FR2830315A1 - Illumination source with variable color for photography or makeup mirrors, uses groups of light emitting diodes of different color to adjust color emitted onto surface to be illuminated - Google Patents

Abstract

The illumination has multiple light-emitting diodes (10) of different color distributed over a surface (3,4,5) such as the frame of a makeup mirror. The diodes are arranged in groups made up of diodes each emitting a different color. All diodes of one color are connected to a common supply. The color is controlled by activating different combinations of diodes.

Description

<Desc / Clms Page number 1>

 The invention relates to a lighting system with a variable color spectrum capable of simulating several light atmospheres.

 It has already been proposed to simulate several lighting qualities by means of a plurality of light sources associated with different colors and each supplied independently.

 As an example, document FR-680 174 proposed an illumination system with color variation, produced essentially by means of a plurality of electric lamps grouped and arranged to emit, respectively, light of various colors ( for example red, yellow and blue), either by themselves or by some colored refraction device completely or partially enveloping them, by means of a resistance device which produces variations in emission intensity in the lamps so that some colored emissions can predominate over others, in a variable way, and by means of a refraction device in which the rays emitted by all the lamps mix and exit refracted outside with the compound colorization corresponding.

 More recently, document FR-2 740 859 has proposed a device and a lighting station capable of reconstructing many different lighting qualities, in particular in the field of photography or, in the field of makeup, being able to simulate on a face the different types of lighting possible during the day. This device includes four white light generators (or white light sources), four bundles of optical fibers (made up of several fibers), and three filters

<Desc / Clms Page number 2>

 colored, each corresponding to a basic color (blue, yellow and red), each filter being interposed between one of the light sources and one end of a bundle of optical fibers, the other end of each bundle comprising strands installed substantially parallel to each other.

 However, in addition to conventional incandescent lamps, a new category of light sources has recently been added: light-emitting diodes. Indeed, the technology of light emitting diodes, long intended to be seen, has evolved to allow the emission of sufficiently powerful lights to have a lighting role.

 The advantages of such light-emitting diodes are: - low consumption (50 times less than an incandescent bulb), resulting in reduced maintenance, - lifespan of 50,000 to 100,000 hours (100 times more than a conventional bulb long duration), - purity of light (high accuracy in the spectrum), - very favorable cost / duration ratio, - low infrared spectrum (there is therefore only little heat generation).

 This explains why this new generation of diodes has been used in particular to illuminate (or backlight) aircraft dashboards, or in the field of automobile signaling, or in the field of entertainment.

 Under these conditions, it may seem obvious to think of taking advantage of this new generation of light sources to improve, for example, the lighting device of the aforementioned document FR-2 740 859. However, it appeared that, in particular, the simple replacement of a free fiber end of the aforementioned device by an electroluminescent electrode could prove to lead to disappointing performance, and that it was necessary to provide for a more substantial arrangement of the structure of lighting such as a makeup table (or station).

<Desc / Clms Page number 3>

 The subject of the invention is therefore a lighting device capable of simulating several types of lighting over a given area, for example in the field of photography or make-up, or even in that of trying on clothing, making it possible to obtain a wide variety of color spectra (therefore of lighting atmospheres), without the appearance of zones of different colors on the illuminated zone, even when the latter is close to the device (a few tens of centimeters, for example), without significant heating of this illuminated area, minimizing the risk of glare when lighting a face, and without using complex, heavy, expensive and / or difficult to maintain devices.

 To this end, the invention provides a lighting device with variable illumination, comprising at least one lighting surface provided with a plurality of light sources of different colors, characterized in that these light sources are monochromatic light emitting diodes emitting light in one of several predetermined colors, these diodes are divided into groups of closely spaced diodes, each group comprising the same number of diodes including at least one diode emitting in each of the predetermined colors, the diodes emitting according to the same color being connected to the same feed element.

 It has indeed appeared that a good combination of the lights emitted by the diodes of the same group is obtained if they are close enough, typically within a circle of less than 3 cm in the case of a make-up table (insofar as, in this application, the face comes about thirty centimeters from the light sources, this amounts to providing that the diodes of a group are advantageously located inside a circle whose the diameter is of the order of a tenth (for example between 5% and 20%) of the distance between the lighting surface and the area on which one wishes to see the various lights combine). On the other hand the groups can be well separated without affecting the quality and the homogeneity of the lighting, which contributes to minimizing the risks of glare. In the case of a make-up table, the distance between the groups is for example of

<Desc / Clms Page number 4>

 about 5 cm (which advantageously corresponds to a ratio of about 1.5 to 2) vis-à-vis the diameter of the groups.

 These groups are advantageously identical to each other, which contributes to ensuring good homogeneity of lighting but also allows great simplicity of manufacture and moderate cost.

