Patent Grant
10309620
The disclosure relates to the field of LED illumination and more particularly to techniques for improved accessories for LED lamp systems.
Accessories for standard halogen lamps such as MR16 lamps include, for example, lenses, diffusers, color filters, polarizers, linear dispersion, accessories, collimators, projection frames, louvers and baffles. Such accessories are commercially available from companies such as Abrisa, Rosco, and Lee Filters. These accessories can be used to control the quality of light from the lamps including elimination of glare, to change the color temperature of the lamp, or to tailor a beam profile for a particular application.
Generally, accessories for certain lamps (e.g., halogen lamps) are required to withstand high temperatures. Often, such halogen lamp accessories require disassembly of the lamp from the luminaire to incorporate the accessory. This set of disadvantages results in the accessories having high costs and being cumbersome and/or expensive and/or complicated to install.
Moreover, with the advances in LED illumination, LED lamps offer much longer lifetimes, much more efficient lighting and other attributes that improve function and reduce overall cost of ownership. This situation provides a baseline for introducing features into LED lamps in order to still further improve the utility of LED lamps. For example, LED lamps can be fitted with a wide variety of active accessories. Miniaturized electronics have become very small, and relatively inexpensive (e.g., a CCD camera), thus setting up an opportunity to deploy miniaturized electronics adapted as active accessories to be used in conjunction with LED lamps.
There is a need for improved approaches for attaching field-installable accessories to lamps and/or lamp systems.
This disclosure relates to an apparatus allowing for simple and low cost implementation of accessories for LED lamp systems that can be used to retrofit existing luminaires.
In a first aspect, apparatus are disclosed comprising an LED lamp, a lens mechanically affixed to the LED lamp; a first fixture mechanically attached to the lens; a first accessory having a second fixture, wherein the first accessory is mated in proximity to the lens using the first fixture and the second fixture; and wherein the first fixture and the second fixture are configured to produce a retaining force between the first accessory and the lens.
In a second aspect, methods of providing and assembling LED lamp accessories are disclosed.
In a third aspect, methods of providing baffles to be used in assembling LED lamp systems are provided.
In a fourth aspect, techniques to adapt miniaturized electronics to be used as active accessories for LED lamps are presented.
Those skilled in the art will understand that the drawings, described herein, are for illustration purposes only. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The term “accessory” or “accessories” includes any mechanical, optical or electro-mechanical component or electrical component to be mated to an LED lamp. In certain embodiments, an accessory comprises an optically transmissive film, sheet, collimator, frame, plate, or combination of any of the foregoing. In certain embodiments, an accessory includes a mechanical fixture to retain the accessory in its mated position. In certain embodiments, an accessory is magnetically retained in place.
The acronym “FWHM” refers to a measurement known in the art as “full-width half-maximum”.
The term “exemplary” is used herein to mean serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. Rather, use of the word exemplary is intended to present concepts in a concrete fashion.
The term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive “or”.
That is, unless specified otherwise, or is clear from the context, “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, if X employs A, X employs B, or X employs both A and B, then “X employs A or B” is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or is clear from the context to be directed to a singular form.
Reference is now made in detail to certain embodiments. The disclosed embodiments are not intended to be limiting of the claims.
The compositions of wavelength-converting materials referred to in the present disclosure comprise various wavelength-converting materials.
Wavelength conversion materials can be ceramic or semiconductor particle phosphors, ceramic or semiconductor plate phosphors, organic or inorganic downconverters, upconverters (anti-stokes), nano-particles, and other materials which provide wavelength conversion. Some examples are listed below:
(Srn,Ca1-n)10(PO4)6*B2O3:Eu2+ (wherein 0≤n≤1)
(Ba,Sr,Ca)5(PO4)3(Cl,F,Br,OH):Eu2+, Mn2+
(Ba,Sr,Ca)BPO5:Eu2+, Mn2+
Sr2Si3O8*2SrCl2:Eu2+
(Ca,Sr,Ba)3MgSi2O8:Eu2+, Mn2+
BaAl8O13:Eu2+
2SrO*0.84P2O5*0.16B2O3:Eu2+
(Ba,Sr,Ca)MgAl10O17:Eu2+, Mn2+
K2SiF6:Mn4+
(Ba,Sr,Ca)Al2O4:Eu2+
(Y,Gd,Lu,Sc,La)BO3:Ce3+, Tb3+
(Ba,Sr,Ca)2(Mg,Zn)Si2O7:Eu2+
(Mg,Ca,Sr, Ba,Zn)2Si1-xO4-2x:Eu2+ (wherein 0≤x≤0.2)
(Ca, Sr, Ba)MgSi2O6:Eu2+
(Sr,Ca,Ba)(Al,Ga)2S4:Eu2+
(Ca,Sr)8(Mg,Zn)(SiO4)4Cl2:Eu2+, Mn2+
Na2Gd2B2O7:Ce3+, Tb3+
(Sr,Ca,Ba,Mg,Zn)2P2O7:Eu2+, Mn2+
(Gd,Y,Lu,La)2O3:Eu3+, Bi3+
(Gd,Y,Lu,La)2O2S:Eu3+, Bi3+
(Gd,Y,Lu,La)VO4:Eu3+, Bi3+
(Ca,Sr)S:Eu2+, Ce3+
(Y,Gd,Tb,La,Sm,Pr,Lu)3(Sc,Al,Ga)5-nO12-3/2n:Ce3+ (wherein 0≤n≤0.5)
ZnS:Cu+, Cl−
(Y,Lu,Th)3Al5O12:Ce3+
ZnS:Cu+, Al3+
ZnS:Ag+, Al3+
ZnS:Ag+, Cl−
The group:
Ca1-xA1x−xySi1-x+xyN2-x−xyCxy:A
Ca1-x−zNazM(III)x−xy−zSi1-x+xy+zN2-x−xyCxy:A
M(II)1-x−zM(I)zM(III)x−xy−zSi1-x+xy+zN2-x−xyCxy:A
M(II)1-x−zM(I)zM(III)x−xy−zSi1-x+xy+zN2-x−xy−2w/3CxyOw-v/2Hv:A
M(II)1-x−zM(I)zM(III)x−xy−zSi1-x+xy+zN2-x−xy−2w/3-v/3CxyOwHv:A
wherein 0<x<1, 0<y<1, 0≤z<1, 0≤v<1, 0<w<1, x+z<1, x>xy+z, and 0<x−xy−z<1, M(II) is at least one divalent cation, M(I) is at least one monovalent cation, M(III) is at least one trivalent cation, H is at least one monovalent anion, and A is a luminescence activator doped in the crystal structure.
