Abstract:
In the present invention, in a traffic light in which a plurality of LEDs is disposed for each color, a plurality of visors is disposed in a traffic light generating the same color, and LEDs are disposed in respective visors. Accordingly, the spread angle of the LED can be efficiently limited and the influence of the wind can be minimized.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This is a continuation of pending International Patent Application PCT/KR2009/007224 filed on Dec. 4, 2009, which designates the United States and claims priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2008-0122954 filed on Dec. 5, 2008 and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2009-0076995 filed on Aug. 20, 2009, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to a Light-Emitting Diode (LED) traffic lamp in which a plurality of sun screens (hereinafter referred to as “visors”), disposed in the LED traffic lamp and configured to limit the spread angle of light, is disposed in a traffic light for displaying one color and one or more LEDs are disposed in each of the visors. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    A traffic light is disposed towards the front of a vehicle which typically travels on a road in one direction and is configured to have a visor for limiting a spread angle in order to prevent vehicles, traveling in the other direction, from confusing. 
         [0004]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a conventional LED traffic lamp. 
         [0005]    The conventional LED traffic lamp  10  includes a housing  1  configured to have circuit boards and a power supply apparatus embedded therein, a plurality of LED groups  2  disposed on one side of the housing  1 , each configured to have LEDs grouped in the circuit board in a concentric circle way, and configured to emit lights of red, green, and orange color, respectively, transparent protection caps disposed in the LED groups  2  and configured to protect the individual LEDs forming the LED groups, and visors  3  configured to limit the spread angle of light from the respective LED groups  2  to  40  in order to prevent drivers who see the traffic light in the other direction from confusing. 
         [0006]    The visor  3  is made of an opaque material and is configured to have a cylindrical shape downward opened from the outer circumference of the LED group  2  and to prevent the spread of light. Accordingly, the visor  3  is configured to have only drivers within a certain angle of a center line along which the light of the LED group  2  travels see the light of the LED group  2 . 
         [0007]    However, the support of the traffic light has to be reinforced because the visors  3  have the traffic light weighted down with wind pressure, and the visors  3  are fluctuated by the wind and are separated from the traffic light. 
         [0008]    Furthermore, the visors  3  protruded from the traffic light hinder injure a beautiful sight. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to improve an urban beautiful and also limit the spread angle of a traffic light by installing a plurality of visors and disposing one or more LEDs within each of the visors in the traffic light in which the plurality of LEDs is disposed and displayed. 
         [0010]    To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a Light-Emitting Diode (LED) traffic lamp, having an opening portion formed on the front side so that light generated from a plurality of LEDs is emitted and having a circuit board for turning on the LEDs disposed therein, the LED traffic lamp, including the LEDs disposed on the front side of the circuit board, and a visor disposed in the outer circumference of each of the LEDs and configured to limit a spread angle of the light of the LED. 
         [0011]    To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an LED traffic lamp, having an opening portion formed on the front side so that light generated from a plurality of LEDs is emitted and having a circuit board for turning on the LEDs disposed therein. The LED traffic lamp includes a visor plate disposed on the front side of the circuit board and configured to have visor holes formed therein, wherein the visors holes have the respective LEDs disposed therein, have an identical number with the LEDs, and limit respective spread angles of the LEDs. 
         [0012]    To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an LED device, having an opening portion formed on the front side so that light generated from a plurality of LEDs is emitted and having a circuit board for turning on the LEDs disposed therein. The LED traffic lamp includes the LEDs disposed on the front side of the circuit board; and a visor disposed in the outer circumference of each of the LEDs and configured to limit a spread angle of the light of the LED. The LED device is one of an LED electric bulletin board, an LED signboard, and an LED electric sign. 
         [0013]    To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an LED traffic lamp, including a circuit board configured to have a plurality of LEDs disposed on the front side thereof; and a plurality of visors disposed in the circuit board and each configured to limit a spread of light of LEDs emitting an identical color, from among the LEDs. One or more LEDs are disposed within the visor. 
         [0014]    To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an LED traffic lamp, including a circuit board configured to have a plurality of LEDs disposed therein; and a visor plate disposed on the front side of the circuit board and configured to have a plurality of visor holes formed therein. Each of the visor holes is configured to have the one or more LEDs disposed therein and to limit a spread angle of light emitted from the one or more LEDs. 
         [0015]    According to the present invention having the above object and the technical solution, the spread angle of an LED traffic lamp is limited, but there is not visor externally protruded. Accordingly, the influence of the wind is not affect, and an urban beauty can be improved because design is possible in various ways. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a conventional LED traffic lamp; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view showing an LED traffic lamp according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a plan view showing a state in which LEDs arranged in a circuit board are disposed in the LED traffic lamp shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of each LED and each visor disposed in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a plan view showing the LED and the visor disposed in 
           [0021]      FIG. 2 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing a state in which a protection cap is disposed in the circuit board having the LEDs arranged therein in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating integral parts of an LED traffic lamp according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A′ in  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 9  is a front view showing another form of a visor hole formed in an LED traffic lamp according to the second embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 10  shows a configuration illustrating a third embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0027]      FIG. 11  shows a configuration illustrating a fourth embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0028]      FIG. 12  shows a configuration illustrating a fifth embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 13  shows a configuration illustrating a sixth embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0030]    Embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0031]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view showing an LED traffic lamp according to a first embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 3  is a plan view showing a state in which LEDs arranged in a circuit board are disposed in the LED traffic lamp shown in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 4  is a perspective view of each LED and each visor disposed in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 5  is a plan view showing the LED and the visor disposed in  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing a state in which a protection cap is disposed in the circuit board having the LEDs arranged therein in  FIG. 2 . 
