Patent Application
20240052992
This application relates to light fixtures, and more particularly to collapsible light fixtures.
Light fixtures may be suspended below a ceiling to illuminate an area below. Traditional light fixtures may be large in profile and require more materials to construct, and such larger fixtures typically require a larger luminous surface or lensing to provide the desired lumen output. Alternatively, traditional light fixtures may be smaller in profile and therefore use less materials, but such light fixtures have smaller luminous surfaces that must have a higher degree of brightness to emit an equivalent lumen output, which can result in glare and discomfort to the occupants of a space. Traditional light fixtures for ceilings are also large and have a substantial shipping impact, resulting in higher costs and carbon emissions.
Embodiments covered by this patent are defined by the claims below, not this summary. This summary is a high-level overview of various embodiments and introduces some of the concepts that are further described in the Detailed Description section below. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. The subject matter should be understood by reference to appropriate portions of the entire specification of this patent, any or all drawings, and each claim.
According to certain embodiments, a light fixture includes a collapsible frame assembly, an optics assembly with a light source, a pliable reflector, and a pliable diffuser. In some embodiments, the pliable reflector may be a fabric reflector and the pliable diffuser may be a fabric diffuser. The fabric reflector may be attached to the collapsible frame assembly and extend above the optics assembly, and the fabric diffuser may be attached to the collapsible frame assembly and extend below the optics assembly. The fabric reflector may include a patterned region of perforations that allow some emitted light to pass upwardly through the reflector while other of the light passes downwardly out of the fixture through the diffuser. In this way, the light fixture provides both uplighting and downlighting.
Various implementations described herein may include additional systems, methods, features, and advantages, which cannot necessarily be expressly disclosed herein but will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. It is intended that all such systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within the present disclosure and protected by the accompanying claims.
The specification makes reference to the following appended figures, in which use of like reference numerals in different figures is intended to illustrate like or analogous components.
Described herein are light fixtures that may be suspended from a ceiling system. The light fixtures described herein may be movable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration, which may allow the light fixtures to be shipped or otherwise handled while having a reduced form. The light fixtures described herein may be movable between the collapsed configuration and the expanded configuration (or vice versa) without requiring tools. In some embodiments, the light fixtures include a fabric reflector and/or a fabric diffuser, which may provide cost and weight savings while facilitating movement between the collapsed configuration and the expanded configuration. In various embodiments, the light fixtures described herein use less materials compared to a traditional light fixture of a similar size. Light fixtures described herein may provide improved light distribution both above and below the light fixture. In certain embodiments, a ratio of indirect light to direct light is controlled via a patterned area in the fabric reflector to provide the improved light distribution. Various other benefits and advantages may be realized with the systems and methods provided herein, and the aforementioned advantages should not be considered limiting.
In the following description, positional terms like “above,” “below,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “bottom,” “top,” and the like are sometimes used to aid in explaining and specifying features illustrated in the drawings as presented, that is, in the orientation in which labels of the drawings read normally. These meanings are adhered to, notwithstanding that the luminaires herein may be mounted to surfaces that are not horizontal. When light is said to be emitted “downwardly” at least most of such light is emitted across one or more angles that are below horizontal when a luminaire is oriented as shown in the drawings; such angles include nadir, but are not limited to nadir. Similarly, when light is said to be emitted “upwardly” at least most of such light is emitted across one or more angles that are above horizontal when a luminaire is oriented as shown in the drawings; such angles include zenith, but are not limited to zenith.
The frame assembly 102 includes longitudinal rails 110A-B (see
Referring to
In certain embodiments, the rails 110A-B also include a lower portion 118. The lower portion 118 may define a lower channel 121, and as illustrated in
The rails 110A-B are movable between a collapsed configuration (see
In certain embodiments, the supports 112 are connected to, or at least otherwise positioned relative to, the rails 110A-B at least while the rails are in the expanded configuration for maintaining the relative positioning of the rails 110A-B. In other embodiments, the supports 112 are connected to the rails 110A-B in both the expanded configuration and the collapsed configuration, and the supports 112 may facilitate movement between the two positions. As non-limiting examples, the supports 112 may be connected to the rails 110A-B via hinge mechanisms, pivot joints, sliding mechanisms, and/or as otherwise desired such that the rails 110A-B are movable between the expanded configuration and the collapsed configuration while connected to the supports 112. As an example, the supports 112 may be retained within and translate along the lower channels 121 and/or other channels of the rails 110A-B as the rails 110A-B are moved between the expanded configuration and the collapsed configuration, as shown in
Referring to
Referring to
In various embodiments, a weight of the support member 120 may anchor and/or facilitate maintaining of a shape of the light fixture 100 when the light fixture 100 is in the expanded configuration. The support member 120 may be formed of any material having suitable structural integrity and/or thermal management properties. Suitable materials may include, but are not limited to, polymeric or metallic (e.g., steel, aluminum, etc.) materials. The support member 120 may be formed using various methods, including, but not limited to, molding, extruding, casting, etc. In some embodiments, the support member 120 is formed from extruded aluminum.
