Embodiments of the present invention provide means by which to assemble various components of a light emitting diode (LED) luminaire whereby the components engage each other without the need for separate mechanical fasteners.
Assembling luminaires, such as an LED luminaire, typically requires an assembler to perform a multitude of operations with a number of various tools and fasteners. In various situations, such as during high volume fabrication of lighting assemblies, the time (and thus associated cost) required to assemble the luminaires is increased because of the number of tools and fasteners needed. Therefore, there is a need for a lighting assembly that is easy to assemble in various situations including, but not limited to, high volume fabrication manufacturing.
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 be understood not 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 embodiments 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 appropriate portions of the entire specification of this patent, any or all drawings, and each claim.
According to certain embodiments of the present invention, an LED luminaire includes a reflector, a channel, and a printed circuit board (PCB) onto which LEDs are mounted. Each of the reflector, the channel, and the PCB includes a feature(s) that permit their attachment to each other without the need for separate fasteners and tools. Embodiments of the LED luminaire may also include an optic and a pair of end caps, also designed for assembly into the LED luminaire without the use of or need for separate fasteners and tools.
The features and components of the following figures are illustrated to emphasize the general principles of the present disclosure. Corresponding features and components throughout the figures can be designated by matching reference characters for the sake of consistency and clarity.
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.
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 be understood not 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 appropriate portions of the entire specification of this patent, any or all drawings and each claim.
Referring to
The Reflector
Details of the reflector of
Each trough 11 includes a channel-receiving portion 13 from which sidewalls 15 downwardly extend. The reflector may be formed integrally or, alternatively, the various reflector components may be formed separately and assembled together to form the reflector. The reflector may be formed of any suitable material, including metallic and polymeric materials. The surface of the sidewalls 15 preferably has an extremely high surface reflectivity, preferably, but not necessarily, between 96%-99.5%, inclusive and more preferably 98.5-99%. To achieve the desired reflectivity, in one embodiment the reflective surface comprises polished metals such as, but not limited to, polished aluminum. In other embodiments, reflective coatings, including reflective paints or other reflective compositions, are applied to the reflector to attain the desired reflectivity.
Referring to
The Channel(s)
At least one channel 6 is provided in each reflector trough 11. As illustrated in
In some examples, as illustrated in
Moreover, while three pairs of side channel tabs 16 are shown in
Clip apertures 20 are also formed in the channel 6 to facilitate attachment to the reflector, as described below. In some examples, a wireway 35 is also provided in the channel 6. The wireway 35 may be aligned with the wireway 34 of the reflector 8 for permitting wires 32 to pass therethrough and reach the PCBs 4.
The PCBs
Referring to
Pairs of notches 10 are provided along the side edges of the PCB 4 along the length of the PCB 4. While not required, the number of pairs of notches 10 on the PCB 4 may be the same as the number of pairs of side channel tabs 16 provided on channel 6. In some examples, the notches 10 on the PCB 4 are oriented directly across from each other, although they need not be. For example and without limitation, in other examples, the notches 10 could be staggered to accommodate staggered side channel tabs 16 during installation of the PCB 4 onto the channel 6. While rectangular notches 10 are illustrated in some figures, in other embodiments at least one notch edge is beveled, rounded, or have any other shape such that the notches 10 are not rectangular. For example, in some embodiments, providing notches 10 having beveled leading edges may help with sliding of the PCB 4 under the side channel tabs 16, as described in detail below. These beveled edges may also serve as a visual clue to the proper orientation of the PCB 4 relative to the channel 6.
In some embodiments, a driver (not shown) for powering the LEDs 3 is located above the reflector 8. It some non-limiting embodiments, the driver might be mounted to an upper surface of the reflector 8. A door 30 may optionally be provided in the reflector 8 for accessing, servicing, and/or replacing the driver.
The Optic(s)
An optional optic 50 may be positioned over the LEDs of each reflector trough 11. The optic 50 may be of any type (diffuse, prismatic, etc.) that achieves the desired light emission from the LED luminaire 2. The optic 50 may have any geometry, and may be provided with any surface enhancements or with no surface enhancements. By way only of example, the optic 50 could have the shape of the optics disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/696,042, filed on Apr. 24, 2015 and entitled “Tri-Lobe Optic and Associated Light Fixtures,” the entirety of which is herein incorporated by reference.
