Patents Examined by Kevin Spinella
  • Patent number: 7670018
    Abstract: An illumination device for a refrigerator and a method of controlling the same are provided. The illumination device includes a lamp assembly that irradiates light to an inside of a storage chamber of the refrigerator, a base plate mounted on a side within the storage chamber, wherein the lamp assembly is provided on a side of the base plate, a watertight cover formed to enclose the lamp assembly blocking direct penetration of water into the lamp assembly, and at least one fastening device formed on a side of the base plate. The at least one fastening device surrounds an outer surface and an inner surface of entire lower edge of the watertight cover along a side of the watertight cover forming a recess-prominence engagement with the watertight cover. Lamps provided in the lamp assembly are individually controlled through a manipulation panel mounted on the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jun Beom Kim, Dae Kil Kang, Sang Hyun Cheon, Sung Tae No, Sun Kook Ji
  • Patent number: 7661833
    Abstract: A light guide device (52) includes a light guide substrate (520) and a sub-wavelength grating (527). The light guide substrate has a light input surface (521), a light output surface (522) adjacent to the light input surface (521), a bottom surface (523) opposite to the light output surface (522). In the light guide plate, stress-induced birefringence is introduced to achieve the polarization state conversion. The SWG 527 located on the light output surface includes a top layer (525) and a bottom layer (526). The SWG 527 is configured to work as a reflective polarizing beam splitter, consistent with the principle of rigorous coupled-wave theory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignees: Tsinghua University, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Xing-Peng Yang, Ying-Bai Yan, Guo-Fan Jin
  • Patent number: 7651250
    Abstract: A retractable lighting apparatus for the upper surface of a roof of a vehicle includes at least one lighting member adapted to be raised or lowered relative to the upper surface of the roof, and a device for effecting the raising and lowering of the lighting apparatus. The lighting apparatus has its own upper surface and a base component into which at least one telescopic component can be retracted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Inventor: James William Griffin
  • Patent number: 7621661
    Abstract: An interior illumination lamp 1 includes a housing 13 for mounting in an opening 12 formed in an interior member 11 of a vehicle, upstanding members 14 extending from a reverse surface 13a of the housing 13, bending members 15 connected to distal ends of the upstanding members 14, and a plurality of pairs of prevention portions 17 disposed adjacent the upstanding members 14. The prevention portions 17 lock the bending member 15 such that the interior member 11 is locked therebetween. Angle maintaining means 18 prevent the bending members from being bent too far so that the interior member is not compressed too much.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiaki Okabe, Kenji Oishi, Yasuhiro Matsunaga
  • Patent number: 7614765
    Abstract: A device for providing emergency lighting for firefighters is described. The device includes a housing having at least one laser disposed therein. A power source powers the at least one laser when the device is activated. The device can be activated using, for example, a pressure-activated switch, a smoke-activated switch, a heat-activated switch, or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Bright Ideaz Inc.
    Inventor: Richard E. Reason
  • Patent number: 7611265
    Abstract: An sealed acorn style luminaire is described. The luminaire has generally separate inflow and outflow valves for pressure equalization in order to minimize the amount of dust and other foreign matter which could enter into the sealed optical compartment thereby reducing the optical characteristics of the fixture. A one way outflow valve and seal is provided in combination with controlled inflow seals to reduce or limit the dirt and other foreign substances in the sealed optical compartment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2009
    Assignee: Lumec, Inc.
    Inventor: Jean Francois Laporte
  • Patent number: 7604390
    Abstract: A supporting structure is applied to a backlight module including several optical sheets. The supporting structure includes a fixing component and a supporting component. The fixing component has a through-hole and an opening connected to each other. The supporting component includes a supporting pin, a block, a plate and a protrusion. The supporting pin has a top end for supporting the optical sheets and a bottom end at which the block is disposed. The plate is disposed on the supporting pin. The protrusion is disposed on the plate and faces the bottom end. After the block goes through the through-hole and rotates an angle, the plate and the block respectively press against upper and lower surfaces of the fixing component for clamping the fixing component. The protrusion is engaged in the opening for positioning the supporting component, so that the supporting component is fixed onto the fixing component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: AU Optronics Corp.