The one or more light sources 122 may include any suitable source of light, including but not limited to a light emitting diode (LED) 126, an organic LED (OLED), an incandescent bulb, combinations thereof, or other sources as desired. In various embodiments, the LEDs 126 are provided on a printed circuit board (PCB) 128, and the PCB 128 is supported on the support member 120. Any number of LEDs 126 may be provided on the PCB 128, and when a plurality of LEDs 126 are included, the LEDs 126 may be provided in various numbers, patterns, and/or arrangements on the PCB 128 as desired. The lens 124 may be constructed from various materials as desired to control the output distribution of light emitted from the light sources 122, and as illustrated in
In various embodiments, the diffuser 106 may be formed from any material that diffusely transmits light. In some embodiments, it is desirable that the material have a light transmission rate of at least 60%, at least 65%, at least 70%, at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, and/or at least 95%. While the diffuser 106 may be formed of rigid materials, in some embodiments the diffuser 106 is formed of a pliable material that permits the diffuser 106 to be folded, wrapped or otherwise collapsed such that the footprint of the light fixture 100 may be reduced when the light fixture 100 is in an un-installed state. The diffuser 106 may be formed from any flexible or pliable material that diffuses light, such as, but not limited to, fabric materials, thin polymeric materials, and/or paper materials. In some embodiments, the diffuser 106 is formed of a fabric material having relatively high light transmissivity and relatively low reflectivity. Suitable fabrics include, but are not limited to, nonwoven polypropylene (PP). While the fabric may have any fiber density, fabrics having fiber densities between 60 to 100 grams per square meter (GSM) may be suitable for some applications. In some embodiments, the material of the diffuser 106 is constructed from a recycled material. In various embodiments, the light fixture 100 with the diffuser 106 provides a uniform luminance across a bottom of the light fixture 100.
The diffuser 106 of the light fixture 100 extends from the rails 110A-B to the optics assembly 104, and in certain embodiments the diffuser 106 is connected to the rails 110A-B by positioning opposing edge portions 115A within the channels 116. In various embodiments, the diffuser 106 allows for the light fixture 100 to be moved between the expanded configuration and the collapsed configuration while the diffuser 106 is connected to the rails 110A-B. In certain embodiments, the diffuser 106 extends below and/or at least partially along the lower surface of the support member 120 of the optics assembly 104 in the expanded configuration, although it need not in other embodiments. In various embodiments, the portion 139 of the diffuser 106 is positioned within the channel 137 of the optics assembly 104. Similarly, in some embodiments, the diffuser 106 may at least partially wrap around the rails 110A-B of the frame assembly 102. The rails 110A-B in the expanded configuration together with the support member 120 of the optics assembly 104 may shape the diffuser 106 by tensioning the diffuser 106, and positioning of the portions of the diffuser 106 within the channels 116, 137, respectively, may ensure that the diffuser 106 is held in place relative to the rails 110A-B and the support member 120. In some embodiments, and as illustrated in
The reflector 108 generally extends above the optics assembly 104 when the light fixture 100 is in the expanded configuration and is configured to reflect light emitted by the light sources 122 back through the diffuser 106. Similar to the diffuser 106, the reflector 108 of the light fixture 100 may be formed of a rigid material or may be constructed from various types of pliable materials such as but not limited to fabrics, non-fabric constructions, plastics, papers, etc. as desired. In some non-limiting embodiments, the reflector 108 is formed of a fabric material. In certain embodiments, the reflector 108 is attached to the diffuser 106 via various techniques or mechanisms as desired. In some embodiments, and referring to
The reflector 108 may allow for the light fixture 100 to be moved between the expanded configuration and the collapsed configuration while the reflector 108 is connected to the rails 110A-B. In various embodiments, a fabric of the reflector 108 is different from the fabric of the diffuser 106. As a non-limiting example, the fabric of the reflector 108 may have a lower light transmissivity and a higher light reflectivity compared to the fabric of the diffuser 106. In one non-limiting example, the fabric material forming the reflector 108 may have a reflectivity of at least 70%, such as at least 80%, such as at least 90%; however, in other embodiments the reflector 108 may have other reflectivity values as desired. The fiber density of fabrics impacts these properties, and thus fabrics may be selected depending on the desired balance of reflectivity and transmissivity desired. Non-limiting examples of fabric suitable to form the reflector 108 may include polyethylene, linen, cotton, polyvinylchloride, polyethylene terephthalate, etc. In some non-limiting examples, the fabric of the reflector 108 is formed of a polyethylene fabric, such as polyethylene fabric sold under the trade name Tyvek® by DuPont. Such fabric is efficient in that little light is absorbed by the fabric itself. Rather, the fabric permits some light to pass through it, while reflecting other of the light. In other embodiments, the fabric of the reflector 108 may be the same as the fabric of the diffuser 106. As a non-limiting example, both the diffuser 106 and the reflector 108 may be formed from a polypropylene fabric. Similar to the diffuser 106, in some embodiments, the reflector 108 may be constructed from recycled materials.
