LED light has more than one optics means having reflective and/or refractive properties to create wider viewing angle image

Abstract

An LED night light having different power sources including a battery, outlet plug-in power source, or interchangeable power source incorporates geometric shape optics means having more than one reflective means situated at different positions, distances, and/or orientations so that light beams will be reflected multiple times by more than one reflector means before passing through the reflectors' optics means and being projected to an external surface(s) such as a ceiling, wall, or floor.

Claims

1. An LED light, comprising: at least one optics piece having more than one section, area, or surface having reflective refractive properties to create an image or lighted patterns having a wider viewing angle or range; at least one LED; wherein said sections, areas, or surfaces are at predetermined relative distances, positions, and/or orientations with respect to the at least one LED; and wherein said sections, areas, or surfaces of the optics piece are arranged to project said image and/or lighted patterns to at least one surface of a structure that is external to and away from the LED light, wherein said at least one LED is connected to a power source by conductors and circuitry for causing said at least one LED to turn on and off for a predetermined period of time to provide predetermined functions, colors, and effects, and wherein light beams emitted from the at least one LED are reflected and/or refracted by more than one said section, area, and/or surface of said optics piece to create or project the image, light beams, or lighted patterns to said at least one surface of a structure that is external to and away from the LED light, wherein the optics piece is a front cover having a dome or at least half ball shape having a wide opening on top or front of the LED light to allow the light beams to be emitted out and project the wider range image and/or patterns to the external location as the light beams are transmitted through the dome or half ball shape, and wherein the LED light is powered by plugging a male plug of an LED light wire into an AC outlet of an extension cord or wall, or by plugging built-in prongs into the AC outlet or extension cord.

2. A LED light having at least one optics piece as recited in claim 1, wherein sections, areas, and/or surfaces of said at least one optics piece includes sections, areas, and/or surfaces of a mirror or a lens having a chrome finish, a fine polish, or a double-sided mirror finish.

3. A LED light having at least one optics piece as recited in claim 1, wherein said optics piece has see-through properties to (a) allow light to pass through a uniform thickness top cover; (b) create a plurality of images or light spots; (c) enlarge and change a direction of an image or lighted spots; and/or (d) create a plurality of light spots by including a plurality of tiny optical lenses.

4. A LED light having at least one optics piece as recited in claim 1, wherein said power source is selected from the group consisting of an outlet, batteries, solar power, chemical power, and wind power to provide electricity to drive said at least one LED to emit light beams.

5. A LED light having at least one optics piece as recited in claim 1, wherein an additional motor and gear set fit within the LED light to cause rotation of the at least one LED, a carrier of the at least one LED, and/or the optics piece and thereby provide moving image projection functions, effects, or performance.

6. A LED light having at least one optics piece as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one LED is rotated by a motor or rotating device and the at least one LED is selected from a single or multiple color LED, multiple LEDs, a standard LED, and a custom LED assembly.

7. A LED light having at least one optics piece as recited in claim 1, wherein said male plug is arranged to be plugged into an AC wall outlet, an AC power receptacle, an AC extension cord outlet, an AC power strip outlet or a cigarette lighter.

8. A LED light having at least one optics piece as recited in claim 1, wherein said optics piece is a unit that includes parts or sections selected from one or more of a light-transmitting lens, reflective lens, convex lens, concave lens, and optics lens assembly having a plurality of optics lenses.

