# US 10,502,874 B1 · Decorative lighting element having a diffuser between an LED and a transparent lens

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- Number: US 10,502,874 B1
- Document ID: US10502874B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 16/026,835
- Filed: 2018-07-03
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2018-07-03
- Assignees: Seasons 4, Inc.
- Applicants: Seasons 4, Inc.
- Inventors: Jason Loomis; Jared William Everline
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502874B1

## CPC

- G02B 5/0236: {the diffusion taking place within the volume of the element}
- F21K 9/65: specially adapted for changing the characteristics or the distribution of the light, e.g. by adjustment of parts
- F21S 4/10: with light sources attached to loose electric cables, e.g. Christmas tree lights
- F21V 13/04: the elements being reflectors and refractors {(for vehicle rear lights F21S43/40)}
- G02B 19/0028: {refractive and reflective surfaces, e.g. non-imaging catadioptric systems}
- G02B 19/0061: {the light source comprising a LED}
- H10H 20/855: Optical field-shaping means, e.g. lenses
- F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED]
- H10H 20/8506: {Containers}
- H10H 20/882: {Scattering means (H10H20/82 takes precedence)}
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- F21K: NON-ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES USING LUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING ELECTROCHEMILUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING CHARGES OF COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL; LIGHT SOURCES USING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES AS LIGHT-GENERATING ELEMENTS; LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
- F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H10H: INORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS
- F21Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED

## Abstract

Apparatus and associated methods relate to an LED-based lighting element configured to emulate a glass-bulb filament light. The lighting element has a diffuser between an LED and a transparent lens. The LED emits light of a predetermined color in an emission pattern having a preferential direction of emission. The diffuser receives the light emitted according to the emission pattern and scatters the received light according to a diffusion pattern, thereby reducing the light projected in the preferential direction. The diffuser has an absorption coefficient that is substantially constant throughout the visible spectrum so as not to substantially change the predetermined color of the emitted light as it is scattered by the diffuser. The transparent lens is configured to receive the light scattered by the diffuser and to transmit the received light therethrough.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A lighting element for a decorative lighting display, the lighting element comprising:
a Light-Emitting Diode (LED) having a substantially planar surface and configured to emit light of an emission spectrum corresponding to a predetermined color, the LED further configured to emit light according to an emission pattern with a preferential direction of emission, the preferential direction of emission being the direction corresponding to a maximum of the emission pattern;
a diffuser engaging the substantially planar surface of the LED and configured receive the light emitted according to the emission pattern and to scatter the received light according to a diffusion pattern, the light scattered in the preferential direction according to the diffusion pattern being less than 80% of the light emitted in the preferential direction according to the emission pattern,
wherein the diffuser has an absorption coefficient that is substantially constant throughout the emission spectrum so as not to substantially change the predetermined color of the emitted light as it is scattered by the diffuser, wherein the substantially constant absorption coefficient is within +/−0.1 throughout the emission spectrum corresponding to the predetermined color; and
a transparent lens coupled to the diffuser so as to receive the light scattered by the diffuser and to transmit the received light therethrough.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The lighting element of claim 1, wherein the transparent lens configured to transmit the diffused light through the transparent lens so as to visibly emulate a glass bulb of a filament light.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The lighting element of claim 1, wherein the diffuser has a first dimension as measured along the preferential direction, and the transparent lens has a second dimension as measured along the preferential direction, the second dimension being greater than the first dimension.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The lighting element of claim 1, wherein the substantially-planar surface has a normal vector parallel to the preferential direction of emission.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The lighting element of claim 4, wherein the diffuser engages and covers at least 80% of the substantially-planar surface of the LED.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The lighting element of claim 1, further comprising:
a concave reflection cup in which the LED is located.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The lighting element of claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the diffuser is located within the concave reflection cup.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The lighting element of claim 1, wherein the transparent lens has an exterior surface configured to refract the light transmitted therethrough into an external atmosphere according to a refraction pattern.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The lighting element of claim 8, wherein the light refracted in the preferential direction according to the refraction pattern is less than 80% of the light scattered in the preferential direction according to the diffusion pattern.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The lighting element of claim 1, wherein the LED is a color-controllable LED.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The lighting element of claim 1, wherein the light scattered in the preferential direction according to the diffusion pattern is less than 50% of the emitted light in the preferential direction according to the emission pattern.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The lighting element of claim 1, wherein the substantially constant absorption coefficient is within +/−0.05 throughout the emission spectrum corresponding to the predetermined color.

### Claim 13

A decorative LED light string comprising:
a plurality of lighting elements distributed along the decorative light string, each of the plurality of lighting elements including:
a Light-Emitting Diode (LED) configured to emit light of a predetermined color, the LED further configured to emit light according to an emission pattern with a preferential direction of emission, the preferential direction of emission being the direction corresponding to a maximum of the emission pattern;
a diffuser engaging the substantially planar surface of the LED and configured receive the light emitted according to the emission pattern and to scatter the received light according to a diffusion pattern, the light scattered in the preferential direction according to the diffusion pattern being less than 80% of the emitted light in the preferential direction according to the emission pattern,
wherein the diffuser has an absorption coefficient that is substantially constant throughout the emission spectrum so as not to substantially change the predetermined color of the emitted light as it is scattered by the diffuser, wherein the substantially constant absorption coefficient is within +/−0.1 throughout the emission spectrum corresponding to the predetermined color; and
a transparent lens coupled to the diffuser so as to receive the light scattered by the diffuser and to transmit the received light therethrough.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The decorative LED light string of claim 13, wherein the substantially-planar surface has a normal vector parallel to the preferential direction of emission.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The decorative LED light string of claim 14, wherein the diffuser of each of the plurality of lighting elements engages and covers at least 80% of the substantially-planar surface of the LED.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The decorative LED light string of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of lighting elements further includes:
a concave reflection cup in which the LED is located.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The decorative light string of claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the diffuser of each of the plurality of lighting elements is located within the concave reflection cup.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The decorative LED light string of claim 13, wherein the transparent lens has an exterior surface configured to refract the light transmitted therethrough into an external atmosphere according to a refraction pattern.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The decorative LED light string of claim 18, wherein the light refracted in the preferential direction according to the refraction pattern is less than 80% of the light scattered in the preferential direction according to the diffusion pattern.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The decorative LED light string of claim 13, wherein the LED of each of the plurality of lighting elements is a color-controllable LED.