Patents Examined by Sharon E. Payne
  • Patent number: 7651234
    Abstract: A backlight assembly for a liquid crystal display device is disclosed with high efficiency and high brightness. The backlight assembly includes a light source in which a first light emitting diode and a second light emitting diode are combined, a board where the light source is mounted, and optical sheets arranged in front of the light source. By alternately arranging a front emitting type LED and a side emitting type LED in various structures, high efficiency and high brightness may be obtained using a small number of light emitting diodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: LG. Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Dae San Lim
  • Patent number: 7648262
    Abstract: By a convex lens arranged on an optical axis extending in a front and rear direction of a lamp unit, direct light from a light emitting element arranged rearward of the convex lens is deflected to emit so that the light is made to be parallel light in a vertical face and diffused light toward left and right sides in a horizontal face. An entire region of a left side lens region of the convex lens is constituted as upper deflecting regions for deflecting light to a direction upward with respect to a direction of light of a right side lens region. Light emitted to the front side by transmitting the respective upper deflecting regions is made to be light directed upward from light emitted from the right side lens region to thereby form a laterally elongated light distribution pattern in which an upper end edge of a portion of being disposed on a left side relative to the optical axis is stepped up from an upper end edge of a portion thereof disposed on a right side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2010
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hidetada Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7645050
    Abstract: A user-wearable illumination assembly comprises a mounting fixture that is adapted to be coupled to a user-wearable device, such as eyeglasses, goggles, face masks, helmets, or other devices. A light guide has a first end that can be coupled to a light source, and a second end coupled to a lens housing that is in turn coupled to the mounting fixture. An optical lens in the lens housing cooperates with the light guide to project light from the light source through the lens. In one embodiment, the lens has a substantially spherical surface facing the second end of the light guide and an aspheric surface facing away from the second end of the light guide. In another embodiment, the mounting fixture comprises articulating portions to permit independent or simultaneous adjustment of the lens housing to direct projected light in a desired direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: Kerr Corporation
    Inventors: Brian L. Wilt, Patrick Shipley, Frederick N. Bushroe, Kevin Garcia
  • Patent number: 7645063
    Abstract: A backlight unit, in which an incident surface of a light-guiding plate is formed in a shape of a curve, or a curve-shaped structure is formed in a housing to improve the light efficiency. The backlight unit includes a light source emitting light; a housing surrounding the light source; a light-guiding plate guiding the light emitted from the light source to an LCD panel, wherein the light-guiding plate has an incident surface formed in a shape of a curve; and a reflective sheet formed under the light-guiding plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2010
    Assignee: LG Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Seok Woo Lee, Do Yune Kim
  • Patent number: 7641356
    Abstract: A bedside flashlight cradle for supporting a flashlight from the side of a bed frame for ready access. The cradle includes a grasper end for connection to the bed frame, a middle section, and a cradle. The grasper end may attach to the bed frame without fastener, for example, by sliding over the vertical side wall of the bed frame. The middle section may cant backward in order to support the flashlight flush with the edge of the bed frame. The cradle may be provided in spaced apart pairs to support the flash light or in other configurations such as an integral unit that has sufficient width to support a flashlight or an integral unit that has a single grasper end of sufficient width with a pair of spaced-apart cradles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2010
    Inventor: Robert F. Pieroth
  • Patent number: 7637649
    Abstract: A lamp (160) comprising: a light-emitting lamp capsule (161) arrayed about a longitudinal axis (161a); a base (162) supporting said lamp capsule (161), said base (162) including a peripheral flange (163) extending normal to said longitudinal axis 161a); and electrical contacts (164) attached to said peripheral flange for providing power to said light-emitting lamp capsule (161), said electrical contacts (164) extending from said peripheral flange (163) in a direction parallel to said longitudinal axis (161a).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2009
    Assignee: Osram Sylvania Inc.