Assembly of the LED Luminaire 2
Referring to
During this step, an end of the PCB 4 may rest on the top of the end tab 12 of the channel 6. After aligning the notches 10 of the PCB 4 with the side channel tabs 16 on the channel 6, the PCB 4 may be slid inwardly along the length of the channel 6 such that the side edges of the PCB 4 are trapped beneath the side channel tabs 16 of the channel 6 and the ends of the PCB 4 abut the end tab 12 and central tab 14 of the channel 6. In some examples, sliding the PCB 4 that is initially resting on the top of the end tab 12 includes flexing the PCB 4 such that the PCB 4 can be slid with the side edges of the PCB 4 trapped beneath the side channel tabs 16 and the ends of the PCB 4 abut the end tab 12 and central tab 14. In other embodiments, the notches 10 may be provided on the PCB 4 such that alignment of the notches 10 with the side channel tabs 16 results in an end of the PCB 4 resting on top of a central tab 14. The PCB 4 is then slid in the opposite direction—outwardly along the length of the channel 6—to trap the side edges of the PCB 4 under the side channel tabs 16. In these examples, the PCB 4 is retained on the channel 6 both laterally (by the side channel tabs 16) and longitudinally (by the end tabs 12 and optionally the central tabs 14). One of skill in the art will readily understand that, if a single PCB is used, its ends will abut the end tabs 12 on each end of the channel 6 when installed.
To secure the channel 6 on the reflector 8, the channel 6 is positioned over the reflector 8 so that the reflector clips 22 align with the clip apertures 20 in the channel 6, and the channel 6 may be seated on the reflector 8. Once seated, the channel 6 may be slid relative to the reflector 8 such that the reflector clips 22 engage or clip onto the channel 6 to retain the channel 6 on the reflector 8 (see
In an alternative assembly embodiment, the notches 10, side channel tabs 16, and reflector clips 22 are not needed. Rather, as illustrated in
As previously described, in some embodiments where the driver is positioned above the reflector 8, incoming wires 32 may need to pass through the reflector 8 and channel 6 to reach the PCBs 4. It may be desirable to locate those wires 32 centrally (i.e., center feed the PCB 4) to keep the wires 32 shorter, although such a feature is not required. In the illustrated embodiments, the wires 32 may pass through the aligned wireways 34 and 35 of the reflector 8 and channel 6, respectively, and reach the PCBs 4. A grommet 36 may be located in the wireways 34 and 35 to help further secure the reflector 8 and channel 6 together, as well as create a seal that prevents the ingress of bugs and other debris into the LED luminaire 2.
The wires 32 may be electrically connected to the PCBs 4. In some examples, the space between adjacent central tabs 14 forms a path for the wires 32 that retains the wires 32 in position and prevents them from migrating in front of the LED 3 and creating shadows. In some examples, as illustrated in
Referring to
End caps 40 may be mounted on the ends of the reflector 8 to lock the channel 6 and optic 50 longitudinally in place within the LED luminaire 2 and/or to impart a polished appearance to the fixture. In some embodiments, the optic 50 is retained via tabs 42 extending from the ends of the reflector 8 engaging slots 44 in the end caps 40. See
Grooves 52 having the same or similar profile as the optic 50 may be provided in the end caps 40. When the end caps 40 are mounted, the ends of the optic 50 may seat in the grooves 52 in the end caps 40 to help retain the optic 50 in place within the LED luminaire 2.
Engagement of the PCB 4, channel 6, and reflector 8 results in a complete sealing of any apertures between the components such that the PCB 4/channel 6/reflector 8 barrier is impermeable to bugs, insects and other debris that detrimentally impact operation and light emission of the LED luminaire 2. Engagement of the optic 50 with the channel 6 and positioning of the optic 50 ends within the end caps 40 further helps to seal the LED compartment.
The LED luminaire 2 can be used in new light fixtures or sold as a retrofit kit for use in existing light fixtures already installed in the field (e.g., installed to replace the fluorescent light sources in existing fixtures). The LED luminaire 2 may be used in any type of light fixture, including, but not limited to, recessed troffer, surface mounted, and suspended fixtures.
In some embodiments, the reflector 8 and channel 6 are formed from metallic materials, such as aluminum. In such embodiments, the retention features can be formed by stamping the desired patterns and apertures from the metal and shaping the metal to have the desired geometry.
The foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating, explaining, and describing embodiments of the present invention. Further modifications and adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. 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 invention.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/210,004, filed on Aug. 26, 2015, and entitled LED LUMINAIRE ASSEMBLY, the content of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by this reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62210004 | Aug 2015 | US |