LaAl(Si 6-z Al z)(N 10-z Oz):Ce3+ (wherein z=1)
(Ca, Sr) Ga2S4:Eu2+
AlN:Eu2+
SrY2S4:Eu2+
CaLa2S4:Ce3+
(Ba,Sr,Ca)MgP2O7:Eu2+, Mn2+
(Y,Lu)2WO6:Eu3+, Mo6+
CaWO4
(Y,Gd,La)2O2S:Eu3+
(Y,Gd,La)2O3:Eu3+
(Ba,Sr,Ca)nSinNn:Eu2+ (where 2n+4=3n)
Ca3(SiO4)Cl2:Eu2+
(Y,Lu,Gd)2-nCanSi4N6+nC1-n:Ce3+, (wherein 0≤n≤0.5)
(Lu,Ca,Li,Mg,Y) alpha-SiAlON doped with Eu2+ and/or Ce3+
(Ca,Sr,Ba)SiO2N2:Eu2+, Ce3+
Ba3MgSi2O8:Eu2+, Mn2+
(Sr,Ca)AlSiN3:Eu2+
CaAlSi(ON)3:Eu2+
Ba3MgSi2O8:Eu2+
LaSi 3N5:Ce3+
Sr10(PO4)6Cl2:Eu2+
(BaSi)O12N2:Eu2+
M(II)aSibOcNdCe:A wherein (6<a<8, 8<b<14, 13<c<17, 5<d<9, 0<e<2) and M(II) is a divalent cation of (Be,Mg,Ca,Sr,Ba,Cu,Co,Ni,Pd,Tm,Cd) and A of (Ce,Pr,Nd,Sm,Eu,Gd,Tb,Dy,Ho,Er,Tm,Yb,Lu,Mn,Bi,Sb)
SrSi2(O,Cl)2N2:Eu2+
SrSi9Al19 ON31:Eu2+
(Ba,Sr)Si2(O,Cl)2N2:Eu2+
LiM2O8:Eu3+ where M=(W or Mo)
For purposes of the application, it is understood that when a phosphor has two or more dopant ions (i.e., those ions following the colon in the above phosphors), this is to mean that the phosphor has at least one (but not necessarily all) of those dopant ions within the material. That is, as understood by those skilled in the art, this type of notation means that the phosphor can include any or all of those specified ions as dopants in the formulation.
Further, it is to be understood that nanoparticles, quantum dots, semiconductor particles, and other types of materials can be used as wavelength converting materials. The list above is representative and should not be taken to include all the materials that may be used within embodiments described herein.
Reference is now made in detail to certain embodiments. The disclosed embodiments are not intended to be limiting of the claims.
In certain embodiments, an LED lamp comprises a lens having a center and a diameter, a first magnet attached to the center of the lens, a first accessory disposed on the lens, and a second magnet attached to the center of the first accessory wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are configured to retain the first accessory against the lens. In a further embodiment, the magnets are configured such that the magnetic force between the first magnet and the second magnet enable the self-centering of the accessory on to the lamp.
The first and second opposing magnets can be configured to retain the accessory against the lens. For example, the opposing magnets may have an opposite polarity. The accessory 104 may have substantially the same diameter as the lens, and in certain embodiments cover an optical region of the lens such as, for example, greater than 90% of the optical aperture of the LED lamp. For example, in certain embodiments the diameter of the accessory is from about 99% to 101% of the diameter of the lens, from about 95% to 105% the diameter of the lens, and in certain embodiments from about 90% to about 110% the diameter of the lens. In certain embodiments, the accessory comprises a transparent film such as, for example, a plastic film. In other embodiment, the accessory may be a plate made of light transmissive material including plastic or glass. In certain embodiments, the accessory is selected from a diffuser, a color filter, a polarizer, a linear dispersion element, a projector, a louver, a baffle, and/or any combination of any of the foregoing. In certain embodiments, the first magnet and the first accessory have a combined thickness of less than about 5 mm, less than about 3 mm, less than about 1 mm, less than about 0.5 mm, and in certain embodiments, less than about 0.25 mm.
In some embodiments, a metallic member (e.g., using iron, nickel, cobalt, certain steels and/or other alloys, and/or other rigid or semi-rigid materials) may replace one of the magnets, and may serve to accept a mechanically mated accessory. Any one or more known-in-the-art techniques can be applied to the design of the lens 106 (and/or lens subassembly) so as to accommodate a mechanically mated accessory. For example, the aforementioned mechanical mating techniques may comprise a mechanical fixture such as a ring clip member, a bayonet member, a screw-in ring member, a leaf spring member, a hinge, or a combination of any of the foregoing. Any of the mating techniques disclosed herein can further serve to center the accessory upon installation and/or during use.
In certain embodiments as shown in
In certain embodiments, a third accessory 203 can be attached. For example, a third accessory can be a projection frame (as shown), a collimator (see
A collimator is a tube with walls that attenuates light, or are opaque (e.g., do not transmit light). The purpose of the collimator is to block or “cut off” or reduce the projection of high angle light coming from the lamp. The collimator can be formed of a tube with openings such as, for example, one opening at each end of the tube. At the end near the lamp, light enters the tube and the low angle light exits the tube at the other end of the collimator opening whereas high angle light is absorbed by and/or is extracted by the collimator walls. The length of the collimator can be determined, at least in part, by the amount of high angle light emitted by the lamp.
