Patent · US Expired

Prismatic toroidal lens and traffic signal light using this lens

US5636057A · kind A · utility

64Cited by
8References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 10, 1995
Grant dateJun 3, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 10, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
  • CPC primaryF21Y2115/10
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A traffic signal light comprises an array of light-emitting diodes for producing respective light rays, and an array of lenses for propagating light rays from the light-emitting diodes toward a plurality of predetermined, distinct spatial points. The lenses are each associated with a corresponding one of the light-emitting diodes, and each lens comprises a solid body of light-propagating material defining a light-refracting surface through which the light rays from the corresponding light-emitting diode propagate. The light-refracting surface is divided into distinct light-refracting surface sections each associated to a corresponding one of the spatial points. The light-refracting surface sections have different configurations in view of deviating the light rays propagating therethrough toward the associated spatial points, respectively. Therefore, at each spatial point add the light rays deviated by the associated light-refracting surface sections of the different lenses.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.