Photopolymerization apparatus

• US 7,535,184 B1
• Filed: 05/23/2005
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Design Rite LLC
• Original Assignee: Design Rite LLC
• Inventors: Fregoso, Gilbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene; Haissa
• Application Number:
  US11/135,832
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 315/112, 315/115, 315/117, 315/224, 315/225, 315/291, 315/292, 315/294, 315/307, 315/360, 315/362, 362/119, 362/231, 362/293, 362/294, 362/800, 433/27, 433/29, 433/31
• US Class Current: 315/291
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 19/004 Hand-held apparatus, e.g. guns
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3725 Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/56 involving measures to prevent abnormal temperature of the LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A light-weight, portable photocuring device possesses a single light emitting diode (LED). The single LED backed with a heat sink is driven by a driving circuit and controlled by a timing circuit. A temperature monitor can be included in a closed loop to feed back and control the driver. Lenses and/or light guides in the device act to further direct the light.

Claims

1. A photopolymerization apparatus comprising:

a housing;

one light emitting diode;

a heat sink;

a timing circuit that is a microcontroller;

a driver circuit, wherein said driver circuit comprises one inductive storage device, a DC blocking capacitor, another inductive storage device, a switching regulator device, a rectifier, a filter, a current sensing device, and a transistor MOSFET; and

a means for applying power to said driver circuit, wherein the another inductive storage device runs at resonance with the one inductive storage device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said inductive storage device is wire wound with an inductance between about 18 and 220 micro henries.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said switching regulator device comprises:

a programmable reference voltage source;

an oscillation circuit; and

an error amplifier.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said switching regulator device is a CMOS PWM PFM switching regulator.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said rectifier is a Schottky diode.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said current sensing device and said switching regulator device are a temperature compensation circuit comprising an error amplifier, a current sensing resistor and at least two reference voltage resistors.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said transistor MOSFET is super enhanced.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a low voltage power converter circuit.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said low voltage power converter circuit produces 3 volts and 20 milliamps when supplied with at least 0.8 volts input.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means for applying power is at least one battery.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one lens/reflector.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said at least one lens/reflector contacts said one light emitting diode.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a light guide.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one lens and a light guide.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a phototransistor for detecting stray light and providing feed back to said microcontroller.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a thermal switch which feeds back to said microcontroller.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a programmable trim pot to allow power to be ramped up.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an enhanced MOSFET to detect leakage current.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a start/stop switch.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising and liquid crystal display as a visual display.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a battery monitor circuit.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cooling fan.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a solid state thermal electric heat pump.