# Patent

## Title
Multiple optical assembly for a LED lighting device, and red lighting device comprising such an optical assembly

## Abstract

A LED lighting device has a number of LED's, and a multiple optical assembly defined by a number of modular units; each modular unit has a total-internal-reflection lens associated with a LED, and the modular units are connected to one another so as the lenses have respective distinct optical reflecting surfaces.

## Background
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a multiple optical assembly for a LED lighting device, and to a LED lighting device comprising such an optical assembly.
BACKGROUND ART
Of interior lighting devices, standard-size spot lights are widely used, which can be installed in a variety of configurations, and for this reason are of specific shape and size. Typical of these, for example, are MR-16 standard dichroic lights.
Recently, lights of this type have been proposed which, instead of normal quartz-iodine lamps, employ solid-state light sources, in particular light-emitting diodes (LED's). Currently available solutions, however, are not yet fully satisfactory in terms of lighting efficiency and straightforward design. That is, on the one hand, single-LED lights fail to provide for adequate light intensity, whereas, given the limited (standard-imposed) space available, using banks of LED's associated with respective lenses calls for using small, and therefore low-efficiency, lenses.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an optical assembly and a lighting device designed to eliminate the aforementioned drawbacks of the known state of the art, and which, in particular, are compact, are cheap and easy to produce, and provide for superior performance.
According to the present invention, there are provided a multiple optical assembly and a lighting device, as defined respectively in accompanying Claims 1 and 17, and, as regards auxiliary characteristics, in the dependent Claims.
The multiple optical assembly according to the invention is highly efficient and compact, and can be produced cheaply and easily. Moreover, the optical surfaces, being separate, do not interfere with one another, thus ensuring optimum performance.
The lighting device featuring the multiple optical assembly according to the invention and a number of LED's associated with respective lenses of the multiple optical assembly is in turn extremely compact, cheap and easy to produce, of superior performance, and suitable, among other things, for producing standard-size lights.



BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows, schematically, an exploded view in perspective of a lighting device featuring a multiple optical assembly in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 shows a front view of the FIG. 1 lighting device assembled;
FIG. 3 shows a partly sectioned side view of the FIG. 1 lighting device assembled;
FIGS. 4 and 5 show a front view and a side view, respectively, of the multiple optical assembly of the FIG. 1 lighting device;
FIGS. 6, 7, 8 show a front view and two perpendicular side views, respectively, of a separate component of the FIGS. 4 and 5 multiple optical assembly;
FIG. 9 shows, schematically, an exploded view in perspective of a lighting device featuring a multiple optical assembly in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention.



BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, a LED lighting device 1, usable in particular as an interior spot light, comprises a casing 2 having an inner, e.g. substantially cylindrical, chamber 3 defined by a bottom wall 4 and a lateral wall 5. A heat dissipator 6 projects axially from bottom wall 4, on the opposite side to chamber 3, and comprises, for example, a central column, from which annular fins extend radially. Chamber 3 houses a lighting module 7 comprising a supporting structure 8 supporting a number of LED's 9 (or other similar type of solid-state light sources), and a multiple optical assembly 10 connected mechanically to LED's 9 by supporting structure 8 and designed to convey the light emitted by LED's 9 in a predetermined pattern.
Supporting structure 8 comprises a flat plate 15 fitted with LED's 9 and which rests on bottom wall 4; and connecting members 16 for connecting optical assembly 10 axially and circumferentially to plate 15. In the example shown, three coplanar LED's 9 are provided and arranged in the form of an equilateral triangle. LED's 9 are fitted to respective known mounts 17 fixed in known manner to plate 15 and having respective collars 18 for connection to optical assembly 10; and LED's 9 are connected electrically to an external power source in known manner not shown for the sake of simplicity.
Connecting members 16 are in the form of rods, each rod 16 being inserted and secured with its opposite ends inside respective seats 19, 20 formed in plate 15 and optical assembly 10 respectively. It is understood, however, that optical assembly 10 may be connected mechanically to plate 15 supporting LED's 9 in any manner other than the one described and illustrated purely by way of example.
Lighting device 1 also comprises an assembly ring 22 having a substantially cylindrical annular body 23, in turn having, at opposite axial ends, a radially inner flange 24 for connection to optical assembly 10, and a radially outer flange 25 for connection to an outer member (not shown).
With reference also to FIGS. 4 to 8, optical assembly 10 comprises a number of modular units 30 having respective lenses 31; and coupling means 32, in particular mechanical, e.g. joint, coupling means, for connecting modular units 30 to one another and maintaining lenses 31 in predetermined positions with respect to one another.
In the non-limiting example shown, three identical modular units 30 are provided, each defined by a monolithic piece 33 molded from polymer material and, in plan view, substantially in the form of a sector of a predetermined angle equal to a submultiple of a circle—in the example shown, 120°. The three modular units 30 in the example shown are adjacent to one another and arranged 120° apart about a central axis C along which optical assembly 10 extends. At an axial end 34, optical assembly 10 has a substantially circular peripheral end edge 35.
With specific reference to FIGS. 6 to 8, lenses 31 are high-efficiency, total-internal-reflection lenses or collimators, and comprise respective bodies 40 made of transparent polymer material and designed to reflect and transmit light internally. Each lens 31 has an entry surface 41 and an exit surface 42 located at respective opposite axial ends 43, 44 of lens 31; and an optical reflecting surface 45 defined by a curved lateral surface 46 of body 40 located between entry surface 41 and exit surface 42. Optical surfaces 45 are reflecting surfaces for transmitting light internally to each lens 31 between opposite ends 43, 44 of the lens.
In the example shown, though not necessarily, bodies 40 are bodies of revolution, and have respective central axes A defining respective optical axes of lenses 31.
End 43 of each lens 31 has a recess 47 defined by entry surface 41 and housing a LED 9; end 44 of each lens 31 has a dead hole 48, e.g. substantially cylindrical or truncated-cone-shaped, which extends along axis A from exit surface 42 towards end 43 and has a bottom surface 49; and exit surface 42 and bottom surface 49 may have respective numbers of microlenses 50, e.g. concave lenses arranged in a hexagonal pattern.
Hole 48 is aligned with recess 47, and is separated from recess 47 by a partition 54 defining a refraction lens. Though lenses 31 may be defined generally as “total-internal-reflection lenses”, in actual fact, each lens 31 therefore comprises a portion, defined by optical surface 45, which is actually internally reflective, and a portion, defined by partition 54, which is refractive.
Curved lateral surfaces 46 of lenses 31 are bevelled so as to comprise respective substantially flat surface portions 53. More specifically, each lens 31 has two bevelled surface portions 53 forming a 120° V; lenses 31 are arranged adjacent and side by side; and the adjacent lenses 31, i.e. lenses 31 of adjacent modular units 30, are arranged with respective surface portions 53 facing and substantially contacting each other, so that lenses 31 have respective distinct optical surfaces 45.
Axes A of lenses 31 are substantially parallel to one another and to central axis C of optical assembly 10.
Each modular unit 30 comprises a lens 31; and two connecting appendixes 55 projecting radially in substantially opposite directions from an edge 56 of lens 31 located at end 44 of lens 31. The connecting appendixes 55 of each modular unit 30 are in the form of flat blades, and have joint elements 57, 58. More specifically, connecting appendixes 55 of each modular unit 30 comprise a tooth 57, e.g. a dovetail tooth, and, respectively, a complementary seat 58, so that the tooth of each modular unit engages the seat of the adjacent modular unit.
In plan view, lenses 31 are inscribed in peripheral end edge 35, which is defined by respective consecutive edge portions 59 of modular units 30. Edges 56 of lenses 31 are cut from peripheral end edge 35, so that optical surface 45 of each lens 31 comprises a peripheral portion 60 which varies in curvature with respect to the overall optical surface 45. The optical surface 45 of each lens 31 is therefore defined by curved lateral surface 46 of respective body 40, by the two bevelled surface portions 53, and by peripheral portion 60 of different curvature.
Peripheral end edge 35 projects radially outwards to define a shoulder 61 cooperating with flange 24 of assembly ring 22.
It is understood that casing 2 may be formed to shapes and sizes compatible with any commercial standard, and in particular to standard MR-16 or similar, as shown schematically, not to scale, to the left in FIG. 1; in which case, casing 2 is substantially bowl-shaped, inner chamber 3 is defined by a curved lateral wall 5, and casing 2 also comprises a connecting block 62 having standard connectors 63 and possibly housing a known unit 64 (only shown schematically) for electronically controlling LED's 9.
In a preferred embodiment, LED's 9 emit in different bands, e.g. corresponding to the three basic colours (red, green, blue) to define an RGB emitting system; in which case, electronic control unit 64 may also be advantageously used to control colour emission of device 1.
In the FIG. 9 variation, in which any details similar to or identical with those already described are indicated using the same reference numbers, supporting structure 8 comprises a shell 70 housing modular units 30. Shell 70 extends substantially along axis C, is arranged to cover lenses 31, comprises a hollow monolithic body 71 molded from polymer material, and has seats 72 housing and for maintaining respective lenses 31 in their predetermined positions.
Each seat 72 has an inner lateral surface 73 matching optical surface 45 of lens 31 housed inside seat 72. The inner lateral surface 73 of each seat 72 is arranged to substantially cover optical surface 45 of respective lens 31, and is detached from optical surface 45 by a gap (not shown), which may be formed by the mating clearance of lenses 31 inside seats 72 (if modular units 30 and shell 70 are formed separately and then assembled), or by different shrinkage of the materials from which modular units 30 and shell 70 are molded (if modular units 30 and shell 70 are co-molded or molded one on top of the other from two materials).
Shell 70 comprises three lobes 75 extending parallel to axis C and having respective seats 72. At opposite ends, lobes 75 have respective collars 76 for connection to respective mounts 17, and three connecting portions 77, which join lobes 75 to one another and are fitted with respective projecting rod-shaped connecting members 16 fixed to respective holes 19 formed in plate 15.
Locking members 78 are provided to connect modular units 30 to shell 70 and secure lenses 31 inside respective seats 72. In the example shown, locking members 78 comprise pins 79 projecting axially from connecting portions 77, in the opposite direction to connecting members 16, and which engage respective holes 80 formed in connecting appendixes 55 of modular units 30.

