Patent Application
20200232613
The current device is a lighting assembly that is primarily used in horticultural systems. This system allows for the installation and use of light emitting devices in a horticultural system. Current systems use light emitting diodes (LEDs) but if the LEDs fad, the entire lighting module or system must be replaced. These systems are costly to build and ship. The current device, allows for the use and easy replacement of the failed parts of the system without requiring the user to purchase an entirely new module. The configuration, ease of replacement, and cost savings on the current system are not and have not been contemplated by the prior art, as the industry believes it is not technologically or economically feasible to make LED lighting in this manner.
In addition to the novel features and advantages mentioned above, other benefits will be readily apparent from the following descriptions of the drawings and exemplary embodiments.
Horticulture lighting is known in the art. US Pat. App. No. 2010031562, for instance, describes a lighting installation for use in greenhouse farming for lighting crops in a greenhouse, comprising a number of light sources, such as lamps, provided above the crops to be lighted, and a number of dimmer devices for the light sources, characterized in that the dimmer devices are provided with control means for periodically, automatically varying the light intensity of the light sources cooperating with the dimmer devices according to a predetermined pattern.
US Pat. App. No. US2010031562 aims to provide a method and lighting installation, respectively, for greenhouse farming. In particular, the light sources are divided into a number of groups, the lighting installation being designed such that, in use, the power of each group varies according to a predetermined pattern, while patterns of different groups are phase-shifted relative to each other such that the electric power consumed by the joint groups varies less than the sum of the power variations of the separate groups, more particularly such that the electric power consumed by the joint groups varies less than the power variation of a single group, more particularly still such that the electric power consumed by the joint groups varies to a smallest possible extent, or does, at least virtually, not vary. In particular, all patterns are the same, but only phase-shifted relative to each other.
Various manufacturers make LED lighting systems for horticultural use. However, none of these commercially available systems disclose a system as herein disclosed in which the user can obtain the benefits of LED technology and be able to replace single key part(s) or key pieces of the system in an economical fashion which permits for the lighting system to have an extensively prolonged life.
Plants use the process of photosynthesis to convert light, C02 and H20 into carbohydrates (sugars). These sugars are used to fuel metabolic processes. The excess of sugars is used for biomass formation. This biomass formation includes stem elongation, increase of leaf area, flowering, fruit formation, etc. The photoreceptor responsible for photosynthesis is chlorophyll.
Pant growth depends not only on the amount of light but also on spectral composition, duration, and timing of the light on the plant. A combination of parameter values in terms of these aspects is called “light recipe” for growing the plan (herein, the words plant and crop can be interchanged).
LEDs can play a variety of roles in horticultural lighting such as: 1. Supplemental lighting: Lighting that supplements the natural daylight is used in order to increase production (of tomatoes for example) or extend crop production during e.g. the autumn, winter, and spring period when crop prices may be higher; 2. Photoperiodic lighting: The daily duration of light is important for many plants. The ratio of the light and dark period in a 24-hour cycle influences the blossoming response of many plants. Manipulating this ratio by means of supplemental lighting enables regulating the time of blossoming; 3. Cultivation without daylight in plant factories; 4. Tissue culture.
For providing supplemental lighting during autumn, winter, and spring in green-houses (or all-year round in certain environments such as multi-layer growth), in general high-power gas-discharge lamps are used that have to be mounted at a relative high location above the plants to ensure sufficiently uniform light distribution across the plants. At present, in green houses different types of high power lamps ranging from 600 up to 1000 W (e.g. high power HID) are used to provide plants with supplemental light. One drawback is that from the location above the plants the amount of light reaching the lower parts of the plant may be rather limited, dependent upon the type of crop. At the same time, the lower parts of the plant are often most in need of supplemental light. The same dilemma persists when using solid state lighting that is mounted above the plants. Nevertheless, LED lighting, especially solid-state lighting, has some advantages over discharge-based lighting.
Yet despite these advantages, it is hard and expensive to replace burned out lights and burned out LED lighting panels.
When plants experience any sudden changes in the environment, this translates to a certain stress level inhibiting efficient photosynthesis. This also applies to sudden light stress which may occur every time when supplementary lighting is used. Light changes occur as well naturally when clear sky changes to overcast weather. It has been shown that light induced stress can produce photo inhibition. An excess of light is the most common stress related to plants, however, sudden light interruptions cause stress on the plants as well. This especially has been observed when the plant is flowering.
