Patents Examined by Steven Horikoshi
  • Patent number: 9746596
    Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention provides an optic, which comprises a light pipe extending from a proximal end to a distal end about an optical axis, said light pipe being adapted to receive at its proximal end at least a portion of light emitted by a light source. The optic further comprises a central reflector optically coupled to said distal end of the light pipe for receiving at least a portion of the light transmitted through the light pipe and reflecting said received light, a peripheral reflector optically coupled to said central reflector for receiving at least a portion of said reflected light, and an output surface. The peripheral reflector is configured to redirect at least a portion of the light received from the central reflector to said output surface for exiting the optic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Fraen Corporation
    Inventors: James Preston, Brien J. Housand, Michael Zollers
  • Patent number: 9746145
    Abstract: A light-emitting device includes a board; and light-emitting element arrays connected in parallel and each including light-emitting elements mounted on the board and connected in series. The light-emitting elements in each of the light-emitting element arrays include one or more red LED chips and one or more blue LED chips. Each of the red LED chips on the board is disposed non-successively to any other one of the red LED chips along a Y direction and along an X direction. The Y direction is parallel to a direction along which the red LED chips included in one of the light emitting arrays including the red LED chip are arranged. The X direction is perpendicular to the Y direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kohji Hiramatsu, Tomoya Iwahashi, Koji Omura, Ran Zheng
  • Patent number: 9733550
    Abstract: A lighting apparatus comprising a light source which emits light with predetermined light distribution in a fixed direction, and an optical element which is arranged in such a manner that at least part of light emitted from the light source inputs to the optical element, and can perform switching to a transmission state in which the light is transmitted, a first reflection state in which the light is reflected in a first direction, and a second reflection state in which the light is reflected in a second direction different from the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: STANLEY ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideaki Yamamoto, Keima Kono, Shigehiro Yanagisawa
  • Patent number: 9732925
    Abstract: Headlight lens for a vehicle headlight having a monolithic body of transparent material, the monolithic body including at least one light entry face, a light passage section and at least one optically operative light exit face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Docter Optics SE
    Inventors: Dmitry Fedosik, Wolfram Wintzer
  • Patent number: 9728684
    Abstract: Provided is a light emitting apparatus that causes no lateral light leakage, enables easy assembly, and allows free selection of the shape of a reflection frame. The light emitting apparatus includes an LED device which is flip-chip mounted on a substrate, a phosphor layer placed on a light emitting surface of the LED device, a reflective resin having a recessed portion formed on the upper surface thereof, the reflective resin covering the side surface of the LED device and the side surface of the phosphor layer, and a reflection frame having a protruded portion formed on the lower surface thereof, the reflection frame being fixed on or above the phosphor layer and the reflective resin by engaging the protruded portion with the recessed portion of the reflective resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignees: CITIZEN ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., CITIZEN WATCH CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yusuke Watanabe
  • Patent number: 9719655
    Abstract: An optical device comprising a first surface with a plurality of micro sized facets, each facet having a respective orientation. Said plurality of facets having an optical axis which extends parallel to the normal vector to an average orientation of all said respective orientations. The plurality of facets comprising at least a first and a second group of facets, each group is formed by a respective number of at least twenty-five compactly arranged neighboring facets. Each group is arranged to generate during operation a respective, mutually identical whole pattern. Each facet in a respective group is arranged to display a sub-pattern of said respective whole pattern. The whole patterns are mutually superpositioned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: PHILIPS LIGHTING HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Marcellinus Petrus Carolus Michael Krijn, Siebe Tjerk De Zwart, Wilhelmus Petrus Adrianus Johannus Michiels
  • Patent number: 9709227
    Abstract: An apparatus, method, and system for changing or removal of a LED driver, a PCB or the lens after installation with one person, and minimal equipment and time and with ease of maintenance without removing the main support structure of the light fixture from a support structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Inventor: David E. Patterson
  • Patent number: 9707884
