Patent Grant
9310035
The present inventive subject matter relates to a light fixture. In some aspects, the present inventive subject matter relates to a light fixture for use with solid state light emitters, e.g., light emitting diodes (LEDs).
A large proportion (some estimates are as high as twenty-five percent) of the electricity generated in the United States each year goes to lighting. Accordingly, there is an ongoing need to provide light fixtures (1) which are easier to install, (2) which reduce the possibility of injury during installation, repair, maintenance, replacement and/or removal, and/or (3) which make it possible for the light fixture to be held more securely in place.
In addition, with the growing popularity of lighting devices which include solid state light emitters (e.g., light emitting diodes), there is an increasing demand for light fixtures (and components thereof) which facilitate the use of such lighting devices while maximizing the benefits obtained from using such lighting devices and minimizing or eliminating any drawbacks from using such lighting devices.
One particular type of light fixture is known as a lay-in luminaire, or a troffer. The lensed troffer is the most popular lay-in sold today. It is a commodity that is sold for use in applications where price is the primary buying consideration. For many decades, the recessed parabolic was the standard for high performance applications such as offices. The “parabolic” style troffer utilizes aluminum baffles to shield the light and maximize high angle shielding while sacrificing light on the walls. In recent years, the market has been moving away from the parabolics towards with broader distributions for high performance applications.
Efforts have been ongoing to develop ways by which solid state light emitters can be used in place of incandescent lights, fluorescent lights and other light-generating devices in a wide variety of applications. In addition, where light emitting diodes (or other solid state light emitters) are already being used, efforts are ongoing to provide light emitting diodes (or other solid state light emitters) which are improved, e.g., with respect to energy efficiency, color rendering index (CRI Ra), contrast, efficacy (lm/W), cost and/or duration of service.
As indicated above, some aspects of the present inventive subject matter are directed to providing light fixtures which are suitable for use with light emitting elements which includes solid state light emitters.
Currently, there is strong preference for troffers with specific attributes. For example, when experiencing the troffer from a distance, the occupant should perceive it to be low in brightness. This is balanced with the need to deliver light high onto walls to maximize the sense of spaciousness within a environment. As the occupant moves closer to a fixture, the brightness of the fixture should increase slowly with no distracting rapid increases in luminance. Once seated, the occupant should be comfortable sitting beneath the light for long periods of time. When viewed from high angles, the light should be low in brightness to minimize high angle glare and the potential for reflected glare on the computer screen.
It would be difficult to achieve these challenging design criteria with solid state light emitters. It was also recognized that it would be a challenge to manage the extreme luminance of a solid state light emitter source in producing the 4000+lumens which a troffer generally requires. It would be desirable to be able to satisfy these needs.
In accordance with the present inventive subject matter, there are provided light fixtures which satisfy these needs, and which further enable new aesthetic possibilities. In addition, in accordance with the present inventive subject matter, there are provided light fixtures (e.g., troffers) for solid state light emitters which satisfy these needs, and which further enable new aesthetic possibilities.
According to the present inventive subject matter, there are provided devices which include specific mechanical shielding of refractive and reflective optical materials as disclosed herein, with carefully balanced radiative coupling and luminances.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a light fixture comprising a baffle system and a side reflector, the baffle system comprising at least an outer baffle structure and an inner baffle structure,
an extremity of the outer baffle structure being in a first plane,
at least one surface of the side reflector abutting at least one surface of the outer baffle structure,
the inner baffle structure being entirely within planes which extend through the outer periphery of the outer baffle structure perpendicular to the first plane, an extremity of the inner baffle structure being in a second plane, the second plane being spaced from the first plane.
In some embodiments according to the first aspect of the present invention:
the light fixture further comprises at least one lighting device,
the first plane is at a location where, if the lighting device is illuminated, light travels through the first plane, and
the second plane is at a location where, if the lighting device is illuminated, light travels through the second plane.
In some of such embodiments, the lighting device comprises at least one solid state light emitter, each of the at least one solid state light emitter being located entirely within a region defined by planes which extend through the extremity of the inner baffle structure perpendicular to the first plane. In some of these embodiments, if the lighting device is illuminated, light passes through the first plane before passing through the second plane.
In some of such embodiments, if the lighting device is illuminated, light passes through a third plane before passing through the first plane, the third plane being parallel to the first plane, the extremity of the outer baffle structure is a first series of points extending around a periphery of the outer baffle structure, wherein each of the first series of points is, for each radial position around the periphery of the outer baffle structure, a maximum distance from the third plane, and the extremity of the inner baffle structure is a second series of points extending around a periphery of the inner baffle structure, wherein each of the second series of points is, for each radial position around the periphery of the inner baffle structure, a maximum distance from the third plane. In some of these embodiments, the first series of points defines a first substantially square shape, and the second series of points defines a second substantially square shape.
