Illumination system using LED lights

Abstract

 There is provided an illumination system (10) using LED lights, comprising: a light source unit (100) consisting of R, G and B LED lights (101a,101b,101c); a control unit (400) connected to each of the R, G and B LED lights; a light synthesis unit (200) for synthesizing light emitted from the R, G and B LED lights; and a light transmission unit (300) for transmitting the light synthesized in the light synthesis unit. The light synthesis unit comprises collimate lenses (201a,201b,201c) for collimate the light from the LED lights; and a dichroic filter (202) having four sides (202a-202d) for synthesizing the collimated light. The light transmission unit comprises: two fly-eye lenses (300a) for uniformizing the light synthesized in the light synthesis unit; a relay lens (300b) for relaying or focusing the light uniformized by the fly-eye lens; a pattern formation opening unit (300c) for determining a pattern of the light focused by the relay lens; and a zoom lens (300d) for adjusting a view angle of the light transmitted by passing through the pattern formation opening unit.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 2008 - 0069999, filed July 18, 2008, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to a LED illumination system, and more particularly, to an illumination system using LED lights, which is capable of freely changing a color of illuminating light and a view angle of illuminating light by using the LED lights.

2. Discussion of Related Art

[0003] An example of an illumination light includes a lights cape light which is an apparatus to illuminate target scenery by focusing a light source on the scenery to look better. Specifically, lightscape lights are installed at skyscrapers, bridges or the like, to illuminate specific parts or make pictures or specific shapes.

[0004] In a conventional lightscape system using an LED, after the system is fixed to be used for any specific purpose, in order to change a color or pattern of illumination, it needs to change an illumination light or to additionally install a filter having a special color or pattern in an illumination light. Therefore, the conventional lightscape system has a problem in that it is difficult to be maintained or repaired.

[0005] Moreover, in most conventional lightscape systems using LEDs, an illumination light control unit for controlling the LED is not built-in the system. In this case, it is complicated to externally install the illumination light control unit, installation costs are more required, it is difficult to repair when the control unit is out of order and it is not good in appearance.

[0006] Moreover, in a conventional LED lightscape system, after the system is fixed once, it is difficult to change a view angle of an illumination light. Therefore, in order to shine the conventional illumination light in a desired view angle, the LED lightscape light itself needs to be changed and again installed.

[0007] Furthermore, as the importance of city scenery has risen, attempts have been made to replace street lights with lightscape lights. However, these are difficult to be actually carried out due to the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Therefore, the present invention is directed to provide an illumination system using LED lights, whereby a color, pattern or the like of illumination is easily changed, an illumination light control unit for controlling the LED is built in the illumination system so that an appearance is neat and excellent and a view angle of the illumination light is freely changed.

[0009] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an illumination system using LED lights, comprising: a light source unit consisting of R, G and B LED lights; control units respectively connected to the R, G and B lights; a light synthesis unit for synthesizing light emitted from the R, G and B lights; and a light transmission unit for transmitting the synthesized light, wherein as the control unit controls a current, the intensity of light from the R, G and B lights is controlled to change a color of the synthesized light from the light synthesis unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by describing in detail preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a structure of an illumination light according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. However, it is to be understood that the scope of the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.

(First embodiment)

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic view illustrating a structure of an illumination light 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the illumination light 10 according to the first embodiment comprises a light source unit 100, a light synthesis unit 200, a light transmission unit 300 and a control unit 400.

[0014] The light source unit 100 consists of three color light sources, that is, a red (R) light source 101 a radiating a red color, a green (G) light source 101 b radiating a green color, and a blue (B) light source 101 c radiating a blue color.

[0015] Preferably, LED illumination may be used as the light source. Although it may be changed depending on its use, preferably, an LED light of 1 or more watt may be used as the light source, to obtain sufficient illumination effects.

[0016] Each of the R light source 101 a, G light source 101b and B light source 101 c is connected to a power source unit (not shown) through the control unit 400. The control unit 400 is structured to control an amount of an electric current flowing into each light source. Therefore, the intensity of light emitted from each light source is controlled.

[0017] When light of R, G and B is irradiated from the light source unit, the radiated R, G and B light is introduced into the light synthesis unit 200 through each light path. The light synthesis unit 200 includes collimate lens units 201 a, 201 b and 201 c to collimate the light radiated from each of the red, green and blue light sources 101 a, 101 b and 101 c. Each of the collimate lens units 201 a, 201 b and 201 c consists of two collimate lenses in each of the R, G and B light paths.

[0018] In the embodiment of the present invention, the collimate lens units 201 a, 201 b and 201 c are included inside the light synthesis unit 200. However, the present invention does not limit the location of the collimate lens units 201 a, 201 b and 201 c. Therefore, the collimate lens units 201 a, 201 b and 201 c may be formed in the front of the R light source 101a, G light source 101 b and B light source 101 c, or they may be formed integrally with the R light source 101 a, G light source 101 b and B light source 101 c.

[0019] The light which is radiated from the light source and collimated through the collimate lens units 201 a, 201 b and 201 c is moved to a dichroic filter 202, wherein white light is synthesized.

