US 5,636,057 AGranted

Prismatic toroidal lens and traffic signal light using this lens

AssigneeEcolux Inc.

InventorsGeorges P. Dick, Marc Hoffman

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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.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus for illuminating a plurality of predetermined, distinct spatial points with respective, predetermined light intensities, comprising:

an array of light sources for producing respective light rays;
and
an array of lenses each associated with a corresponding one of said light sources;
wherein;
(a) said lenses each comprise a solid body of light-propagating material defining a light-refracting surface through which the light rays from the corresponding light source propagate;
(b) said light-refracting surface is divided into light-refracting surface sections each associated with a corresponding one of said spatial points;
(c) said light-refracting surface sections have different configurations in view of deviating the light rays propagating through said light-refracting surface sections toward the corresponding spatial points, respectively;
(d) said lenses comprise a plurality of said light-refracting surface sections associated to each spatial point whereby the light rays deviated by said plurality of light-refracting surface sections add at the associated spatial point;
(e) said plurality of light-refracting surface sections associated to each spatial point comprises a given number of said light-refracting surface sections each having a given area, said given number and said given area being selected in view of illuminating the associated spatial point with the predetermined light intensity;
and
(f) said plurality of light-refracting surface sections associated to each spatial point are distributed onto a plurality of said lenses to extend an illuminated portion of said array apparent from said spatial point.

8 more elements

A traffic signal light comprising:

an array of light-emitting diodes for producing respective light rays;
and
an array of lenses for propagating light rays from said light-emitting diodes toward a plurality of predetermined, distinct spatial points in order to illuminate each of said spatial points with a predetermined light intensity, said spatial points and said predetermined light intensity forming part of a standard to be met by traffic signal lights;
wherein:
(a) said lenses of the array are each associated with a corresponding one of said light-emitting diodes;
(b) said lenses each comprise a solid body of light-propagating material defining a light-refracting surface through which the light rays from the corresponding light-emitting diode propagate;
(c) said light-refracting surface is divided into light-refracting surface sections each associated with a corresponding one of said spatial points;
(d) said light-refracting surface sections have different configurations in view of deviating the light rays propagating through said light-refracting surface sections toward the corresponding spatial points, respectively;
(e) said lenses comprise a plurality of said light-refracting surface sections associated to each spatial point whereby the light rays deviated by said plurality of light-refracting surface sections add at the associated spatial point;
(f) said plurality of light-refracting surface sections associated to each spatial point comprises a given number of said light-refracting surface sections each having a given area, said given number and said given area being selected in view of illuminating the associated spatial point with the predetermined light intensity;
and
(f) said plurality of light-refracting surface sections associated to each spatial point are distributed onto a plurality of said lenses to extend an illuminated portion of said array apparent from said spatial point.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.