    Abstract: A camouflaged vehicle includes a vehicle having lighting equipment and a plurality of windows, a camouflage positioned over an exterior of the vehicle and allowing visibility through at least a portion of the plurality of windows, and additional lighting equipment supported by said vehicle outside of said camouflage. At least a portion of the lighting equipment may be visible through the camouflage. A control module for controlling the lighting equipment is provided and the additional lighting equipment is controlled by the control module in parallel with the lighting equipment, and sensors, positioned between the control module and the lighting equipment, sense the application of power and generate additional control signals to operate the additional lighting equipment. The additional lighting equipment may include a minimum number of lamps, reflective devices and associated equipment required to satisfy the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Albert Ekladyous, Arun Kumar, Diane Marie LaHaie, Kelley Maria Adams-Campos, Mahendra Somasara Dassanayake, Hardyal Singh, Sleiman N. Abdelnour
  • Patent number: 9703033
    Abstract: A light guide plate includes a light exit surface, a reflection surface opposite to the light exit surface, and at least one light incidence surface connecting to the light exit surface and the reflection surface. The reflection surface includes a plurality of minute projection structures projecting toward interior of the light guide plate. Each of the minute projection structures includes at least two side faces coated with a high reflectivity material. The at least two high reflectivity material coated side faces form at least one included angle pointing toward the at least one light incidence surface. With the distance of the minute projection structure from the closest light source getting shorter, the at least one included angle formed thereby is getting smaller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Gege Zhou
  • Patent number: 9702524
    Abstract: A lighting device including a blue solid state emitter, at least one yellow-green or green lumiphoric material, and at least one red or red-orange solid state emitter can simultaneously provide high color fidelity (e.g., high CRI Ra), high color saturation (e.g., high Qg), and high efficiency (e.g., lumens per watt). A subcombination of blue and yellow-green emissions is provided within one or more specified regions of a 1931 CIE chromaticity diagram. By providing sufficient green content, increased saturation can be active with relatively a short wavelength red or red-orange source while maintaining high color fidelity and efficacy. A mixture of green and yellow lumiphoric materials may be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin A. Jacobson, Antony Paul van de Ven
  • Patent number: 9696025
    Abstract: An inflatable display with dynamic lighting effect has an inflatable body, an air pump inflating the inflatable body, and a lighting assembly mounted inside the inflatable body for providing dynamic lighting variations. The lighting assembly has a light housing, a power supply, a lighting module, and a refracting module mounted in the light housing. The lighting module and the refracting module rotate relative to each other. As light beams emitted from the lighting module pass through the refracting module, the light beams are mixed and refracted. With relative rotation of the lighting module and the refracting module, the light beams can project outwards to further penetrate through the inflatable body at different angles covering a large area to form the dynamic lighting variations and to exhibit the dynamic lighting effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Gemmy Industries Corp.
    Inventor: Cheng-Chun Zhang
  • Patent number: 9695997
    Abstract: A flameless candle molded into a jar is described. The jar is designed with an open bottom and is tooled for engagement with an electronic insert having batteries, control circuitry and at least one LED light. A candle is then formed in the jar with the electronic insert by molding a candle shell along the sidewalls of the jar. The candle shell is formed such that the sidewalls extend above the LED light of the electronic insert to allow the LED light to illuminate at a position below the sidewalls. The wax or waxen shell is formed only along the sidewalls, creating a hollow region above the electronic insert. Once the wax on the sidewalls sets, wax is then poured in the hollow regions above the electronic insert to a position just below or above the LED light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: MerchSource, LLC
    Inventor: Kristy Janczak
  • Patent number: 9698313
    Abstract: A light emitting assembly comprising a solid state device coupleable with a power supply constructed and arranged to power the solid state device to emit from the solid state device a first, relatively shorter wavelength radiation, and a down-converting luminophoric medium arranged in receiving relationship to said first, relatively shorter wavelength radiation, and which in exposure to said first, relatively shorter wavelength radiation, is excited to responsively emit second, relatively longer wavelength radiation. In a specific embodiment, monochromatic blue or UV light output from a light-emitting diode is down-converted to white light by packaging the diode with fluorescent organic and/or inorganic fluorescers and phosphors in a polymeric matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: CREE, INC.