For example, in a greenhouse with supplementary lighting, artificial light sources will be turned on (or off or be dimmed) automatically (based on light sensors and certain algorithms) or manually, or according to a specific light recipe. When this happens, plants will suddenly receive more (or less) light and they have to adjust theft rate of photosynthesis and other processes accordingly to accommodate this sudden change. This kind of stress is even worse in an environment when the artificial light is the only light source, such as in a tissue culture room (or multi-layer horticulture production facility). Similar effect occurs with turning off the light.
Hence, it is an aspect of the invention to provide an alternative lighting system and/or an alternative horticulture production facility (such as a greenhouse or multi-layer system) including (and using) such alternative lighting system, which preferably further at least partly obviates one or more of the above-described drawbacks. It is especially the intention of this invention to reduce the plant stress generated by sudden changes in the artificial lighting or natural daylight by providing a lighting system that is easy to use, control, and replace key components of thus preventing a long term lapse of light to growing plants when needed.
Hence, in a first aspect, the invention provides a lighting system comprising (i) a lighting device comprising a plurality of light sources for application in a horticulture production facility comprising said lighting device, wherein the light sources are configured to illuminate with horticulture light crops within said horticulture production facility, wherein the lighting system further has a power supply, lens, and a light emitting device(s) that are easy and cheaper to replace than conventional systems.
In terms of greenhouses for high wire crop growth, often inter-lighting is used, i.e. supplemental lighting in between the crops or plants, to illuminate areas of the plant that are difficult to illuminate from the top using natural outdoor light and/or artificial light. In the case of inter-lighting the “local light receiving area” is the vertical area of the plants illuminated with the inter-lighting. This vertical area is especially the area of a plane with a height which is the mean height of the plants in the row in a specific plant row and a length which is the length of the plant row. Hence, this can be seen as a cross-sectional vertical planar area parallel to the row of the plants or crops.
Herein, the term “horticulture production facility” may refer to a greenhouse or a multi-layer production facility (or multi-layer plant factory). Such horticulture production facility may substantially apply daylight as light source and optionally supplemental light, as will in general be the case in greenhouses, or may substantially use artificial light as light source, as will in general be the case in multi-layer facilities. A greenhouse may thus be seen as a type of single-layer plant factory.
The invention may overcome the following problems or disadvantages: 1. Plants experience stress when an artificial light source burns out and is not immediately replaced; 2. In the presence of natural daylight in a greenhouse environment, plants experience different light settings as they are on the North or South or East or West side of the greenhouse (cardinal positions). Those light settings differences get higher when artificial light is controlled regardless of daylight changes in intensity; 3. Similarly, LED chips experience stress (e.g., thermal and mechanical stress) at the moment of large current changes, e.g., from 0 mA to 350 mA. The stress is considered to affect the lifetime of the LED chips (and maybe other electronics components as well), and therefore potentially shortens the lifetime of LED lamps or modules. Advantageously, the invention provides a lighting system as well as the use of a method to cope with sudden (large) interruptions of light to the crop, by providing multiple lighting modules that are designed to simultaneously light a single area and provide for a method to quickly and cheaply replace light sources which have died. The above-mentioned problem(s) may be solved with this lighting system as well as this use of a method, especially in combination with a light sensor and a (remote) controlled lighting system.
The term “horticulture” relates to (intensive) plant cultivation for human use and is very diverse in its activities, incorporating plants for food (fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, culinary herbs) and non-food crops (flowers, trees and shrubs, turf-grass, hops, grapes, medicinal herbs). The term “crop” is used herein to indicate the horticulture plant that is grown or was grown. Plants of the same kind grown on a large scale for food, clothing, etc., may be called crops. A crop is a non-animal species or variety that is grown to be harvested as e.g. food, livestock fodder, fuel, or for any other economic purpose. The term “crop” may also relate to a plurality of crops. Horticulture crops may especially refer to food crops (tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and lettuce), as well as to plants (potentially) bearing such crops, such as a tomato plant, a pepper plant, a cucumber plant, etc. Horticulture may herein in general relate to e.g. crop and non-crop plants. Examples of crop plants are Rice, Wheat, Barley, Oats, Chickpea, Pea, Cowpea, Lentil, Green gram, Black gram, Soybean, Common bean, Moth bean, Linseed, Sesame, Khesari, Sunhemp, Chillies, Brinjal, Tomato, Cucumber, Okra, Peanut, Potato, Corn, Pearlmillet, Rye, Alfalfa, Radish, Cabbage, Lettuce, Pepper, Sunflower, Sugarbeet, Castor, Red clover, White clover, Safflower, Spinach, Onion, Garlic, Turnip, Squash, Muskmelon, Watermelon, Cucumber, Pumpkin, Kenai, Oilpalm, Carrot, Coconut, Papaya, Sugarcane, Coffee, Cocoa, Tea, Apple, Pears, Peaches, Cherries, Grapes, Almond, Strawberries, Pine apple, Banana, Cashew, Irish, Cassava, Taro, Rubber, Sorghum, Cotton, Triticale, Pigeonpea, and Tobacco. Especially of interest are tomato, cucumber, pepper, lettuce, water melon, papaya, apple, pear, peach, cherry, grape, and strawberry.