In some embodiments according to the first aspect of the present invention, the baffle system comprises a plurality of baffle elements and the light fixture further comprises at least one lens, each of the at least one lens being positioned between at least two respective baffle elements. In some of such embodiments, the light fixture comprises at least a first lens abutting the outer baffle structure, the first lens being spaced from the first plane, the first lens being positioned on a side of the first plane which is opposite from the second plane, and the light fixture comprises at least a second lens abutting the inner baffle structure, the second lens being positioned on a side of the second plane which is the same as the first plane.
In some embodiments according to the first aspect of the present invention, the side reflector is slanted at an angle of from about 20 degrees to about 40 degrees relative to the first plane.
In some embodiments according to the first aspect of the present invention, the outer baffle structure comprises a plurality of outer baffle elements, each of the outer baffle elements having an outer baffle element first side and an outer baffle element second side which are substantially perpendicular to the first plane, and the inner baffle structure comprises a plurality of inner baffle elements, each of the inner baffle elements having an inner baffle element first side and an inner baffle element second side which are substantially perpendicular to the second plane.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a light fixture comprising:
a lighting device;
a baffle system, the baffle system comprising a plurality of baffle elements,
at least one side reflector; and
at least one lens, each of the at least one lens being positioned between respective baffle elements,
first and second major dimensions of the light fixture extending in a first plane,
at least one surface of the side reflector abutting at least one surface of the baffle system,
wherein if a viewer moves from a first position to a second position,
initially only at least one of the at least one side reflector,
then a portion of the baffle system which is closest to the viewer plane,
then more of the baffle system,
and then one or more of the lenses,
and if the lighting device is illuminated in an absence of other light:
the side reflector will be illuminated by the baffle system with an average luminance which is less than an average luminance of the baffle elements, and
a luminance gradient will be greatest next to the baffle elements and least at regions adjacent to and outside the at least one side reflector.
In some embodiments according to the second aspect of the present invention, when the viewer reaches the second position, the viewer will be able to see at least a portion of each baffle element in the light fixture and each lens in the light fixture, the baffle elements in the light fixture and the at least one lens in the light fixture together occupying an entire area surrounded by the side reflector.
In some embodiments according to the second aspect of the present invention, the baffle system comprises an inner baffle structure, and the lighting device comprises at least one solid state light emitter, each of the at least one solid state light emitter being located entirely within a region defined by planes which extend through an extremity of the inner baffle structure perpendicular to the first plane.
In some embodiments according to the second aspect of the present invention, the side reflector is slanted at an angle of from about 20 degrees to about 40 degrees relative to the first plane.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a light fixture comprising a baffle system and a side reflector, the baffle system comprising at least an outer baffle structure, an inner baffle structure and at least a first intermediate baffle structure,
the outer baffle structure being annular, an extremity of the outer baffle structure being in a first plane,
at least one surface of the side reflector abutting at least one surface of the outer baffle structure,
the first intermediate baffle structure being annular, an extremity of the first intermediate baffle structure being in a second plane, the second plane being substantially parallel with the first plane,
the inner baffle structure being annular, an extremity of the inner baffle structure being in a third plane, the third plane being substantially parallel with the second plane, the second plane being located between the first plane and the third plane,
the outer baffle structure, the first intermediate baffle structure and the inner baffle structure each sharing at least two planes of symmetry,
planes extending through portions of the outer baffle structure and being perpendicular to the first plane surrounding the first intermediate baffle structure,
planes extending through portions of the first intermediate baffle structure and being perpendicular to the first plane surrounding the inner baffle structure.
In some embodiments according to the third aspect of the present invention, the light fixture further comprises at least one lighting device, the first plane is at a location where, if the lighting device is illuminated, light travels through the first plane, the second plane is at a location where, if the lighting device is illuminated, light travels through the second plane and the third plane being at a location where, if the lighting device is illuminated, light travels through the third plane.
In some of such embodiments, the lighting device comprises at least one solid state light emitter, each of the at least one solid state light emitter being located entirely within a region defined by planes which extend through the extremity of the inner baffle structure perpendicular to the first plane; and/or
In some of such embodiments, if the lighting device is illuminated, light passes through a fourth plane before passing through the first plane, the fourth plane being parallel to the first plane, the extremity of the outer baffle structure is a first series of points extending around a periphery of the outer baffle structure, wherein each of the first series of points is, for each radial position around the periphery of the outer baffle structure, a maximum distance from the fourth plane, the extremity of the first intermediate baffle structure is a second series of points extending around a periphery of the first intermediate baffle structure, wherein each of the second series of points is, for each radial position around the periphery of the first intermediate baffle structure, a maximum distance from the fourth plane, and the extremity of the inner baffle structure is a third series of points extending around a periphery of the inner baffle structure, wherein each of the third series of points is, for each radial position around the periphery of the inner baffle structure, a maximum distance from the fourth plane.
