LED pool or spa light having unitary lens body

• US 7,357,525 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2006
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kevin Doyle
• Original Assignee: Kevin Doyle
• Inventors: Doyle, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Ward; John Anthony
• Application Number:
  US11/357,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20060187652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 362/96, 362/101, 362/231, 362/240, 362/158, 362/267, 362/800, 362/257, 315/185, 315/193
• US Class Current: 362/101
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 2/00 Systems of lighting devices, not provided for in main groups F21S4/00 - F21S10/00 or F21S19/00, e.g. of modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/00 Lighting devices intended for fixed installation F21S9/00, F21S10/00 take precedence; using a string or strip of light sources F21S4/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/02 of recess-mounted type, e.g. downlighters specially adapted for vehicle exteriors F21S41/00-F21S45/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/022 intended to be recessed in a floor or like ground surface, e.g. pavement or false floor
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/02 the elements being transformers, impedances or power supply units, e.g. a transformer with a rectifier
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/04 the elements being switches safety devices F21V25/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/56 using liquid coolants F21V29/51 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/04 Provision of filling media
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/40 with provision for controlling spectral properties, e.g. colour, or intensity
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/401 for swimming pools
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/13 comprising an assembly of point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

The instant invention is directed to a light emitting diode pool or spa lamp bulb having at least one light emitting diode with at least one lens body that is optically clear. The at least one light emitting diode being embedded in the lens body, the lens body being in direct contact with the pool or spa.

Claims

1. A light emitting diode pool or spa lamp bulb, comprising:

an at least one light emitting diode;

an at least one unitary, parabolic lens body that is optically clear with the at least one light emitting diode embedded in the at least one unitary, parabolic lens body, the lens body being in direct contact with the pool or spa; and

an at least one controller coupled to a printed circuit board, the printed circuit board coupled to and mounting the at least one light emitting diode.

2. The light emitting diode pool or spa lamp bulb of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board mounts the at least one controller.

3. The light emitting diode pool or spa lamp bulb of claim 2, wherein the printed circuit board and the controller are embedded in the at least one unitary, parabolic lens body.

4. The light emitting diode pool or spa lamp bulb of claim of claim 1, wherein the controller is located outside the bulb.

5. The light emitting diode pool or spa lamp bulb of claim 4, wherein the controller is a wireless controller system having a wireless controller coupled wirelessly to a user input.

6. The light emitting diode pool or spa lamp bulb of claim 3, wherein a power source is coupled to the printed circuit board through a coupling.

7. The light emitting diode pool or spa lamp bulb of claim 6, wherein the coupling is a screw in coupling.

8. The light emitting diode pool or spa lamp bulb of claim 6, wherein the coupling is a pin and plug coupling.

9. The light emitting diode pool or spa lamp bulb of claim 6, further comprising a transformer coupling the power source and the printed circuit board.

10. The light emitting diode pool or spa lamp bulb of claim 6, further comprising a rectifier circuit coupling the power source to the printed circuit board.

11. The light emitting diode pool or spa lamp bulb of claim 1, wherein the at least one light emitting diode is an array of light emitting diodes.

12. The light emitting diode pool or spa lamp bulb of claim 11, wherein the array of light emitting diode is an array of multi colored light emitting diodes.

13. The light emitting diode pool or spa lamp bulb of claim 1, further comprising a receiving cavity and a bezel, the bezel fitting around the light emitting diode bulb and retaining the bulb in the receiving cavity.

14. The light emitting diode pool or spa lamp bulb of claim 3, wherein the at least one unitary, parabolic lens body further comprises a diffusing pattern on a surface of the at least one unitary, parabolic lens body in contact with the pool or spa.

15. The light emitting diode pool or spa lamp bulb of claim 14, wherein the diffusing pattern is comprised of a plurality of indents or projections in at least one of a series of concentric rings, a grid of squares, a grid of rectangles, a grid of small circles, and a grid of diamonds.

16. The light emitting diode pool or spa lamp bulb of claim 12, wherein the controller includes a rectifier circuit for converting a 12 volt-ac source applied to the light emitting diode lamp bulb through electrical connections in a screw-type base to a 12 volt-dc circuit for supplying electrical power to an array comprised of the plurality of different colored light emitting diode bulbs.

37. The bulb of claim 1, further comprising a hardened layer applied over the lens body.

38. The bulb of claim 37, wherein the hardened layer is a layer of quartz applied over the lens body.

17. A pool or spa light, the light being recessed in an alcove in the wall or floor of the pool or spa, the light comprising:

a plurality of light emitting diodes;

a printed circuit board having the plurality of light emitting diodes planted thereon;

an at least one unitary lens body, the lens body comprised of an optically transmissive material that encapsulates the plurality of light emitting diodes and the printed circuit board; and

an electrical coupling that couples the multiple light emitting diodes to a power source, wherein the printed circuit board and plurality of light emitting diodes are encapsulated in the lens body and oriented to face into the pool or spa such that no gap or air space is provided and when the lens body is submerged in the pool or spa the multiple light emitting diodes are in direct contact with the lens body which is directly cooled by the pool or spa.