Horticulture crops may especially be grown in a greenhouse, which is an example of a horticulture production facility (or horticulture factory). Hence, the invention especially relates to the application of the lighting system and/or the (use of the) method in a greenhouse or other horticulture production facility. The lighting device, or more especially the plurality of light sources, may be arranged between plants, or between plants to be, which is referred to as “inter-lighting”. Horticulture growth on wires, like tomato plants, may be a specific field of application for inter-lighting, which application may be addressed with the present device and method. The lighting device, or more especially the plurality of light sources, may also be arranged over the plants or plants to be. Combinations of configurations of light sources, such as in between the crops (inter-lighting) and over the crops, may also be applied. Hence, in embodiments the light sources are configured over the crops, or between the crops, or over and between the crops.
Especially when horticulture crops are grown in layers on top of each other, artificial lighting is necessary. Growing horticulture crops in layers is indicated as “multilayer growth” and may take place in a (multi-layer growth) horticulture production facility. Also in multi-layer growth horticulture production facility, the lighting system and/or method may be applied.
In some exemplary embodiments, such horticulture application comprises a plurality of said lighting devices, wherein said lighting devices are optionally configured to illuminate crops substantially horizontally within said horticulture production facility (such as by inter-lighting). In another exemplary embodiment, the horticulture production facility comprises multiple layers for multi-layer crop growth, the horticulture application further comprising a plurality of said lighting devices, configured for lighting the crops in said plurality of layers.
The term “horizontal” in relation to the Illumination refers to a (substantial horizontal arrangement of the optical axis of the illumination beam generated by the light source or lighting device). The term “horizontal” ay refer to “substantially horizontal”, with slight deviations, like within 10°, especially within 5°, such as within 1°, from the earth's surface.
In case of a multi-layer system, this may relate to the area of a multi-layer. Light from optional other light sources, including the sun, may also be included. Hence, total light received by the plants can be seen as the sum of all photons that are generated and received per second, divided by the local light receiving area of the horticulture production facility.
The horticulture production facility may be divided in different locations (or areas). For instance, each light source, or a subset of light sources, is especially configured to provide lighting in a specific location (of the horticulture production facility or horticulture factory). The term “location” is used to indicate part of the area that is used to grow the horticulture crops. Further, the horticulture production facility, especially a greenhouse, may comprise locations that receive more daylight than others, or are subject to less or more daylight changes than others. It is for instance referred to the cardinal positions of locations within the horticulture production facility. Dependent upon for instance predetermined settings and/or the presence of a plurality of sensors, a plurality of locations may be defined. However, this does not exclude the definition of the whole interior of the horticulture production facility as a single location, though in general it may be desirable to define a plurality of locations to be able to locally prevent stress of plants. In such instances, it may be desirable to control the intensity (and optionally spectral light distribution; see also below), of the light at such location i.e. the local light. As will be clear to the person skilled in the art upon review of this application, the local light is the sum of the horticulture light and light at the location originating from an optional other light source, such as the sun.
As indicated above, it is desirable that the light intensity does not fluctuate too much (in short time periods). A very short fluctuation (with a return to the original level) may not be observed by the plants and may thus not lead to stress. Further, fluctuations on a large time scale may be adaptable for the plant. However, fluctuations with a substantial increase or reduction in light intensity (and/or spectral light distribution) may lead to plant stress.
It may also not be desirable to have a substantial change in spectral light distribution. Hence, with the lighting device allowing the spectral light distribution of the horticulture light to be tunable, the control unit may also be configured to prevent a substantial change in the spectral light distribution of the local light at the location over the predetermined period of time, as defined herein, by controlling the contribution of horticulture light to the local light. By tuning the spectral light distribution of the horticulture light from the light sources, locally a spectral light distribution change, if considered too substantial, may be compensated.
