U.S. patent application number 12/868195 was filed with the patent office on 2011-03-03 for optic shielding.
This patent application is currently assigned to ABL IP Holding LLC. Invention is credited to Mark Anthony Hand.
Application Number | 20110051413 12/868195 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43624645 |
Filed Date | 2011-03-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110051413 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hand; Mark Anthony |
March 3, 2011 |
OPTIC SHIELDING
Abstract
A lighting assembly includes a light source and a lens. The lens
includes a light transmissive portion and an optic shield portion
for blocking or redirecting at least a portion of light generated
by the light source. The light source can include one or more light
emitting diodes (LEDs). The optic shield can be painted on or
otherwise applied to a portion of the lens. Alternatively, it can
be integrally formed with the lens. The optic shield can be an
opaque material for blocking light generated by the light source or
can be a reflective material for reflecting light generated by the
light source through the light transmissive portion of the lens.
Methods for making an optic shield are also described.
Inventors: |
Hand; Mark Anthony;
(Covington, GA) |
Assignee: |
ABL IP Holding LLC
Conyers
GA
|
Family ID: |
43624645 |
Appl. No.: |
12/868195 |
Filed: |
August 25, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61236693 |
Aug 25, 2009 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
362/235 ;
156/280; 264/259; 362/311.01 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B29K 2995/0025 20130101;
F21K 9/60 20160801; F21V 13/02 20130101; F21V 5/08 20130101; B29D
11/0074 20130101; F21V 13/04 20130101; F21Y 2115/10 20160801; B29L
2011/0016 20130101; B29C 45/16 20130101; F21V 11/00 20130101; B29K
2995/0026 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
362/235 ;
362/311.01; 156/280; 264/259 |
International
Class: |
F21V 5/00 20060101
F21V005/00; F21V 7/00 20060101 F21V007/00; B32B 37/02 20060101
B32B037/02; B32B 37/24 20060101 B32B037/24; B29C 45/16 20060101
B29C045/16 |
Claims
1. A lighting assembly comprising: a light source; and a lens
comprising a light transmissive portion and an optic shield portion
for blocking or redirecting at least a portion of light generated
by the light source.
2. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the light source
comprises at least one light emitting diode.
3. The lighting assembly of claim 2, wherein the light source
comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes.
4. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the optic shield
portion comprises an opaque material applied to a portion of an
outer or inner surface of the lens.
5. The lighting assembly of claim 4, wherein the opaque material is
painted onto the portion of the outer or inner surface of the
lens.
6. The lighting assembly of claim 4, wherein the opaque material is
paint, silicone, epoxy or combinations thereof.
7. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the optic shield
portion of the lens comprises a reflective material applied to a
portion of an outer or inner surface of the lens.
8. The lighting assembly of claim 7, wherein the reflective
material is applied to the portion of the outer surface of the lens
and comprises a polymeric material having a metallic finish applied
thereto.
9. The lighting assembly of claim 8, wherein the metallic finish is
applied to the polymeric material by a vacuum metalizing
process.
10. The lighting assembly of claim 7, wherein the reflective
material is a reflective paint or a reflective liner.
11. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the optic shield
portion is integrally formed with the light transmissive portion of
the lens.
12. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the light
transmissive portion of the lens is molded with the optic shield
portion of the lens.
13. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the optic shield
portion is configured to block light emitted by the light
source.
14. The lighting assembly of claim 1, wherein the optic shield
portion is configured to reflect light emitted by the light source
through the light transmissive portion of the lens.
15. A method for forming a lens for a lighting assembly, wherein
the lighting assembly comprises the lens and at least one light
source and the lens comprises a light transmissive portion and an
optic shield portion, the method comprising: introducing a first
thermoplastic material and a second thermoplastic material into a
mold; and thermosetting the first thermoplastic material to form
the light transmissive portion and the second thermoplastic
material to form the optic shield portion.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first thermoplastic
material comprises acrylic, polycarbonate or combinations thereof
and the second thermoplastic material comprises opaque
polycarbonate, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, nylon or
combinations thereof.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein the optic shield portion blocks
light emitted from the light source.
18. The method of claim 15, wherein the optic shield portion
reflects light emitted from the light source through the light
transmissive portion of the lens.
19. A method for forming a lens for a lighting assembly, the
lighting assembly comprising the lens and at least one light
source, the lens comprising a light transmissive portion and an
optic shield portion, the method comprising: covering the light
transmissive portion of the lens so that a portion of the lens is
exposed; and applying an opaque material to the exposed portion to
form an optic shield portion on the lens.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
patent application Ser. No. 61/236,693, filed Aug. 25, 2009, which
is incorporated herein by this reference in its entirety.
FIELD
[0002] Embodiments of the present invention relate to optical light
shielding.
