Patents Examined by Y. Quach
  • Patent number: 7387403
    Abstract: Devices for providing light and methods and devices for fabricating them are described. Lighting devices having lighting elements (e.g., based on LEDs, OLEDs, or other lighting technology) coupled to a frame allow for efficient dissipation of heat generated by the lighting elements. Each lighting device can be configured to be easily expandable, replaceable, and adaptable to different lighting device systems. A modular lighting device is also described. According to various embodiments, modular stacked frames and/or modular lighting element subassemblies are used. A manufacturing assembly is also described for fabricating the lighting devices. The use of reclaimed materials in the present invention is also described, which may further add value to the apparatus and methods of the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Inventor: Paul R. Mighetto
  • Patent number: 7367686
    Abstract: A position lamp for watercraft or for placing ashore, in particular a multicolored lamp, having light to be emitted in at least two different directions and at least one light source per direction, the light passing optically refractive elements, and in which a dedicated optically refractive element is provided per light source, the optically refractive elements being held on a common housing body, the housing body also accommodating the light sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Aqua Signal Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Ralph Rohlfing, Wolfgang Serfass
  • Patent number: 7364346
    Abstract: Various embodiments of lighting assemblies, lighting apparatus, and lighting systems are provided. The lighting assemblies, apparatus, and systems can have first and second contacts disposed to retain a bulb and to pierce an insulation layer on a conductor. The lighting assemblies, lighting apparatus, and lighting systems can be low voltage lighting assemblies and lighting systems. Methods of installing lighting systems are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: The L.D. Kichler Co.
    Inventors: George J. Uhler, Thomas Trojan
  • Patent number: 7360916
    Abstract: An under-cabinet lighting fixture includes at least one bulb of less than about 35 watts contained within a housing that is devoid of any dedicated heat dissipation back vents on the back or top of the lighting unit. The lighting fixture has a reflective coating applied to the interior of the housing unit itself, which acts as a mirrored surface to reflect the bulb's illumination. A glass lens is supported by a metal frame that runs around the periphery of such lens and the lens cover itself is connected to the housing by pivoting hinges and is held in place when closed by one or more securing elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: American Lighting, Inc.
    Inventors: Theodore R. Sanborn, Frank Tsao
  • Patent number: 7354173
    Abstract: A direct-emission backlight unit for use in an LCD device includes a plurality of elongate lamps at the rear of a light diffusion plate and a plurality of reflecting members arranged in a matrix on a rear reflecting plate. The reflecting members are disposed in the gap between adjacent lamps, and reflect light emitted by the lamps toward the diffusion plate for achieving a uniform luminance profile of the emission surface of the backlight unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignee: NEC LCD Technologies, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shin-ichirou Ono
  • Patent number: 6663251
    Abstract: A gauge with a light-transmitting dial plate having a front surface with indicia for a variable represented by the dial, at least one light source spaced rearwardly from the rear surface of the dial plate for illuminating the dial plate, and a light-transmitting pointer mounted for rotational movement about an axis normal to the dial plate. The pointer has a hub concentric with the axis, extending through the dial plate and projecting both forwardly and rearwardly from the plate, and an indicator projecting laterally from the hub across a portion of the front surface of the dial plate. The portion of the hub extending rearwardly of the dial plate is shaped to capture light directly from the light source so that light enters the hub and propagates forwardly through the hub, and then laterally from the hub into the indicator to illuminate the indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Assignee: Auto Meter Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas J. Calvert
  • Patent number: 6390641
    Abstract: A flash type optic pen comprises a pen body, a seat and a transparent telescopic head. The pen body is electrically connected to a battery and a switch. The seat is assembled to the front end of the pen body and has at least one circuit board and a plurality of light emitting diodes electrically connected to the circuit board. The transparent telescopic head is formed by a plurality of transparent staged tubes having reducing diameters. Thus, the pen body has the functions of writing and illumination. The light emitting angles, colors, heights and orientations of the light emitting diodes are different. The circuit board is installed with a programmable IC circuit for presetting and controlling the lighting up and extinguishing order of the light emitting diodes. The lights from the light emitting diodes are alternatively changed in a predetermined way or randomly, or flashes overlapped or separately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Inventor: Robert Liu