Further, it may especially be desirable to locally measure the light intensity of the local light, and optionally also the spectral light distribution of the local light. Hence, in an embodiment, the lighting system further comprises a sensor (especially optical sensor), configured to sense the amount of the local light at the location. The term “sensor” may also refer to a plurality of sensors. Especially, the horticulture production facility comprises a plurality of such light sensors. Each light sensor may be used to sense the light intensity of the local light, and optionally also the spectral light distribution of the local light, at a specific location. Or, in other words, the number of sensors may determine the number of locations.
Further, in some exemplary embodiments, the control unit is further configured to control one or more of the intensity and the spectral light distribution of the local light at the location as a function of a predetermined light recipe by controlling the contribution of the horticulture light to the local light. Hence, the control unit may impose a light scheme or recipe and impose this in such a way, that each change occurs gradually.
In a further aspect, the invention also provides a lighting device (or luminaire) that may e.g. be applied in this method. The term “lighting device” may also refer to a plurality of lighting devices, which may all be controlled with the same control unit (see further below). In a further aspect, the invention provides a lighting device comprising a plurality of light sources, especially arranged in 2D array of light sources. In specific exemplary embodiments, the lighting device may be based on an open grid or mesh of LEDs with connecting wires, wherein the grid or mesh of LEDs defines a grid plane, and wherein especially the LEDs are configured to provide horticulture light in beams of light having optical axes perpendicular to the grid plane (see further also below). The orientation of the LEDs may, in embodiments, alternate between sending light from a front, or first side, and from a back, or second side, of the grid plane. Hence, subsets (or LED arrangements) of the total number of LEDs may be configured anti-parallel with respect to each other (see further also below). Note that front and back can—dependent upon the configuration—be interchanged. Further, in some exemplary embodiments, the LEDs may be grouped such that the driving voltage may be kept constant irrespective the size of the LED grid. In some exemplary embodiments, the LEDs in the grid may emit different colors of light. AH LEDs emitting a certain color may be arranged in a sub-grid (subset) and sub-grids may be interweaved to maximize illumination uniformity. In some exemplary embodiments, the LEDs and current wires are covered with a transparent plastic or foil e.g. sandwiched between two sheets of plastic with holes at appropriate locations corresponding with openings in the grid.
Next to the fact that the lighting devices, or more especially the light sources, may be configured to be located in between the (future) crops, the lighting device may also be applied as a top lighting device for multi-layer growth. This concept may thus be applied in inter-lighting but also in other types of lighting, such as top lighting, including multi-layer lighting (see below). Hence, the invention is not limited to inter-lighting applications.
The lighting device, especially the grid, may span an area of for instance as little as 0.5 ft2 to as much as 400 m2 or more depending on the number of lighting assemblies used. The number of light sources, especially LEDs, per m2 (LED density) may for instance be in the order of 0.2-400, such as 4-100, though there may be grids with more or even with less light sources, especially LEDs, per square meter. Note that the distribution of the light sources, especially LEDs, over the lighting device, such as e.g. a grid, may be regular or may vary in different areas in the grid. In general, the light sources, especially LEDs will be arranged in a regular pattern, though other patterns may not be excluded. The device may comprise for instance at least 16 light sources, especially LEDs. In some embodiments, the device comprises n×m LEDs, wherein n is at least 1, and m is at least 1. The size, number, and luminosity of the LEDs will be determined by those of skill in the art at the time of design and for each specific use case.
In some exemplary embodiments, the light sources, especially LEDs, are configured to provide light in one direction, e.g. light emanating from one side of a lighting device, such as a grid-based lighting device. This may for instance be of interest for top lighting. In other embodiments, the light sources, especially LEDs, are configured to provide light in two substantially opposite directions, e.g. light emanating from two sides of a lighting device, such as a grid-based lighting device.
The LEDs that are used in some exemplary embodiments are especially solid state LEDs, but may optionally also be organic LEDs. Also, combinations of solid state and organic LEDs may be applied. The term “LED” may also relate to a plurality of LEDs. Hence, in embodiments, at a single LED position a plurality of LEDs may be arranged, such as an LED package of 2 or more LEDs. The term “LED” may also relate to an LED package.