A projection frame is similar to a collimator with the addition of a set of light frame features such as, for example, shatters, baffles, and/or louvers, positioned at the output end of the collimator. The light frame features are positioned a distance away from the lens, and as such, features formed by the shape of the frame can be projected on the wall. The frame for example may comprise a set of baffles that block, direct, and/or reflect at least part of the light to form any arbitrary set of patterns, for example, rectangular, square, oval, and/or triangular patters of the projected light from the lamp. In certain embodiments, the frame may have a silhouette image that is designed to be projected onto a surface such as a wall.
The term “LED lamp” can any include any type of LED illumination source including lamp types that emit directed light where the light distribution is generally directed within a single hemisphere. Such lamp types include, for example, lamps having form factors such as MR, PAR, BR, ER, or AR. Table 1 below lists a subset of specific designations of the aforementioned form factors.
Also, some embodiments of an LED lamp are in the form of directional lamps of various designations, as given in Table 2.
Still further, there are many configurations for the base of LED lamp systems beyond the depicted GU5.3 MR16 lamp (e.g., see
Additionally, there are many G-type lamps such as G4, GU4, GY4, GZ4, G5, G5.3, G5.3-4.8, GU5.3, GX5.3, GY5.3, G6.35, GX6.35, GY6.35, GZ6.35, G8, GY8.6, G9, G9.5, GU10, G12, G13, G23, GU24, G38, GX53.
In certain lamps such as an ER lamp, the lens is referred to as a shield. Thus, in certain embodiments, a lens includes shields which do not substantially serve to divert light.
Accessories and methods of attached accessories disclosed herein may be used with any suitable LED lamp configuration such as, for example, any of those disclosed in Table 1, and/or those configurations disclosed in Table 2, and/or those configurations disclosed in Table 3, and/or those configurations disclosed as G-type lamps above.
In various embodiments, lens 410 and mechanically-retained accessory 460 may be formed from transparent material such as glass, polycarbonate, acrylic, COC material, or other material. In certain embodiments, the lens 410 may be configured in a folded path configuration to generate a narrow output beam angle. Such a folded optic lens enables embodiments of the lighting source 400 to have a tighter columniation of output light than is normally available from a conventional reflector of equivalent depth. The mechanically-retained accessory 460 may perform any of the function or functions as previously described for accessories.
In
In other embodiments, lens 410 may be secured to a heat sink 430 using the clips described above. Alternatively, lens 410 may be secured to one or more indents of the heat sink 430, as will be illustrated below in greater detail. In some embodiments, once lens 410 is secured to the heat sink 430; the attachments are not intended to be removed by hand. In some cases, one or more tools are to be used to separate these components without damage.
The embodiments of
In certain embodiments, as will be discussed below, integrated LED assemblies and modules may include multiple LEDs such as, for example, 36 LEDs arranged in a series, in parallel series (e.g., three parallel strings of 12 LEDs in series), or other configurations. In certain embodiments, any number of LEDs may be used such as, for example, 1, 10, 16, or more. In certain embodiments, the LEDs may be electrically coupled serially or in any other appropriate configuration.
In certain embodiments, the targeted power consumption for LED assemblies is less than 13 W. This is much less than the typical power consumption of halogen-based MR16 lights (50 W). Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure are capable of matching the brightness or intensity of halogen-based MR16 lights, but using less than 20% of the energy. In certain embodiments, the LED assemblies may be configured for higher power operation such as greater than 13 W and incorporated into higher-output lamp form factors such as PAR30, PAR38, and other lamp form factors. In certain applications, an LED assembly can be incorporated into a luminaire and the lens assembly can accommodate accessorizing according to the embodiments provided by the present disclosure, which is not limited to retrofit lamps.
In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the LED assembly 420 is directly secured to the heat sink 430 to dissipate heat from the light output portion and/or the electrical driving circuits. In some embodiments, the heat sink 430 may include a protrusion portion 450 to be coupled to electrical driving circuits. As will be discussed below, LED assembly 420 typically includes a flat substrate such as silicon or the like. In various embodiments, it is contemplated that an operating temperature of the LED assembly 420 may be on the order of 125° C. to 140° C. The silicon substrate is then secured to the heat sink using a high thermal conductivity epoxy (e.g., thermal conductivity ˜96 W/mk). In some embodiments, a thermoplastic/thermoset epoxy may be used such as TS-369, TS-3332-LD, or the like, available from Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo K.K. Other epoxies may also be used. In some embodiments, no screws are used to secure the LED assembly to the heat sink, however, screws or other fastening means may be used in other embodiments.
In some embodiments, heat sink 430 may be formed from a material having a low thermal resistance/high thermal conductivity. In some embodiments, heat sink 430 may be formed from an anodized 6061-T6 aluminum alloy having a thermal conductivity k=167 W/mk, and a thermal emissivity e=0.7. In other embodiments, other materials may be used such as 6063-T6 or 1050 aluminum alloy having a thermal conductivity k=225 W/mk and a thermal emissivity e=0.9. In other embodiments, still other alloys such AL 1100, or the like may be used. In still other embodiments, a die cast alloy with thermal conductivity as low as 96 W/mk is used. Additional coatings may also be added to increase thermal emissivity, for example, paint provided by ZYP Coatings, Inc., which incorporate CR2O3 or CeO2 may provide a thermal emissivity e=0.9; coatings provided by Materials Technologies Corporation under the trade name Duracon™ may provide a thermal emissivity e>0.98 and the like. In other embodiments, heat sink 430 may include other metals such as copper, or the like.
In some examples, at an ambient temperature of 50° C., and in free natural convection, the heat sink 430 has been measured to have a thermal resistance of approximately 8.5° C./W, and the heat sink 430 has been measured to have a thermal resistance of approximately 7.5° C./W. With further development and testing, it is believed that a thermal resistance of as little as 6.6° C./W may be achieved. In view of the present disclosure, one of ordinary skill in the art will be able to envision other materials having different thermal properties.
