Sanitary fitting comprising an assembly of several light sources

• US 7,810,942 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hansa Metallwerke AG (Paasikivi Family)
• Original Assignee: Hansa Metallwerke AG (Paasikivi Family)
• Inventors: Veigel, Gunter, Kunkel, Horst
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember; Thomas M
• Application Number:
  US11/813,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20080205034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,755 Days
• Field of Search: 362/96, 362/101, 362/234, 362/249.01, 362/249.02, 362/231, 362/268, 362/237, 362/240, 362/244, 362/246, 239/18, 239/20, 239/289
• US Class Current: 362/96
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 1/04 Water-basin installations specially adapted to wash-basins or baths valves, faucets, mixing valves, taps F16K
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 2001/0418 having temperature indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 13/02 Combinations of only two kinds of elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/049 Patterns or structured surfaces for diffusing light, e.g. frosted surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/004 Sanitary equipment, e.g. mirrors, showers, toilet seats or paper dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/008 Combination of two or more successive refractors along an optical axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/13 comprising an assembly of point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

The invention relates to a sanitary fitting containing an assembly of several light sources for illuminating water that flows out of or into the sanitary fitting, said light sources generating light of different colors. According to the invention, collecting optics are positioned upstream of the light sources to focus and mix the light that is generated by the light sources. This permits the generation of intensive mixed colors, which, for example, can illuminate the interior of a shower jet.

Claims

1. A sanitary fitting including an assembly of several light sources for illuminating water that flows out of or into the sanitary fitting, whereby light of different colours can be generated by the said light sources, the sanitary fitting comprising a collecting optics arranged in front of the light sources, for focusing and mixing the light generated by the light sources, wherein the collecting optics comprises a plurality of optical elements having a collecting action, in which at least one of the optical elements is reversibly uniquely associated with each light source, and further wherein the focusing as well as the mixing of the light generated by the light sources are provided by the optical elements;

wherein the light sources generate light beams that are at least substantially rotationally symmetrical with respect to a radiation axis associated with the respective light source;

wherein the radiation axes of the light sources run parallel to one another; and

wherein at least one light source is arranged in such a way with respect to the optical element associated with it that the radiation axis of the at least one light source runs parallel and staggered by a distance (d) with respect to the axis of symmetry of the associated optical element.

2. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, wherein the optical elements have axes of symmetry that run parallel to one another.

3. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, wherein the staggered distance (d) is more than 10% of the radius of the respective optical element.

4. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, wherein the optical elements have the effect of an aspherical lens.

5. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, wherein the optical elements are diffractive optical elements.

6. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, wherein the optical elements are lens elements.

7. The sanitary fitting of claim 6, wherein the lens elements have in each case a concave entry surface and a convex exit surface.

8. The sanitary fitting of claim 7, wherein the concave entry surface has a curvature that is least on the axis of symmetry.

9. The sanitary fitting of claim 6, wherein the lens elements form a one-piece unit.

10. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, wherein the collecting optics includes an optical collecting element having a collecting action, which collects jointly the light beams leaving the optical elements.

11. The sanitary fitting of claim 10, wherein the optical collecting element has the effect of an aspherical lens.

12. The sanitary fitting of claim 10, wherein the optical collecting element is a collecting lens.

13. The sanitary fitting of claim 12, wherein the collecting lens is biconvex.

14. The sanitary fitting of claim 12, wherein the collecting lens has a convex exit surface, the curvature of which is least at the axis of symmetry (GOA) of the collecting lens.

15. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, wherein the light sources are arranged distributed with a multi-fold symmetry around a common axis of symmetry (GOA).

16. The sanitary fitting of claim 15, wherein the light sources are arranged distributed with a multi-fold symmetry around a common axis of symmetry (GOA) and the optical elements adjoin one another along the common axis of symmetry (GOA) of the light sources.

17. The sanitary fitting of claim 15, wherein the light sources are arranged distributed with a multi-fold symmetry around a common axis of symmetry (GOA) and the optical collecting element has an axis of symmetry that runs along the common axis of symmetry (GOA) of the light sources.

18. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, further comprising a diffusing device that scatters the light generated by the light sources.

19. The sanitary fitting of claim 18, wherein the diffusing device includes a surface with structures, the dimensions of which are less than 1 mm.

20. The sanitary fitting of claim 19, wherein the surface is an optically active surface of the collecting lens.

21. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, wherein the light sources are LEDs.

22. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, wherein the light sources generate light in the colours red, green, and blue.

23. The sanitary fitting of claim 22, wherein the colour red is defined by light wavelengths between 625 nm and 650 nm, the colour green is defined by light wavelengths between 500 nm and 550 nm, and the colour blue is defined by light wavelengths between 455 nm and 485 nm.

24. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, further comprising a light source which generates light of the colour yellow.

25. The sanitary fitting of claim 24, wherein the colour yellow is defined by light wavelengths between 570 nm and 590 nm.

26. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, wherein the light generated by the light sources is propagated without an optical guide in the sanitary fitting.

27. The sanitary fitting of claim 1, wherein the sanitary fitting has inlet openings or outlet openings for water, which surround the arrangement of the light sources.