In some of these embodiments, the first series of points defines a first substantially square shape, and the second series of points defines a second substantially square shape.
In some embodiments according to the third aspect of the present invention, the baffle system further comprises at least a first connector baffle structure extending from the outer baffle structure to the first intermediate baffle structure and a second connector baffle structure extending from the first intermediate baffle structure to the inner baffle structure.
In some embodiments according to the third aspect of the present invention, the outer baffle structure, the first intermediate baffle structure and the inner baffle structure are substantially concentric annular shapes. In some of such embodiments, each of the outer baffle structure, the first intermediate baffle structure and the inner baffle structure has a substantially square annular shape.
In some embodiments according to the third aspect of the present invention, the baffle system comprises a plurality of baffle elements, and the light fixture further comprises at least one lens, each of the at least one lens being positioned between at least two respective baffle elements. In some of such embodiments, the light fixture comprises at least a first lens abutting the outer baffle structure, the first lens being spaced from the first plane, the first lens being positioned on a side of the first plane which is opposite from the second plane, the light fixture comprises at least a second lens abutting the intermediate baffle structure, the second lens being positioned on a side of the second plane which is the same as the first plane, and the light fixture comprises at least a third lens abutting the inner baffle structure, the third lens being spaced from the third plane, the third lens being positioned on a side of the third plane which is the same as the first plane.
In some embodiments according to the third aspect of the present invention, the side reflector is slanted at an angle of from about 20 degrees to about 40 degrees relative to the first plane.
In some embodiments according to the third aspect of the present invention, the outer baffle structure comprises a plurality of outer baffle elements, each of the outer baffle elements having an outer baffle element first side and an outer baffle element second side which are substantially perpendicular to the first plane, the first intermediate baffle structure comprises a plurality of first intermediate baffle elements, each of the first intermediate baffle elements having a first intermediate baffle element first side and a first intermediate baffle element second side which are substantially perpendicular to the second plane, and the inner baffle structure comprises a plurality of inner baffle elements, each of the inner baffle elements having an inner baffle element first side and an inner baffle element second side which are substantially perpendicular to the third plane.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a light fixture comprising:
at least two recessed square elements, the two recessed square elements being concentric;
triangular connecting elements between the recessed squares; and
lenses which are recessed from the faces of each of the concentric square elements.
In some embodiments according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the light fixture comprises three of the recessed square elements.
In some embodiments according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the light fixture comprises at least one solid state light emitter. In some of such embodiments, the at least one solid state light emitter is an LED.
The inventive subject matter may be more fully understood with reference to the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of the inventive subject matter.
The present inventive subject matter now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the inventive subject matter are shown. However, this inventive subject matter should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the inventive subject matter to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. As used herein the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the inventive subject matter. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
When an element such as a layer, region or substrate is referred to herein as being “on” or extending “onto” another element, it can be directly on or extend directly onto the other element or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to herein as being “directly on” or extending “directly onto” another element, there are no intervening elements present. Also, when an element is referred to herein as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to herein as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there are no intervening elements present.
Although the terms “first”, “second”, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, sections and/or parameters, these elements, components, regions, layers, sections and/or parameters should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the present inventive subject matter.
Furthermore, relative terms, such as “lower” or “bottom” and “upper” or “top,” may be used herein to describe one element's relationship to another elements as illustrated in the Figures. Such relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the Figures. For example, if the device in the Figures is turned over, elements described as being on the “lower” side of other elements would then be oriented on “upper” sides of the other elements. The exemplary term “lower”, can therefore, encompass both an orientation of “lower” and “upper,” depending on the particular orientation of the figure. Similarly, if the device in one of the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements would then be oriented “above” the other elements. The exemplary terms “below” or “beneath” can, therefore, encompass both an orientation of above and below.
The expression “major dimension,” as used herein, means a dimension of a structure which is the largest dimension of the structure. The expression “major dimensions,” as used herein, means two orthogonal dimensions (i.e,. within planes which are perpendicular) of a structure which are the largest two dimensions of the structure. In general, where a structure has two or more sides which are generally orthogonal, dimensions are measured in accordance with those orthogonal directions. For example, in the embodiment depicted in
Embodiments in accordance with the present inventive subject matter are described herein with reference to cross-sectional (and/or plan view) illustrations that are schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments of the present inventive subject matter. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, embodiments of the present inventive subject matter should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing. For example, a molded region illustrated or described as a rectangle will, typically, have rounded or curved features. Thus, the regions illustrated in the figures are schematic in nature and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the precise shape of a region of a device and are not intended to limit the scope of the present inventive subject matter.
