Extensible linear light emitting diode illumination source

DETAILED DESCRIPTION It is an advantage of the present invention to provide an illumination source that utilizes an illumination elements, e.
g, light emitting diodes, to provide maximum brightness, long life, and diffuse or focused light of various wavelengths.
It is a further advantage to provide an illumination source that is extensible to any length while providing uniformity of illumination.
If is another advantage to provide an illumination source that individually groups LEDs to avoid catastrophic failure of the entire linear LED array.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide an illumination source that has a power distribution system that provides equal power to each LED of the linear LED array.
Yet another advantage is to provide an environmentally sealed illumination source having structural supports which act as heat sinks, include cooling channels for forced air and other cooling means, and provide flexible mounting provisions.
The exemplary embodiment of the present invention is a compact, energy-efficient extensible illumination source that utilizes light emitting diodes (LEDs) to provide the advantages of brightness and high reliability.
The high reliability of the LEDs provides trouble-free operation over a long hour lifetime.
The illumination source of the exemplary embodiment includes LED printed wire board segments that may be configured to form a light line of any length.
The segments are mounted on a inner mounting base which also serves as a first stage heat sink for the LEDs.
Linear mirrors are mounted on the inner mounting base with the LEDs running lengthwise between the mirrors.
The mirrors reflect and focus the radiant energy from the LEDs onto the target to produce a uniform linear illumination pattern.
A window is mounted in the illumination source above the LEDs and mirrors to provide mechanical protection for the LEDs.
The window may be used for diffusing or filtering light from the LEDs.
Many applications require continuous, high intensity linear light sources of indefinite length