 The diodes of each group are preferably mounted within the same removable element, which has the effect that an assembly or replacement operation involves the manipulation of a set of sufficient size for this manipulation to be easy. In addition, the positioning of the diodes relative to each other can thus be done independently of the lighting surface, therefore under ergonomic conditions as good as desired.

 The number of colors per group (and therefore the total number of colors for the entire lighting surface) is advantageously between 3 and 6: it may therefore be sufficient to use blue, red and green, but as necessary, it is generally desirable to add pure white and / or yellow, and / or the color amber or any other shade of blue, red or other, for example. However, there is no other limit to the number of colors per group than that of the size.

vert et le bleu si l'on veut privilégier les couleurs"froides")). Each group preferably contains only one diode per color, so that there are, in each group, as many diodes as there are colors (and therefore independent power supply control). However, there may be, for example, duplication of the diodes of certain colors (typically the colors yellow and red if one wants to favor the "warm" colors (or the

green and blue if you want to favor "cold" colors)).

 Preferably, each group comprises 5 diodes having the colors respectively: yellow, green, red, blue and white.

 The diodes of a group are advantageously arranged in a circle, which corresponds to a compact configuration. There may also be a diode in the center of this circle, preferably a diode of pure white color (this case with central diode lends itself well to a duplication of certain colors, on either side of this central diode).

<Desc / Clms Page number 5>

 The invention covers in particular a make-up station comprising a central mirror and, on each side thereof, a lighting surface of the aforementioned type. The groups of each lighting surface are, for example, arranged in two vertical strips, the distance of which is substantially equal (or less) to the distance of the groups within each vertical strip.

 Preferably, the two lighting surfaces are symmetrical to each other with respect to the mirror. Advantageously, an additional lighting surface is arranged above the mirror. Preferably, these various lighting surfaces are articulated on the support of the central mirror.

 According to another aspect of the invention, it also covers a clothing fitting area, in practice a fitting room, comprising a plurality of lighting surfaces of the aforementioned type oriented towards the same central area intended to receive a person trying on a piece of clothing.

 These lighting surfaces can be either horizontal and / or vertical. However, to avoid having to modify the existing fitting rooms, these surfaces are advantageously vertical ramps secured to a removable base; this mobile nature also has the advantage of allowing a displacement of the ramps to optimize the lighting angles.

 These surfaces are advantageously arranged all around the zone intended to receive the person trying on a garment. They preferably include four vertical ramps, removable or not, arranged around this area, for example near the corners of a square or rectangular cabin.

 These surfaces are advantageously provided with infrared cells, in any suitable place, for the remote control by means of the same portable control unit.

 It should be noted that this aspect of the invention is not limited to the particular type of aforementioned lighting surfaces and can also use, in particular, lighting surfaces of the kind proposed by document FR-2,740,859. supra.

<Desc / Clms Page number 6>

 Objects, characteristics and advantages of the invention appear from the following description, given by way of nonlimiting illustrative example with reference to the appended drawings in which: - Figure 1 is a front view of a conforming make-up station to the invention, - Figure 2 is a side view of this station, - Figure 3 is a detail view of the left panel of this station, - Figure 4 is a detail view of a removable element comprising a another diode group configuration, - Figure 5 is a schematic elevation view of a removable light bar, - Figure 6 is a simplified view in horizontal section, and - Figure 7 is a plan view d '' a fitting room equipped with four ramps of the type of Figure 5.

 FIG. 1 represents a make-up station 1, comprising a central mirror 2, and two side panels 3 and 4, respectively arranged to the left and to the right of the central mirror. Optionally, it also includes an upper panel 5.

 Each panel constitutes a lighting surface, preferably flat for obvious reasons of manufacture and size (but other configurations, for example concave, are possible without departing from the scope of the invention).

 This make-up station is a lighting device with variable illumination, comprising in the example considered three lighting surfaces each provided with a plurality of light sources of different colors; these light sources are monochromatic light emitting diodes emitting light in one of several predetermined colors, these diodes are distributed in groups 10 of closely spaced diodes, each group comprising the same number of diodes including at least one diode emitting in each of the colors predetermined, the diodes emitting in the same color being connected to the same power supply element; all of these supply elements for all colors are shown diagrammatically under the

<Desc / Clms Page number 7>

 reference 8 (each of the "compartments" shown in Figure 2 corresponds to the command of a given color).

 More precisely, this set comprises for example as many current variators as there are colors; however, for reasons of ease of use, there are advantageously a plurality of predetermined settings (corresponding to predetermined regimes of excitation of the diodes of each of the colors, for example simulating morning light, or evening light, or artificial lighting, etc.) between which the user can choose according to his needs, using a single switch 9.