  • Patent number: 6354715
    Abstract: A flashlight in accordance with the present invention includes a chamber, end cap, head assembly and lamp holder assembly. The end cap includes a bowed tripod portion to facilitate standing the flashlight on a flat surface. The head assembly includes a reflector and a lens. In one embodiment of the invention, the head assembly includes an elliptical reflector. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the flashlight having a elliptical reflector is matched with a negative or planar lens. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the head assembly includes an hyperbolic reflector. In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the flashlight having a hyperbolic reflector is matched with a positive or planar lens. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the flashlight includes electrode connections which prevent the conduction of electrical energy from batteries which are improperly aligned within the flashlight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Bison Sportslights, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Joseph Halasz, Christopher Lee Halasz, Stephen Sandor Halasz
  • Patent number: 6334688
    Abstract: An illuminating device receives light emitted from a light source (22), and emits light. The illuminating device includes a tubular light guiding member (21) which receives the light emitted from the light source (22), and guides the light therein. The illuminating device further includes an annular luminous body (23) which is connected to one end portion of the light guiding member (21), and has a tapered surface (30) which is made to emit light by the light guided by the light guiding member (21). In this construction, the light entering the light guiding member (21) is guided spirally in the light guiding member (21), and is irregularly reflected by the tapered surface (30) so that the tapered surface (30) emits light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2002
    Assignee: Yamaha Corporation
    Inventor: Haruo Niwa
  • Patent number: 6318883
    Abstract: A lamp for a vehicle is described that incorporates a lamp body to which a front lens is joined by a sealing member. The sealing member is made of a low-adhesive hot melt in the gel state which causes surface exfoliation when the front lens is separated from the lamp body. This makes it possible to easily attach or detach the front lens and prevent the front lens, the lamp body, and the sealing member from being damaged during a separating operation. Since the elastic repulsion force of the sealing member is small, threaded fasteners are not required for fastening the front lens to the lamp body. Instead, only hook fasteners need be used. Therefore, the structure of the lamp is simplified and the workability in the process for assembling the lamp is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fumihiko Sugiyama, Haruo Otani, Michihiko suzuki, Kazuhiro Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 6315429
    Abstract: A high intensity light is mounted and sealed in a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) receptacle and extension system. The receptacle is adapted to be anchored on the bottom of a channel or an underwater area adjacent to a structure which provides alternating current (AC) power from a shoreside mains. The high intensity lamp may be sealed within a transparent enclosure, but is preferably left exposed to minimize sealife growth on the lamp. The PVC receptacle is preferably weighted, such as for example with concrete, to help anchor the receptacle to the bottom. The receptacle further includes rebar extending from the receptacle to penetrate the hard pack below the silt on the bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Aquatic Attractor Inc.
    Inventor: Lou Grandolfo
  • Patent number: 6315433
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a lighting fixture that functionally provides a mold for creating a light diffuser from ice, a stand upon which to display the created light diffuser (including a shaped-surface support element to stabilize the light diffuser as it de-solidifies), a collection element to collect and contain the melted light diffuser material, and a support and containing system for a light source that, in use, is surrounded by the light diffuser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Inventor: Christopher Cavello
  • Patent number: 6315436
    Abstract: A Storage compartment, in particular a glove compartment, for a motor vehicle is provided. The storage compartment includes a compartment housing which has at least two sections, which are arranged one above the other and are separated from one another by a transverse wall, and a compartment opening on the front side allowing access to the sections. For the purpose, with little technical outlay, of sufficiently illuminating the sections lying one above the other, a downwardly shining lamp is arranged in the vicinity of the compartment opening in such a manner on the upper, transversely extending housing wall and at least one reflector is arranged in such a manner on the inside of the flap that in the swung-down position of the flap light from the lamp which impinges on the reflector is reflected into the depth of at least one lower section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG
    Inventors: Bernd Schenk, Ralf Zipperle
  • Patent number: 6312137