    Inventors: Jing-Lin Zhang, Meng-Jia Hsiao
  • Patent number: 7575334
    Abstract: A chalk holding device for marking up dry walled walls of a building uses a pole that has a chalk holder at one end wherein chalk is received within the holder and locked in place via a compression ring. The pole may be threadably attached to an additional extension pole on the end opposite the chalk holding end. A light source is attached to the pole either by clamping the light source and attaching the clamp to the pole via another clamp, via adhesion or welding, or other appropriate attachment method, or the light source is an LED ring such that the pole passes through a central opening of the LED ring with the ring attached to the pole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Inventor: Mark C. Becnel
  • Patent number: 7569257
    Abstract: In a light modulating plate, a backlight assembly having the light modulating plate and a display device having the light modulating plate, the light modulating plate includes a light modulating layer and a light characteristics improving member. The light modulating layer includes a foam layer to modulate a light. The light characteristics improving member is integrally formed with the light modulating layer to improve optical characteristics of the light that has passed through the light modulating layer. Therefore, the backlight assembly is easily fabricated, and an image display quality is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ju-Hwa Ha, Jin-Soo Kim, Heu-Gon Kim, Jae-Ho Jung
  • Patent number: 7566154
    Abstract: A lighting fixture for providing illumination comprising a housing, a printed circuit board, and a plurality LEDs connected to the printed circuit board. Optionally an emergency LED may also be included. A heat sink is connected to the housing and printed circuit board. Each of the plurality of the LEDs is mounted on the heat sink. A reflector is disposed inside the housing such that the light from the LEDs is mixed together and projected out of the illumination end of the housing by the surface of the reflector. The lighting fixture is received into a mounting flange assembly. A method for providing illumination using the above.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: B/E Aerospace, Inc.
    Inventors: Jennifer L. Gloisten, Frederick Reisfeld, Samuel Zeng
  • Patent number: 7555194
    Abstract: An improved illumination device shortens a redundant area of insufficient light intensity close to a longitudinal end thereof. The device includes a casing, a bar-shaped light guide housed in the casing to cause a light-emitting surface thereof to be exposed, a light-emitting unit secured to an end section of the casing, wherein light from the light-emitting unit is introduced into the bar-shaped light guide through the end face thereof and is totally reflected within the bar-shaped light guide to be emitted through the light-emitting surface, and a shielding section provided to cover an end section of the bar-shaped light guide including the redundant area at the end section of the casing close to the light-emitting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Ikeda, Hiroyuki Nemoto, Takashi Kishimoto, Takeshi Ishimaru, Hirohiko Iwase, Hidemitsu Takeuchi, Tomihisa Saito
  • Patent number: 7549765
    Abstract: A flashlight has a body containing control circuitry, with a lamp connected to the body and to the control circuitry. A photodetector is connected to the body and the control circuitry, and faces the lamp to sense an operating condition of the lamp. The control circuitry operates the lamp in a start up mode until signaled by the photodetector that the lamp is properly operating. After this, the lamp is operated in a normal mode. The flashlight may have a switch with a button that moves through a range of positions. The switch may have several contact elements, and the button may have an actuator registered with each of the contact elements. The actuators may be of different heights, to provide a sequence of switch operation. Some of the actuators may be movable to allow the button to be actuated further after an initial contact is made.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: SureFire, LLC
    Inventors: Paul Y. Kim, William A. Hunt, Lai Chang Tang
  • Patent number: 7549781
    Abstract: A light emitting diode includes a lens, a chip base attached to a bottom of the lens, and an LED chip attached in the chip base to be concentric with the lens. The lens includes a bottom, an outer sidewall extending from the bottom, a first outer top surface extending from the outer sidewall, a second outer top surface extending from the first outer top surface and having a substantially conical groove-like shape, an inner sidewall forming a side of a central cavity formed by hollowing a central portion of the bottom, and an inner top surface extending from the inner sidewall and forming a ceiling of the central cavity. The substantially conical groove-like shaped second outer top surface has an angular point formed toward the central cavity, and the inner top surface is convexly formed toward the bottom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Gi-Cherl Kim, Chun-Ho Song, Sang-Gil Lee, Jong-Seo Lee, Sang-Yu Lee, Ju-Young Yoon
  • Patent number: 7547112
    Abstract: A low-clearance lighting includes a plurality of light emitting diodes positioned on at least two side surfaces of a light tile or a plurality of external electrode fluorescent lights within an encasement of a light tile, a reflecting plate at a back surface of the light tile, and a metal frame for supporting the light tile and having exterior dimensions suitable for insertion into a ceiling-grid of a drop-ceiling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: LED Folio Corporation