 In the example shown, each group 10 of diodes is represented by a circle.

 We observe that these groups are distant from each other by a distance much greater than the diameter of these circles. This distance can vary according to the direction, this is how, for the side panels 3 and 4, the diodes are arranged in two columns such that the difference between two groups within a column is greater than the difference between two groups located at the same level in these columns; by way of example, the vertical distance H is of the order of 50 mm while the horizontal distance L is of the order of 35 mm, that is to say respectively of the order of 2.5 times the diameter D of groups (it is 20 mm) and 1.75 times this diameter.

 These side panels 3 and 4 are advantageously symmetrical to each other with respect to the central mirror, here with two columns of groups each with the same horizontal and vertical spacings. Likewise, the upper panel 5 comprises two bands of groups according to the same relative geometry as in the side panels.

 Of course, the diodes of a given color within a panel are advantageously excited in the same way as the diodes of the same color of the other panels. However, the possibility of separately controlling the diodes of the various panels can have the advantage of making it possible to simulate a greater variety of lighting configurations, including asymmetrical configurations.

<Desc / Clms Page number 8>

 The panels are advantageously articulated (by hinges not shown of any known type not shown) along the sides of the support of the central mirror.

 As shown in FIG. 3, the groups 10 of diodes are preferably identical to each other; in addition the orientation of each group is the same, which means that, if in one of the groups, the upper right diode is a monochromatic diode emitting in green, it is the same for each upper right diode of each group of the panel considered. This considerably simplifies the connection of the diodes to the control assembly 8.

 In this example of Figure 3, each group has 5 diodes 10A to 10E arranged in a circle. Each of these diodes has, within the group, a specific color, that is to say that there are 5 colors: blue, green, red, yellow, and pure white.

 It should nevertheless be understood that any number of diodes and any number of colors can be chosen, it being specified that the number of diodes and colors is in practice limited by space considerations, so that the number of diodes per group is advantageously between 4 and 7.

 As an example of a variant, FIG. 4 represents a removable element 10 ′ carrying a group formed by 7 diodes 10 ′ A to 10 ′ G arranged in staggered rows, that is to say that there are 6 diodes regularly distributed angularly on a circle whose center is occupied by a 7th diode. The number of colors can be different from the number of diodes, insofar as, in the example considered, the upper diodes 10'A and 10'B can have the same colors as the lower diodes 10'C and 10'D which are opposite them with respect to the center, while the right 10'C and left 10'F diodes may be the only color: the colors of the upper and lower diodes are for example yellow and red, while the colors of the diodes right and left are green and blue and the center one is white. 1 / there are therefore 5 colors as in the example in FIG. 3. Of course, the colors

<Desc / Clms Page number 9>

 can be distributed differently, according to the light effects that one wishes to obtain.

 The two configurations, in "daisy", shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are generally circular, but other configurations, for example rectangular, can be chosen.

 In a variant not shown, there can be 6 colors: yellow, amber, red, green, blue, pure white, but still other combinations are possible. However, for reasons of simplicity of the control system, it is generally desired to limit oneself to a small number of colors (3 appears a minimum, with blue, red and green, which make it possible to recreate white, but the richness of the light environments thus simulated may seem insufficient).

 In practice, each group of diodes is a removable assembly, which in particular makes it possible to replace all the diodes in a group, but also facilitates the handling operations. In addition, this makes it possible to modify a given device, by replacing all the groups with groups having other characteristics (in number of diodes or colors).

 It can be noted that the wavelength of the diodes is in practice very precisely defined, much better than with colored filters, and that the light temperatures obtained are typically higher than those of conventional bulbs. Light is for example generated by excitation of gallium and phosphorus.

 The configuration of Figures 1 and 2 has three panels with 20 groups of diodes. It is nevertheless clear that this number depends on the size of the make-up station, and that it can increase with the size that we agree to give it.

 FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic elevation view of a light bar 20.

 This ramp is here mobile, being formed on one side of a column secured to a base 21 made of any suitable heavy material.

 As shown in Figure 6, this column is hollow; it is here formed of a U-shaped profile 22, for example of aluminum alloy, closed by a

<Desc / Clms Page number 10>

 transparent or at least translucent plate 23 (this is for example a frosted diffusing plate).

 The bottom of the profile 22 is bordered by a bottom plate 24 which is fixed to it by any suitable means.

 At a distance from this bottom plate 24 is mounted, by means of nuts 25 cooperating with washers 25A and passing through spacers 26, an internal plate 27 on which the light sources 28 are mounted, here in the form of clusters of diodes 28A light emitting lights as before. The clusters are connected to a main circuit, not shown (for example arranged in the lower part of the column, for reasons of stability), by means of a ribbon cable 29 for card-to-card connections. This circuit is connected to an external power source by a cable 29A. In a variant not shown, the column has an internal power supply, in the form of batteries which serve as ballast for the column.