9. An LED light, comprising: more than one optics piece having reflective and refractive properties to create an image and/or lighted patterns having a wider viewing angle or range, and at least one LED; wherein said optics pieces are installed at predetermined relative distances, positions, and/or orientations with respect to the at least one LED; and wherein said optics pieces include sections, areas, or surfaces arranged to project said image and/or lighted patterns to at least one surface of a structure that is external to and away from the LED light, wherein the at least one LED is selected from any combination of a single color, multiple color, multiple piece, standard, and special LED assembly, wherein said at least one LED is connected to a power source by conductors and circuitry for causing said at least one LED to turn on and off for a predetermined period of time to provide predetermined functions, colors, and effects, and wherein a light beam emitted from the at least one LED is reflected and/or refracted by more than one said reflective and/or refractive section, area, or surface of said optics pieces to create or project the image, light beams, or lighted patterns to said at least one surface of a structure that is external to and away from the LED light, wherein one or more of the optics pieces form a top or front cover having a dome or at least half ball shape to allow light beams to be transmitted through the top or front cover and project the wider range image and/or patterns to the external location, wherein the LED light is one of: (A) an AC light powered by plugging a male plug of an LED light wire into an AC outlet or extension cord, or by plugging built-in prongs into the AC outlet or extension cord; and (B) a DC light, and wherein the LED light further includes a motor, gear set, movement, and/or rotating device to cause rotation of the at least one LED, a carrier of the at least one LED, and/or one or more of the optics pieces and thereby provide motion effects.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIGS. 1, 2, and 2-1 show a first preferred embodiment of the current invention having prong means with plenty of reflective means inside a geometric optics-means and plenty of convex-lens means to cause a plurality of light beams to be emitted in order to project images to be seen by a viewer.

(2) FIGS. 1-1, 2-2, and 2-3 show a variation of the first preferred embodiment of the current invention having AC power-means with plenty of reflective means inside the geometric optics-means and plenty of convex-lens means to cause a plurality of light beams to be emitted in order to project images to be seen by a viewer.

(3) FIGS. 1-2, 2-4, and 2-5 show another variation of the first preferred embodiment of the current invention having DC power-means, USB power, or interchangeable power sources with plenty of reflective means inside the geometric optics-means and plenty of convex-lens means to cause a plurality of light beams to be emitted in order to project images to be seen by a viewer. FIG. 2-5 shows one of the splendid light images created by the current invention in a yellow color image.

(4) FIGS. 3 and 3-1 show a preferred construction for an LED light having more than one reflect-means and a motor means.

(5) FIGS. 4, 4-1, and 4-2 illustrated the manner in which light beams are emitted to a first reflective means and then to second, third, and fourth reflective means within the optics means of the first preferred embodiment. Each reflect-means has a convex shape on the outside so it acts as a convex-lens to allow the light beams to be emitted out and enable the projected image to be seen. FIG. 4 shows that the first preferred embodiment's first, second and other reflective means may have different mutual distances, positions, and orientations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(6) As shown in FIG. 1, a plug-in type LED projection light having more than one reflect-means includes prong means to connect with, for example, a wall outlet, extension cord, power station, or desk lamp outlet receptacle. The LED projection light can project a light image to a ceiling, wall, or floor using a more than one optics-means construction. The optics-means has more than one convex lens, each including an inner, mirror-like polished reflector and a round convex shape on the outside so that each becomes a convex-lens. Hence, the current invention provides semi-spherical optics-means with a built-in plurality of reflect-means and arranged such that light beams emitted by an LED are reflected off of multiple reflect-means until the light beams pass through to outside the convex-lenses formed by the reflect-means.

(7) As shown in FIG. 1, the ball-shaped optics-means projects a splendid color image to all surrounding areas. The LEDs may have any desired color, specifications, size, or functions and each LED can have its own emitting direction, orientation, or angle in any direction because the inner surface of the optics-means has more than one reflect-means so that even though the LED light emitting angle is narrow, after the light beam has been reflected, the light will be emitted from all regions of the ball shape as a result of using (1) more than one LED, (2) more than one reflect-means, and/or (3) more than one optics-means, with power being supplied by, for example, interchangeable power sources such as the ones described in the inventor's U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 12/318,471; 12/318,470; 12/834,435; 12/292,153 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,871,192); Ser. No. 12/232,505 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,832,917); Ser. No. 12/318,473 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,832,918); Ser. No. 12/624,621 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,303,150); Ser. No. 12/771,003 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,408,736); Ser. No. 12/876,507 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,083,377); Ser. No. 12/886,832; 12/938,564; 12/948,953; and Ser. No. 13/021,107. FIG. 1-1 shows a variation of the embodiment of the FIG. 1 in which the light device includes an alternating current (AC) power unit including an AC adaptor, transformer, and/or AC wires to cause the LED projection light to project a splendid light image.

