Patents Examined by Sandra L. O'Shea
  • Patent number: 7850324
    Abstract: A backlight chassis that is capable of preventing an unusual noise caused by vibrations of a backlight unit or a tubular lamp houses tubular lamps arranged behind a display panel via optical sheets. The backlight chassis includes lamp holding members provided on a lamp housing surface of the backlight chassis, for holding the tubular lamps at an approximate midpoint thereof, wherein the lamp holding members and the backlight chassis are defined by a unitary molded resin member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takuya Ohnishi, Satoshi Ono, Takeshi Ogura, Kazuki Nakamichi, Yoshihiro Murakami, Takafumi Hara
  • Patent number: 7850345
    Abstract: An LED lighting device comprises an LED light source; a thermal management element coupled to the LED light source to manage heat generated by the LED light source; a primary reflector with at least one reflective surface oriented to collect light from the LED light source and direct collected light into a first reflected beam; at least one central inclined reflector surface disposed to receive light from the LED light source; and at least one corresponding angled mirror surface disposed to collect light from the central inclined reflector surface and to direct the collected light into a second reflected beam (see FIG. 1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Illumination Management Solutions Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald G. Holder, Greg Rhoads
  • Patent number: 7850335
    Abstract: A light source module including a plurality of first point light sources, a plurality of second point light sources, and a plurality of third point light sources is provided. The dominant wavelengths of lights provided by the first point light sources are within a wavelength range of a first color light, and at least two of the first point light sources emit light with different dominant wavelengths. The dominant wavelengths of lights provided by the second point light sources are within a wavelength range of a second color light, and at least two of the second point light sources emit light with different dominant wavelengths. The dominant wavelengths of lights provided by the third point light sources are within a wavelength range of a third color light, and at least two of the third point light sources emit light with different dominant wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Young Optics Inc.
    Inventors: Chih-Lu Hsu, Chu-Ming Cheng
  • Patent number: 7850338
    Abstract: Certain exemplary embodiments can comprise a method, which can comprise controlling illumination of a set of illumination sources. The set of illumination sources can comprise a first subset of illumination sources and a second subset of illumination sources. Light from the set of illumination sources can be adapted to pass through a diffuser comprising a first zone and a second zone. The first zone can be physically and/or optically segregated from the second zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Microscan Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael C. Messina, Sheila Bergeron Dunn, Brian Thompson
  • Patent number: 7845820
    Abstract: A multipurpose lighting device comprises a module including a first light source for a flashlight function and a second light source for a lantern or omni-directional glow stick function. A button on the module is operative to selectively alternating between the first and second light sources. An elongate housing is coupled to the second light source so that the second light source illuminates along the length of the housing. Finally, a whistle portion is formed on one end of the elongate housing so that the multipurpose device includes flashlight, glow stick, and whistle functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Life+Gear, Inc.
    Inventor: Dennis Bertken
  • Patent number: 7845831
    Abstract: A light fixture (10) is provided having a wall housing (11) and lighting arms (12). The light fixture includes a heating source (17) mounted within the wall housing. The wall housing includes an external wall (19) adapted to be mounted to a vertical wall of a structure. The external wall has a top (19a), bottom (19b), two oppositely disposed sides (19c), and a front face (19d). The housing top has an air intake opening (20). The housing bottom has an air exhaust outlet (21) which directs air in a downwardly direction. The wall housing also includes an air channel (23) which commences at air intake opening and ends at air exhaust outlet. The heat source includes a heating element (25) mounted within the airflow channel and a motorized fan (26) to create an air flow through the channel which exits through the air exhaust outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Hunter Fan Company
    Inventor: Brendan Patrick Byrne
  • Patent number: 7841749
    Abstract: A backlight assembly includes a light source and an optical member disposed over the light source and including a surface that has a plurality of lens-shaped portions and at least one prism-shaped portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-Soo Kim, Jung-Wook Paek, Byung-Yun Joo, Ju-Hwa Ha, Jin-Sung Choi
  • Patent number: 7841743
