Light emitting diode license lamp

• US 5,934,798 A
• Filed: 11/12/1997
• Issued: 08/10/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Truck-Lite Company LLC (Truck-Lite Holdings 2 Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Truck-Lite Company Incorporated (Truck-Lite)
• Inventors: Madison, Ronald D., Roller, Philip C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US08/968,175
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 362/235, 362/240, 362/234, 362/230, 362/231, 362/249, 362/293, 362/800, 362/191, 362/497, 362/498, 362/499, 362/812, 362/496, 40/204, 40/205, 40/556
• US Class Current: 362/497
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/56 for illuminating registrations or the like , e.g. for licence plates
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A lamp assembly for illumination of a vehicle license plate includes a substrate, a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted on the substrate, and a lens for directing the light emitted from the light emitting diodes onto the license plate. A housing encases the substrate and the lens. An attachment member fixedly secures the housing to a vehicle displaying the license plate.

Claims

1. A lamp assembly for illumination of a vehicle license plate, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted on said substrate;

a lens for directing said light emitted from said light emitting diodes onto said license plate;

a housing for encasing said substrate and said lens; and

,

an attachment member that fixedly secures said housing to a vehicle displaying said license plate.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the substrate is a circuit board.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the light emitting diodes emit white light.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the lens is tinted to shift the color of the emitted light towards white light.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the lens has at least one optical surface.

6. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a reflector to enhance light output from the light emitting diodes.

7. A lamp assembly for illumination of a vehicle license plate, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of light emitting diodes mounted on said substrate;

a lens for directing said light emitted from said light emitting diodes onto said license plate;

a housing for encasing said substrate and said lens; and

,

an attachment member that fixedly secures said housing to a vehicle displaying said license plate, wherein said housing contains a first pair of diametrically opposed channels and a second pair of diametrically opposed channels, said first pair of channels operatively arranged to hold said substrate and said second pair of channels operatively arranged to hold said lens, said lens forming a cover for said housing.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the ends of the housing are sealed with a pair of endplates having flanges, said flanges operatively arranged for fastening the end plate to the vehicle displaying the license plate.

9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein the housing is fixed to the endplates at an angle so as to provide optimal illumination to the license plate.

10. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the substrate is a circuit board.

11. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the light emitting diodes emit white light.

12. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the lens is tinted to shift the color of the emitted light towards white light.

13. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the lens has at least one optical surface.

14. The assembly of claim 7, further comprising a reflector to enhance light output from the light emitting diodes.