As noted above, according to various aspects of the present inventive subject matter, there is provided a light fixture comprising a baffle system and a side reflector.
As noted above, some embodiments further comprise a lighting device. The lighting device, when present, can comprise any suitable device capable of emitting light. The expression “lighting device”, as used herein, is not limited, except that it indicates that the device is capable of emitting light. Persons of skill in the art are familiar with a wide variety of such lighting devices, and any of such devices can be employed in the light fixtures according to the present inventive subject matter. Representative examples of classes of lighting devices include devices which comprise incandescent lights, fluorescent lights, light emitting diodes, etc.
The baffle structures (e.g., the outer baffle structure, the first intermediate baffle structure, when present, and the inner baffle structure), and the side reflector can be formed of any desired material. Persons of skill in the art are familiar with a wide variety of suitable materials, including a variety of materials which are known for use in making baffles for light fixtures. A representative example of a suitable material for use in making the baffle structures is MCPET®, marketed by Furukawa (a Japanese corporation).
As noted above, in some embodiments of the present inventive subject matter, an extremity of the outer baffle structure is in a first plane, the first plane being at a location where, if a lighting device is provided and is illuminated, light travels through the first plane. In a representative example, the extremity of the outer baffle structure is the lowermost part of the outer baffle structure if the light fixture is mounted such that light is directed downwardly. For instance, in the representative embodiment depicted in
In the embodiment depicted in
Referring to
Referring again to
Referring to
Persons of skill in the art are familiar with a variety of solid state light emitters, and any of such solid state light emitters can be employed in the devices according to the present inventive subject matter (optionally including luminescent material(s) in any suitable form). Such solid state light emitters include inorganic and organic light emitters. Examples of types of such light emitters include a wide variety of light emitting diodes (inorganic or organic, including polymer light emitting diodes (PLEDs)), laser diodes, thin film electroluminescent devices, light emitting polymers (LEPs), a variety of each of which are well-known in the art (and therefore it is not necessary to describe in detail such devices, and/or the materials out of which such devices are made). The respective light emitters can be similar to one another, different from one another, or any combination (i.e., there can be a plurality of solid state light emitters of one type, or one or more solid state light emitters of each of two or more types).
Representative examples of suitable solid state light emitters and lumiphors are described in:
U.S. Patent Application No. 60/753,138, filed on Dec. 22, 2005, entitled “LIGHTING DEVICE” (inventor: Gerald H. Negley) and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/614,180, filed Dec. 21, 2006 (now U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0236911), the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference;
U.S. Patent Application No. 60/794,379, filed on Apr. 24, 2006, entitled “SHIFTING SPECTRAL CONTENT IN LEDS BY SPATIALLY SEPARATING LUMIPHOR FILMS” (inventors: Gerald H. Negley and Antony Paul van de Ven) and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/624,811, filed Jan. 19, 2007 (now U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0170447), the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference;
U.S. Patent Application No. 60/808,702, filed on May 26, 2006, entitled “LIGHTING DEVICE” (inventors: Gerald H. Negley and Antony Paul van de Ven) and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/751,982, filed May 22, 2007 (now U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0274080), the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference;
U.S. Patent Application No. 60/808,925, filed on May 26, 2006, entitled “SOLID STATE LIGHT EMITTING DEVICE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME” (inventors: Gerald H. Negley and Neal Hunter) and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/753,103, filed May 24, 2007 (now U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0280624), the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference;
U.S. Patent Application No. 60/802,697, filed on May 23, 2006, entitled “LIGHTING DEVICE AND METHOD OF MAKING” (inventor: Gerald H. Negley) and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/751,990, filed May 22, 2007 (now U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0274063), the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference;
U.S. Patent Application No. 60/793,524, filed on Apr. 20, 2006, entitled “LIGHTING DEVICE AND LIGHTING METHOD” (inventors: Gerald H. Negley and Antony Paul van de Ven) and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/736,761, filed Apr. 18, 2007 (now U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0278934), the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference;
U.S. Patent Application No. 60/839,453, filed on Aug. 23, 2006, entitled “LIGHTING DEVICE AND LIGHTING METHOD” (inventors: Antony Paul van de Ven and Gerald H. Negley) and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/843,243, filed Aug. 22, 2007 (now U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0084685), the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference;