In certain embodiments, a base module 440 in
The shell of base module 440 may be formed from an aluminum alloy or a zinc alloy and/or may be formed from an alloy similar to that used for heat sink. In one example, an alloy such as AL 1100 may be used. In other embodiments, high temperature plastic material may be used. In some embodiments, instead of being separate units, base module 440 may be monolithically formed with heat sink 430.
As illustrated in
In some embodiments, to facilitate a transfer of heat from the LED driving circuitry to the shell of the base assemblies and to facilitate transfer of heat from the silicon substrate of the LED device, a potting compound may be provided. The potting compound may be applied in a single step to the internal cavity of base module 440 and/or to the recess within heat sink 430. In certain embodiments, a compliant potting compound such as Omegabond® 200 available from Omega Engineering, Inc. or 50-1225 from Epoxies, Etc. may be used. In other embodiments, other types of heat transfer materials may be used.
In certain embodiments, the LEDs 500 are mounted upon a silicon substrate 510, or other thermally conductive substrate. In certain embodiments, a thin electrically insulating layer and/or a reflective layer may separate LEDs 500 and the silicon substrate 510. Heat produced from LEDs 500 may be transferred to the silicon substrate 510 and/or to a heat sink by means of a thermally conductive epoxy, as discussed herein.
In certain embodiments, the silicon substrate is approximately 5.7 mm×5.7 mm in size, and approximately 0.6 mm in depth, or the silicon substrate is approximately 8.5 mm×8 mm in size, and approximately 0.6 mm in depth. The dimensions may vary according to specific lighting requirements. For example, for lower brightness intensity, fewer LEDs may be mounted upon the substrate and accordingly the substrate may decrease in size. In other embodiments, other substrate materials may be used and other shapes and sizes may also be used.
As shown in
As illustrated in
Various shapes and sizes for FPC 540 may be used in the embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, as illustrated in
In combining
As an alternative, the LEDs 500 may be positioned to emit light into the cavity of the lamp, and the LEDs are powered by means of discrete conductors. In various embodiments, the LEDs may be tested for proper operation, and such testing can be done after the LED lamp is in a fully-assembled or in a partially-assembled state.
In certain embodiments, the following process may be performed to form an LED assembly/module. Initially, a plurality of LEDs 500 are provided upon an electrically insulated silicon substrate 510 and wired, step 600. As illustrated in
Next, a plurality of electronic driving circuit devices and contacts may be soldered to the flexible printed circuit 540, step 630. The contacts are for receiving a driving voltage of approximately 12 VAC. As discussed above, unlike present state of the art MR16 light bulbs, the electronic circuit devices, in various embodiments, are capable of sustained high-temperature operation, (e.g., 120° C.).
In various embodiments, the second portion of the flexible printed circuit including the electronic driving circuit is inserted into the heat sink and into the inner cavity of the base module, step 640. As illustrated, the first portion of the flexible printed circuit is then bent approximately 90 degrees such that the silicon substrate is adjacent to the recess of the heat sink. The back side of the silicon substrate is then bonded to the heat sink within the recess of the heat sink using an epoxy, or the like, step 650.
In various embodiments, one or more of the heat producing the electronic driving components/circuits may be bonded to the protrusion portion of the heat sink, step 660. In some embodiments, electronic driving components/circuits may have heat dissipating contacts (e.g., metal contacts). These metal contacts may be attached to the protrusion portion of the heat sink via screws (e.g., metal, nylon, or the like). In some embodiments, a thermal epoxy may be used to secure one or more electronic driving components to the heat sink. Subsequently a potting material is used to fill the air space within the base module and to serve as an under fill compound for the silicon substrate, step 670.
Subsequently, a reflective lens may be secured to the heat sink, step 680, and the LED light source may then be tested for proper operation, step 690.
In certain embodiments, the base subassembly/modules that operate properly may be packaged along with one or more optically transmissive member offerings and/or a retaining ring (described above), step 700, and shipped to one or more distributors, resellers, retailers, or customers, step 710. In certain embodiments, the modules and separate optically transmissive member offerings may be stocked, stored, or the like. The optically transmissive member offerings may be in the form of lenses.
Subsequently, in various embodiments, an end user desires a particular lighting solution, step 720. In certain examples, the lighting solution may require different beam angles, different cut-off angles or roll-offs, different coloring, different field angles, and the like. In various embodiments, the beam angles, the field angles, and the full cutoff angles may vary from the above, based upon engineering and/or marketing requirements. Additionally, the maximum intensities may also vary based upon engineering and/or marketing requirements.
Based upon the end-user's application, secondary optically transmissive members may be selected, step 730. In various embodiments, the selected lens may or may not be part of a kit for the lighting module. In other words, in some examples, various optically transmissive members are provided with each lighting module, while in other examples, lighting modules are provided separately from the optically transmissive members.
In various embodiments, an assembly process may include attaching the retaining ring to one or more optically transmissive member and snapping the retaining ring into a groove of the heat sink, step 740. In other embodiments, a retaining ring is already installed for each optically transmissive member that is provided.
In some embodiments, once the retaining ring is snapped into the heat sink, clips, or the like, the retaining ring (and secondary optic lens) cannot be removed by hand. In such cases, a tool such as a thin screwdriver, pick, or the like must be used to remove a secondary optic lens (optically transmissive members) from the assembled unit. In other embodiments, the restraint mechanism may be removed by hand.
In
In
In certain embodiments, the optically transmissive members may be coupled to an intermediate grille, or the like, that is coupled to the heat sink and/or reflective lens. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure are applicable for use in wide-beam light sources or in narrow-beam light sources.