18. The pool or spa light of claim 17, further comprising an at least one controller controlling the plurality of light emitting diodes.

19. The pool or spa light of claim 17, wherein the printed circuit board mounts the at least one controller thereon.

20. The pool or spa light of claim 19, wherein the controller is embedded in the lens body.

21. The pool or spa light of claim 18, wherein the controller is located outside the bulb.

22. The pool or spa light of claim 21, wherein the controller is a wireless controller system having a wireless controller coupled wirelessly to a user input.

23. The pool or spa light of claim 17, wherein the electrical coupling is a screw in coupling.

24. The pool or spa light of claim 17, wherein the coupling is a pin and plug coupling.

25. The pool or spa light of claim 17, further comprising a transformer coupling the power source and the light emitting diodes.

26. The pool or spa light of claim 17, further comprising a rectifier circuit coupling the power source to the printed circuit board.

27. The pool or spa light of claim 17, wherein the plurality of light emitting diode is a plurality of multi colored light emitting diodes.

28. The pool or spa light of claim 17, further comprising a bezel, the bezel fitting around the light emitting diode bulb and retaining the bulb in the receiving alcove.

29. The pool or spa light of claim 17, wherein the lens body further comprises a diffusing pattern on a surface in contact with the pool or spa.

30. The pool or spa light of claim 29, wherein the diffusing pattern is comprised of a plurality of indents or projections in at least one of a series of concentric rings, a grid of squares, a grid of rectangles, a grid of small circles, and a grid of diamonds.

31. The pool or spa light of claim 27, further comprising a controller that includes a rectifier circuit for converting a 12 volt-ac source applied to the plurality of light emitting diodes through electrical connections in a screw-type base to a 12 volt-dc circuit for supplying electrical power to the plurality of multi-colored light emitting diodes.

39. The bulb of claim 17, further comprising a hardened layer applied over the lens body.

40. The bulb of claim 39, wherein the hardened layer is a layer of quartz applied over the lens body.

32. A method of manufacturing a unitary, parabolic light emitting diode spa or pool bulb, comprising the method steps of:

setting a plurality of light emitting diodes on a printed circuit board in a in a unitary light emitting diode spa or pool bulb lens body parabolic mold;

adding water clear encapsulating material to the lens body mold to encapsulate all electrical components with an electrical coupling at the back of the light emitting diode spa or pool bulb mold; and

ejecting the completed unitary, parabolic light emitting diode spa or pool bulb.

33. The method of manufacturing of claim 32, further comprising the method step of applying a diffuser pattern in the bulb.

34. The method of manufacturing of claim 32, the method step of setting further comprises setting a printed circuit board with a controller and a transformer, the transformer being coupled to the printed circuit board and having an electrical coupling, wherein in the encapsulating step the electrical coupling from the transformer extends out from the encapsulation.

35. The method of manufacturing of claim 32, further comprising the method step of applying a hardened surface coating to the light emitting diode bulb.

36. The method of manufacturing of claim 35, wherein the method step of applying a hardened surface coating further comprises applying a coating of quartz to the light emitting diode bulb.

41. A pool or spa light mounted within a pool or spa comprising:

an at least one lens body;

at least one light emitting diode embedded and extending at least partially from the at least one lens body;

a mounting cavity within the pool or spa having the lens body mounted therein;

an at least one covering lens mounted in front of the at least one lens body to form a water filled cavity, the at least one covering lens having an at least one water inlet and an at least one water outlet, wherein water is induced into and out of the cavity by a convective current generated from the cooling of heat generated by the at least one light emitting diode.

42. The pool or spa light of claim 41, wherein the at least one light emitting diode is a plurality of light emitting diodes.

43. The pool or spa light of claim 42, wherein the plurality of light emitting diodes is of multiple colors.

44. The pool or spa light of claim 41, further comprising a controller is provided to control the color of the plurality of light emitting diodes.

45. The pool or spa light of claim 44, further comprising at least one of a transformer, a power source cord, an electrical coupling, an at least one printed circuit board, and a bezel.

46. The pool or spa light of claim 45, wherein at least one of the controller, the transformer, and the at least one printed circuit board is embedded in the at least one lens body.

47. The pool or spa light of claim 41, wherein the at least one lens body is a single lens body.

48. The pool or spa light of claim 47, wherein the single lens body is composed of a thermally conductive, optically clear material.

49. The pool or spa light of claim 41, further comprising a protective coating covering the at least one lens body and the at least one light emitting diode.

50. The pool or spa light of claim 41, wherein the at least one covering lens is formed as a part of the at least one lens body.

51. The pool or spa light of claim 41, wherein the at least one covering lens is separate from the at least one lens body.