Patent attributes
An LED beacon has a plurality of LED's mounted on opposite sides of a square post in the same horizontal plane. Each LED projects the light there from through an optical system. The optical system is provided by a collimating lens, preferably a cylindrical fresnel lens and a condensing, coupling lens for each LED also mounted on the post. The optical system provides enhanced illumination distributed in a cylindrical beam emanating from the fresnel collimating lens. The illumination is enhanced in that the condensing lens shifts the focus of the collimating lens to the location of the LEDs. Nominally, the fresnel collimating lens is focused at the center of the array of LEDs (the middle of the post). The condensing lens shifts the focus radially outward to the light emitting area of the LED, and the condensing lens captures the light from the LEDs and distributes the light uniformly on the fresnel collimating lens, thus efficiently utilizing the LED light and providing an intense beacon suitable for use as a warning light on vehicles and stationary applications. The coupling lens constitutes adapter optics which may be used in other warning light applications to condense and redirect focus of LEDs, such as for example, where the cylindrical fresnel lens is replaced by a rotating or stationary reflector to form an LED beam beacon.
