DOUGLAS GRAEME KERSEY AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR AN INNOVATION PATENT UNDERWATER LIGHTING DEVICES The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:- 2 UNDERWATER LIGHTING DEVICES Technical Field The present invention relates to lighting devices and in a particular but not exclusive aspect to underwater lighting devices for use in swimming or spa pools to 5 illuminate the volume of water in the swimming or spa pool. The present invention also relates to lighting panel assemblies for underwater lighting devices. The lighting devices and panel assembles of the invention however may also be used in other applications where a light source is required for use in or in close proximity to water such as in fountains or water features or in submerged locations. 10 Background Art Light assemblies which are commonly used in underwater installations such as in swimming pools comprise a sealed housing which is mounted in or to the wall of the swimming pool, the housing containing a high wattage globe (up to 150 Watt) and a reflector with a lens being provided at the front of the housing. Current is supplied to 15 the globe by means of wiring which is provided in a conduit which penetrates or extends into the wall of the pool for connection to the light assembly and which is connected to an above ground power supply. Generally in light assemblies of this type, the high wattage globe has to be replaced regularly and this necessitates detachment of the light assembly from its 20 position in or on the wall of the pool and moving the assembly to an above water position where it is disassembled, the globe replaced, the light assembly reassembled and remounted to the pool wall. Often in this process it is difficult to ensure that the light assembly is resealed. If the light assembly is not correctly resealed, water will enter the housing of the light assembly which will cause a short in the electrical contacts 25 within the housing and accordingly cause the light assembly to cease operating. Furthermore light assemblies of the above type usually have to be installed during the construction of the pool. Summary of the Invention The present invention aims to provide in one aspect a lighting panel assembly 30 which can replace the lens and light source of a conventional underwater lighting device. The present invention in a further aspect aims to provide an improved underwater lighting device which includes a lighting panel assembly of the above type. Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following 3 description. The present invention thus provides in a first preferred aspect, a lighting panel assembly for an underwater lighting device of the type having a housing adapted to be mounted to or in a wall of a swimming or spa pool and a lens associated with said 5 housing and located on or at the exposed outer side thereof, said lighting panel assembly being adapted to mounted to said housing to replace said lens of said lighting device, said lighting panel assembly including panel having at least one opening therein, and at least one light emitting diode having a body adapted to project through said opening. The term "light emitting diode" or LED as used throughout the specification and 10 claims includes any solid state light emitting device. The term "pool" or "spa" as used throughout the specification and claims includes any liquid or water reservoir. Preferably the panel has a peripheral shape which is substantially the same as the peripheral shape of the lens of the underwater lighting device such that it may be mounted to the housing of the underwater lighting device at the mounting location of the 15 lens. Preferably the panel is provided with a plurality of openings therein, each opening being adapted to receive the body of a respective light emitting diode. The openings may be arranged in a particular array or pattern to suit the light output required of the lighting panel assembly. Preferably the light emitting diodes are arranged in an array or pattern corresponding to the array or pattern of openings. The light emitting diodes may 20 be mounted on a circuit board such as a printed circuit board to form a lighting assembly, the light emitting diodes being arranged on the board in an array or pattern which corresponds to the array or pattern of the plurality of openings in the panel. Alternatively the lighting assembly may be formed by simply electrically connecting the light emitting diodes and voltage/current limiting components by hard wiring. 25 Preferably means are provided to seal the lighting assembly on the rear side of the panel. This prevents the electric terminals and connections of the light assembly being exposed to water. Preferably the lighting assembly is embedded in a resin or other sealing material on the rear side of the panel and an electric cable is connected to the lighting assembly through the resin or sealing material. Preferably the resin or sealing 30 material holds the light emitting diodes in a fixed position on the rear side of the panel. The resin or sealing material is suitably a hardenable resin or material which is waterproof. Preferably the panel includes a recess on its rear side for receipt of the lighting 4 assembly. The recess may be defined by a domed or other displaced portion of the panel. The recess defines a receptacle to constrain the resin or other sealing material which may be poured into the recess when in a liquid form to surround the lighting assembly. 5 Preferably at least some of the light emitting diodes are angled outwardly to increase the lighting effect of the lighting device. Preferably the outwardly angle light emitting diodes comprise peripherally located light emitting diodes of the lighting assembly. The present invention in another preferred aspect provides an underwater 10 lighting device having a housing adapted to be mounted to or in a wall of a swimming or spa pool and a lighting panel assembly mounted on or to said housing on the exposed outer side thereof, said lighting panel assembly including panel having at least one opening therein, and at least one light emitting diode having a body adapted to project through said opening to extend in use into the water in said pool or spa. 15 Brief Description of the Drawings In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show a conventional lighting device and preferred embodiments of the present invention. In the drawings: 20 Fig. I illustrates a conventional underwater lighting device as known in the prior art; Fig. 2 is an isometric view of a lighting panel assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention adapted to replace the lens and light source of the lighting device of Fig. 1 25 Fig. 3 is an enlarged front view of the lighting panel assembly of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the lighting panel assembly of Figs. 2 and 3; Fig. 5 illustrates an underwater lighting devices including a lighting panel assembly of the type illustrated in Figs. 2 to 4; and 30 Fig. 6 illustrates a further lighting panel assembly according to another embodiment of the invention. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment Referring firstly to Fig. I there is illustrated a conventional underwater lighting 5 device 10 for use in swimming pools, spas or the like, the device 10 having a sealed housing 11 comprising an outer annular member 12, a back plate (not shown) which is secured to the annular member 12 and a lens 13 at the front of the housing 11 and surrounded by the annular member 12, the back plate normally clamping the lens 13 in a 5 sealing manner to a shoulder in the housing I1 by means of a plurality of screws or other fasteners. The back plate normally supports a socket for an incandescent lamp within the internal space of the housing 11 behind the lens 13 and the housing 11 is adapted to be mounted to a wall ring 14 mounted to or set within the wall 15 of the pool or alternatively to a wall bracket. Power is supplied to the socket and lamp via a cable 16 which passes 10 into a conduit 17 which penetrates the pool wall 15 and which extends to an above ground power supply. The lighting panel assembly 18 shown in Figs. 2 to 4 is adapted to replace the lens 13 of the conventional lighting device 10. The panel assembly 18 including a panel 19 which is of the same peripheral shape and of the same diameter as the lens 13 and in the 15 illustrated embodiment is of a generally circular disc-like form. Further in the embodiment illustrated, the panel 19 includes a central outwardly displaced or domed portion 20 which defines a recess 21 on the reverse side of the panel 19. Typically the panel 19 is formed of a material of substantially the same thickness as the thickness of the lens 13 and may be a plastic panel which is shaped where required by blow moulding, 20 vacuum forming, injection moulding or by other means to form the displaced portion 20. Located rearwardly of the panel 18 is a lighting assembly 22 which comprises a printed circuit board 23 which carries a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) 24 which are arranged in a particular array or pattern. The panel 20 is provided with a plurality of apertures 25 located in the domed portion 20 arranged in an array or pattern which 25 matches the array or pattern of LEDs 24 on the circuit board 23. The apertures 25 are of a diameter which is substantially the same as the diameter of the bodies of the LEDs 24 such that the latter may project therethrough in the manner shown in Fig. 4. If desired, some of the LEDS 25 may be angled outwardly and in the embodiment illustrated, the outermost apertures 25 are angled outwardly at an acute angle to the central axis of the panel 19 such 30 that corresponding LEDs 25 received therein are also angled outwardly. The printed circuit board 23 carrying the LEDs 25 is embedded within a waterproof resin 26 (or other sealing material) which may be applied by orienting the panel 19 carrying the circuit board 23 and LEDs 24 projecting through the apertures 25 6 in a substantially horizontal attitude after which liquid resin with hardener may be poured into the recess 26 to cover the board 23 and the rear sides of the LEDs 24. The resin is thus constrained within the defined space of the recess 26 and defines when cured or set a sealed body of resin 26 in which the circuit board 23 and parts of the 5 LEDs 24 on the inner side of the domed portion 20 are embedded. A cable 27 for supply of current to the light assembly 22 extends out of the resin body 26 on the rear side of the panel 19. In use, and where the light panel assembly 18 is to replace the lens 13 of an existing conventional underwater light device 10, the device 10 is detached from its 10 mounting ring 14 and is disassembled to release the lens 13 and enable it to be removed. The lighting panel assembly 18 is then inserted into the housing 11 of the lighting device 10 to replace the lens 13 after which the lighting device 10 may be reassembled to form the lighting device 28 of Fig. 5 which carries the lighting assembly 22. The cable 27 may be connected to the existing cable 16 through a sealed 15 connector or passed along the conduit 17 to be connected above ground to a suitable low voltage power supply for supply of power to the panel assembly 18 and cause activation of the LEDs 24. As the electrical terminals of the LEDs 24 and other electrical contacts including those on the circuit board 23 are embedded with the printed circuit board 23 within the resin body 26, it is not necessary that the housing 11 be sealed as is required 20 with the conventional device 10 as the resin 26 prevents their contact with the water. Further as the LEDs 24 project outwardly of the panel 19, they are directly located within the water and are not located behind a lens and therefore there is no diminution of illumination provided by the LEDs 24. Fig. 6 illustrates a further lighting panel assembly 29 according to another 25 embodiment of the invention which includes in this case a panel 30 which is substantially planar. As above a lighting assembly 22 comprising a printed circuit board 23 and light emitting diodes 24 are provided on the rear side of the panel 30 with the LEDs 24 projecting through apertures 25 in the panel 30. In this case however to seal the rear side of the lighting assembly 22, a body 31 of sealing resin or other waterproof 30 material is provided on the rear side of the panel 30 in which the board 23 and LEDs 24 are embedded and sealed. The panel 30 has a diameter substantially the same as the lens 13 and therefore may be simply substituted for the lens 13.
7 The lighting panel assemblies of the present invention can therefore be used to replace the lens of any conventional or known lighting device by simply removing the conventional lens and replacing it with a lighting panel assembly according to the invention. 5 The panels 19 and 30 may be formed of a transparent, translucent or opaque material. Where the panels 19 and 30 are of a transparent or translucent material, the resin 22 or 31 may be of any colour to present any desired appearance. The light emitting diodes are any form of diodes but preferably comprise high intensity light emitting diodes. The light emitting diodes may also be of different colours. 10 The lighting panel assemblies of the present invention may also be incorporated in a new underwater lighting device rather than as a retrofit for use in an existing underwater lighting device. Further whilst it is preferred that the LEDs 24 be mounted on a circuit board which contains current/voltage limiting components, they may be hard wired with those components and not provided on a circuit board. 15 The embodiments shows the LEDs 24 arranged in a particular pattern however it will be appreciated that the LEDs 24 may be arranged in any pattern or array and of course any number of LEDs as is practical may be used in a lighting panel assembly. The terms "comprising" or "comprises" as used throughout the specification and claims are taken to specify the presence of the stated features, integers and components 20 referred to but not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other feature/s, integer/s, component/s or group thereof. Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative embodiment of the invention, all such variations and modifications thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as 25 defined in the appended claims. 30