clusters of high intensity, narrow beam LEDs, supported by the circuit board, oriented to provide directional light in at least one direction through the transparent body, wherein the transparent body is configured to reflect a portion of the directional light from the plurality of clusters from one side of the inside cavity to another side of the inside cavity to enable a substantially omnidirectional visibility of the warning beacon through the transparent body; and

d) control circuitry, associated with the circuit board, configured to cause the LEDs to flash in an alternating pattern.