 For reasons of readability, the section in Figure 6 shows a cluster on the right, and a nut on the left. However, in practice, the clusters and nuts are not the same number or at the same level. This is how the nuts are advantageously arranged between two successive levels of clusters, each level here comprising a pair of clusters.

 The ramp 20 can be provided with any known means of control, for example by selector button. However, preferably, it comprises a cell 30, here represented in the upper part of the column (but any other location is possible), adapted to cooperate, in particular by infrared radiation, with a remote control unit 31.

 The ramp 20 can be of any height as required. Thus, its height can be a few tens of centimeters if it is intended to supplement or partially replace a make-up station of the aforementioned type.

 It can also reach a height of the order of 2 meters (for example between 1.75 m and 2.20 m) when it is desired to light a person on the ground.

 In such a case of a 2 m column, the profile 22 has for example a thickness of 4 mm, the diffusing plate has a thickness of 3.5 mm and the

<Desc / Clms Page number 11>

 spacers have a length of 5 mm, for a space requirement in section of 40 mm by 65 mm, the clusters (advantageously of the aforementioned type) form a substantially square mesh network of the order of 50 mm on a side, and there are 13 internal fixing nuts.

 Such a column is not necessarily provided with light sources over its entire height. This is how, in the example considered, the lower part is deprived of it.

 In a variant not shown, the column 20 is not placed on the ground or on a support, but is suspended, for example by means of an upper hook which makes it removable, from elements for example fixed to the ceiling.

In such a case, it is the upper part of the column which can be devoid of light sources.

 FIG. 7 represents a particularly interesting application of ramps 20 at human height.

 This cabin is provided with at least one ramp 20 making it possible to simulate various lights on the garment being tried on. But preferably, there are in this cabin several lighting surfaces oriented towards the same area where stands the person trying the garment. The lighting surfaces are advantageously at least 3, arranged around the aforementioned zone.

 Advantageously, these surfaces are at least 4, arranged in a rectangle, preferably at the four corners of the cabin when the latter is rectangular (or even square).

 The lighting surfaces are advantageously removable ramps of the type of that of FIGS. 5 and 6, but it should be understood that these surfaces can be fixed to the wall, or not, by being horizontal, vertical or inclined.

 When these surfaces are provided with a remote control cell, they are advantageously adapted to be controlled from the same housing.

<Desc / Clms Page number 12>

 It goes without saying that the foregoing description has been offered only by way of nonlimiting illustration and that numerous variants can be proposed without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (20)

1. Lighting device with variable illumination, comprising at least one lighting surface (3,4, 5) provided with a plurality of light sources of different colors, characterized in that these light sources are monochromatic light emitting diodes emitting light in one of several predetermined colors, these diodes are divided into groups (10, 10 ') of closely spaced diodes, each group comprising the same number of diodes including at least one diode emitting in each of the predetermined colors, the diodes emitting in the same color being connected to the same power supply element (8).  2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the groups (10) of diodes are identical to each other.  3. Device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that each group contains a single diode of each color.  4. Device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that at least two diodes of each group have the same color.  5. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that each group comprises at least one blue diode, a red diode, a green diode.  6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that it further comprises at least one yellow diode.  7. Device according to claim 5 or claim 6, characterized in that it comprises at least one pure white diode.  8. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the diodes of each group are carried by a removable element (11).  9. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the diodes of a group are arranged on or inside a circle of about 3 cm or less. <Desc / Clms Page number 14>  10. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it comprises a white diode and diodes arranged on a circle centered on this white diode.  11. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the lighting surface is part of a removable vertical ramp (20).  12. Make-up station consisting of a device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising a central mirror and at least two lighting surfaces arranged on either side of this central mirror.  13. Station according to claim 12, characterized in that the two lighting surfaces are symmetrical with respect to the central mirror.  14. Station according to claim 12 or claim 13, characterized in that it comprises a third lighting surface disposed above the central mirror.  15. Station according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that at least one of the lighting surfaces is articulated to the support of the central mirror.  16. Station according to any one of claims 12 to 15, characterized in that each lighting surface comprises two strips of groups whose spacing is at most equal to the spacing of the groups within each strip.  17. Garment fitting cabin comprising at least one lighting device according to any one of claims 1 to 11.  18. Cabin according to claim 17, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of such lighting devices, arranged around, and oriented towards the area where stands a person trying on a garment.  19. Cabin according to claim 17 or 18, characterized in that these lighting devices are part of vertical columns.  20. Cabin according to any one of claims 17 to 19, characterized in that these lighting devices are controlled remotely by means of the same remote control unit (31).