Lighting device having a support member that supports multiple lenses

• US 7,891,834 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2008
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Energizer Brands, LLC (Energizer Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Eveready Battery Company Incorporated (Energizer Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Alessio, David J
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong; Bao Q.
• Application Number:
  US12/166,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20080266854A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 362/240, 362/235, 362/800, 362/237, 362/244, 362/245, 362/208, 362/251, 362/394, 362/184, 362/185, 362/322
• US Class Current: 362/184
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 14/00 Electric lighting devices without a self-contained power source, e.g. for mains connection
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/027 the light sources being a LED
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/065 in portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/084 Head fittings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/006 applied to portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2101/00 Point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A lighting device includes a housing, multiple light emitting diodes (LEDS), and multiple magnifier lenses. The multiple LEDS and the multiple magnifier lenses are located in the housing. Each of the magnifier lenses corresponds to a different one of the LEDS, and there are less magnifier lenses than LEDS. Each LED that has a corresponding magnifier lens is arranged with respect to its magnifier lens so that substantially all of the light emitted by the LED only traverses its corresponding magnifier lens. At least one of the LEDS emits light that does not traverse any of the multiple magnifier lenses.

Claims

1. A lighting device, comprising:

a housing;

a light source including multiple light emitting diodes (LEDS);

multiple lenses, wherein there are less lenses than LEDS; and

a support member that covers the multiple LEDS and supports the multiple lenses relative to the LEDS in the housing, wherein each of the lenses corresponds to a different one of the LEDS;

wherein, for each LED with a corresponding lens, the corresponding lens is arranged with respect to a light path of the LED so that substantially all light emitted by the LED traverses only the corresponding lens, and a substantial amount of light emitted by at least one of the LEDs without a corresponding lens does not traverse any of the lenses.

2. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the multiple LEDS include three LEDS.

3. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the multiple LEDS include six LEDS.

4. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the housing and the multiple lenses are formed as a single unitary component.

5. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein a first LED/lens pair produces a first light beam, a second LED/lens pair produces a second light beam, and a third LED produces a third light beam that does not traverse a lens.

6. The lighting device of claim 5, wherein the first and second light beam are focused on and substantially overlap a same target region.

7. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein at least two of the lenses respectively focus light emitted by their corresponding LEDS at a common target area and the light emitted by the corresponding LEDS substantially overlaps at the common target area and combines to form a single light beam at the target area with symmetry and uniform intensity with respect to the target area.

8. The lighting device of claim 7, wherein the at least two LEDS emit light having substantially equal intensity, and the intensity of the light at the target area is about double an intensity of the light emitted by either of the at least two LEDS.

9. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the support member supports the lenses in a tilt configuration with respect to the LEDS, thereby focusing light traversing the lenses at a common target.

10. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the multiple lenses include a double convex magnifier lens.

11. A lighting device, comprising:

a housing;

first and second light emitting diodes located in the housing;

a first magnifier lens arranged in a light path of the first light emitting diode that focuses a first light beam of the first light emitting diode onto a target area, wherein substantially all of the first light beam traverses the first magnifier lens;

a second magnifier lens arranged in a light path of the second light emitting diode that focuses a second light beam of the second light emitting diode onto the target area, wherein substantially all of the second light beam traverses the second magnifier lens, and wherein substantially all of the first and second light beams only illuminate the target area;

a third light emitting diode located in the housing, wherein the third light emitting diode generates a third light beam that onto the target area does not traverse a magnifier lens; and

a support member that covers first, second and third light emitting diodes and respectively supports the first and second magnifier lenses relative to the first and second light emitting diodes.

12. The lighting device of claim 11, wherein the first and second magnifier lenses include a piano convex magnifier lens.

13. The lighting device of claim 11, wherein the first and second magnifier lenses include a lens with a diameter of nine millimeters (9 mm) and a focal length of nine millimeters (9 mm).

14. The lighting device of claim 11, wherein the support member supports the first and second magnifier in a tilt arrangement towards the target area.

15. The lighting device of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first, the second or the third beams have a full field angle of view of about forty degrees.

16. The lighting device of claim 11, further including a headband adjustable strap, wherein the lighting device is a headlamp that secures to the head of a user via the strap.

17. A method of configuring a lighting device, including:

placing first, second and third light emitting diodes within a support member;

focusing a first light beam generated by the first light emitting diode with a first lens at a target region;

focusing a second light beam generated by the second light emitting diode with a second lens at the target region, wherein substantially all of the first and second light beams illuminate only the area within the target region; and

emitting a third light beam by the third light emitting diode onto the target region that does not traverse a lens.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a light intensity of each of the first and second light beams combine, thereby a light intensity within the target region is greater than the light intensity of either of the first or second light beams.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first and second light beams combine at the target region to form a fourth light beam.

20. The method of claim 17, further including focusing a light beam generated by at least one additional light emitting diode.