    Inventors: Ceferino Garcia, Richard C. Laird
  • Patent number: 7631994
    Abstract: A mounting system for a light fixture includes a lamp holder and a mounting device coupled to the holder where the mounting device enables the lamp holder to be mounted in one of a plurality of mounting modes. The mounting modes include a flush mode, a semi-flush mode and attachment to a ceiling fan. The lamps that may be used in the light fixture include a fluorescent lamp, an incandescent, or a halogen lamp. The light fixture with the mounting system that enables multiple mounting modes can be provided as a single product in a single package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Lights of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian John Halliwell, Usman Vakil
  • Patent number: 7631999
    Abstract: In order to provide a line light irradiation device that can improve efficiency of condensing light with a compact size and that is almost free from unevenness of lighting, the line light irradiation device of the present claimed invention comprises multiple light emitting parts 2 each of which is provided with a light irradiating part 21 where multiple optical fibers 4 are thickly arranged in a line with light leading out end portions 4a of the multiple optical fibers 4 forming a straight line and a columnar lens 22 arranged to extend along a direction of the line P in front of the light irradiating part 21 in pairs, and that irradiate line light LL that converges into a straight line, and a holding body 3 that is arranged to face to a work W as being an object on which the line light LL is to be irradiated, on which monitoring bores 3a, 3b are arranged to penetrate in order to monitor the work W, and that holds the light emitting parts 2 so that each optical axis face of the line light LL irradiated from ea
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: CCS, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenji Yoneda, Takashi Sugita
  • Patent number: 7631984
    Abstract: A flashlight includes a flashlight head assembly that may be used with either one or two batteries. For use with one battery, a body receives a battery therein and the flashlight head assembly is secured to the body. For use with two batteries, an extension unit is secured to the body and the flashlight head assembly is secured to the extension unit. A switch assembly disposed in the body and electrically connected with the flashlight head assembly controls the delivery of power to the flashlight head assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: Lightstick Partners, LLC.
    Inventors: Richard W. Martin, Thomas J. Chadwell, Philip W. Miller, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7628503
    Abstract: An illuminated key casing assembly includes a light transmissive casing having a top and bottom side, a key ring hole, and a slot between the top and bottom side extending to the key ring hole that is configured to receive a key. The light transmissive casing includes a first cavity holding a single battery, and a second cavity that receives a light emitting device. Disposed between the first and second cavities are first and second protrusions, wherein light that is transmitted from within the second cavity through the first protrusion is dispersed through the light transmissive casing. The second protrusion has a mounting hole and an arcuate-shaped slot. The light emitting device has a first leadwire force-fit between a sidewall of the first cavity and battery so as to secure the battery, and a second leadwire received within the arcuate-shaped slot to provide a free end positioned over and spaced apart from the battery. A cover is further provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Inventor: Kevin M. Pumm
  • Patent number: 7628502
    Abstract: A light controlling sheet is provided in a surface light source device including a light source portion. The light controlling sheet includes an outgoing light side lens portion having multiple unit lenses arranged to project toward the outgoing light side, and transparent portions and reflecting portions provided on the incident light side. The transparent portions and the reflecting portions are arranged alternately, and the transparent portions comprise 40% to 60% of the total area of the light controlling sheet when viewed form a direction orthogonal to the sheet surface on the incident light side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Daijiro Kodama, Masahiro Goto, Wataru Tokuhara
  • Patent number: 7628519
    Abstract: A light system is disposed to be located on top of guide poles on either side of a trailer. The light system is in-line with the guide pole and may almost appear to be a part of the poles. The elevated light system allows for the brake lights to be more easily seen by following drivers and it normally keeps the brake lights from being immersed in water when the trailer is used in loading or unloading a boat or other marine craft. Additionally, in comparison with lights attached to the side of a guide pole, the in-line nature of the light system makes it less likely that the light will be knocked off or damaged when backing a trailer into a tight garage opening. Furthermore, a tell-tale lens is located opposite the primary lens and it allows the driver to be able to verify that the lights are working.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Inventor: Jeffrey Purdy
  • Patent number: 7621662
    Abstract: The present invention is a system of emergency vehicle lighting that uses a low profile hood/trunk mounted LED plate unit and a door mounted LED strip unit. It is designed for both stand alone operation or for integration into an emergency vehicle's electronic alarm notification sequencing unit. The hood/trunk LED plate unit has a thin, enhanced geometrical configuration and an LED lens design that allows the light emitted from the superbright LEDs to be seen to a much higher degree to vehicles approaching from direction normal to the longitudinal centerline of the emergency vehicle. Mounting of the LED plate unit and LED strip unit can be permanent or temporary and because of the light weight, numerous chemical, magnetic and mechanical methods of affixation may be utilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Inventor: Terry Thomas Colbert
  • Patent number: 7618172
