Patent Publication Number: US-11022296-B2

Title: Operatory lights and replacement bulbs for operatory lights

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority as a continuation of prior filed U.S. application Ser. No. 15/052,268, filed Feb. 24, 2016, which in turn claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/120,668, filed Feb. 25, 2015, and incorporates these prior applications by reference herein in their entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to operatory lights and replacement bulbs for operatory lights. More specifically, an operatory light comprising a bulb that includes a light emitting diode (LED). 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An operatory light may comprise a bulb that includes a light emitting diode (LED) positioned such that when the bulb is installed into a socket of the operatory light and powered, none of the light emitted from the LED is emitted directly through a lens of the operatory light; only reflected light passes through the lens of the operatory light. 
     A replacement bulb may comprise an LED positioned on a heat sink. The LED may be oriented to direct light toward a base of the replacement bulb and the base of the replacement bulb may be configured to couple with a socket of an operatory light. 
     Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the invention. The features and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. These and other features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In order to describe the manner in which the above-recited and other advantages and features of the invention can be obtained, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific example embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  shows a schematic view of an operatory light with a conventional bulb. 
         FIG. 2  shows a schematic view of an operatory light with a bulb according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  shows an exploded view of the bulb of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  shows a side view of the bulb of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  shows an exploded cross-sectional view of the bulb of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 6  shows an exploded view of another bulb according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  shows a side view of the bulb of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  shows an exploded cross-sectional view of the bulb of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 9  shows an exploded view of another bulb according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  shows a side view of the bulb of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  shows an exploded cross-sectional view of the bulb of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 12  shows an exploded view of another bulb according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 13  shows a side view of the bulb of  FIG. 12 . 
         FIG. 14  shows an exploded cross-sectional view of the bulb of  FIG. 12 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , an operatory light  10  may generally include a bulb  12 , a reflector  14 , and a lens  16 . Traditional bulbs, such as bulb  12 , may be incandescent bulbs that emit light in substantially all directions. When the bulb  12  is installed into a socket  18  of the operatory light  10  and powered, the bulb  12  may emit light directly toward the reflector  14 , as illustrated by light beam  20 . The bulb  12  also may emit light directly toward the lens  16 , as illustrated by light beam  22 . 
     In embodiments of the present invention, as shown in  FIG. 2 , an operatory light  30  may include a bulb  32  that includes a light emitting diode (LED)  34 . The operatory light  30  ( FIG. 1 ) may be identical to the operatory light  10  ( FIG. 1 ), except that it includes a bulb  32  that is different than the traditional bulb  12 . Referring again to  FIG. 2 , the operatory light  30  may include a reflector  36 , a lens  38 , and a socket  40 . When the bulb  32  is installed into the socket  40  and powered, the LED  34  of the bulb  32  may emit light directly toward the reflector  36 , as illustrated by light beams  42  and  44 . None of the light from the LED  34 , however, will be emitted directly toward the lens  38 , and all of the light passing through the lens  38  will be reflected light. This is because the LED  34  is positioned so that it is directed toward the socket  40  and the reflector  36  of the operatory light  30  when the bulb  32  is installed in the socket  40 . 
     The bulb  32  will now be described in more detail with reference to  FIGS. 3-5 .  FIG. 3  shows an exploded view of the bulb  32 . As shown, the bulb  32  may include a base  42 , a cover  44 , an LED module  46 , a heat sink  48 , control circuitry  50 , and a cap  52 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 4 , the LED module  46  may include the LED  34 , which may be a single packaged LED chip or a plurality of LED chips in a package, mounted on a heat conductive material, such as a metal printed circuit board (MPCB)  54 . As shown, an encapsulent that covers LED chip(s) of the LED module  46  may serve as a lens. 
     The LED module  46  may be mounted to the heat sink  48  in a manner that facilities thermal conduction between the LED module  46  and the heat sink  48 . For example, a thermally conductive adhesive may be utilized to attach the LED module  46  to the heat sink  48 . 
     The control circuitry  50  may be located within a cavity of the heat sink  48  and the LED module may be electrically connected to the control circuitry  50  by wires (not shown) that may extend through apertures or conduits in the heat sink  48 . The cap  52  may be attached to the heat sink  48  to enclose the control circuitry  50  therein. 
     Both the heat sink  48  and the cap  52  may be made from a heat conductive material, such as a metal or a thermally conductive polymer, and may serve to draw away and dissipate heat that may be generated by the LED  34  of the LED module  46 . Additionally, the heat sink  48  and the cap  52  may draw away and dissipate heat that may be generated by the control circuitry  50 . Additionally, the heat sink  48  may have features, such as fins  56 , that may increase the surface area of the heat sink  48  and improve heat dissipation. 
     The cover  44  may be positioned on a surface of the heat sink  48  and may cover a portion of the LED module  46 . An opening in the cover  44  may be positioned such that the LED  34  of the LED module  46  so that the LED  34  is not covered and light emitted from the LED  34  may pass through the cover  44 . 
     The base  42  may be coupled to the cover  44  and/or the heat sink  48  by a plurality of legs  58  at a first end. The base  42  may include pins  60  at a second end thereof for electrical connection to the socket  40  of the operatory light  30 . The pins  60  may be electrically coupled to the control circuitry  50  by wires (not shown) that may pass through a passage  62  (see  FIG. 5 ) in one or more of the legs  58 , and pass through one or more apertures in the cover  44  and heat sink  48 . 
       FIGS. 6-8  illustrate a bulb  64 , according to another embodiment of the present invention. The bulb  64  may include an LED module  76 , which may be substantially identical to the LED module  46  of the bulb  32 . The bulb  64  may additionally include a base  66  that is configured to attach to a socket of another operatory light. The bulb  64  may similarly include a cover  68 , a heat sink  70 , control circuitry  72  and a cap  74 . 
       FIGS. 9-11  illustrate a bulb  164 , according to another embodiment of the present invention. The bulb  164  may include an LED module  176 , which may be substantially identical to the LED module  46  of the bulb  32 . The bulb  164  may additionally include a base  166  that is configured to attach to a socket of another operatory light. The bulb  164  may similarly include a cover  168 , a heat sink  170 , control circuitry  172  and a cap  174 . 
       FIGS. 12-14  illustrate a bulb  264 , according to another embodiment of the present invention. The bulb  264  may include an LED module  276 , which may be substantially identical to the LED module  46  of the bulb  32 . The bulb  264  may additionally include a base  266  that is configured to attach to a socket of another operatory light. The bulb  264  may also include a heat sink  270 , control circuitry  272  and a cap  274 . The bulb  264  may have a cavity in the base  266 , rather than the heat sink  270 , that contains the control circuitry. The cover  268  may attach to the base  266  to cover a cavity in the base  266 . Accordingly, the control circuitry may be coupled to the LED module  276  by wires (not shown) that extend through one or more legs  258  of the base  266 . 
     The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms. The described implementations are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.