Collapsible photo enclosure and components

• US 9,857,664 B1
• Filed: 09/15/2016
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tang, David, Larkin, John, Lewis, Isabella Talley, Logsdon, Cameron Bo, Nelson, Michael Paul, Nyssen, Gregory James, Ramanathan, Guruprasad, Subbarayan, Srivatsan, Thomas, Robi, Troutman, Jr., William Franklin, Urban, Bradley David
• Primary Examiner(s): LaBalle, Clayton E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fenwick, Warren K
• Application Number:
  US15/266,661
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• Field of Search: 396 2, 396 4, 396681, 362 3, 362 11
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0414 specially adapted to be used with portable lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/508 of electrical circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/06 Special arrangements of screening, diffusing, or reflecting devices, e.g. in studio

Abstract

An example enclosure includes a base, a plurality of walls extending from the base, and a top disposed opposite the base and connected to at least one of the plurality of walls. The enclosure also includes a light assembly configured to illuminate an interior space of the enclosure. The light assembly includes a diffuser, a heat sink connected to the diffuser, a substrate connected to the heat sink, and a light source connected to the substrate. The diffuser may be connected to one of the top or the base such that the heat sink is spaced from the one of the top or the base. Additionally, the top is moveable toward the base to transition the enclosure from an expanded state to a collapsed state.

Claims

1. A collapsible photo enclosure, comprising:

a base;

a first sidewall extending from the base;

a second sidewall extending from the base and positionable opposite the first sidewall;

a top disposed opposite the base, the top being moveable toward the base to transition the photo enclosure from an expanded state to a collapsed state;

a back wall positionable between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, and connected to one of the top or the base; and

a light assembly including a diffuser, a heat sink connected to the diffuser, a substrate connected to the heat sink, and a light source connected to the substrate, wherein;

the diffuser is connected to one of the top or the base such that the heat sink is spaced from the one of the top or the base,

the top, the back wall, the first and second sidewalls, and the base define at least part of an interior space of the photo enclosure, and

at least one of the first sidewall, the second sidewall, or the back wall is foldable in a direction toward the interior space as the photo enclosure is transitioned from the expanded state to the collapsed state.

2. The collapsible photo enclosure of claim 1, wherein:

the light source comprises a light-emitting diode;

the substrate comprises a printed circuit board; and

the light-emitting diode is disposed on the printed circuit board.

3. The collapsible photo enclosure of claim 1, wherein:

the substrate is disposed on a first surface of the heat sink;

at least one of the heat sink or the diffuser includes a spacer; and

the spacer spaces the first surface of the heat sink from a second surface of the diffuser opposite the first surface.

4. The collapsible photo enclosure of claim 1, further comprising a switch connected to the top, wherein:

the switch forms at least part of an electrical path between a power source and the light assembly;

transitioning the photo enclosure to the expanded state closes the electrical path; and

transitioning the photo enclosure to the collapsed state opens the electrical path.

5. An enclosure, comprising:

a base;

a top disposed opposite the base, the top being moveable toward the base to transition the enclosure from an expanded state to a collapsed state;

a plurality of walls, each wall of the plurality of walls being connected to at least one of the top or the base; and

a light assembly configured to illuminate an interior space of the enclosure at least partly defined by the base and the plurality of walls, wherein;

the light assembly includes a diffuser, a heat sink connected to the diffuser, a substrate connected to the heat sink, and a light source connected to the substrate and disposed at least partially within a cavity of the diffuser, and

at least part of at least one wall of the plurality of walls extends substantially parallel to the base when the enclosure is in the collapsed state.

6. The collapsible photo enclosure of claim 5, wherein:

a third surface of the substrate is disposed on the first surface of the heat sink; and

a fourth surface of the substrate, opposite the third surface, faces the second surface of the diffuser and is spaced from the second surface by the spacer.

7. The enclosure of claim 5, wherein:

the diffuser comprises a first wall, a second wall opposite the first wall, a third wall, a fourth wall opposite the third wall, and a base substantially perpendicular to the first, second, third, and fourth walls.

8. The enclosure of claim 7, wherein:

the base of the diffuser, and the first, second, third, and fourth walls form the cavity; and

the substrate is disposed at least partially within the cavity.

9. The enclosure of claim 5, wherein the diffuser is connected to the top, and the heat sink is disposed between the substrate and the top.

10. The enclosure of claim 5, wherein the heat sink is disposed at least partially within the cavity, and the substrate is disposed between the heat sink and a base of the diffuser.

11. The enclosure of claim 5, wherein:

the substrate is disposed on a first surface of the heat sink,

a second surface of the heat sink, opposite the first surface, faces and is spaced from the top, and

the first surface of the heat sink faces and is spaced from a third surface of the diffuser by a spacer, the third surface forming at least part of the cavity.

12. The enclosure of claim 5, further comprising an additional light assembly connected to one of the top or the base, the additional light assembly being configured to illuminate the interior space.

13. The enclosure of claim 5, further comprising a switch operably connected to the light assembly, wherein:

transitioning the photo enclosure to the expanded state closes an electrical path between a power source and the light assembly; and

transitioning the photo enclosure to the collapsed state opens the electrical path.

14. The enclosure of claim 13, wherein the switch is connected to the top, and a component configured to act on the switch, so as to close or open the electrical path, is connected to a wall of the plurality of walls.

15. The enclosure of claim 5, further comprising a layer of semi-transparent diffusive material movably disposed within the interior space and configured to overlay at least a portion of the base.

16. The enclosure of claim 5, wherein the diffuser comprises a semi-transparent diffusive material configured to disperse light emitted by the light source within the interior space.

17. The enclosure of claim 5, wherein the light assembly comprises at least one light emitting diode and is characterized by an output of greater than approximately 500 lumens per square foot.

18. A light assembly, comprising:

a diffuser comprising a plurality of walls and a base disposed substantially perpendicular to each wall of the plurality of walls, the base and the plurality of walls forming a cavity of the diffuser;

a heat sink having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the first surface of the heat sink facing a third surface of the base, the third surface forming at least part of the cavity;

a spacer spacing the first surface from the third surface;

a substrate having a fourth surface and a fifth surface opposite the fourth surface, the fourth surface being disposed on the first surface of the heat sink, and the fifth surface facing and being spaced from the third surface of the base; and

a light source connected to the substrate, the diffuser being configured to pass light, emitted by the light source, through the plurality of walls and the base.

19. The light assembly of claim 18, wherein the spacer substantially thermally isolates the first surface of the heat sink from the third surface of the base.

20. The light assembly of claim 18, wherein:

the substrate comprises a printed circuit board, and

the heat sink and the printed circuit board are disposed at least partially within the cavity.