    Abstract: A lighting apparatus includes a reflector, a light source, and a lens unit. The reflector has an open side, and a reflective surface that extends from a periphery of the open side and that defines a compartment. The light source is disposed in the compartment and emits light toward the reflective surface. The reflective surface reflects the light from the light source towards the open side. The lens unit is disposed to close the open side and permits passage of the light reflected by the reflective surface therethrough. The lens unit includes a central lens portion, and first and second side lens portions respectively disposed on two sides of the central lens portion. The central lens portion and the first and second side lens portions are Fresnel lenses, and are configured to redirect the light passing therethrough to result in rectangularly-distributed illumination outwardly of the lighting apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Foxsemicon Integrated Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Meng-Hua Wang, Hung-Kuang Hsu
  • Patent number: 7841731
    Abstract: An operating lamp system is provided that includes several operating lamps, each including a controller. The controllers are interconnected via data lines, wherein data exchange is provided between the controllers. This permits synchronization of the operating lamps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Trumpf Medizin Systeme GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventors: Rudolf Marka, Dirk Fritze
  • Patent number: 7841741
    Abstract: An LED lighting assembly including a plurality of individual LEDs mounted on a common, bendable heat sinking member designed to remove heat from the LEDs during operation and also to be formed (bent) to provide the desired light direction and intensity. Several such assemblies may be used within an LED lamp, as also provided herein. The lamp is ideal for use within medical and dental environments to assure optimal light onto a patient located at a specified distance from the lamp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Endicott Interconnect Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Benson Chan, John E. Kozol, John M. Lauffer, How T. Lin
  • Patent number: 7837366
    Abstract: An ambient light control module and method of operating an ambient light control module selectively actuates light modules to provide a desired light color and intensity. The disclosed ambient light control module selectively actuates light modules that are controllable to provide desired colors. The light control module produces uniform signals across the several light modules such that each separate light module will emit the same color. The disclosed example light control module includes a microcontroller with a plurality of output channels including output compare channels and pulse width modulated channels. The output channels are matched to a common clock so that a uniform signal is emitted from any channel to provide the desired uniformity between lighting modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Continental Automotive Systems US, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas J. King, Brian K. Morrison, Scott Lucy
  • Patent number: 7837349
    Abstract: A lens has a main body for use with at least one light source. The main body has a light-emitting face, a light-collecting face disposed opposite the light-emitting face, and a plurality of focal points, the latter of which form a focal ring. A central axis extends through the light-collecting face and the light-emitting face. The main body is substantially radially symmetrical about the central axis and the focal ring extends around the central axis of the main body of the lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeyachandrabose Chinniah, Edwin Mitchell Sayers, Christopher L. Eichelberger
  • Patent number: 7837351
    Abstract: The present invention provides a luminous assembly, more particularly, a decorative luminous assembly having a fiber-formed shaped part. The luminous assembly includes a light source and a shaped part of fiber with a predetermined shape. The light source is installed on the shaped part of fiber. The luminous assembly may further comprise a light reflecting element arranged in the back thereof. Light from the light source to the light reflecting element is reflected back substantially towards the shaped part. The luminous assembly has advantages of simple manufacturing process, lower cost, and convenience for mass production etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Inventor: Shu-Hung Lin
  • Patent number: 7837369
    Abstract: A light-emitting device includes a plurality of light-emitting elements, an element substrate on which the plurality of light-emitting elements are disposed, a plate-shaped sealing member having a lens array in which a plurality of lenses is arranged and sealing the plurality of light-emitting elements together with the element substrate, and a spacer disposed between the element substrate and the plate-shaped sealing member for maintaining a distance between the light-emitting elements and the lenses, in which the spacer is provided with a plurality of sealing cavities, at least one lens of the plurality of lenses is disposed so as to overlap each of the sealing cavities, and the light-emitting elements are disposed in each of the sealing cavities so as to overlap the corresponding lenses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Kazunori Sakurai
  • Patent number: 7837352