In some embodiments, for example, embodiments without the magnet 1021 attached to the center of the lens 106, there can be light leakage at high optical angles, which light leakage causes unwanted glare. The magnet 1021 serves to block at least a portion of the unwanted high-angle light, and a reduction in glare is in response to the shape and position of the magnet. In some embodiments, the magnet 1021 may have a special reflector coat on it to enhance the reflection of the high angle light back into or toward the general direction of the LED light source. In some embodiments, the magnet 1021 may be coated with a material to absorb the light. In other embodiments, the magnet 1021 may have an untreated surface that provides for tuned absorption and/or reflection. Furthermore, the magnet may be embodied as a disk, as a ring, as a doughnut, or any other appropriate shape.
One aspect of affixing a magnet to a lens is the lens light efficiency. Therefore the pocket on the lens should be only as deep as necessary. A thin magnet is used for the specific application of affixing the magnet on the face of the lens. As shown, the cap geometry is designed to encapsulate the thin magnet on the lens (which assembly is shown in
In some cases the pockets are designed such that the same cap can be used to encapsulate the magnet on either the lens or the accessory.
In certain embodiments, an illumination source is configured to output light having a user-modifiable beam characteristic. Such an illumination source comprises an LED light unit configured to provide a light output in response to an output driving voltage; a driving module coupled to the LED light unit, wherein the driving module is configured to receive an input driving voltage and is configured to provide the output driving voltage; a heat sink coupled to the LED light unit, wherein the heat sink is configured to dissipate heat produced by the LED light unit and by the driving module; a reflector coupled to the heat sink, wherein the reflector is configured to receive the light output, and wherein the reflector is configured to output a first light beam having a first beam characteristic; and a lens coupled to the heat sink, wherein the lens is configured to receive the first light beam having the first beam characteristic, and wherein the lens is configured to output a second light beam having a second beam characteristic, wherein the lens is selected by the user to achieve the second beam characteristic and wherein the lens is coupled to the heat sink by the user.
In certain embodiments, such as the immediately preceding embodiment, an illumination source is provided comprising a transmissive optical lens and a retaining ring coupled to the transmissive optical lens, wherein the retaining ring is configured to couple the transmissive optical lens to the heat sink.
In certain embodiments, a retaining ring comprises an incomplete circle.
In certain embodiments of an illumination source, a lens that is coupled to a heat sink is configured to require use of a tool to decouple the lens from the heat sink.
In certain embodiments of an illumination source, the intensity for the light output from the illumination source is greater than approximately 1500 candela.
In certain embodiments of an illumination source, the first beam characteristic is selected from a beam angle, a cut-off angle, a roll-off characteristic, a field angle, and/or a combination of any of the foregoing.
In certain embodiments of an illumination source, a heat sink comprises a plurality of heat dissipation fins wherein at least one of the plurality of heat dissipation fins includes a retaining mechanism, and a lens is configured to be coupled to at least one of the plurality of heat dissipation fins by means of a retaining mechanism.
In certain embodiments of an illumination source, a retaining mechanism is selected from an indentation on the heat dissipation fin, a clip coupled to the heat dissipation fin, and/or a combination thereof.
In certain embodiments of an illumination source, a heat sink comprises an MR16 form factor heat sink.
In certain embodiments of an illumination source, a driving module comprises a GU5.3 compatible base.
Certain embodiments provided by the present disclosure include methods of providing accessories and components for assembling the accessories to a user. Certain embodiments further provide for methods of assembling accessories provided by the present disclosure.
In certain embodiments of methods for configuring a light source to provide a light beam having a user-selected beam characteristic comprise receiving a light source, wherein the light source comprises an LED light unit configured to provide a light output in response to an output driving voltage; a driving module coupled to the LED light unit, wherein the driving module is configured to receive an input driving voltage and is configured to provide the output driving voltage; a heat sink coupled to the LED light unit, wherein the heat sink is configured to dissipate heat produced by the LED light unit and by the driving module, and a reflector coupled to the heat sink, wherein the reflector is configured to receive the light output, and wherein the reflector is configured to output a light beam having a first beam characteristic; receiving a user selection of a lens to achieve a second beam characteristic, wherein the lens is configured to receive the light beam having the first beam characteristic and wherein the lens is configured to output a light beam having the second beam characteristic; receiving the lens in response to the user selection of the lens, separate from the light source; and coupling the lens to the light source.
In certain methods such as the immediately preceding method, the lens comprises an optical lens and a retaining ring coupled to the optical lens, wherein the retaining ring is configured to couple the optical lens to the heat sink and wherein coupling the lens to the heat sink comprises compressing the retaining ring about the optical lens; disposing the retaining ring that is compressed within a portion of the heat sink; and releasing the retaining ring such that the retaining ring is coupled to the portion of the heat sink.
In certain embodiments of methods, the retaining ring comprises a circular shaped metal.
In certain embodiments, methods further comprise decoupling the lens from the heat sink using a tool wherein the decoupling step requires use of a tool to decouple the lens from the heat sink.
In certain embodiments, the intensity for the light output is greater than approximately 1500 candela.
In certain embodiments of methods, the first beam characteristic is selected from a group consisting of: beam angle, cut-off angles, roll-offs characteristic, and/or field angle.
In certain embodiments of methods, the heat sink comprises a plurality of heat dissipation fins wherein at least one of the plurality of heat dissipation fins includes a retaining mechanism, and wherein coupling the lens to heat sink comprises coupling the lens to the at least one heat dissipation fin via the retaining mechanism.
In certain embodiments of methods, the retaining mechanism is selected from a group consisting of: an indentation on the heat dissipation fin, and a clip coupled to the heat dissipation fin.
In certain embodiments of methods, the heat sink comprises an MR16 form factor heat sink.
In certain embodiments of methods, the driving module comprises a GU5.3 compatible base.
It is desired to have the light at the low angles about the axis. This figure shows that some light is leaking to angles above 60 degrees.
The diagram shows beam and FWHM with no baffle. With the baffle these values do not change significantly.
This figure shows an embodiment with a magnetic mounting disk (no center hole).
