The present invention generally relates to shielding for luminaires, and more particularly to externally mounted shielding for light emitting diode luminaires.
Light emitting diode (“LED”) luminaires, such as Type 5 LED light engines used in roadway luminaires, typically include a series of LEDs arranged in rows, with each LED protected by an optic designed to provide a particular light distribution profile. As shown in
Other traditional designs (not shown) may include shielding features that are integral with the luminaire design, but these designs do not allow the profile of the light exiting the luminaire to be customized.
The terms “invention,” “the invention,” “this invention” and “the present invention” used in this patent are intended to refer broadly to all of the subject matter of this patent and the patent claims below. Statements containing these terms should not be understood to limit the subject matter described herein or to limit the meaning or scope of the patent claims below. Embodiments of the invention covered by this patent are defined by the claims below, not this summary. This summary is a high-level overview of various aspects of the invention 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 the entire specification of this patent, all drawings and each claim.
Removable shields for LED luminaires, and LED luminaires containing the removable shields, are described herein.
Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawing figures:
The subject matter of embodiments of the present invention is described here with specificity to meet statutory requirements, but this description is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the claims. The claimed subject matter may be embodied in other ways, may include different elements or steps, and may be used in conjunction with other existing or future technologies. This description should not be interpreted as implying any particular order or arrangement among or between various steps or elements except when the order of individual steps or arrangement of elements is explicitly described.
In some embodiments of the invention, various views of which are shown in
The frame 120 includes a plurality of rows of shield surfaces 150 contacting the frame 120. The rows of shield surfaces 150 may be integrally formed with the frame 120, such as molded with the frame 120, or may be formed separately from the frame 120 and attached to the frame by, e.g., an adhesive or other known fastening means.
Each of the plurality of rows of shield surfaces 150 includes a first side 130 facing a row 290 of LEDs 300 located on the LED luminaire 200 and an opposite second side 140. Each LED 300 may be covered or protected by an optic 310, which can be any suitable type of optic (e.g., single cavity, dual cavity, etc.).
In certain embodiments, the first side 130 of each of the plurality of rows of shield surfaces 150 has a fully or partially reflective surface so that light that hits it will be reflected forward of the optic 310 (see, e.g.,
It will be recognized that the shape of the shield and reflectivity of the shield surfaces 150 can be modified to provide a desired light profile. For example, if it is desired for the light to be directed from the light luminaire in an arc of 150 degrees (90 degrees forward and 60 degrees backward), the shape of the shield surface 150 can be modified to achieve this result and/or the opposite second side 140 of the shield surface 150 (i.e., the side facing away from the optic 310) could be fully or partially reflective so as to achieve the desired degree of backwards reflection of light. As a comparative example, the shield surface 150 illustrated in the side view of
As discussed above, the frame 120 is mountable to the LED luminaire 200 such that the shield 100 is removable therefrom. To that end, the frame 120 may include in some embodiments a plurality of apertures 160 for mounting the frame 120 on the LED luminaire 200. While shown in the figures as a hole for receiving a fastener such as a screw, it will be recognized that other types of apertures or fastening systems could be provided for mounting the shield 100 to the LED luminaire 200.
In some embodiments, the frame 120 of the shield 100 extends around the entire perimeter 210 of the surface 220 of the LED luminaire 200 such that each row 290 of LEDs 300 is covered by a respective row of shield surfaces 150. Such an embodiment, in which a plurality of rows 290 of LEDs 300 are covered by respective rows of shield surfaces 150, would be evident in the construction illustrated in, e.g.,
The separation of the shield 100 and LED luminaire 200 into separate components provides a customization benefit not available in previous luminaire constructions. For example, and with reference to
In further alternative embodiments, and with reference to
The shield 100 may be formed of known materials, including suitable polymers and metals. As explained above, the shield 100 may include a coating of reflective and/or diffuse/nonreflective materials or the shield itself may be formed from the reflective and/or diffuse/nonreflective material.
The invention thus provides emitted light from a LED luminaire to be directed in a desired direction. For example, a street light could be configured to direct all of the light towards the road instead of on the side of the road, improving the efficiency of the LED luminaire and reducing light “pollution” into areas that are not intended or desired to be lit.
Different arrangements of the components depicted in the drawings or described above, as well as components and steps not shown or described are possible. Similarly, some features and subcombinations are useful and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. Embodiments of the invention have been described for illustrative and not restrictive purposes, and alternative embodiments will become apparent to readers of this patent. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above or depicted in the drawings, and various embodiments and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the claims below.
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/777,270, filed Mar. 12, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated by this reference in its entirety.
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