Patent Application
20230235866
This invention generally relates to an LED ceiling frame light configured to be mounted with a ceiling support grid ceiling, such as a false ceiling having ceiling tiles supported with a ceiling support grid.
The background information is believed, at the time of the filing of this patent application, to adequately provide background information for this patent application. However, the background information may not be completely applicable to the claims as originally filed in this patent application, as amended during prosecution of this patent application, and as ultimately allowed in any patent issuing from this patent application. Therefore, any statements made relating to the background information are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.
Ceiling support grids and ceiling panels are very common in the office buildings where ceilings are constructed over open floor plan interior designs, such as cubicles. Such ceiling are popular in other commercial, industrial and domestic environments, including and not limited to hotels, meeting rooms, recreation rooms and other types of rooms or constructions which require removable ceilings for access to utilities (heating, air conditioning, water) that are concealed in the space between the drop ceiling tiles and the structural ceiling of the room. Such ceiling systems are well suited for use in old office buildings with high ceilings and with ceilings that are curved or arched. Typically, ceiling panels may be installed from beneath the ceiling support grid.
Typical luminaires installed in ceiling support grids may have a troffer or otherwise have a configuration proximate a ceiling tile which they may replace. These large rectangular or square luminaires are typically placed on the ceiling support grid to have the light from the lamps directed downward through a space in the ceiling support grid having a ceiling panel removed.
The warehousing space requirements and shipping costs for the typical luminaries may be substantial. It may be desired to have a luminaire configured for mounting with a ceiling support grid that reduces storage and shipping costs associated therewith.
In at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, an LED ceiling frame light configured to be mounted with a ceiling support grid is provided. The ceiling support grid comprises at least one rectangular or square grid opening with a first longitudinal flange extending inward from a first side, a second longitudinal flange extending inward from a second side, a third longitudinal flange extending inward from a third side, and a fourth longitudinal flange extending inward from a fourth side, wherein the first flange is parallel with the third flange and the second flange is parallel with the fourth flange. The LED ceiling frame light comprises a first leg having at least one longitudinal extending LED light strip and a flange configured and disposed for laying on the first flange of the ceiling support grid, a second leg having at least one longitudinal extending LED light strip and a flange configured and disposed for laying on the second flange of the ceiling support grid, a third leg having at least one longitudinal extending LED light strip and a flange configured and disposed for laying on the third flange of the ceiling support grid, and a fourth leg having at least one longitudinal extending LED light strip and a flange configured and disposed for laying on the fourth flange of the ceiling support grid. At least two connectors are configured and disposed to connect the first leg, the second leg, the third leg, and the fourth leg together and form the LED ceiling frame light into a rectangular or square shape with a rectangular or square opening. Upon connecting the at least two connectors together, the formed rectangular or square LED ceiling frame light is configured to be held in the rectangular or square grid opening with the first, the second, the third, and the fourth longitudinal extending flanges of the ceiling support grid.
In at least one other embodiment of the present disclosure, a method of mounting an LED ceiling frame light with a ceiling support grid is provided. The method comprises removing a ceiling tile from the ceiling support grid and forming a rectangular or square grid opening therein. At least two connectors are connected together to form the LED ceiling frame light to have a first leg, a second leg, a third leg, and a fourth leg with a rectangular or square opening. Flanges extending outwardly from the legs of the LED ceiling frame light are laid on ceiling support grid flanges extending inwardly toward the rectangular or square grid opening, holding the LED ceiling frame light in the rectangular or square grid opening. The LED ceiling frame light is electrically connected with a power source and the removed ceiling tile, or other ceiling tile or feature, is laid on the legs of the LED ceiling frame light, covering the rectangular or square opening in the LED ceiling frame light.
The foregoing and other features of this disclosure will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples. Understanding that these drawings depict only several embodiments in accordance with the disclosure and are, therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope, the disclosure will be described with additional specificity and detail through use of the following figures, which are idealized, are not to scale and are intended to be merely illustrative of aspects of the present disclosure and non-limiting. In the drawings, like elements are depicted by like reference numerals. The drawings are briefly described as follows:
In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented herein. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated in the FIGs, can be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are explicitly contemplated herein.
This present disclosure provides a LED ceiling frame light configured to be held with a ceiling support grid. The LED ceiling frame light has a rectangle or square light emitting surface with a central opening. There are at least two connectors in the LED ceiling frame light, allowing the LED ceiling frame light to be disconnected into at least two portions or legs. Upon disconnecting the connectors and separating the LED ceiling frame light into two or more sections or legs, the legs or sections may be arranged to reduce its size for packaging and/or shipping. For example, in an embodiment having two connectors, the LED ceiling frame light may be separated in half and the halves may be stacked for packing. The reduction in packaging size may reduce packaging and/or shipping costs.