    Inventors: Bruce Baretz, Michael A. Tischler
  • Patent number: 9677732
    Abstract: A headlight lens for a vehicle headlight, the headlight lens having a body of transparent material. The monolithic body includes a light passage section having at least one optically operative light exit face and a light tunnel having at least one optically operative light entry face. The light tunnel transits into the light passage section via a bend being curved in its longitudinal extension, wherein the light passage section is configured for imaging the bend as a bright-dark-boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Docter Optics SE
    Inventors: Dmitry Fedosik, Wolfram Wintzer
  • Patent number: 9676000
    Abstract: Methods are provided for forming a reflective coating by applying a precursor material onto the substrate; soft curing the precursor material at a first curing energy level; and thereafter, hard curing the precursor material at a second curing energy level having a higher amount of energy than the first curing energy level to form the reflective coating. Other methods are provided for forming a reflective coating a surface of a plastic substrate by heating the surface of the plastic substrate to a deposition temperature, applying a polymeric resin onto the heated surface, and crosslinking the polymeric resin to form the reflective coating. The polymeric resin can include a cross-linkable powder, a cross-linker, and a pigment, with the deposition temperature being about 10° C. or greater than the melting point of the cross-linkable binder. Lighting apparatus formed from such methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: GE LIGHTING SOLUTIONS, LLC
    Inventors: Dengke Cai, Gary Robert Allen, Ashfaqul I. Chowdhury, Jeyachandrabose Chinniah
  • Patent number: 9664373
    Abstract: An inflatable display with dynamic lighting effect has an inflatable body, an air pump inflating the inflatable body, and a lighting assembly mounted inside the inflatable body for providing dynamic lighting variations. The lighting assembly has a light housing, a power supply, a lighting module, and a refracting module mounted in the light housing. The lighting module and the refracting module rotate relative to each other. As light beams emitted from the lighting module pass through the refracting module, the light beams are mixed and refracted. With relative rotation of the lighting module and the refracting module, the light beams can project outwards to further penetrate through the inflatable body at different angles covering a large area to form the dynamic lighting variations and to exhibit the dynamic lighting effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Gemmy Industries Corp.
    Inventor: Cheng-Chun Zhang
  • Patent number: 9664838
    Abstract: Provided is an edge-light type illumination device capable of increasing luminance directly thereunder and capable of providing anisotropy to the luminance distribution. Light to be emitted from an emission surface (2d) of a light-guide plate (2) fulfills a condition (1) Etotal/Em>2.0 and a condition (2) Etotal(20°,0°)/Etotal(20°,90°)>1.2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: KURARAY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Seiji Kinoshita
  • Patent number: 9651235
    Abstract: The LED light strip according to the present disclosure may include a circuit board and a plurality of LEDs which are arranged and spaced on the circuit board along a first straight line. A gap may be formed between two adjacent LEDs. Projections of two adjacent LEDs on a first projection plane may at least partially overlap, and the first projection plane may be a plane perpendicular to the circuit board and parallel to the first straight line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignees: BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD., BEIJING BOE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hetao Wang, Kun Lu, Ling Bai, Zhanchang Bu
  • Patent number: 9651223
    Abstract: A light-emitting apparatus includes a pedestal, a substrate, an LED, an optical component, and a fastener. The LED is mounted on the substrate, and the substrate includes a first through-hole. The substrate is disposed on the pedestal. The optical component is disposed in the emission direction of light from the LED. The fastener passes through the first through-hole and fastens the optical component to the pedestal. A portion of the pedestal or a portion of the optical component is inserted in the first through-hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ryouji Yokotani, Yasuharu Ueno, Masashi Sakata, Yoshinori Kakuno, Yoshio Manabe
  • Patent number: 9631803
    Abstract: A light-emitting diode (LED) lighting apparatus includes an exterior member which covers a heat-dissipating member. Therefore, the LED lighting apparatus may be dustproof and waterproof. The shape of the heat-dissipating member may be modified to increase the surface area thereof and thus effectively dissipate heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dong-il Lim, Sung-jin Kim, Byung-kwan Song