The advent of solid state lighting based on LEDs offers opportunities for application in horticulture. The main advantages of using LEDs result from the possibility to control the spectral composition of the light to closely match the plant's photoreceptors' sensitivity. Together with additional benefits like improved heat control and freedom of distributing the LEDs across the horticulture application area, this provides a more optimal production and enables influencing the plant's morphology and composition. It also promises a reduced energy consumption (and associated cost).
Solid state LEDs are easily integrated into digital control systems, facilitating lighting programs such as “daily light integral” lighting and sunrise and sunset simulations. LEDs are safer to operate than current lamps because they do not have glass envelopes and do not contain mercury.
LEDs enable one to distribute the light closer to the target which can result in less loss through the roof and into the floor of the greenhouse. Moreover, a better light distribution across the crop can be accomplished. This is certainly the case for high-wire crops like tomatoes.
One or more LEDs may comprise converter material(s), such as one or more of an inorganic dye and an organic dye, for at least partially converting the LED light into light having another wavelength.
The lighting device may be a flexible lighting device. For instance, it may be a flexible (2D) wire grid or a flexible mesh. The lighting device may suspend from a roof or ceiling or may be provided in a frame (such as between rails that may also be used as or include electrical conductors), etc. (see also above).
In some exemplary embodiments, the plurality of light sources, especially light emitting diodes, comprise two or more independently controllable subsets of light emitting diodes. The two or more subsets are independently controllable, such as by the control unit (see also below). In this way, the on-off status, and optionally the intensity and/or optionally the color, of the two or more subsets may individually be controlled. The light sources, especially LEDs may be arranged in and/or on a (conductive) wire grid. In some exemplary embodiments, the first subset comprises a plurality of light sources, especially light emitting diodes. In other exemplary embodiments, the second subset comprises a plurality of light sources, especially light emitting diodes. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the first subset comprises a plurality of light sources, especially light emitting diodes, and the second subset comprises a plurality of light sources, especially light emitting diodes. The invention also relates in some exemplary embodiments to a method and/or device wherein the plurality of light sources, especially light emitting diodes, comprises two or more independently controllable subsets of light sources, especially light emitting diodes, wherein at least two of said subsets are configured to generate light having different spectral distributions. Different subsets of the plurality of light sources, especially LEDs, may provide different types of light such that the spectral distribution may be tuned to the needs of the horticulture processes.
In preferred exemplary embodiments, the light sources used herein are especially configured to provide at least light in the range of 400-475 nm and 625-800 nm, especially 625-730 nm, such as 625-700 nm.
Hence, to be able to locally vary the light intensity and/or spectral light distribution, it is especially desirable in some exemplary embodiments that the lighting systems comprise a plurality of lighting devices and/or a plurality of light sources, which are independently controllable. Controllable herein may especially refer to the controllability of the light intensity and/or the spectral light distribution, respectively.
In a further aspect, as also indicated above, the invention in some embodiments also provides a horticulture production facility comprising a lighting system, the lighting system comprising (i) a lighting device comprising a plurality of light sources configured within the horticulture production facility, and configured to illuminate with horticulture light crops within said horticulture production facility, wherein the lighting system further comprises (ii) a control unit which is configured to control the light intensity of local light at a location within the horticulture production facility, wherein the local light is the sum of the horticulture light and light at the location originating from an optional other light source, and wherein the control unit is configured to prevent a change in the amount of the local light at the location within the horticulture production facility.
Further, any embodiment of the lighting system described herein may be used in the horticulture production facility.
With e.g. exemplary embodiments of the lighting system of the invention, the light intensity and optionally also the spectral light distribution can be imposed to change only gradually. Hence, in a further aspect, the invention also provides the use of a method of providing horticulture light to a crop in a horticulture production facility comprising providing said horticulture light to said crop, wherein when the light intensity of the horticulture light is changed, this change only occurs by gradually increasing or decreasing with time. Especially, such use may also take into account the presence of light originating from other optional (external) light sources, such as the sun. Hence, in further specific embodiments the method further includes adapting the light intensity of the horticulture light to one or more of (a) the light intensity of additional light irradiating the crop originating from an optional other light source, (b) a horticulture light recipe and (c) the cardinal position of a light source providing said horticulture light. As indicated above, this may be used for reducing stress in the crop. In a specific embodiment, the invention allows to anticipate the cloud coverage and compensate for that in advance, based on a feed forward loop.