    Abstract: A vehicle light can include a light source, a reflector configured to reflect light emitted from the light source in an irradiation direction of a vehicle on which the vehicle light is mounted, and a diffusion plate for diffusion of light and which can irradiate light in the irradiation direction. In this configuration, the diffusion plate can be configured such that light emitted from the light source and light reflected by the reflector enter the diffusion plate and pass therethrough while being refracted. The light is emitted from the diffusion plate in the irradiation direction while being diffused. At the same time, light which is incident on the diffusion plate and is reflected by the diffusion plate is diffused and irradiated in the irradiation direction of the vehicle light. The end portion of the diffusion plate can be bent or curved so as to diffuse the light reflected by the diffusion plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Stanley Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroo Oyama
  • Patent number: 7618161
    Abstract: In a Fresnel lens which is made of a lens material whose refraction index is n, and focuses light beam from a light source at a specified radiation view angle ?, and has plural N pieces of circular lens surfaces arranged concentrically around a common optical axis, and plural circular rise surfaces arranged adjacent alternately between these lens surfaces, and two lens surfaces adjacent via at least one of the rise surfaces are concave surfaces, and tangent lines and at the intersecting point with the rise surfaces of the shape of a cross section passing through the optical axis of those lens surfaces intersect at the outside with respect to the optical axis, and when the angle formed between these tangent lines is defined as ?, a relational equation ???/(2 n N) stands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takeshi Morino, Yoshinori Honguh, Masataka Shiratsuchi, Naoto Tokuhara
  • Patent number: 7618158
    Abstract: An illumination system using filament lamps including a filament lamp, a reflector having a first and second focal points, the filament lamp disposed proximate to the first focal point of the reflector to emit rays of electromagnetic radiation that reflect from the reflector and converge substantially at the second focal point, wherein a portion of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the filament lamp impinges directly on the reflector and a portion of the electromagnetic radiation does not impinge directly on the reflector and wherein the system further includes an additional reflector constructed and arranged to reflect at least part of the portion of the electromagnetic radiation that does not impinge directly on the reflector toward the reflector through the first focal point of the reflector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Wavien, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth K. Li
  • Patent number: 7614766
    Abstract: A modular illumination device with adjustable illumination modules includes a substrate, a rotating element, a reflective element, an adjustable element, and a light-emitting element. The rotating element is rotatably disposed on the substrate and rotates corresponding to the substrate. The reflective element pivots on the rotating element and pivots corresponding to the substrate. The adjustable element is moveably disposed on the substrate and is moved corresponding to the reflective element. The light-emitting element is disposed on the adjustable element. The modular illumination device can be adjusted to shine light at any angle or in any direction. Furthermore, a plurality of illumination modules are combined to form the modular illumination device. By adjusting the lighting range and direction of the illumination modules respectively, the illumination device has different illumination ranges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2009
    Assignee: Harvatek Corporation
    Inventors: Bily Wang, Hui-Chung Lin, Shih-Yu Wu
  • Patent number: 7607815
    Abstract: A light source having a flexible substrate and a plurality of dies having LEDs is disclosed. The light source can be conveniently utilized to provide an extended light source by bonding the light source to a suitable light pipe. The substrate is divided into first and second regions. The dies are bonded to the substrate in a first region. A portion of the surface of the substrate in the second region is reflective. The substrate is bent such that the second region forms a reflector that reflects light that would otherwise be emitted in a non-useful direction to a more useful direction. The substrate can be constructed from a three layer flexible circuit carrier in which the dies are mounted on a bottom metal layer to provide an improved thermal path for heat generated in the dies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Avago Technologies ECBU IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Siew It Pang
  • Patent number: 7604374
    Abstract: An illuminated alternator for automotive and other motorized vehicles includes a plurality of illumination devices, such as light emitting diodes, bulbs or lasers. The illumination devices are positioned within the alternator. When the illumination devices are activated, light from the illumination devices is reflected by surfaces of the alternator frame and exits the alternator frame through one or more vents, thus providing a glowing or illumination effect that radiates from within the alternator. Different numbers and colors of illumination devices may be used, including illumination devices that emit red, yellow, green and blue light. Illumination devices can also be activated in different sequences and patterns, such as periodically, intermittently, and randomly. An alternator may have illumination devices that are the same or different colors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Motorcar Parts of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven L. Kratz, John G. Agnitch
  • Patent number: 7604382
    Abstract: A vehicle component assembly for a straddle type vehicle (e.g., a motor scooter) is provided that can increase the space for internal components in the front portion of the vehicle. The assembly comprises a front portion of a vehicle body cover located at a front portion of the straddle type vehicle. A vehicle component and a vehicle component holder are disposed within the front portion of the vehicle body cover between a head pipe and a headlight of the vehicle. In one embodiment, the vehicle component comprises a battery. Preferably, the vehicle component assembly is configured such that a lower portion of the vehicle component is located below an upper portion of the headlight of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2009
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masaru Ohira, Torao Matsuzawa