    Inventor: Steven Kim
  • Patent number: 7540636
    Abstract: An LED module includes a housing component, a frame holding an LED thereon and covered by the housing component, a fastener located in and secured to the housing component, a heat spreader located in the fastener and secured to the fastener and a heat transfer member having a heat-dissipating unit remote from the LED and a heat pipe thermally connecting with the heat spreader, the LED and the heat-dissipating unit. The housing component tightly presses the frame on the fastener to make a close contact between the heat pipe and the frame. The heat pipe transfers heat from the LED to the heat spreader and the heat-dissipating unit. The heat spreader and the heat-dissipating unit each have a large heat-dissipating surface, whereby the heat generated by the LED can be quickly dissipated by the heat spreader and the heat-dissipating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignees: Fu Zhun Precision Industry (Shen Zhen) Co., Ltd., Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Cheng-Tien Lai, Zhi-Yong Zhou, Qiao-Li Ding
  • Patent number: 7527403
    Abstract: An interior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a reflective element, a frame portion around a perimeter of the reflective element, and one or more user inputs or buttons movably mounted to the frame portion. At least one bezel segment is positioned partially around the perimeter of the reflective element and frame portion and defines a space or gap along the frame portion between opposed and spaced apart ends of the bezel segment or segments. The input or button is mountable to the frame portion at the space and is movable by a user to engage and actuate an electronic switch within the mirror assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Donnelly Corp.
    Inventor: John T. Uken
  • Patent number: 7513675
    Abstract: The modular track luminaire system of the present invention is a modular lighting system which has a lighting unit which is electronically connected to a remote ballast housing by a removable and reattachable insulated cord and plug system, the luminaire unit electrically connected to the ballast housing through the flexible cord and plug system thereby allowing the entire system to be modularized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Genlyte Thomas Group LLC
    Inventors: Alejandro Mier-Langner, James E. Kuchar, Andrew E. Medeiros
  • Patent number: 7465061
    Abstract: The present invention provides a spontaneous electric energy storage hand tweak torch, comprising a lamp cap and a cylindrical casing. The casing comprises a front casing and a rear casing capable of being bi-directionally tweaked about an axis. The lamp cap is fixed on the front casing. The interior of the front casing is provided with an electric generator, an energy storage element, a circuit board and a control switch. The exterior of the front casing is provided with a push button corresponding to the control switch. The output end of the electric generator is connected with the input end of the circuit board via a lead. The output end of the circuit board is connected with the energy storage element. The rotating shaft of the electric generator is connected with the rear casing via a gear set. The present invention has a simple and compact structure as well as a regular and uniform profile. Besides, it is convenient to operate and therefore saves labor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2008
    Assignee: Mingle Metal (Shen Zhen) Co. Limited
    Inventors: Waiming Ho, Ming Lee
  • Patent number: 7445366
    Abstract: A lamp for a vehicle is provided with a projection lens, a light source, a reflector having a reflecting surface, which reflects a light from the light source toward the projection lens; a body of a vessel shape; a cover forming a lamp chamber together with the body; and an auxiliary lens. The auxiliary lens diffuses an incident light in a horizontal direction and is provided at least on one side of the projection lens in the vehicle width direction. A horizontal section of the cover is tilted in with respect to a phantom line that extends in a vehicle width direction, and the auxiliary lens is formed such that a thickness thereof becomes gradually thin in an outward direction from the projection lens, and that an outermost surface thereof in the horizontal section is parallel to the cover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Michio Tsukamoto, Hiroshi Kawashima
  • Patent number: 7438449
    Abstract: An LED module includes a latching component, a frame holding an LED thereon, a heat spreader located in the latching component and a heat transfer member having a heat-dissipating unit remote from the LED and a heat pipe thermally connecting with the heat spreader, the LED and the heat-dissipating unit. The latching component cooperates with the heat spreader to tightly press the frame being attached on the heat spreader. The heat transfer member thermally connects with the heat spreader and transfers heat from the LED to an ambient environment. The latching component has two spring pieces pushing the frame toward the heat spreader and the heat pipe. The spring pieces electrically engage with the frame to thereby electrically connect with the LED.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignees: Fu Zhun Precision Industry (Shen Zhen) Co., Ltd., Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Cheng-Tien Lai, Zhi-Yong Zhou, Qiao-Li Ding