         [0032]    The LED traffic lamp  20  of the first embodiment includes a circuit board  23  in a housing  21  having a circular opening portion formed on the front side thereof and a plurality of LEDs  25  disposed in the circuit board  23  and configured to emit light toward the opening portion. The LED traffic lamp  20  further includes visors  27  disposed around the respective LEDs  25  and each configured to limit the spread of light of the LED  25 . 
         [0033]    As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the visor  27  has a cylinder having a lower portion opened. The diameter of the cylinder is greater than the diameter of an outer circumference of the LED  25 , and the length of the visor  27  protruded from a surface of the circuit board is longer than the length of the LED  25  protruded from the surface of the circuit board. 
         [0034]    The LED traffic lamp  20  further includes a transparent protection cap  29  disposed on the front side of the visor  27  and configured to protect the LEDs  25  and the visors  27 . 
         [0035]    Furthermore, a power supply unit (not shown) supplies power to the circuit board  23  and turns on the LEDs  25 . 
         [0036]    In the LED traffic lamp  20  of the first embodiment, the circuit board  23 , the LEDs  25 , and the protection cap  29  are illustrated to be fixed to the housing  21 . It is to be noted that those skilled in the art will understand that the circuit board  23 , the LEDs  25 , and the protection cap  29  may be integrated into one device which can be attached to or detached from the housing  21  as one lighting. 
         [0037]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating integral parts of an LED traffic lamp according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A′ in  FIG. 7 . 
         [0038]    In the first embodiment, the number of working processes is increased because the visors  27  are disposed for the respective LEDs  25 . In order to solve the problem, in the LED traffic lamp  30  according to the second embodiment of the present invention, a visor plate  31  having a plurality of visor holes  33  formed therein is disposed on the front side of a circuit board  23 , instead of the visors  27 . LEDs  25  are disposed in the respective visor holes  33 . 
         [0039]    A description of the LED traffic lamp  30  of the second embodiment, having the same parts as the first embodiment, is omitted, and a difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is described. 
         [0040]    The plurality of LEDs  25  is disposed on the front side of the circuit board  23 . Furthermore, the visor plate  31  is made of an opaque material and is configured to have the visor holes  33  formed therein. The visor plate  31  is disposed on the front side of the circuit board  23  and is configured to emit light of the LEDs  25  toward the front, but limit the spread angle of the light. 
         [0041]    The visor holes  33  having the same number as the LEDs  25  are formed in the visor plate  31 . Each of the visor holes  33  has a cylinder hole shape, having a sidewall greater than the outside diameter of the LED  25 , and has a groove downward elongated in order not to prevent light of the LED  25  from being downward spread. 
         [0042]    As shown in  FIG. 8 , assuming that a distance between a top surface of the LED  25  and a top portion of the inside wall of the visor hole surrounding the LED  25  is d 1  and a distance between the bottom surface of the LED  25  and a bottom portion of the inside wall of the visor hole surrounding the LED  25  is d 2 , the distance d 2  is greater than the distance d 1 . 
         [0043]      FIG. 9  is a front view showing another form of a visor hole formed in an LED traffic lamp according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0044]    The visor hole  33  shown in  FIG. 8  is formed to have the cylindrical hole and the square-shaped hole extended from the bottom of the cylindrical hole, whereas the visor hole  35  shown in  FIG. 9  has a curved surface whose upper portion is narrow and lower portion is wide around the center of the LED  25 . Accordingly, the spread angle of light of the LED  25  is wide towards the surface of the land, but narrow towards the upper side. 
         [0045]    The first embodiment and the second embodiment of the present invention relate to the LED traffic lamp, but are not limited to the LED traffic lamp. For example, the present invention may be applied to LED devices (e.g., LED electric bulletin boards, LED signboards, and LED electric signs) in which a visor for limiting the range of a spread angle is used. 
         [0046]      FIG. 10  shows a configuration illustrating a third embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0047]    In the third embodiment, a plurality of LEDs  25  and a plurality of visors  41  are disposed in the circuit board  23  (refer to  FIGS. 7 and 8 ). Each of the visors  41  includes a pair of curved surfaces, each having a half-cylindrical shape and having a lower portion opened. Each of the LEDs  25  is disposed within the pair of curved surfaces each having the half-cylindrical shape. 
         [0048]      FIG. 11  shows a configuration illustrating a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0049]    In the fourth embodiment shown in  FIG. 11 , a plurality of LEDs  25  and a plurality of visors  43  are disposed in the circuit board  23  (refer to  FIGS. 7 and 8 ). Two LEDs  25  are disposed within each of the visors  43 . Here, each of the visors  43  has a cylindrical shape, but has a lower portion opened. 
         [0050]      FIG. 12  shows a configuration illustrating a fifth embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0051]    In the fifth embodiment shown in  FIG. 12 , three LEDs  25  are disposed in each visor having the same shape as shown in the fourth embodiment of  FIG. 11 . 
         [0052]      FIG. 13  shows a configuration illustrating a sixth embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0053]    The sixth embodiment shown in  FIG. 13 , a visor  45  is configured to have a quadrangle mesh shape having quadrangles consecutively formed therein and is disposed in the circuit board  23  (refer to  FIGS. 7 and 8 ). One or two or more LEDs are disposed in the quadrangle mesh shape. 
         [0054]    Furthermore, visor holes, having the same shape as the visors shown in  FIGS. 10 to 13 , may be formed in the visor plate  31  shown in  FIG. 7 . One or two or more LEDs may be disposed in each visor hole. In this case, the number of working processes can be reduced. 
         [0055]    The device in which the visors or the visor plate according to the present invention is not limited to an LED traffic lamp, but may be applied to LED electric bulletin boards, LED signboard, and LED electric signs. The scope of the present invention is defined by the accompanying claims.