[0020] To describe in more detail, the dichroic filter 202 consists of four filter sides 202a, 202b, 202c and 202d. Among the four filter sides 202a, 202b, 202c and 202d, the sides 202a and 202d are coated to reflect only a red color (R) and the sides 202c and 202b are coated to reflect only a blue color (B). As a result, the light radiated from the R light source 101 a is transmitted through the side 202b and reflected on the sides 202a and 202d, to be incident onto the light transmission unit 300; the light radiated from the G light source 101 b is transmitted through all sides 202a, 202b, 202c and 202d, to be incident onto the light transmission unit 300; and the light radiated from the B light source 101 c is transmitted through the side 202d and reflected on the sides 202b and 202c, to be incident onto the light transmission unit 300. Accordingly, all color elements of R, G and B are synthesized in the dichroic filter 202.

[0021] Consequently, as the intensity of light from the R, G and B light sources is controlled by the control unit 400, the light of a desired color is synthesized through the dichroic filter of the light synthesis unit.

[0022] In the embodiment, the dichroic filter is used as a member for light synthesis. However, the present invention does not limit the member for light synthesis to the dichroic filter. Thus, a dichroic prism may be used.

[0023] The light transmission unit 300 according to the first embodiment of the present invention comprises two fly-eye lenses 300a, a relay lens 300b, a pattern formation opening unit 300c and a zoom lens 300d.

[0024] The light synthesized in the light synthesis unit 200 is incident on the two fly-eye lenses 300a positioned inside the light transmission unit 300, along the light path. The synthesized light of a round form is changed into that of a square form through the fly-eye lens 300a, so that the efficiency of the light is maximized and the light is uniformized, to produce more bright and uniform light being transmitted.

[0025] The light which is uniformized by passing through the fly-eye lens 300a is designed to pass through the relay lens 300b and pass through the opening unit 300c in which any pattern is formed.

[0026] The opening unit 300c comprises a slide plate (not shown) having an opening pattern in any shape. The opening unit 300c is formed to be mounted from the outside, through a slit formed in the light transmission unit or the like.

[0027] Therefore, the pattern of light in any shape is easily changed by changing the slide plate to be inserted into the slit. That is, the light is freely provided in a desired pattern.

[0028] The light passing through the slide plate with the opening unit is finally incident onto the zoom lens 300d. The light is transmitted in a desired view angle by adjusting magnification of the zoom lens 300d.

[0029] Although the present invention is described with reference to the first embodiment above, it is not limited to the first embodiment.

[0030] The lightscape is described with reference to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. However, it is obvious that the present invention may be applied for specific purposes, such as a stage light, a surgical operation light, a diagnosis light, an indoor light, an outdoor light, a product illumination light, or decoration.

[0031] I n the illumination system using LED lights according to the present invention, an illumination light of a desired color is easily obtained by synthesizing the R, G and B light from the LED lights through the light synthesis unit, diverse patterns are freely provided through the LCD panel(s) in the illumination system, an appearance is beautiful since the light synthesis unit and the control unit are formed inside the illumination system, and a view angle of illumination is freely changed using a zoom lens or the like.

[0032] The invention has been described using preferred exemplary embodiments. However, it is to be understood that the scope of the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, the scope of the invention is intended to include various modifications and alternative arrangements within the capabilities of persons skilled in the art using presently known or future technologies and equivalents. The scope of the claims, therefore, should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.

Claims

1. An illumination system using LED lights, comprising:

a light source unit consisting of R, G and B LED lights;

a control unit connected to each of the R, G and B LED lights;

a light synthesis unit for synthesizing light emitted from the R, G and B LED lights; and

a light transmission unit for transmitting the light synthesized in the light synthesis unit,

wherein as the control unit controls an electric current, the intensity of the light from the R, G and B LED lights is controlled to change a color of the light synthesized in the light synthesis unit.

2. The illumination system according to claim 1, wherein each of the R, G and B LED lights use more than one watt.

3. The illumination system according to claim 1, wherein the light synthesis unit is any one of a dichroic filter having four sides and a dichroic prism.

4. The illumination system according to claim 1, wherein the light transmission unit comprises:

two fly-eye lenses for uniformizing the light synthesized in the light synthesis unit;

a relay lens for relaying or focusing the light uniformized by the fly-eye lens;

a pattern formation opening unit for determining a pattern of the light focused by the relay lens; and

a zoom lens for adjusting a view angle of the light transmitted by passing through the pattern formation opening unit,

wherein the pattern formation opening unit is inserted into the light transmission unit, through a slit formed in the light transmission unit, by a sliding method.

5. The illumination system according to claim 3, wherein the light synthesis unit further comprises: collimate lens units each consisting of two collimate lenses, positioned between each of the R, G and B LED lights and the dichroic filter.

6. The illumination system according to claim 1, wherein the light source further comprises: collimate lens units each consisting of two collimate lenses, formed integrally in the front of the R, G and B LED lights.

7. The illumination system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, used as any one of a stage light, a surgical operation light, a diagnosis light, an indoor light, an outdoor light, a product illumination light and a street light.

Drawing