U.S. Patent Application No. 60/851,230, filed on Oct. 12, 2006, entitled “LIGHTING DEVICE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME” (inventor: Gerald H. Negley) and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/870,679, filed Oct. 11, 2007 (now U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0089053), the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference;
U.S. Patent Application No. 60/916,608, filed on May 8, 2007, entitled “LIGHTING DEVICE AND LIGHTING METHOD” (inventors: Antony Paul van de Ven and Gerald H. Negley), the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference; and
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/017,676, filed on Jan. 22, 2008 (now U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0108269), entitled “ILLUMINATION DEVICE HAVING ONE OR MORE LUMIPHORS, AND METHODS OF FABRICATING SAME” (inventors: Gerald H. Negley and Antony Paul van de Ven), U.S. Patent Application No. 60/982,900, filed on Oct. 26, 2007 (inventors: Gerald H. Negley and Antony Paul van de Ven), the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Referring to
The embodiment depicted in
a second lens 76 is positioned between the baffle element_125 and the baffle element 129,
a third lens 77 is positioned between the baffle element_127 and the baffle element 131,
a fourth lens 78 is positioned between the baffle element_129 and the baffle element 133,
a fifth lens 79 is positioned between the baffle element_131 and the baffle element 133, and between the baffle element 132 and the baffle element_134,
a sixth lens 105 is positioned between the baffle element_126 and the baffle element 130,
a seventh lens 106 is positioned between the baffle element_124 and the baffle element 128,
an eighth lens 107 is positioned between the baffle element_130 and the baffle element 134, and
a ninth lens 108 is positioned between the baffle element_128 and the baffle element 132.
In the light fixtures according to the present invention, lenses (when provided) may be made of any suitable material, a variety of which are known to those skilled in the art, and may be of any desired shape, a wide variety of which are known to those skilled in the art. Representative examples of materials out of which the lenses may be made include an acrylic, polycarbonate, PET, PETG or other light transmissive material. Furthermore, the lens(es) may include diffusing structures formed therein, thereon or provided by one or more films. Representative examples of such arrangements are described in U.S. Patent Application No. 61/029,068, filed on Feb. 15, 2008, entitled “LIGHT FIXTURES AND LIGHTING DEVICES” (inventors: Paul Kenneth Pickard and Gary David Trott), and U.S. Patent Application No. 61/037,366, filed on Mar. 18, 2008, the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference. In addition, any of the light mixing, light diffusing and/or light reflecting features discussed in U.S. Patent Application No. 61/029,068, filed on Feb. 15, 2008 and U.S. Patent Application No. 61/037,366, filed on Mar. 18, 2008 can be employed in accordance with the present inventive subject matter. In addition, any of the surfaces which light contacts can, in some embodiments, be coated with textured paint in order to alter brightness characteristics and/or patterns as desired.
As seen in
In the second embodiment, if the lighting device 83 is illuminated, light passes through the first plane 80 before passing through the second plane 81. In other words, light that exits the light fixture through the fifth lens 79 (i.e., which passes through the region defined by the inner baffle structure 73), has a greater vertical distance (i.e., vertical in the sense of the orientation of the light fixture depicted in
As noted above, in some embodiments of the present inventive subject matter, the side reflector is slanted at an angle of from about 20 degrees to about 40 degrees relative to the first plane. For example, in the embodiment depicted in
As noted above, in some embodiments of the present inventive subject matter, if a lighting device is provided and is illuminated, light passes through a further plane (in the first aspect of the present inventive subject matter, the “third plane”, in the third aspect of the present inventive subject matter, the “fourth plane”) before passing through the first plane, the further plane being parallel to the first plane.
In the embodiment depicted in
As noted above, in some embodiments of the present inventive subject matter, the extremity of the outer baffle structure is a first series of points extending around a periphery of the outer baffle structure, wherein each of the first series of points is, for each radial position around the periphery of the outer baffle structure, a maximum distance from the “further plane.”
In the embodiment depicted in
As noted above, in some embodiments of the present inventive subject matter, each series of points which defines an extremity of a baffle structure defines a substantially square shape. For example, in the embodiment depicted in
The expression “substantially square”, as used herein, means that an annular square shape can be identified, wherein at least 90% of the points in the item which is characterized as being substantially square fall within the annular square shape, and the annular square shape includes at least 90% of the points in the item.
