Indicator lamp having a converging lens

• US 7,473,013 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2004
• Issued: 01/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Okaya Electric Industries Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Okaya Electric Industries Company Limited
• Inventors: Shimada, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Jong-Suk (James)
• Assistant Examiner(s): MACCHIAROLO, LEAH SIMONE
• Application Number:
  US10/595,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20060291245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,492 Days
• Field of Search: 362/327, 362/555, 362/296, 362306-308, 362/329, 362/341, 362/347, 362/350, 362/351, 362/360, 362/361, 362331-334, 362/349, 257/98
• US Class Current: 362/327
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/69 Details of refractors forming part of the light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0091 using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/00 Use or application of lighting devices or systems for signalling, marking or indicating, not provided for in codes F21W2102/00 – F21W2107/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/58 Optical field-shaping elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/60 Reflective elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

It is sought to provide an indicator lamp, which is excellent not only in short distance visual recognition property but also in long distance one, as well as being further excellent in sight field angle property.

An indicator lamp includes a light-emitting element 1 and a light-emitting element lens 2 having a light-emitting element mounting cavity 3 formed at the bottom, in which the light-emitting element disposed in the cavity 3 emits light to be fully reflected by the peripheral surface of the lens 1 and proceeds as emission light flux forwardly of the lens 1. The slope angle of the peripheral surface with respect to the lens axis is reduced progressively from the bottom toward the lens front surface 5 in three stages, thus forming circumferential corners 7 and 8 as boundaries between adjacent ones of the three stages. The circumferential corners scatter light emitted from the light emitting element 2 to provide concentric emission light fluxes as viewed from the side of the lens front.

Claims

1. An indicator lamp comprising:

a light-emitting element; and

a light-emitting element lens, wherein said light-emitting element lens includes a lens body having a light-emitting element mounting cavity formed at a rear of said lens body, said light-emitting element being mounted in said light-emitting element mounting cavity, said lens body having an inverted conically shaped peripheral surface for fully reflecting and forwardly re-directing light emitted from said light-emitting element, said peripheral surface having three linearly sloped sections, each of said sloped sections being sloped relative to an axis of said light-emitting element lens at an angle different from that of the other sloped sections so as to define circumferential corners at points of discontinuity between adjacent ones of said three linearly sloped sections, wherein said circumferential corners are arranged so as to scatter light emitted from said light-emitting element forwardly to provide concentric emission light fluxes as viewed from a side of said front surface of said light-emitting element lens.

2. The indicator lamp according to claim 1, wherein said lens body includes a convex lens portion projecting outwardly from a center of said front surface of said light-emitting element lens.

3. The indicator lamp according to claim 2, wherein said convex lens portion has a diameter less than that of said front surface of said light-emitting element lens.

4. The indicator lamp according to claim 1, wherein said lens body includes a convex lens portion projecting outwardly from a center of said front surface of said light-emitting element lens, and wherein said lens body has an annular ridge of a semi-circular sectional profile projecting outwardly from said front surface of said light-emitting element lens so as to surround said convex lens portion.

5. An indicator lamp comprising:

a light-emitting element; and

a lens body having a diameter which increases as distance from said light-emitting element increases in a forward direction, said light-emitting element being disposed at a rear of said lens body and emitting light to be fully reflected by a peripheral surface of said lens body and to proceed forwardly thereof, said peripheral surface having three linearly sloped sections, each of said sloped sections being sloped relative to an axis of said lens body at an angle different from that of the other sloped sections so as to define circumferential comets at points of discontinuity between adjacent ones of said three linearly sloped sections, said lens body having a substantially cylindrical cavity formed at the rear of said lens body so as to accommodate said light-emitting element, light emitted from said light-emitting element so as to be directed toward a peripheral surface of said cavity being incident on said lens body at angles less than a full reflection angle corresponding to a refractive index of said lens body, passing through said lens body, and being incident on the peripheral surface of said lens body to be fully reflected and proceed forwardly of said lens body, light emitted from said light-emitting element so as to be directed toward a front surface of said cavity being incident on said lens body at angles less than said full reflection angle and passing through said lens body to directly proceed forwardly of said lens body.

6. The indicator lamp according to claim 5, wherein a front surface of said lens body has a convex lens portion projecting outwardly from said lens body and also has a flat surface part extending around said convex lens portion, light emitted from said light-emitting element so as to be directed toward the front surface of said cavity being incident on said lens body at angles less than the full reflection angle of said lens body, passing through said lens body and being converged by said convex lens portion to proceed forwardly of said lens body, light emitted from said light-emitting element so as to be directed toward the peripheral surface of said cavity being incident on said lens body at angles less than the full reflection angle of said lens body to be fully reflected and proceed forwardly from said flat surface portion.