(8) FIGS. 1-2 and 2-4 show a variation of the embodiment of the FIG. 1 in which the light device includes a direct current (DC) power unit which may include any direct current device, such as batteries or energy storage means and sources of solar power, wind power, or chemical power.

(9) Alternatively, interchangeable power sources such as the ones disclose in the inventor's U.S. Pat. No. 8,434,927 may be used.

(10) FIGS. 2 and 2-1 show a plug-In type AC-powered LED light device with a base installed on the plug-in housing that contains inner circuit means, LEDs, sensor means, switch means, control means, and/or optional motor means to project the image to a ceiling, wall, or floor with plenty of color and movement (if the motor means are included). The optics-means of FIG. 2 has a plurality of flat mirror-polished reflect-means on the inside and a round convex surface on the outside of each reflect-means to form a convex-lens that not only reflects light beams but also allows light beams to pass though.

(11) As shown in FIGS. 2-2 and 2-3, the AC power unit may include a receptacle for receiving a transformer, adaptor or AC wires. The adaptor or AC wires drive a circuit to cause LEDs to turn on and project light to a desired area(s). The power unit can alternatively use USB wires to get power from a USB port, as shown in FIG. 2-5.

(12) FIG. 3 shows a projection light having more than one reflective-means within one optics-means that allows light to pass through a convex-lens and reflect within the reflective-lens to project an image onto a ceiling, walls, or floor.

(13) FIG. 3-1 shows the inner construction of a preferred projection light having built-in motor means fixed on a housing by a screw. The motor means cooperates with a gear-set means to reduce the motor's rotating speed to a slower speed so as to prevent the projected image from moving too quickly, which could make people uncomfortable. FIG. 3-1 also shows a switch means, electric parts and accessories, and conductive wires to connect with circuit means to provide power.

(14) FIG. 4 shows the manner in which a light beam reflects within the more than one reflect-means on an inner side of optics-means which are in the shape of a sphere. The light beam then passes through an outside convex-lens to project an image onto a ceiling, walls, or floor, thereby demonstrating principles of: (1) including more than one reflect-means in an optics-means; (2) light projection through the more than one optics-means, which have an inner side that is a flat mirror-polished reflector and an outside having a convex-shape to form a convex-lens; (3) the convex lenses together forming a semi-spherical geometric shape; (4) the optics means mounted in a second semi-spherical sphere ball that forms a base of the light device.

(15) FIG. 4-1 shows another viewing angle for the two half-shaped spheres with base to form the optics-means which has more than one optics-means. Each one of the optic-means has more than one reflect-means to form a half-sphere geometric ball. This is similar in concept to that described in the inventor's earlier U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,632,004 and 8,277,087, which also describe light devices having more than one reflect means. U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,455,444 and 8,434,927 respectively disclose night lights with more than one LED and night lights with interchangeable power sources that may be utilized in connection with the current invention.

(16) FIG. 4-2 shows an inner side of the two geometrically-shaped optical-means having more than one reflect-means inside each of the optics-to overcome the LED's narrow light beam angle. As illustrated, all LEDs have different directions for emitting light beams to the reflect-means so that even though the light angle is narrow, it is not a problem because the light emitted from the LEDs will hit the first reflect-means, then hit second, third, fourth, and possibly additional reflect-means until the light beams have completely passed through the convex-lenses formed by the reflect-means. A motor can be added to cause the image to rotate.

(17) In the preferred embodiments, images are created based on the relationship between the first reflect-means and the second reflect-means and/or other reflect-means. The light device can employ any kind of design, shape, display, or geometric arrangement of the more than one reflect-means.

(18) Although specific preferred embodiments of the current invention are described above, it is to be appreciated that all alternative, equivalent, same-function and/or same-skill-or-theory variations, modifications, replacements, arrangements, or constructions may still fall within the current scope of the invention.