BACKGROUND
[0003] In the lighting industry, it is desirable that light
fixtures emit and direct light in only desired areas. Preventing
unwanted light glare or light trespass into unwanted areas is
desirable. One method for preventing light from entering certain
areas is referred to as light shielding. Light shielding is found
in many traditional lighting applications, such as High Intensity
Discharge (HID) lamps, in which a barrier or shield is positioned
between the light source and the area in which light is not
desired. This same conventional method may be used with light
emitting diodes (LEDs). For example, LEDs 10 may have barriers 20
placed adjacent lenses 30, as shown in FIG. 1. The barriers 20
prevent light from reaching areas not desired to be illuminated.
However, as shown in FIG. 1, the barrier is a separate component
from the lens and LED which can lead to increased construction
costs and installation time. Therefore, there is a need for
alternative configurations to achieve this same result.
SUMMARY
[0004] Certain embodiments of the present invention provide light
shields integral with the optics.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0005] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a prior art LED and
shield configuration.
[0006] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a lighting assembly
using optic shielding according to one embodiment of this
invention.
[0007] FIG. 2A is a top view of a lighting assembly using optic
shielding according to the embodiment of FIG. 2.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a lighting assembly
using optic shielding according to another embodiment of this
invention.
[0009] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a lighting assembly
using optic shielding according to another embodiment of this
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a
combination of shielding within the optics of a light source. The
shielding may be integrated and formed within the optics used to
direct the light source. The shielding may block the light, or
redirect the light into an area in which light is desired.
[0011] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 2A, the lighting assembly 100
includes a light source such as an LED 110 positioned within a lens
120. While LEDs are used in the illustrated embodiments described
herein, other sources of light are contemplated. In yet other
embodiments, the lighting assembly 100 can include a plurality of
LEDs 110.
[0012] The configuration of the lens 120 may vary depending on the
desired optical properties. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the lens
120 includes a light transmissive portion 125 and a shield 130
formed of an opaque paint or other material that is positioned
along a portion of the surface area of the lens 120. The lens 120
could be made out of glass, a thermoplastic material such as
acrylic, polycarbonate or combinations thereof, or any other
optically clear material.
[0013] The shield 130 blocks transmission of the light produced by
the LED 110, preventing the light 140 from exiting the lens 120 in
the area provided with shield 130. The shield 130 may be made of
any opaque material that does not allow light 140 to transmit
through it. Suitable opaque materials include, but are not limited
to, dark paint, silicone, and epoxy. The opaque material forming
the shield 130 may be painted or applied to the outer or inner
surface of the lens 120. In one application method, the light
transmissive portion 125 of the lens 120 is masked so that only the
desired shape and size of the shield 130 is exposed. The opaque
material is then applied to the lens 120 so that the material
adheres only to the exposed portion of the lens 120 intended to
form the shield 130. With respect to all of the embodiments
disclosed herein, one of skill in the art will understand that the
shape, size, and positioning of the shield 130, 230, 330 on the
lens 120, 220, 320 may be tailored to suit particular applications
and by no means is limited to the embodiments disclosed herein.
[0014] Similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 2A, the lighting
assembly 200 illustrated in FIG. 3 allows transmission of light
generated by at least one light source such as an LED 210 through a
light transmissive portion 225 of a lens 220, and further includes
a shield 230 that prevents transmission of light 240 emitted from
the at least one LED 210 through the lens 220 in the shielded
areas. However, the shield 230 is formed of a reflective material
that reflects that same light 240 in a desired direction. The
shield 230 may be formed on the outer or inner surface of the lens
220. In one embodiment, a polymeric material is applied to the
outer surface of the lens 220 and a metallic finish applied (such
as via a vacuum metalizing process) to impart reflectivity. In
other embodiments, a reflective paint is used to form the
reflective shield 230. Exemplary paints include those sold under
the tradenames GL-22, GL-80 and GL-30, all available from DuPont.
In yet other embodiments, a reflective liner (not illustrated),
such as Optilon.TM. available from DuPont, may be applied to the
lens 220 to form the shield 230.
[0015] The lighting assembly 300 of FIG. 4 operates in much the
same fashion as that in FIG. 3, with a lens 320 having a light
transmissive portion 325 and a shield 330, but is formed of a
co-molding process to form the shield 330 integral with the lens
320. A first thermoplastic material such as polycarbonate is
introduced into a mold to form the light transmissive portion 325
of the lens 320, and a second material, preferably a highly
reflective plastic or other material such as opaque polycarbonate,
acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (abs), nylon other polymeric
material, is introduced into the mold to form the non-light
transmissive portion or reflective shield 330. The shield 330
blocks light 340 emitted by the at least one LED 310 in the one
direction and, if reflective, redirects the light 340 in another
direction.
[0016] The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating,
explaining, and describing embodiments of the present invention.
Further modifications and adaptations to these embodiments will be
apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without
departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.
* * * * *