The expression “annular”, as used herein, means a structure which extends around an unfilled region, and which can otherwise be of any general shape, and any cross-sections can be of any shape. For example, “annular” encompasses ring-like shapes which can be defined by rotating a circle about an axis in the same plane as, but spaced from, the circle. “Annular” likewise encompasses shapes which can be defined by rotating a square (or any other two-dimensional shape) about an axis in the same plane as, but spaced from, the square. “Annular” likewise encompasses shapes which can be defined by moving any shape from a first position, through space along any path without ever moving to a position where part of the shape occupies a space previously occupied by any part of the shape, and eventually returning to the first position. “Annular” likewise encompasses shapes which can be defined by moving any shape from a first position, through space along any path without ever moving to a position where part of the shape occupies a space previously occupied by any part of the shape, and eventually returning to the first position, and where the shape and size of the shape being moved can be altered at any time, and any number of times, during its movement.
In some embodiments according to the present inventive subject matter, one or more of the various baffle elements can be oriented such that their major sides are perpendicular to the first plane. For example, in the embodiment depicted in
The expression “major sides,” as used herein, means sides of a structure having large surface area (or largest surface area) in relation to the overall surface area of the structure.
In some embodiments according to the present inventive subject matter, the baffle system further comprises at least a first connector baffle structure extending from the outer baffle structure to the first intermediate baffle structure and a second connector baffle structure extending from the first intermediate baffle structure to the inner baffle structure. For example, in the embodiment depicted in
In some embodiments according to the present inventive subject matter, two or more of the baffle structures are substantially concentric annular shapes. For example, in the embodiment depicted in
As noted above, according to a second aspect of the present inventive subject matter, there is provided a light fixture comprising a lighting device, a baffle system, at least one side reflector; and at least one lens. In accordance with the second aspect of the present inventive subject matter, if a viewer moves from a first position to a second position, the first and second positions both being in a viewer plane which is parallel to the first plane and which is spaced from the first plane by three feet, the viewer plane being on a side of the first plane where, if the lighting device is illuminated, light travels from the lighting device toward the viewer plane, the second position being on a line which extends through a center of the light fixture perpendicular to the first plane, the first position being at least 30 feet from the second position,
For example, in the case of the embodiment depicted in
When, in the embodiment depicted in
In some embodiments according to the present invention, (1) the least luminous region of the light fixture is the exposed surface of the side reflector 74, (2) the most luminous region is the fifth lens 79 (i.e., the lens inside the inner baffle structure 73), (3) the lenses 77, 78, 107 and 108 are less luminous than the fifth lens 79, (4) the lenses 75, 76, 105, 106 are less luminous than the lenses 77, 78, 107, 108, (5) the first side 97 of the inner baffle structure 73 (and the other similarly positioned sides of the inner baffle structure 73, i.e., the inner sides of the inner baffle structure 73) is less luminous than the fifth lens 79, (6) the second side 98 of the inner baffle structure 73 and the first side 95 of the first intermediate baffle structure 72 (and the other similarly positioned sides of the inner baffle structure 73 and the first intermediate baffle structure 72) are less luminous than the first side 97), and (7) the first side 93 of the outer baffle structure 71 and the second side 96 of the inner baffle structure 72 (and the other similarly positioned sides of the first intermediate baffle structure 72 and the outer baffle structure 71) are less luminous than the first side 95).
In some embodiments according to the present invention, the mechanical shield angle provided by the side reflector 74 is small enough, the fifth lens 79 is large enough, and the fifth lens 79 is recessed within the inner baffle structure 73 to a small enough extent that as a viewer approaches a position directly beneath the light fixture from a large distance (e.g., from the first position 100 to the second position 101 in
In the embodiment depicted in
In the embodiment depicted in
In the embodiment depicted in
In the embodiment depicted in
In the embodiment depicted in
In the embodiment depicted in
In the embodiment depicted in
In some embodiments, (1) the depth of recess for lenses (or the lens) positioned between the inner baffle structure 73 and the first intermediate baffle structure 72, and (2) the depth of recess for lenses (or the lens) positioned between the first intermediate baffle structure 72 and the outer baffle structure 71, are substantially similar to (i.e., differ by not more than 10% from) (3) the depth of recess for the lens (or lenses) positioned within the inner baffle structure 73.
In some embodiments, (1) the ratio of the depth of recess for lenses (or the lens) positioned between the inner baffle structure 73 and the first intermediate baffle structure 72 divided by their respective widths (i.e., distance measured in a direction in a plane defined by the perimeter of the side reflector 74) (or its width), and (2) the depth of recess for lenses (or the lens) positioned between the first intermediate baffle structure 72 and the outer baffle structure 71 divided by their respective widths (or its width), are substantially similar to (i.e., differ by not more than 10% from) (3) the depth of recess for the lens (or lenses) positioned within the inner baffle structure 73 divided by its width (or their respective widths).
