LED inspection lamp and LED spotlight

• US 9,599,563 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2009
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alltemp Products Company Limited (DiversiTech Holdings, Inc.), R.J. Doran & Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Donald L. Klipstein
• Inventors: Brass, Jack, Doran, Richard J., Klipstein, Donald L., Lemons, Thomas M., Hallgrimson, Bjarki, Dobbin, Sarah
• Primary Examiner(s): PAYNE, SHARON E
• Application Number:
  US12/503,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20100008079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,806 Days
• Field of Search: 362/208, 362/230, 362/244, 362/248, 362/231, 362/237, 362/240, 362/184
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/31 Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry G01N21/72 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6402 Atomic fluorescence; Laser induced fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6428 Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" in vivo A61B5/00; immunoassay G01N33/53
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6447 by visual observation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8803 Visual inspection measuring projectors G01B9/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0221 Portable; cableless; compact; hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0612 Laser diodes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0621 Supply
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0627 Use of several LED's for spectral resolution
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0638 Refractive parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0693 Battery powered circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

An LED inspection lamp has plurality of LED sources for emitting electromagnetic radiation at different peak wavelengths for causing visible fluorescence in different leak detection dyes. A lens is associated with each LED. Radiation passing through lenses is superimposed in target area at target distance. Another LED inspection lamp has plurality of LEDs emitting electromagnetic radiation at a peak wavelength. A lens adaptor has lens housing for attachment to LED inspection lamp with a single LED for causing visible fluorescence, and a lens. Substantially all of the radiation from the LED passes through the lens and is focused in a target area at a target distance from the lenses. LED spot lights have a similar configuration. The LEDs may produce white light from distinct LEDs or from white LEDs. The light may be a flashlight or fixed spot light.

Claims

1. An inspection lamp comprising:

a handle;

light emitting diodes as a source of radiation suitable for causing visible fluorescence of fluorescent materials, where said light emitting diodes are substantially non-identical in spectral characteristics of their emitted radiation, such that at least one but not all of first said light emitting diodes in said inspection lamp produce first wavelengths of radiation that are favorable for causing visible fluorescence of some fluorescent materials, and such that one or more second said light emitting diodes in said inspection lamp produce different second wavelengths of radiation which are more favorable than the wavelengths of said first said light emitting diode(s) for causing visible fluorescence of some fluorescent materials other than first said fluorescent materials; and

a respective electrical switch each for selectively activating each type of light emitting diode as a collective group, wherein in one activation mode all of said light emitting diodes are activated wherein if one light emitting diode is emitting radiation of the first wavelengths then at least one other light emitting diode is emitting radiation of the second wavelengths, and wherein the first wavelength radiation and the second wavelength radiation emit unblocked from the lamp, and wherein in another activation mode only one type of light emitting diode is activated as a collective group.

2. An inspection lamp as set forth in claim 1 where at least one light emitting diode has a peak emission wavelength in the ultraviolet and having at least one light emitting diode with a peak emission wavelength that includes a visible narrow band suitable for causing visible fluorescence of fluorescent materials.

3. An inspection lamp as set forth in claim 1 where at least one light emitting diode produces mostly blue visible light and where at least one light emitting diode produces mostly ultraviolet radiation.

4. An inspection lamp as set forth in claim 1 where at least one light emitting diode has a peak emission wavelength in the range of 425 to 480 nanometers and at least one light emitting diode has a peak emission wavelength in the range of 360 to less than 430 nanometers.

5. An inspection lamp as set forth in claim 1 having one or more lenses to collimate the radiation produced by at least some of the light emitting diodes.

6. An inspection lamp as set forth in claim 1 where the handle shares a longitudinal axis with the inspection lamp as a whole.

7. An inspection lamp as set forth in claim 1 where the handle does not share an axis with any other major portion of said inspection lamp.

8. An inspection lamp as set forth in claim 1 designed to accept one or more dry cells as a source of power.

9. An inspection lamp as set forth in claim 1 having one or more rechargeable cells as a source of power.

10. A module having light emitting diodes that are substantially non-identical and which produce a variety of wavelengths suitable for exciting a variety of fluorescent dyes, and suitable for replacing the bulb and/or the reflector of a flashlight so as to achieve an inspection lamp as set forth in claim 1.

11. An inspection lamp as set forth in claim 1 having one or more light emitting diode modules, where at least one light emitting diode module has only one type of light emitting diode but the inspection lamp as a whole includes more than one type of light emitting diode so as to produce a variety of wavelengths suitable for exciting a variety of fluorescent dyes.

12. The inspection lamp of claim 1, further comprising a multiple element switching device which includes all of the respective electrical switches.

13. The inspection lamp of claim 12, wherein the multiple element switching device comprises a multi-pole multi-position slide switch.

14. The inspection lamp of claim 13, wherein the multi-pole multi-position slide switch comprises a two-pole multi-position slide switch.

15. A system including the inspection lamp of claim 1, further comprising at least one of said fluorescent materials having said respective visible fluorescence and which comprises a leak detection dye.

16. A light emitting diode (LED) inspection lamp, comprising:

a handle;

a plurality of LED sources, each source for emitting electromagnetic radiation at a different peak wavelength, each different peak wavelength for causing visible fluorescence in a different leak detection dye, and wherein one LED source produces emitting radiation of one peak wavelength and at least one other LED source produces emitting radiation of a different peak wavelength; and

a respective electrical switch each for selectively activating each type of LED source as a collective group, wherein in one activation mode all of said LED sources are activated wherein the radiation of the one peak wavelength and the radiation of the different peak wavelength emit unblocked from the lamp, and wherein in another activation mode only one type of LED source is activated as a collective group.

17. The inspection lamp of claim 16 having at least one light emitting diode with a peak wavelength which is ultraviolet and at least one light emitting diode having a peak wavelength which is visible.

18. An inspection lamp as set forth in claim 17 having at least one light emitting diode with a peak wavelength less than 425 nanometers and at least one light emitting diode with a peak wavelength greater than 425 nanometers.

19. A system including the inspection lamp of claim 16, further comprising at least one of the leak detection dyes.

20. A light emitting diode (LED) inspection lamp, comprising:

a handle;

a plurality of LED sources, each source for emitting electromagnetic radiation at a different peak wavelength, each different peak wavelength for causing visible fluorescence in a different leak detection dye, and wherein each LED sources comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes; and

a respective electrical switch each for selectively activating each type of LED source as a collective group, wherein in one activation mode all of the LED sources are activated and if one light emitting diode of one LED source is emitting radiation of one peak wavelength then at least one other light emitting diode of another LED source is emitting radiation of a different peak wavelength, and wherein the radiation of the one peak wavelength and the radiation of the different peak wavelength emit unblocked from the lamp, and wherein in another activation mode only one type of LED source is activated as a collective group.

21. A system including the inspection lamp of claim 20, further comprising at least one of the leak detection dyes.