Adjustable light for underwater photography

• US 8,864,326 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2011
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Light & Motion Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Light & Motion Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Armer, Jarod, Foss, Doug, Olsson, Mark, McCaslin, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Negron, Ismael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harris, William N
• Application Number:
  US13/373,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20120140433A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 Days
• Field of Search: 362/6, 362/10, 362/158, 362/249.02, 362/311.01, 362/800
• US Class Current: 362/6
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/52 Tools specially adapted for working underwater, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/00 Electric lighting devices with self-contained electric batteries or cells
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/085 in portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/56 using liquid coolants F21V29/51 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/89 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/005 Sealing arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/083 for portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/10 comprising a two-dimensional array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/02 Illuminating scene
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0567 Solid-state light source, e.g. LED, laser
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2215/0592 installed in front of light emitter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

An underwater diving light has a rotatable front filter ring for selecting light filtration as needed for underwater still or video photography conditions. The filter ring is removable and interchangeable with different rings. Another important feature is efficient cooling of the LEDs and other internal electronics of the diving light assembly. The water is in contact with a metallic front face that conducts heat directly away from a metal core circuit board carrying the LED array or arrays. In one form of the diving light water channels are provided so that the ambient water can enter the assembly to spaces behind the LCD circuit board to efficiently cool the LEDs and associated electronics. The front plate assembly can be removable, for rinsing the internal cooling cavities, for interchange with different front face assemblies, and for air travel when the LCDs must be removed from driving electronics for safety concerns.

Claims

1. A diving light for underwater photography, comprising:

a housing or body containing a battery and electronics, the body having a sealed interior compartment and having an intermediate plate at a front of the sealed interior compartment of the body and a multi-contact electrical connector exposed at a front side of the intermediate plate,

a face assembly connected to and removable from the front of the body, the face assembly including a face plate securable against the front of the body and a bezel ring removably secured by screw threads to the body and retaining the face plate against the body, the face plate being of heat-conducting metal and facing forward, and the bezel being removable so as to remove the face plate from the body,

the face plate being configured to be reversed in orientation after removal, and re-secured to the body with the bezel, providing an inoperative configuration,

the face plate including an LED array positioned to project through a window in the face plate, with a metal core circuit board at rear of the face plate, the LED array being mounted on a front side of the metal core circuit board, and the rear side of the metal core circuit board having electrical contacts,

the face plate, the metal core circuit board and the intermediate plate of the body being configured such that the metal core circuit board makes tight thermal-transferring contact with the intermediate plate when the face plate is retained on the body with said bezel ring, and such that the electrical contacts of the metal core circuit board make connection with the multi-contact electrical connector of the body,

the face plate being positioned to be in direct contact with water including at the front side of the face plate such that heat from the LED array is conducted from the metal core circuit board into the metal face plate and directly into the water,

the LED array being sealed within the face plate against water intrusion independently of connection to the body, and

an external water-sealed switch on the body for switching the LED light on and off and for selecting power levels.

2. The diving light of claim 1, wherein the LED array is positioned off-center on the face plate, and further including a filter ring secured over the front bezel and over the front of the face plate, rotatable on the front bezel and with at least one filter for positioning in the path of the LED light, rotation being effective to select use of the filter or non-use of the filter.

3. The diving light of claim 1, wherein the filter ring is removable, and configured to snap onto the periphery of the bezel ring.

4. The diving light of claim 1, wherein the face plate includes grooves in a front, water-contacting side of the face plate for increased water contact surface area and increased cooling effect for the LED array.

5. The diving light of claim 1, including a water seal between the face plate and the front of the body.

6. The diving light of claim 1, wherein one of said multi-contact electrical connector and said electrical contacts comprise spring contacts.

7. The diving light of claim 1, including a plurality of different interchangeable face plates securable against the front of the body to provide for different lighting characteristics, the face plate being removable by removing the bezel from the body.

8. A diving light for underwater photography, comprising:

a housing or body containing a battery and electronics, the body being sealed against intrusion of water,

a face plate of heat-conducting metal on the front of the housing or body, the face plate facing forward, comprising contiguous metal and including an LED light source positioned to project through a window in the face plate, the LED light source being mounted on a circuit board directly secured to said contiguous metal of the face plate and in thermal conductive contact with said contiguous metal of the face plate, the LED light source being mounted on a front side of the circuit board,

the contiguous metal of the face plate being positioned to be in direct contact with water along a surface at the front of the face plate such that heat from the LED light source is conducted from the circuit board into the contiguous metal of the face plate and directly into the water in front of the face plate,

the face plate being configured such that water can enter the diving light between the body and said contiguous metal of the face plate to contact a back side of said contiguous metal of the face plate to cool the LED light source from a back side of the LED light source, and

a water-sealed switch on the exterior of the housing or body, connected to selectively power the LED light source, at desired light levels,

whereby cooling of the LED light source is effected by contact of water with both the front side of the face plate and the back side of the face plate.

9. The diving light of claim 8, including a bezel secured to the front of the housing or body with screw threads, the face plate being secured against the housing or body by the bezel, the bezel being removable so as to enable removal of the face plate and securing of a different face plate against the body if desired.

10. The diving light assembly of claim 9, wherein the LED light source is positioned off-center on the face plate, and further including a filter ring secured over the front bezel and over the front of the face plate, rotatable on the front bezel and with at least one filter for positioning in the path of the LED light, rotation being effective to select use of the filter or non-use of the filter.

11. The diving light of claim 9, wherein the face plate is configured to be reversed in orientation after removal, and re-secured to the body with the bezel, providing an inoperative configuration.

12. The diving light assembly of claim 8, capable of producing a maximum flood light output power of about 4000 lumens which can be maintained for at least about 50 minutes.

13. The diving light assembly of claim 12, wherein the battery is rechargeable to about 85% in 90 minutes and to full charge in about 150 minutes.

14. The diving light assembly of claim 8, further including at least one capacitor within the body, with circuitry connected to the battery and to the capacitor to charge the capacitor, the capacitor being connected to discharge into the LED light source to produce a high-lumen light output for several microseconds, when flash is selected by a user.

15. The diving light of claim 8, wherein the LED light source comprises an LED array in a tight cluster.

16. The diving light of claim 8, wherein the LED light source is positioned off-center in the face plate, and including a filter ring secured onto the front of the housing or body and over the face plate in snap-on relationship, rotatable relative to the face plate and with at least one filter for positioning in the path of light from the LED source, rotation being effective to select use of the filter or non-use of the filter.

17. The diving light of claim 16, further including a bezel secured to the front of the housing or body, the bezel having an annular outer circumferential recess, and the filter ring having a rim with overhanging structure snapped into place in the annular circumferential recess to hold the filter ring in place on the housing or body, allowing snap-off removal and interchanging of the filter ring with different filter rings.