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for facilitating servicing of an electronics rack. The apparatus includes a light source, which includes a plurality of light-emitting diodes. The plurality of light-emitting diodes are secured to the electronics rack or a floor tile disposed adjacent to the electronics rack, and are configured to illuminate at least a lower portion of the electronics rack at either the air inlet or air outlet side of the rack. A power supply is also provided for selectively supplying power to the plurality of light-emitting diodes. In one implementation, the light source includes an elongate light bar, which is configured to mount to either the inlet door or outlet door of the electronics rack, and the plurality of light-emitting diodes are secured to an elongate housing structure which pivotally couples to a base plate for adjustment of a direction of illumination by the light-emitting diodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: David P. Graybill, Madhusudan K. Iyengar, Jeffrey A. Newcomer, Roger R. Schmidt, Prabjit Singh, Gerard V. Weber
  • Patent number: 7832903
    Abstract: A device is provided for the treatment and prophylaxis of healthy eyes, pseudoaphakic eyes and/or eyes suffering macular and retinal degeneration that comprises a yellow filter applied to a conventional illumination system to protect them from short wavelengths of the visible spectrum under 500 nm and preferably in the range of 350 nm to 500 nm. This device the difficulties and risks of existing ways of protecting eyes undergoing cataract surgery and prevents or improves the degeneration of healthy eyes and those suffering neurodegeneration by the simple application of a protective filter to any lighting system. Embodiments of the invention comprise combining a conventional light source with a conventional yellow filter that absorbs wavelengths of light shorter than 500 nm so that the filter completely covers the illumination source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Universidad Complutense de Madrid
    Inventor: Celia Sanchez Ramos
  • Patent number: 7832912
    Abstract: In existing lamp unit for vehicles, the light from the semiconductor light source can not be effectively used. In the present invention, a shade (5) is arranged between the second focus (F2) of a first reflect surface (9) and a semiconductor light source (4), for cutting off a portion of the reflected light (L4) emitting from the semiconductor light source (4) and reflected by the first reflect surface (9), and using the remaining reflected light (L4) to form a predetermined distributed light pattern (P) having the cutoff lines (CL); a light shutout member (8) is provided with the fourth part (20) of the supplemental reflect surface for reflecting the light (L3) from the semiconductor light source (4) toward the shade (5); a through hole (24) is arranged on the shade (5) for the reflected light (L17) from the fourth part (20) of the supplemental reflect surface illuminating therethrough toward the planar reflect surface (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Ichikoh Industries, Ltd.
    Inventor: Koji Nishihata
  • Patent number: 7832916
    Abstract: A modularized reflector is produced by integrating or laminating: a sheet metal back chassis in which a light source supporting section, a through-hole or a groove for extracting a light source electrode terminal, and a frame for supporting a light diffusing plate and an optical film are integrally formed through sheet metal working; and a light reflecting layer made of a molded product of a light reflective thermoplastic resin material formed into a shape for covering the back chassis. By producing a backlight device and a liquid crystal display using the reflector, there are provided the reflector reduced in the number of components, in the number of assembly steps, and in weight and thickness, and a back light and a liquid crystal display using the reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kawato, Masami Kogure
  • Patent number: 7828469
    Abstract: A light source module adapted to a projecting device including a light bulb, a fan, and an air tunnel structure is provided. The fan is located by the light bulb for cooling the light bulb. The air tunnel structure is located respective to the location of the light bulb, for removing the heat generated by the light bulb. The air tunnel structure has a curved inner wall, a plurality of fins, and a tank. The curved inner wall is located inside the air tunnel structure respective to the location of the light bulb. The fins are formed on the curved inner wall for blocking the fragments generated by the explosion of the light bulb. The tank is located by a side of the curved inner wall for carrying the fragments clashing the fins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Coretronic Corporation
    Inventors: I-Hsien Liu, Tzu-Tse Huang
  • Patent number: 7828472
    Abstract: A light guiding strip and a backlight module and display using the same are provided. The light guiding strip of the present invention includes a plurality of light reflecting surfaces and a plurality of light emergent surfaces. Each of the light reflecting surfaces has a light diffusion pattern. The light guiding strip of the present invention has the advantages of light weight, wide LED pitch, low cost, thickness and so on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Ying Liu, Danding Huang, Chen-Jung Tsai