    Abstract: The invention relates to a improvement of the structure of the ornament lamp, it mainly comprises a ornament lamp stand, a upward open shape lamp cover body is disposed on the ornament lamp stand, wherein a supporting rack is disposed in the lamp cover body, and a ventilation fan is disposed on the supporting rack in sequence, a hollow rack body is also installed on the ventilation fan, besides, a flange is located at the edge of the bottom of the rack to be screwed on the ventilation fan and the rack by a bolt, the center of the bottom of said rack is a fixing plane to fix a bulb stand, the bulb stand is utilized to fix a bulb thereon, a net frame is disposed to cover over the bulb and is fixed on said rack with bolts, then a proper dimension of hollow-out net face is disposed at the center of the frame to let light penetrate and air flow, in addition, multiple fixing devices is installed at the circumference of the frame to fix a arbitrary shape cloth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Inventor: Hua Lung Hsieh
  • Patent number: 6312136
    Abstract: An instrument pointer illuminating apparatus for illuminating instrument pointers includes a light conductive member (24) having a first shaft aperture (22) and an instrument face (28) disposed on a front surface of the light conductive member and having a second shaft aperture (26) therein. A pointer shaft (20) extends through the first and second shaft apertures beyond the front surface of the light conductive member and includes an instrument pointer (30) disposed on the pointer shaft. A light blocking hub cap (34) is mounted on the hub portion (43) of the instrument pointer and includes a center portion (50) and a cylindrical wall portion (52) extending from the center portion of the hub cap toward the instrument face where it terminates at a first end (54) below the instrument pointer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Sergei Kalashnikov
  • Patent number: 6309081
    Abstract: To achieve considerably simple and easy replacement of a fluorescent tube 10 in a backlight unit,a fluorescent tube 10 is provided at both ends with a bracket 12. The fluorescent tube 10 is inserted in a cylindrical portion 12b of the bracket 12 having an outer diameter that is substantially equal to the inner diameter of a gripper 300, thereby preventing a lead portion from being exposed. The gripper 300, which is made of plastic, metal, or the like, wraps the cylindrical portion 12b to cover the fluorescent tube 10 with its reflective surface, and also grips an end portion of a light guide plate 20. This structure allows the gripper 300 to be simply attached and detached, and maintains a predetermined positional relationship among the fluorescent tube 10, the reflecting surface of the gripper 300, and the light guide plate 20.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2001
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Shinichi Furihata
  • Patent number: 6305812
    Abstract: Disclosed is a back light unit for liquid crystal display device (LCD). The back light unit for LCD includes a lamp reflector reflecting a lamp light toward a light guiding plate and directly fixed with screws to protrued parts of the light guiding plate which is substituting for mold frame; a reflecting sheet, a diffusing sheet and upper and lower prism sheets attached directly to the light guiding plate by means of a double stick tape respectively; and guiding ribs serving as assembly base formed on each corner of the light guiding plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Youn Ho Kim, Pyung Yong Lee
  • Patent number: 6302555
    Abstract: Apparatus for simulating flames, comprising a source of light, a reflector, a screen, and a flame effect member located between the reflector and the screen. The flame effect member preferably comprises a sheet of flexible fabric, provided with a plurality of slits, such that air from a fan causes the sheet to billow, alternately opening and closing the slits. Light transmitted from the source towards the flame effect member passes through the openings and falls onto the screen as an area of high intensity light, which as the sheet billows, appears to move upwardly, simulating the appearance of a flickering flame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: Burley Appliances Limited
    Inventor: Gary Bristow
  • Patent number: 6299330
    Abstract: For a concertina lamp (1) with a minimum of one concertina arm (2) and a minimum of two lamps (6, 12) attached to concertina arm rods (5) lying behind each other, a lampshade (4) is provided for each lamp (6, 12), which is attached to the same concertina arm rod (5) as the respective lamp (6, 12) and all lampshades (4) are telescopically designed so that they overlap each other at least partially while the concertina arm (2) is retracted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2001
    Inventors: Oliver Michl, Patrick Frieling
  • Patent number: 6296378
    Abstract: A position light for use on an aircraft, the position light having a base member coupled to the wing tip portion, a lens coupled to the base member, a light source interior to the lens member, and a reflector member pivotally coupled to the base member, the reflector member being adapted to reflect light from the light source in selected directions and at selected intensities. The position light may be installed on a tilt rotor assembly of a tilt rotor aircraft so that light is reflected in selected directions and at selected intensities, regardless of whether the tilt rotor assembly is in an airplane mode, a helicopter mode, or any position therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc.
    Inventor: Fred W. Doyen