Furthermore, the terms first, second, third and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that the embodiments of the invention described herein are capable of operation in other sequences than described or illustrated herein.
The devices or apparatus herein are amongst others described during operation. As will be clear to the person skilled in the art, the invention is not limited to methods of operation or devices in operation.
An exemplary embodiment of a lighting system of the present invention comprises a modular light for horticulture application comprising a plurality of LED lighting units wherein each lighting unit comprises one or more power wires for receiving power from a power source, a heat sink, a circuit board removably affixed to the heat sink wherein the circuit board comprises at least one LED that is wired to receive power from the power wires, a means for selectively receiving the power wires wherein the power wire receiving means is affixed to the circuit board such that the circuit board can be connected and disconnected from the power wires and the heat sink for easy replacement. The power wire receiving means may be an electrical connector. A preferred exemplary embodiment of a modular light comprises four modular lighting units.
A preferred exemplary lighting system for use in a horticultural facility includes at least one power supply, a circuit board upon which a plurality of light emitting devices (i.e. LEDs) are disposed in a predetermined geometric pattern. At least one electrical connection port is included upon the circuit board to enable a selective electrical connection of the plurality of light emitting devices to the power supply. The exemplary lighting system additionally comprises at least one lenticular array comprising at least one lens designed to diffuse the light produced by at least some of the light emitting devices. A heat transfer system that is positioned in proximity to the light emitting devices to pull heat from and out of the lighting system is also included in the exemplary embodiment. The exemplary system comprises a housing unit with a plurality of attachment devices wherein the housing unit contains or is attached to the circuit board, the power supply, the heat transfer system, and the at least one lenticular array wherein the plurality of attachment devices are designed to hold the circuit board, power supply input and lenticular array in a desired order and place wherein the means of connecting the circuit board and lenticular array to the housing unit is such that if one or more of the light emitting devices fails, the circuit board can be replaced without replacing the entire lighting system.
It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. Use of the verb “to comprise” and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim. The article “a” or “an” preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The invention may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements, and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In the device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.
The invention further applies to an apparatus or device comprising one or more of the characterizing features described in the description and/or shown in the attached drawings. The invention further pertains to a method or process comprising one or more of the characterizing features described in the description and/or shown in the attached drawings.
The various aspects discussed in this patent can be combined in order to provide additional advantages. Furthermore, some of the features can form the basis for one or more divisional applications.
Some exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed towards the use of the device described herein. The lighting assembly is for use in a horticultural industry or facility in preferred exemplary embodiments.
Any embodiment of the present invention may include any of the optional or preferred features of the other embodiments of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments herein disclosed are not intended to be exhaustive or to unnecessarily limit the scope of the invention. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain some of the principles of the present invention so that others skilled in the art may practice the invention. Having shown and described exemplary embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will realize that many variations and modifications may be made to the described invention. Many of those variations and modifications will provide the same result and fall within the spirit of the claimed invention. It is the intention, therefore, to limit the invention only as indicated by the scope of the claims.
Turning now to the figures, the various exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described in particular.
The exemplary lighting assembly shown in
As shown in
As can be seen in
As can be seen in
The housing unit, 165, can be made of single, or multiple materials. It is desirable that the housing unit be thermally conductive. To accomplish this the housing unit 165 should preferably be made of material(s) that have a thermal conductivity of at least 1 Watt/(meter-Kelvin). In exemplary embodiments that produce a large amount of heat a thermal conductivity of at least 100 Watts/(meter-Kelvin) is desirable. Such materials include, but are not limited, too, aluminum, copper, gold, iron, lead, silver, tungsten, some oxides of these metals, and some composites.
The circuit board, 210, as shown in
The circuit board, 210, as shown in
The configuration of preferred exemplary embodiments, including those using one or more of the exemplary modules 120 or 1201 are such that the housing unit, 165, of a lighting module can be selectively opened, the wires, 260 and 270, disengaged from the electrical connectors,(i.e. 50 and 60 and/or 30), so that the circuit board, 210, and correspondingly the light emitting devices, 180 of a module, can be removed and replaced without replacing the entire module, other modules, or the entire lighting device/system 150.
The exemplary embodiments shown in
The exemplary embodiment shown in
As shown in
In some exemplary embodiments, each of the individual modules 1150 of the exemplary embodiment shown in
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/795,656, filed Jan. 23, 2019, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference as if fully restated herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62795656 | Jan 2019 | US |