Upon the sections or legs being connected, the LED ceiling frame light has outwardly extending flanges configured and disposed for laying on inwardly extending flanges on the ceiling support grid. The LED ceiling frame light may be easily installed and held to the ceiling support grid by simply laying it on the ceiling support grid flanges. The assembled LED ceiling frame light has a rectangular or square formation with a central opening, which may also be rectangular or square. Upon installing the LED ceiling frame light in the ceiling support grid, a ceiling panel or other feature may be laid on top of the LED ceiling frame light for covering the opening in the LED ceiling frame light. For example, a ceiling panel may be removed; a frame light may be installed in the formed opening in the ceiling support grid; and the removed ceiling panel may then be installed on the LED ceiling frame light.
In at least embodiment, LED ceiling frame light 100 has a light transmissive cover or lens 104 covering each of the longitudinal extending LED light strips. For example, light transmissive cover or lens 104 may have a light diffuser configured and disposed to diffuse light from individual LEDs in the LED light strips and provide an appearance of a substantially continuous light source. In at least one other embodiment, LED ceiling frame light 100 is configured and disposed to direct a portion of light emitted by the longitudinal extending LED light strips 112 toward rectangular or square opening 107 in LED ceiling frame light 100.
The rectangular or square formed LED ceiling frame light 100 may be separable into individual legs or sections, as illustratively shown in
In at least one embodiment, LED ceiling frame light 100 has a first leg 105a having at least one longitudinal extending LED light strip 112 and a flange 106 configured and disposed for laying on a first flange 118a of the ceiling support grid 130, a second leg 105b having at least one longitudinal extending LED light strip 112 and a flange 106 configured and disposed for laying on a second flange 118b of the ceiling support grid 130, a third leg 105c having at least one longitudinal extending LED light strip 112 and a flange 106 configured and disposed for laying on a third flange 118c of ceiling support grid 130, and a fourth leg 105d having at least one longitudinal extending LED light strip 112 and a flange 106 configured and disposed for laying on a fourth flange 118d of ceiling support grid 130.
LED ceiling frame light 100 has at least two connectors 102 configured and disposed to connect the first leg, the second leg, the third leg, and the fourth leg together and form LED ceiling frame light into a rectangular or square shape with a rectangular or square opening 133.
LED lighting system 150 may have an electrical junction box 126 configured to be held to ceiling support grid 130 and house an electrical junction of LED ceiling frame light 100 to a power source. Clip 122 may be provided for connecting junction box 126 to ceiling support grid 130. For example, clip 122 may be configured and disposed to clip onto an upwardly extending flange 119 and support and hold electrical junction box 126 therewith. An LED driver and/or other light controls may be housed in electrical junction box 126. Electrical connector 152 may extend from a terminal end of electrical line 103 which may be adapted to plug into, or otherwise connect with, an LED driver.
LED lighting system 150 may have electronic driving circuit which may be configured to modulate the light output from LED ceiling frame light 100 to have different intensity and color, where the intensity and color may be independently controlled. LED lighting system 150 may have WiFi®, Bluetooth®, microwave, and/or IR connectivity for remote control.
LED ceiling frame light 100 may be installed or mounted with ceiling support grid 130 by removing a ceiling panel from the ceiling support grid and forming a rectangular or square opening therein; connecting at least two connectors together and forming an LED ceiling frame light having a first leg, a second leg, a third leg, and a fourth leg with a rectangular or square opening; laying flanges extending outwardly from the legs of the LED ceiling frame light on ceiling support grid flanges extending inwardly toward the rectangular or square opening in the ceiling support grid; and electrically connecting the LED ceiling frame light with a power source. The removed ceiling panel, or other ceiling panel or feature, may be laid on the legs of the LED ceiling frame light to cover the rectangular or square opening in the LED ceiling frame light. An electrical junction box may be attached to the ceiling support grid.
LED ceiling frame panel light 100 may be electrically connected to a power source and the electrical junctions may be housed in the electrical junction box. An LED driver may be housed in electrical junction box 126. Light intensity and color control circuitry may be placed in electrical communication with the driver, where the intensity and color may be independently controlled. LED lighting system 150 may have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, microwave, and/or IR connectivity for remote control. One or more of the LED driver, control circuitry, and remote control circuitry may be housed in the junction box.
The present disclosure is to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to particular methods, reagents, compounds compositions or biological systems, which can, of course, vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting.
With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.
It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”
In addition, where features or aspects of the disclosure are described in terms of Markush groups, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure is also thereby described in terms of any individual member or subgroup of members of the Markush group.
As will be understood by one skilled in the art, for any and all purposes, such as in terms of providing a written description, all ranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all possible subranges and combinations of subranges thereof. Any listed range can be easily recognized as sufficiently describing and enabling the same range being broken down into at least equal halves, thirds, quarters, fifths, tenths, etc. As a non-limiting example, each range discussed herein can be readily broken down into a lower third, middle third and upper third, etc. As will also be understood by one skilled in the art all language such as “up to,” “at least,” “greater than,” “less than,” and the like include the number recited and refer to ranges which can be subsequently broken down into subranges as discussed above. Finally, as will be understood by one skilled in the art, a range includes each individual member. Thus, for example, a group having 1-3 cells refers to groups having 1, 2, or 3 cells. Similarly, a group having 1-5 cells refers to groups having 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 cells, and so forth.
While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.