In this embodiment, the baffles are embedded within a plate made of transparent material such as polycarbonate, acrylic or glass. The baffles are embedded in the plastic similarly to the way 3M venetian blinds are embedded in the 3M “privacy screens”):
Tan(a)=P/T+tan(g)
Tan(b)=P/T−tan(g)
where P is the pitch as shown and T is the baffle height.
When the baffles are perpendicular to the base, then
Tan(b)=Tan(a)=P/T
Baffles can be easily mounted on other baffles using the magnetic mount. The baffle is an angular low pass filter as shown on
In this embodiment, the baffles are embedded within a plate made of transparent material such as polycarbonate, acrylic or glass. The baffles are embedded in the plastic similar to the way 3M venetian blinds are embedded in the 3M “privacy screens”.
In this embodiment, the baffles are made of absorbing cylindrical concentric rings as shown however, each one is covered on both sides with a coating of a low index material. The result is that the structure resembles an optical fiber with a core being, for example, polycarbonate and the clad is, for example, a 1.32 index material. The advantage is that this way the low pass filter is a true angle device and is more efficient compared with uncladded baffles.
In this embodiment a magnetically mounted reflective polarizer is added to the lamp. This can be on top of other elements such as magnetically mounted baffles or it can be standalone. This produces a polarized light source that is beneficial for many applications. The advantage of using the wire grid polarizer (as, for example, the ones made by Moxtek Corporation), is that the polarizer can withstand high power densities and also serves as a polarization recycler where the reflected light is hitting the LED and scatters and some of it but will make it through on a second path. An additional retarder can be also used between the lamp and the polarizer and can be also magnetically mounted to improve recycling efficiency.
This figure shows the possibility of additional functional elements in a cascading fashion using the magnetic mounting successively. In this case the baffles are followed by an element with concentric lenses for smoothing the profile of the output baffled beam.
Other functional elements can be added such as two dimensional “flyseye” elements, diffusers, polarizers etc.
A home or business may have several lamp types installed. Creating a set of smart accessories that fit any/all of these lamp types, and communicate with each other and with a central computer in a consistent manner enables the consumer or business owner to monitor and control their environment efficiently and effectively. The accessories can have unique IDs and communicate with each other and a central computer using standard protocols like uPnP, DLNA, or other interoperable or interoperability protocols. By using an expandable approach (e.g., using smart buttons versus a pre-integrated one that has the intelligence built into each lamp) allows the lamps to be integrated into any operational environment of building management systems or smart lighting systems using a choice of smart buttons, and without having to replace the lamps.
A standard interface like a universal serial bus (USB) can be implemented using a simple connector with four or five terminals that carry power and data. USB provides the opportunity to leverage the vast ecosystem of systems and devices that have been built over the past few decades for PCs, CE devices, smartphones, etc., as well as the continuous evolution of the interface to accommodate new usages for consumers and businesses.
A lamp can be built with a standard microcontroller or microprocessor with associated software, and with or without persistent connectivity to other devices or a central computer. The microcontroller or microprocessor can be used for internal lamp functions like controlling the LED driver, storing operational data like hours of usage, current and temperature data, etc. By attaching a smart USB slave button, the functionality of the lamp can be extended to include wireless communication to other lamps and a central computer for lamp monitoring and control, connection to peripheral devices like a camera and sensors.
A lamp can be built even without a microcontroller or microprocessor, yet supporting a simple USB-based readable storage that stores operational data of the lamp like hours of usage, current and temperature data, etc. Once a smart USB master button that has a microcontroller or microprocessor is connected to the lamp, that USB device can be read by the microcontroller or microprocessor on the smart button. The smart button can also integrate wireless networking to implement lamp monitoring and control, and can communicate with other lamps and/or can communicate with a central computer. It may also contain a camera and/or other sensors.
A lamp can be built with a device that provides power to the smart button connector. When a smart USB master button that has a microcontroller or microprocessor is connected to the lamp, the lamp can be turned into a smart lamp. The smart button can integrate wireless networking to implement lamp monitoring and control and communication with other lamps and a central computer. It may also contain a camera and sensors. It may also contain readable storage that stores operational data of the lamp such as hours of usage, current and temperature data, etc.
One embodiment disposes accessories on the face of the lamp, in a proximity that is thermally isolated from the heat source and high temperatures of the LED. In exemplary embodiments, the face of the lamp is open to the environment so as to facilitate heat dissipation of any electronics. Face-mounting further facilitates antenna placement (e.g., for wireless radio operation), and for camera and sensor operation. It also makes it easy to connect and disconnect accessories.
A well-known example of a color filter on a spot lamp is a correlated color temperature (CCT) shifting filter. Such filters rebalance the distribution of the lamp's spectral power distribution (SPD), typically by absorbing a fraction of the SPD which results in a shift of CCT. However, CCT is merely one characteristic of the SPD which can be modified by applying a filter. Other properties related to the quality of light include:
The following paragraphs discuss some of these properties and show how they can be modified by applying filters, according to embodiments of the invention. The following discussions make use of color metrics defined in the Color Quality Scale metric. The numerical values pertain to the most current version of this metric, i.e., version 9.0.
One possible quality of light metric is the gamut of the light source. To illustrate gamut enhancement, consider the methodology of using the 15 reflectance samples of the Color Quality Scale, then compute their chromaticity in CIELAB space under illumination by various sources and consider the gamut of the resulting points. This methodology is referred to as Qg in the Color Quality Scale.
In the following, various sources are considered and compared to blackbody radiators of the same CCT. Also illustrated are the gamut enhancement as in
In other cases, one does not seek to increase saturation for all colors but rather for a limited set of colors, which are then rendered more preferably. For instance, in some embodiments the SPD is modified in order to increase saturation specifically for yellow or red objects. In other embodiments the SPD is modified in order to increase the saturation of human skin of a given ethnicity, or to increase the red content in the rendering of said skin tone. A possible metric for such cases is the chromaticity shift of a given reflectance sample.