Referring to
In embodiments with the plurality of perforations 134, the light passing through the reflector 108 may illuminate an area above the light fixture 100 (e.g., a ceiling) such that the light fixture 100 provides both uplighting and downlighting light distribution (e.g., light emitted from a light source of the light fixture 100 may be emitted in a first direction for direct lighting and a second direction for indirect lighting). Any number of perforations 134 may be provided, and the perforations 134 may have various shapes as desired, including but not limited to waves, diamonds, rectangles, triangles, hexagons, snowflakes, circles, combinations thereof, and/or other patterns as desired. Moreover, the perforations 134 may be provided in a regular pattern or a non-uniform/random distribution as desired.
In some embodiments, the patterned region 136 defines an openness percentage (i.e., the collective amount of open area in the patterned region 136 of the reflector 108, to control the light distribution through the reflector 108. As an example, an openness percentage of 0% would have no perforations, and an openness percentage of 100% would be completely open. In various embodiments, the openness percentage of the patterned region 136 may be from greater than 0% to about 60%, such as from about 5% to about 50%, such as from about 10% to 45%, such as from about 15% to 40%, such as from about 20% to about 35%, such as from about 20% to about 25%. In other embodiments, the openness percentage of the patterned region 136 may be controlled to be other percentages as desired and based on a desired percentage of light that is to be distributed as downlighting (e.g., through the diffuser 106) and a desired percentage of light that is to be distributed as uplighting (e.g., through the reflector 108). A ratio between the amount of uplighting and the amount of downlighting may be various ratios as desired. In some non-limiting examples, at least 50% of the emitted light may pass through the reflector 108 so as to be provided as indirect up lighting. In certain non-limiting examples, from about 30% to about 70% of light from the light fixture 100 may be uplighting, and from about 30% to about 70% of the light from the light fixture 100 may be downlighting. In certain non-limiting examples, from about 50% to about 70% of light from the light fixture 100 may be uplighting, and from about 30% to about 50% of the light from the light fixture 100 may be downlighting.
In certain embodiments, the perforations 134 of the patterned region 136 are controlled such that an openness factor, or a variation in openness, is substantially consistent (e.g., within a threshold tolerance) as measured along both a length and a width of the patterned region 136. In such embodiments, the consistent openness factor may provide more uniform illumination on the ceiling above the light fixture, devoid of artifacts. As an example, a non-uniform openness factor may create undesirable shadowing or other artifacts on the ceiling due to the uneven distribution of light through the reflector 108 (e.g., some areas may allow for more light through compared to other areas, resulting in artifacts). The consistent openness factor may therefore provide a more uniform and consistent light distribution.
As an example,
As illustrated in
In
In
In
The light fixtures described herein may provide various light distributions or light patterns as desired. In certain embodiments the light fixtures described herein provide improved light distribution in at least two directions—light may be emitted upwardly in a first direction towards the reflector 108 and downwardly in a second direction towards the diffuser 106.
The various aspects, embodiments, implementations or features of the described embodiments can be used separately or in any combination. In particular, it should be appreciated that the various elements of concepts from the figures may be combined without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. Directional references such as “up,” “down,” “top,” “bottom,” “left,” “right,” “front,” and “back,” among others, are intended to refer to the orientation as illustrated and described in the figure (or figures) to which the components and directions are referencing. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, or gradients thereof, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate embodiments of the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.
As used herein, the term “substantially” refers to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, an object that is “substantially” enclosed would mean that the object is either completely enclosed or nearly completely enclosed. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend on the specific context. However, the nearness of completion will be so as to have the same overall result as if absolute and total completion were obtained.
Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. The invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, and certain shown exemplary embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and have been described above in detail. Variations of those preferred embodiments, within the spirit of the present invention, may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, it should be understood that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form or forms disclosed, but on the contrary, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the described embodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the described embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings.
