Method and apparatus for linear led lighting

• US 6,634,779 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2001
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPM Optoelectronics
• Original Assignee: RPM Optoelectronics
• Inventors: Reed, David
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sawhney, Hargobind S.
• Application Number:
  US09/798,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20020126503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 362/555, 362/231, 362/230, 362/800, 362/217, 362/801, 362/551, 362/125, 362/133, 362/223, 362/223.6, 52/23, 52/361
• US Class Current: 362/555
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/00 Lighting devices intended for fixed installation F21S9/00, F21S10/00 take precedence; using a string or strip of light sources F21S4/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/001 the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0073 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A linear light emitting diode (LED) light including electrical-to-optical converters (EOs) on circuit boards in end housings to couple photons into ends of an acrylic rod. Photons from the electrical-to-optical converters radiate from the acrylic rod to light the space around the linear LED light.

Claims

1. A light comprising;

an acrylic rod having a first end and a second end;

a first circuit board including one or more electrical-to-optical converters to generate photons;

a first end housing having a first opening through which the first end of the acrylic rod is inserted, the first end housing to house the first circuit board and align the one or more electrical-to-optical converters of the first circuit board with the first opening and the first end of the acrylic rod; and

a first reflector coupled to the first circuit board around the one or more electrical-to-optical converters at a first end, a second end of the first reflector aligned with the first opening and receiving the first end of the acrylic rod, the first reflector to reflect photons into the acrylic rod.

2. The light of claim 1, further comprising:

a reflective strip coupled down the length of the acrylic rod to reflect photons out of the acrylic rod.

3. The light of claim 2, wherein the reflective strip encompasses one hundred eight degrees of a diameter of a circular cylindrical acrylic rod.

4. The light of claim 2, wherein

the reflective strip encompasses ninety degrees of a diameter of a circular cylindrical acrylic rod.

5. The light of claim 1, wherein

the one or more electrical-to-optical converters of the first circuit board are light emitting diodes (LEDs).

6. The light of claim 5, further comprising:

an electrical-to-optical controller coupled to the first circuit board to control the one or more LEDs; and

an on/off switch to switch the generation of photons by the one or more LEDs on and off.

7. The light of claim 6, further comprising:

an intensity selection switch to vary the brightness of the generated light.

8. The light of claim 7, further comprising:

a color selection switch to selectively choose the mixture of primary colors generated by the one or more LEDs to vary the color of the generated light.

9. The light of claim 8, further comprising:

a transformer to transform AC power to a safe efficient power to power the one or more LEDs of the first circuit board in an efficient manner.

10. A light comprising:

an acrylic rod having a first end and a second end;

a first circuit board including one or more electrical-to-optical converters to generate photons;

first end housing having a first opening through which the first end of the acrylic rod is inserted, the first end housing to house the first circuit board and align the one or more electrical-to-optical converters of the first circuit board with the first opening and the first end of the acrylic rod;

an electrical-to-optical controller coupled to the first circuit board to control the one or more electrical-to-optical converters;

an on/off switch to switch the generation of photons by the one or more electrical-to-optical converters on and off; and

an intensity selection switch to vary the brightness of the generated light.

11. The light of claim 10, further comprising:

a color selection switch to selectively choose the mixture of primary colors generated by the one or more electrical-to-optical converters to vary the color of the generated light.

12. The light of claim 11, further comprising:

a transformer to transform AC power to a safe efficient power to power the one or more electrical-to-optical converters of the first circuit board in an efficient manner.

13. The light of claim 10, wherein

the one or more electrical-to-optical converters of the first circuit board are light emitting diodes (LEDs).

14. A light comprising:

an acrylic rod having a first end and a second end;

a first circuit board including one or more electrical-to-optical converters to generate photons;

a first end housing having a first opening through which the first end of the acrylic rod is inserted, the first end housing to house the first circuit board and align the one or more electrical-to-optical converters of the first circuit board with the first opening and the first end of the acrylic rod; and

a transformer to transform AC power to a safe efficient power to power the one or more electrical-to-optical converters of the first circuit board in an efficient manner.

15. A method of lighting without a light bulb, the method comprising:

generating first photons of a desired color;

coupling the first photons into a first end of an acrylic rod;

radiating the first photons out of the acrylic rod as light; and

uniformly varying the mixture of the first photons generated and coupled into the acrylic rod to vary the intensity of the light.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

varying a mixture of the first photons to change the color of the light.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating second photons of the desired color;

coupling the second photons into a second end of the acrylic rod; and

radiating the second photons out of the acrylic rod as light.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

varying a mixture of the first photons and the second photons to change the color of the light.