Illumination assembly

• US 7,883,233 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2007
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Designs For Vision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Designs For Vision, Inc.
• Inventors: Feinbloom, Richard, Braganca, Kenneth, Yan, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): TON, ANABEL
• Application Number:
  US11/975,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20090116225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 362/105, 362/184, 362/187, 362/190, 362/191, 362/106
• US Class Current: 362/105
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/309 using white LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/502 Headgear, e.g. helmet, spectacles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/30 Devices for illuminating a surgical field, the devices having an interrelation with other surgical devices or with a surgical procedure
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 2/00 Systems of electric lighting devices systems employing both electric and non-electric light sources or exchangeable light sources F21L27/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/084 Head fittings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/202 for dentistry
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/205 for operating theatres
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/40 Lighting for industrial, commercial, recreational or military use
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

An assembly for providing illumination to a selected incident area includes a support; a first illumination device coupled to the support, the first illumination device including a first light emitting device and a first lens positioned for focusing light emitted by said first light emitting device; a second illumination device coupled to the support, the second illumination device including a second light emitting device and a second lens positioned for focusing light emitted by said second light emitting device; the first and second lenses projecting defocused images of the respective first and second light emitting devices to the selected incident area.

Claims

1. An assembly for providing illumination to an incident area comprising:

(a) a support;

(b) a first illumination device coupled to the support, the first illumination device including a first light emitting device and a first lens positioned for focusing light emitted by said first light emitting device;

(c) a second illumination device coupled to the support, the second illumination device including a second light emitting device and a second lens positioned for focusing light emitted by said second light emitting device;

(d) the first and second lenses projecting defocused images of the respective first and second light emitting devices to the incident area.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said first and second light emitting devices comprise light emitting diodes.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein said light emitting diodes comprise two-dimensional arrays.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein said arrays are substantially rectangular, and said assembly is so mounted that said arrays are positioned with their sides at substantially a 45 degree angle relative to horizontal when positioned for use.

5. The assembly of claim 3, wherein said first and second lenses are configured having a focal point behind said arrays.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said first illumination device comprises a housing supporting said first lens and said first light emitting device.

7. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a headband coupled to said support.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said support comprises a main housing encompassing said first and second light emitting devices.

9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein each of said first and second light emitting devices comprises an emitter mount directly coupled to said main housing, and a light emitting diode on said emitter mount.

10. A method of illuminating a target area a selected distance from a light emitting assembly, comprising:

(a) providing a first emitting array in the light emitting assembly;

(b) providing a second emitting array in the light emitting assembly;

(c) projecting a defocused image of the first emitting array to the target area; and

(d) simultaneously projecting a defocused image of the second emitting array to the incident area.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said first and second arrays are light emitting diode arrays.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said arrays are two-dimensional.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said projecting steps comprise employing lens assemblies associated with each of the arrays.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said arrays are substantially rectangular and are positioned during said projecting steps with their sides at substantially a 45 degree angle relative to horizontal.

15. A method of preparing an illumination assembly having at least one emitter array for illuminating a target area a selected distance from an output of the assembly, comprising:

(a) projecting an image of the at least one emitter array through a focusing lens assembly to a surface at the selected distance;

(b) adjusting the lens assembly to focus the projected image on the surface; and

(c) adjusting the lens assembly to defocus the projected image.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the emitter array is a light-emitting diode array.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the array is on a single die.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said adjusting step comprises positioning the focal point of the focusing lens assembly behind the emitter array.

19. An illumination device, comprising:

a light emitting device; and

a lens positioned for focusing light emitting by the light emitting device, the lens configured so as to project a defocused image of light emitted by the light emitting device.

20. The illumination device of claim 19, wherein the light emitting devices comprises a two-dimensional light emitting array.

21. The illumination device of claim 20, wherein the light emitting array is a light emitting diode array.

22. The illumination device of claim 19, wherein the lens has a focal point, the light emitting device being between the focal point and the lens.

23. The illumination device of claim 22, wherein the light emitting array is a two-dimensional light emitting diode array.

24. The illumination device of claim 23, wherein the array is on a single die.