Optical system for warning light

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10099605-B2
Application number	US-201715457129-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2017
Priority date	Mar 13, 2017
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

An LED optical assembly including an LED, a lens, and a reflector. The lens is made up of a light entry surface and a light emission surface rotated about a rotational axis. The reflector has a pair of first reflecting surfaces and a pair of second reflecting surfaces. The first reflecting surfaces are defined by a first curve rotated about the rotational axis. The second reflecting surfaces are defined by a second curve projected along the rotational axis. The lens and reflector cooperate to redirect light emitted by the LED into a vertically collimated wide angle beam of light.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An LED optical assembly comprising:
a light emitting diode (LED) comprising a light emitting die in a first plane and having an optical axis extending from the light emitting die perpendicular to the first plane, said LED emitting light within a hemisphere centered on the optical axis on one side of the first plane;
a lens having a light entry surface and a light emission surface rotated about a rotational axis in a second plane perpendicular to the first plane and including the optical axis; and
a reflector having a pair of first reflecting surfaces intersecting the second plane and a pair of second reflecting surfaces intersecting a third plane, said first reflecting surfaces defined by a first curve rotated about the rotational axis, said second reflecting surfaces defined by a second curve projected along the rotational axis, and the third plane includes the optical axis and is perpendicular to the first and second planes;
wherein said light entry surface and said light emission surface cooperate to redirect the light emitted from said LED incident with said light entry surface into planes parallel to the third plane, said first reflecting surfaces redirect the light emitted from said LED incident with said first reflecting surfaces into planes parallel to the third plane, and said second reflecting surfaces redirect the light emitted from said LED incident with said second reflecting surfaces into planes parallel to the second plane.

2. The LED optical assembly of claim 1 , wherein the light redirected by said second reflecting surfaces is substantially collimated with respect to the optical axis.

3. The LED optical assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of optical cells each containing an LED, a lens, and a reflector.

4. The LED optical assembly of claim 3 , wherein each optical cell has a plurality of LEDs.

5. The LED optical assembly of claim 4 , wherein said plurality of LEDs emit light of at least two distinct colors in each optical cell and are arranged in an order with optical axes extending perpendicular from a focal axis.

6. The warning light of claim 5 , wherein the order of said plurality of LEDs along the focal axis in adjacent optical cells is different.

7. The LED optical assembly of claim 4 , wherein said plurality of LEDs are arranged to emit a first light emission pattern or a second light emission pattern, said first light emission pattern redirects substantially all of the light emitted from said LEDs into trajectories parallel with the optical axis and said second light emission pattern redirects substantially all of the light emitted from said LEDs into planes parallel to the third plane.

8. The LED optical assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first curve has a first focus including a focal point, said second curve has a second focus including the focal point, and the focal point is at the intersection of the optical axis and the rotational axis.

9. A warning light comprising:
a plurality of adjacent cells, each containing at least one LED, a lens, and a reflector;
said LED comprising a light emitting die in a first plane and having an optical axis extending from the light emitting die perpendicular to the first plane, said LED emitting light within a hemisphere centered on the optical axis on one side of the first plane;
said lens having a light entry surface and a light emission surface rotated about a rotational axis in a second plane perpendicular to the first plane and including the optical axis; and
said reflector having a pair of first reflecting surfaces and a pair of second reflecting surfaces, said first reflecting surfaces defined by a first curve rotated about the rotational axis and said second reflecting surfaces defined by a second curve projected along the rotational axis;
wherein said lens and said reflector cooperate to redirect the light emitted from said LED into planes parallel to the second plane.

10. The warning light of claim 9 , wherein the light redirected by said second reflecting surfaces is substantially collimated with respect to the optical axis.

11. The warning light of claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of LEDs in each cell.

12. The warning light of claim 11 , wherein said plurality of LEDs emit light of at least two distinct colors in each cell and are arranged in an order with optical axes extending perpendicular from a focal axis.

13. The warning light of claim 12 , wherein the order of said plurality of LEDs along the focal axis in adjacent cells is different.

14. The warning light of claim 9 , wherein the light emitted from said LED is redirected to substantially fill said cell.

15. The warning light of claim 9 , further comprising a plurality of LEDs in each cell arranged to emit a first light emission pattern or a second light emission pattern;
wherein said first light emission pattern redirects substantially all of the light emitted from said LEDs into trajectories parallel with the optical axis and said second light emission pattern redirects substantially all of the light emitted from said LEDs into planes parallel to the second plane.

16. An LED optical assembly comprising:
a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), each comprising a light emitting die in a first plane and having an optical axis extending from the light emitting die perpendicular to the first plane, said LED emitting light within a hemisphere centered on the optical axis on one side of the first plane, each optical axis arranged on a focal axis in the first plane;
a lens having a light entry surface and a light emission surface rotated about a rotational axis in a second plane perpendicular to the first plane and including the optical axis; and
a reflector having a pair of first reflecting surfaces intersecting the second plane and a pair of second reflecting surfaces intersecting a third plane, said third plane perpendicular to the first and second planes and including the optical axis, said first reflecting surfaces defined by a first curve rotated about the rotational axis, said second reflecting surfaces defined by a second curve projected along the rotational axis;
wherein said light entry surface and said light emission surface cooperate to redirect the light emitted from said LEDs incident with said light entry surface into planes parallel to the third plane, said first reflecting surfaces redirect the light emitted from said LED incident with said first reflecting surfaces into planes parallel to the third plane, and said second reflecting surfaces redirect the light emitted from said LEDs incident with said second reflecting surfaces into planes parallel to the second plane.

17. The LED optical assembly of claim 16 , wherein the light redirected by said second reflecting surfaces is substantially collimated with respect to the optical axis.

18. The LED optical assembly of claim 16 , wherein said first curve has a first focus including a focal point, said second curve has a second focus including the focal point, and the focal point is at the intersection of the optical axis and the rotational axis.

19. The LED optical assembly of claim 16 , wherein said plurality of LEDs emit light of at least two distinct colors.

20. The LED optical assembly of claim 16 , wherein said plurality of LEDs are arranged to emit a first light emission pattern or a second light emission pattern, said first light emission pattern redirects substantially all of the light emitted from said LEDs into trajectories parallel with the optical axis and said s

Assignees

• Whelen Eng

Inventors

• Smith Todd J

Classifications

• B60Q1/0035

  relative to the vehicle · CPC title

• F21S43/27

  Attachment thereof · CPC title

• F21S43/31 Primary

  Optical layout thereof · CPC title

• F21S45/47

  Passive cooling, e.g. using fins, thermal conductive elements or openings · CPC title

• F21S43/14 Primary

  Light emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title