In some preferred embodiments of the invention, the increased saturation occurs for warm colors such as red, orange, pink rather than in colors such as yellow and blue. This is useful because end users frequently value warm colors the most.
In some preferred embodiments, the SPD of the invention is designed such that the skin of a given ethnicity (such as Caucasian) has increased saturation, either directly radial (redder) or in a slightly non-radial direction (red-yellow). In one preferred embodiment, the skin of a Caucasian ethnicity undergoes a chromatic shift which is substantially along the b* direction of the CIELAB space.
While the previous examples were provided for warm-white spectra (CCT of about 2700-3000K), the same approach can be used for any CCT. For instance, if a CCT of 5000K is desired, the spectrum may be designed to increase the gamut.
In some cases, a large color contrast between two objects is desired. For instance in medical settings, some diagnoses are formulated by considering the color difference between two tissues (in the case of skin conditions) or the color difference between oxygenated and non-oxygenated blood (diagnosis of cyanosis). Again, modifications in the spectrum similar to those described above can be designed to meet such a requirement. Here, rather than increasing the gamut, one may seek to increase the color distance between the two objects.
In the particular case of diagnosis of cyanosis, relevant metrics are the cyanosis observation index (COI) defined in Standard AZ/NZS 1680.2.5:1997, and the CCT. According to Standard AZ/NZS 1680.2.5:1997, it is recommended that a source have 3300K<CCT<5300K and that the COI be no greater than 3.3, with lower COI values being preferred.
The above discussion pertains to the rendering of various colors. In addition to color rendering, it is also possible to optimize the chromaticity (e.g., the white point) of the disclosure. Indeed, for a case where high fidelity is not required, there is more freedom in setting the chromaticity of the source. For instance it has been shown that sources with a chromaticity below the blackbody locus were preferred in some cases. For instance, a chromaticity located at Duv ˜10 points below the blackbody locus can be preferred.
It is possible to design the spectrum so that it combines increased gamut properties and a desired shift of the white point.
In addition to these various optimizations, the presence of violet light in the spectrum can be used to improve the quality of light. This can be done to improve the rendering of objects containing OBAs such as many manufactured white products. For instance, the amount of violet in the spectrum may be tuned to excite OBAs with enough intensity to reproduce the whiteness rendering of another source.
In other cases however, the presence of violet (or even ultra-violet) light is deleterious and should be avoided. This may be the case, for instance, in museums where the conservation of fragile works of art is contingent upon minimizing the amount of short-wavelength light. It is already known that in museums employing incandescent and halogen lamps, the use of ultra-violet cutting filters is important to preserve art. However, it is not trivial to remove short-wavelength radiation. If too much violet or blue light is taken out, chromaticity and CCT of the source is undesirably modified. Rather, care must be taken when designing the filter so that removing short-wavelength radiation is not done at the expense of quality of light.
Some embodiments of this disclosure achieve this as follows:
The filter of
Further, suppression of short-wavelength light can be combined with the gamut-enhancing effects discussed above. This results in a filter which removes short-wavelength radiation while also increasing the gamut of the spectrum. This can be desirable for a variety of applications.
For instance, some objects in museums have faded colors due to aging. In this case, use of a gamut-enhancing light source can restore the colors. In some embodiments of the invention, the filter is designed specifically to enhance the vividness of a given color (such as red, blue, or other) and make it visually more pleasant.
Another case is that of a low level of illumination. When light levels are low—for instance, about 10 lux—our ability to perceive colors diminishes (due to the partial scotopic contribution to our visual signal). Thus in museums where low light levels are maintained to ensure art conservation, this has the adverse effect of diminishing color saturation and making objects appear dull. To counter this effect, embodiments of the invention can be employed to increase color saturation in low-light conditions.
Similar to the removal of short-wavelength light, other embodiments of the invention provide suppression of another spectral band while maintaining the quality of light. For instance, consider a situation where one may desire to remove cyan light from the spectrum (this could be due to some health concern, for instance). A simple filter which blocks cyan light with no other effect will result in a CCT and chromaticity shift, and in a modification of the source's CRI. On the other hand, embodiments of the invention provide a block in the cyan spectral range, and further reshape the spectrum outside this range so that CCT, chromaticity or CRI can be maintained.
In addition, in some cases the spectrum may be tuned for optimal interaction with another device such as a photo or video camera. Such image capture devices use light sensors with color filters (typically red, green and blue) in order to capture color information. The filters can have cross-talk, e.g., the transmission window of two filters may overlap. Using a light source which possesses spectral gaps in the overlap regions can help subsequent treatment of the data to reproduce the images in the scene. This may be used in conjunction with software which takes the source spectrum into account in order to accurately reproduce colors.
As a consequence, it is desirable to configure an LED-based lamp which is useful for general illumination purposes and which improves on the quality-of-light limitations described above.
As discussed herein, this can in general be achieved by adding or removing light from a reference spectrum. Specifically, in the context of the invention, absorbing or reflecting filters can be formed on embodiments of the invention. The spectrum of a lamp, filtered by such a filter, then emanates improved quality of light. The lamp whose spectrum is modified may be a general-purpose lamp, or it may be a lamp whose spectrum has already been optimized to operate in conjunction with an embodiment of the invention (for instance, an LED lamp with a properly chosen phosphor set which interacts properly with a specific filter). The filter can be of various constructions, for instance a filter can comprise a dielectric stack with particular transmission characteristics, and/or a color gel, and/or an absorbing material (such as an absorbing glass), etc.
Further examples of certain embodiments are provided as follows:
An apparatus comprising:
an LED lamp (e.g., including spot lamps and non-spot lamps, including candelabras);
an optical element (e.g., a lens or diffuser), the optical element mechanically affixed to the LED lamp, such that an initial light pattern is emanated out of the lamp;
a first fixture mechanically attached to the optical element;
a first accessory comprising a second fixture, wherein the first accessory is mated in proximity to the optical element using the first fixture and the second fixture; and
wherein the first accessory is configured to modulate the initial light pattern into a modified light pattern.