As noted above, according to a third aspect of the present inventive subject matter, there is provided a light fixture in which the outer baffle structure, the first intermediate baffle structure and the inner baffle structure each share at least two planes of symmetry. For example, in the embodiment depicted in
In addition, as noted above, in the third aspect of the present inventive subject matter, planes extending through portions of the outer baffle structure and being perpendicular to the first plane surround the first intermediate baffle structure, and planes extending through portions of the first intermediate baffle structure and being perpendicular to the first plane surround the inner baffle structure. For example, in the embodiment depicted in
As noted above, according to a fourth aspect of the present inventive subject matter, there is provided a light fixture comprising:
at least two recessed square elements, the two recessed square elements being concentric;
triangular connecting elements between the recessed squares; and
lenses which are recessed from the faces of each of the concentric square elements.
For example, the embodiment depicted in
A further aspect of the present inventive subject matter provides a luminaire in which all refractive elements are visible only when viewed from below.
Any two or more structural parts of the devices described herein can be integrated. Any structural part of the devices described herein can be provided in two or more parts (which are held together, if necessary).
Embodiments of the present inventive subject matter may be particularly well suited for use with systems for generating white light by combining a yellowish green highly unsaturated lamp (comprising a blue emitter and excess of yellow phosphor) with a red LED to produce white light, as described in:
(1) U.S. Patent Application No. 60/752,555, filed Dec. 21, 2005, entitled “LIGHTING DEVICE AND LIGHTING METHOD” (inventors: Antony Paul Van de Ven and Gerald H. Negley) and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/613,714, filed Dec. 20, 2006 (now U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0139920), the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference;
(2) U.S. Patent Application No. 60/793,524, filed on Apr. 20, 2006, entitled “LIGHTING DEVICE AND LIGHTING METHOD” (inventors: Gerald H. Negley and Antony Paul van de Ven) and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/736,761, filed Apr. 18, 2007 (now U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0278934), the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference;
(3) U.S. Patent Application No. 60/793,518, filed on Apr. 20, 2006, entitled “LIGHTING DEVICE AND LIGHTING METHOD” (inventors: Gerald H. Negley and Antony Paul van de Ven) and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/736,799, filed Apr. 18, 2007 (now U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0267983), the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference;
(4) U.S. Patent Application No. 60/857,305, filed on Nov. 7, 2006, entitled “LIGHTING DEVICE AND LIGHTING METHOD” (inventors: Antony Paul van de Ven and Gerald H. Negley; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/936,163, filed Nov. 7, 2007 (now U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0106895), the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference;
(5) U.S. Patent Application No. 60/916,596, filed on May 8, 2007, entitled “LIGHTING DEVICE AND LIGHTING METHOD” (inventors: Antony Paul van de Ven and Gerald H. Negley), the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference;
(6) U.S. Patent Application No. 60/916,607, filed on May 8, 2007, entitled “LIGHTING DEVICE AND LIGHTING METHOD” (inventors: Antony Paul van de Ven and Gerald H. Negley), the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference;
(7) U.S. Patent Application No. 60/839,453, filed on Aug. 23, 2006, entitled “LIGHTING DEVICE AND LIGHTING METHOD” (inventors: Antony Paul van de Ven and Gerald H. Negley) and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/843,243, filed Aug. 22, 2007 (now U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0084685), the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference;
(8) U.S. Pat. No. 7,213,940, issued on May 8, 2007, entitled “LIGHTING DEVICE AND LIGHTING METHOD” (inventors: Antony Paul van de Ven and Gerald H. Negley), the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference;
(9) U.S. Patent Application No. 60/868,134, filed on Dec. 1, 2006, entitled “LIGHTING DEVICE AND LIGHTING METHOD” (inventors: Antony Paul van de Ven and Gerald H. Negley), the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference;
(10) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/948,021, filed on Nov. 30, 2007 (now U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0130285), entitled “LIGHTING DEVICE AND LIGHTING METHOD” (inventors: Antony Paul van de Ven and Gerald H. Negley), the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference;
(11) U.S. Patent Application No. 60/868,986, filed on Dec. 7, 2006, entitled “LIGHTING DEVICE AND LIGHTING METHOD” (inventors: Antony Paul van de Ven and Gerald H. Negley), and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/951,626, filed Dec. 6, 2007 (now U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0136313), the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference;
(12) U.S. Patent Application No. 60/916,597, filed on May 8, 2007, entitled “LIGHTING DEVICE AND LIGHTING METHOD” (inventors: Antony Paul van de Ven and Gerald H. Negley) and U.S. Patent Application No. 60/944,848, filed Jun. 19, 2007, the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference; and
(13) U.S. Patent Application No. 60/990,435, filed on Nov. 27, 2007, entitled “WARM WHITE ILLUMINATION WITH HIGH CRI AND HIGH EFFICACY” (inventors: Antony Paul van de Ven and Gerald H. Negley), the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Furthermore, while certain embodiments of the present inventive subject matter have been illustrated with reference to specific combinations of elements, various other combinations may also be provided without departing from the teachings of the present inventive subject matter. Thus, the present inventive subject matter should not be construed as being limited to the particular exemplary embodiments described herein and illustrated in the Figures, but may also encompass combinations of elements of the various illustrated embodiments.