## Claims

1. A multiple optical assembly for a LED lighting device, comprising:
three modular units, each modular unit having
a single lens associated with a respective LED, and
connecting means for connecting the modular units to one another and maintaining the lenses in predetermined positions with respect to one another, the lenses being defined by respective curved lateral surfaces defining respective distinct optical surfaces which are reflecting surfaces for transmitting light internally to each lens between two opposite ends of the lens,

wherein the optical assembly formed by the three modular units has, at an axial end, a substantially circular peripheral end edge, and in plan view the lenses are inscribed in the peripheral end edge, which is defined by respective consecutive edge portions of the modular units, and
wherein the curved lateral surface of each lens has two beveled surface portions, and adjacent lenses are positioned with the respective beveled surface portions facing and contacting each other, each lens of said assembly contacting the other two lenses at the beveled surface portions.

2. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connecting means are mechanical, in particular joint, connecting means.

3. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lenses extend along respective axes (A) and are arranged adjacent and side by side.

4. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each lens comprises an internal-reflection portion and a refraction portion.

5. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein each lens comprises a central dead hole extending along an optical axis of the lens and bounded by a partition.

6. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the modular units are defined by respective monolithic pieces molded from polymer material.

7. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each modular unit comprises a lens extending substantially along an axis (A); and connecting appendices projecting radially from an axial end of the lens and having said connecting means.

8. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein said connecting means comprise joint elements between said connecting appendices.

9. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a shell for housing said modular units, the shell having a hollow body having seats for housing respective lenses, and the lenses being maintained in said predetermined positions by the respective seats.

10. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein each seat comprises an inner lateral surface matching the optical surface of the lens housed inside the seat, said inner lateral surface being arranged to substantially cover said optical surface, and being detached from said optical surface by a gap.

11. An optical assembly as claims in claim 9, further comprising locking means for connecting the modular units to the shell and securing the lenses inside the respective seats.

12. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, extending substantially along an axis (C) and comprising a peripheral end edge at one axial end, the lenses being inscribed in said peripheral end edge.

13. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein said peripheral end edge is substantially circular.

14. An optical assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the modular units are shaped, in plan view, substantially in the form of a sector of a predetermined angle equal to a submultiple of a circle, and are arranged about a central axis (C).

15. A LED lighting device, comprising
a plurality of LEDs, and
a multiple optical assembly, comprising
three modular units, each modular unit having
a single lens associated with one of said LEDs, and
connecting means for connecting the modular units to one another and maintaining the lenses in predetermined positions with respect to one another, the lenses being defined by respective curved lateral surfaces defining respective distinct optical surfaces which are reflecting surfaces for transmitting light internally to each lens between two opposite ends of the lens,

wherein the optical assembly formed by the three modular units has, at an axial end, a substantially circular peripheral end edge, and in plan view the lenses are inscribed in the peripheral end edge, which is defined by respective consecutive edge portions of the modular units, and
wherein the curved lateral surface of each lens has two beveled surface portions, and adjacent lenses are positioned with the respective beveled surface portions facing and contacting each other, each lens of said assembly contacting the other two lenses at the beveled surface portions.