The apparatus of embodiment 1, wherein the first accessory is configured such that the modified light pattern has a Color Quality Scale gamut metric Qg of 1.05 or higher.
The apparatus of embodiment 1, wherein the first accessory is configured such that the modified light pattern has a Color Quality Scale gamut metric Qg in the range 1.10 to 1.40 and a Color Quality Scale fidelity metric Qf of 60 or higher.
The apparatus of embodiment 1, wherein the first accessory is configured such that the initial light pattern and the modified light pattern have Color Quality Scale gamut metrics Qg, and the Qg of the modified light pattern is at least 5% larger than the Qg of the initial light pattern.
The apparatus of embodiment 1, wherein the first accessory is configured to substantially increase a visual saturation of warm colors such as red, orange and pink objects, versus a conventional lamp with same correlated color temperature.
The apparatus of embodiment 1, wherein the first accessory is configured such that the modified light pattern modifies a saturation of at least one of the following Color Quality Scale samples: VS1 (red), VS2 (red-orange), VS3 (orange), VS14 (red-pink), VS15 (pink); the saturation being increased by at least 5% versus a conventional lamp with a same correlated color temperature.
The apparatus of embodiment 1, wherein the first accessory is configured such that the modified light pattern renders various Caucasian skins with a color distortion which is substantially along the CIELAB b* direction, with an increase in b* of at least 1 point.
The apparatus of embodiment 1, wherein the first accessory is configured such that the modified light pattern has a chromaticity lying below the Planckian locus by a distance of at least 3 Du′v′ points.
The apparatus of embodiment 1, wherein the first accessory is configured to substantially suppress light at wavelengths below 430 nm in the modified light pattern.
The apparatus of embodiment 9, wherein the first accessory is further configured such that the initial and final light patterns have substantially similar chromaticities.
The apparatus of embodiment 9, wherein the first accessory is further configured such that a color rendering index of the final light pattern is at least as high as a color rendering index of the initial light pattern.
The apparatus of embodiment 9, wherein the first accessory is further configured such that a color rendering index of the modified light pattern is at least 90.
The apparatus of embodiment 9, wherein the first accessory is further configured such that the modified light pattern has a Color Quality Scale gamut metric Qg of 1.05 or higher.
The apparatus of embodiment 1, wherein the first accessory is configured to render common OBA-containing white objects such that their color is substantially similar to that under a natural light source of a same correlated color temperature.
Still further embodiments can be envisioned to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading this disclosure. In other embodiments, combinations or sub-combinations of this disclosure can be advantageously made. The block diagrams of the architecture and flow charts are grouped for ease of understanding. However it should be understood that combinations of blocks, additions of new blocks, rearrangement of blocks, and the like are contemplated in alternative embodiments of the present disclosure, such as, for example the lamp application configurations of the following figures.
In some embodiments, aspects of the present disclosure can be used in an assembly. As shown in
a screw cap 5228
a driver housing 5226
a driver board 5224
a heatsink 5222
a metal-core printed circuit board 5220
an LED lightsource 5218
a dust shield 5216
a lens 5214
a reflector disc 5212
a magnet 5210
a magnet cap 5208
a trim ring 5206
a first accessory 5204
a second accessory 5202
The components of assembly 52A00 may be described in substantial detail. Some components are ‘active components’ and some are ‘passive’ components, and can be variously-described based on the particular component's impact to the overall design, and/or impact(s) to the objective optimization function. A component can be described using a CAD/CAM drawing or model, and the CAD/CAM model can be analyzed so as to extract figures of merit as may pertain to e particular component's impact to the overall design, and/or impact(s) to the objective optimization function. Strictly as one example, a CAD/CAM model of a trim ring is provided in a model corresponding to the drawing of FIG. 52A2.
The components of the assembly 52A00 can be fitted together to form a lamp.
The components of the assembly 52A00 can be fitted together to form a lamp.
The components of the assembly 52A00 can be fitted together to form a lamp.
The components of the assembly 52A00 can be fitted together to form a lamp.
The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereunto without departing from the broader spirit and scope.
The examples describe constituent elements of the herein-disclosed embodiments. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications, both to materials and methods, may be practiced without departing from the scope of the disclosure. And, it should be noted that there are alternative ways of implementing the embodiments disclosed herein. Accordingly, the present embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the claims are not to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope and equivalents thereof.
The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/166,692, filed on Jan. 28, 2014, which is continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/014,112, filed on Aug. 29, 2013, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/915,432, filed on Jun. 11, 2013, which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/659,386, filed on Jun. 13, 2012, and this application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/480,767 filed on May 25, 2012, which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/530,832, filed on Sep. 2, 2011; and this application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/886,547, filed on May 3, 2013, which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/642,984 filed on May 4, 2012 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/783,888 filed on Mar. 14, 2013; and the present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/776,173, filed on Mar. 11, 2013, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/757,597, filed on Jan. 28, 2013; each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8382315 | Lee | Feb 2013 | B2 |
| 8382321 | Lee | Feb 2013 | B2 |
| 20130016500 | Tress | Jan 2013 | A1 |
| 20130241419 | Ghafoori | Sep 2013 | A1 |
| 20140218888 | Chen | Aug 2014 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20170122530 A1 | May 2017 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61659386 | Jun 2012 | US | |
| 61530832 | Sep 2011 | US | |
| 61642984 | May 2012 | US | |
| 61783888 | Mar 2013 | US | |
| 61776173 | Mar 2013 | US | |
| 61757597 | Jan 2013 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14166692 | Jan 2014 | US |
| Child | 15344206 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14014112 | Aug 2013 | US |
| Child | 14166692 | US | |
| Parent | 13915432 | Jun 2013 | US |
| Child | 14014112 | US | |
| Parent | 13480767 | May 2012 | US |
| Child | 14166692 | US | |
| Parent | 13886547 | May 2013 | US |
| Child | 13480767 | US |