Many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art, given the benefit of the present disclosure, without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventive subject matter. Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiments have been set forth only for the purposes of example, and that it should not be taken as limiting the inventive subject matter as defined by the following claims. The following claims are, therefore, to be read to include not only the combination of elements which are literally set forth but all equivalent elements for performing substantially the same function in substantially the same way to obtain substantially the same result. The claims are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, and also what incorporates the essential idea of the inventive subject matter.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/916,407, filed May 7, 2007, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/029,068, filed Feb. 15, 2008, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/037,366, filed Mar. 18, 2008, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1675731 | Schofield | Jul 1928 | A |
| 1791718 | Dye et al. | Feb 1931 | A |
| 2142395 | Herron | Jan 1939 | A |
| 3169710 | Lipscomb | Feb 1965 | A |
| 3373275 | High | Mar 1968 | A |
| 3788206 | Mulvey | Jan 1974 | A |
| D258919 | Kristofek | Apr 1981 | S |
| 5149191 | Lewin et al. | Sep 1992 | A |
| 5465199 | Bray et al. | Nov 1995 | A |
| 5890794 | Abtahi et al. | Apr 1999 | A |
| D428516 | Reo et al. | Jul 2000 | S |
| D430339 | Reo | Aug 2000 | S |
| D437446 | Reo et al. | Feb 2001 | S |
| 6238065 | Jones | May 2001 | B1 |
| D443949 | DiMonte | Jun 2001 | S |
| 6527422 | Hutchison | Mar 2003 | B1 |
| 7213940 | Van De Ven et al. | May 2007 | B1 |
| 7290906 | Suzuki et al. | Nov 2007 | B2 |
| D558382 | Cesaro | Dec 2007 | S |
| 20010050852 | Jones | Dec 2001 | A1 |
| 20020080602 | Jones | Jun 2002 | A1 |
| 20030053314 | Summerford et al. | Mar 2003 | A1 |
| 20040165388 | Shoji | Aug 2004 | A1 |
| 20070030692 | Waring | Feb 2007 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 295 01 661 | Oct 1995 | DE |
| 0 684 425 | Nov 1995 | EP |
| 183274 | Jul 1922 | GB |
| Entry |
|---|
| Focal Point Web Material, “Focal Point® launches two dimensions of popular Sky™ family”, date: 2002, p. 1. |
| Focal Point Web Material, “Sky™ 2x2”, date: 2002, p. 1. |
| Focal Point literature, “Sky™ 2x2”, pp. 116-117. |
| Focal Point literature, “Sky™ 4x4”, pp. 118-119. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 11/614,180, filed Dec. 21, 2006. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 11/613,714, filed Dec. 20, 2006. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 11/624,811, filed Jan. 19, 2007. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 11/751,982, filed May 22, 2007. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 11/753,103, filed May 24, 2007. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 11/751,990, filed May 22, 2007. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 11/736,761, filed Apr. 18, 2007. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 11/736,799, filed Apr. 18, 2007. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 11/936,163, filed Nov. 7, 2007. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 12/117,122, filed May 8, 2008. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 12/117,131, filed May 8, 2008. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 11/843,243, filed Aug. 22, 2007. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 11/948,021, filed Nov. 30, 2007. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 11/870,679, filed Oct. 11, 2007. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 11/951,626, filed Dec. 6, 2007. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 12/117,148, filed May 8, 2008. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 12/117,271, filed May 8, 2008. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 12/017,676, filed Jan. 22, 2008. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 12/116,346, filed May 7, 2008. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 12/116,348, filed May 7, 2008. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 12/056,851, filed Mar. 27, 2008. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 60/990,435, filed Nov. 27, 2007. |
| U.S. Appl. No. 13/365,618, filed Feb. 3, 2012, Pickard et al. |
| Taiwan Office Action (and translation provided by foreign counsel) from a corresponding Taiwan patent application bearing a mailing date of Jan. 23, 2013, 24 pages. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20080278952 A1 | Nov 2008 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60916407 | May 2007 | US | |
| 61029068 | Feb 2008 | US | |
| 61037366 | Mar 2008 | US |
