Patent Application
20220057075
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The present invention generally relates to a lighting or illumination system comprising a light source driver separated from the light source unit and method thereof for illuminating buildings. Although the invention will be illustrated, explained and exemplified by a LED board that can be moveable relative to a stationary LED driver, it should be appreciated that the present invention can also be applied to any other suitable light source, for example solid-state lighting (SSL) fixtures that comprises organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) or polymer light-emitting diodes (PLED), e.g. a (retrofit) lamp, and the like.
LEDs are solid state light emitting devices formed of semiconductors, and LED lighting is superior to lighting using an incandescent lamp, fluorescent lamp etc. in terms of lower power consumption, lower heat generation, longer life, better stability, higher reliability and higher response speed. As such, LEDs are widely used in various fields such as light sources for lighting, alphanumeric display elements, signal lights, and display devices.
However, the LEDs are very weak against heat. When temperature is higher than an allowable temperature, the LED is reduced in light emitting efficiency and has its life affected. In order to solve these problems, the heat generated when the LED element emits light needs to be dissipated into a space surrounding the LED element and hence the LED lighting is provided with a large heat sink. Typically, a LED lighting apparatus is provided with a heat sink disposed to adjoin a heat sink base or a printed circuit board (PCB), on which LEDs are mounted, to dissipate heat. However, it is recognized that such a lighting apparatus suffers from many restrictions in improvement of heat dissipation efficiency through the heat sink.
Moreover, in some LED lighting apparatuses, a power supply such as a switching mode power supply (SMPS) is received within a housing. When AC current is supplied from outside, the SMPS converts the AC current into DC current and supplies the DC current to the LEDS in the housing. However, since the power supply such as SMPS generates large amounts of heat during operation and the heat remains at an upper housing section.
In the prior art, the LED driver is the weakest link, and everyone has the driver mounted in the fixture. If the LED driver fails, one has to either throw the fixture away, or pull it apart and repair it. Another problem is that a user has to regrid the electrical if the user wants to move the fixtures around. National Electrical Code requires that building voltage to be within the footprint of the LED fixture. If the user wants to move a fixture, he/she has to relocate the building electrical where the fixture's new location will be.
Therefore, there exists a need to overcome the aforementioned problems. Advantageously, the present invention provides a lighting or illumination system comprising a light source driver separated from the light source unit and method thereof for illuminating buildings, that can solve these problems.
One aspect of the present invention provides a lighting system comprising a main power source, a light source driver electrically coupled to the main power source, and a light source unit driven by the light source driver. The light source driver is encased within a dedicated or independent driver housing. The light source driver and the driver housing are physically and electrically connected to the light source unit via a flexible cord. The length of the flexible cord is so configured that the light source unit can be installed at different locations inside a building without moving the light source driver around.
Another aspect of the invention provides a method of illuminating the internal space of a building, comprising:
(i) providing a lighting system as described above;
(ii) mounting the light source driver in a first location in the building;
(iii) mounting the light source unit in a second location in the building; and
(iv) moving the light source unit to, and mounting it in, a third location in the building without moving the light source driver away from the first location and without re-griding the utility electrical system in the building.
The above features and advantages and other features and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best modes for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements. All the figures are schematic and generally only show parts which are necessary in order to elucidate the invention. For simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures and discussed below have not necessarily been drawn to scale. Well-known structures and devices are shown in simplified form, omitted, or merely suggested, in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention.
In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It is apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details or with an equivalent arrangement.
Where a numerical range is disclosed herein, unless otherwise specified, such range is continuous, inclusive of both the minimum and maximum values of the range as well as every value between such minimum and maximum values. Still further, where a range refers to integers, only the integers from the minimum value to and including the maximum value of such range are included. In addition, where multiple ranges are provided to describe a feature or characteristic, such ranges can be combined.
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 limit the scope of the invention. For example, when an element is referred to as being “on”, “connected to”, or “coupled to” another element, it can be directly on, connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on”, “directly connected to”, or “directly coupled to” another element, there are no intervening elements present.
Throughout the specification and claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The phrase “in one embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may. Furthermore, the phrase “in another embodiment” does not necessarily refer to a different embodiment, although it may. Thus, as described below, various embodiments of the invention may be readily combined without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.
In addition, as used herein, the term “or” is an inclusive “or” operator, and is equivalent to the term “and/or,” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The term “based on” is not exclusive and allows for being based on additional factors not described, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, throughout the specification, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references. The meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on.”
With reference to
The lighting system 1 includes a main power source 2 such as an electrical socket connected to a power grid, a public utility electrical grid, or a DC power source. A light source driver 3 is electrically coupled to the main power source 2. The driver 3 is encased within, housed in a dedicated or independent driver housing 5 at a location 5a of the building 7.
A light source unit 4 is driven by the light source driver 3. Examples of the light source units include, but are not limited to, solid-state lighting (SSL) fixtures such as a semiconductor light-emitting diode (LED), organic light-emitting diodes (OLED), polymer light-emitting diodes (PLED), or any combination thereof, e.g. a (retrofit) lamp.
As shown in
In exemplary embodiments as shown in
All other (non-LED) components 31 of the LED circuit may be included in the light source driver 3 within the driver housing 5. These non-LED components 31 of the LED circuit may be used to control or regulate the current level of a LED current through the LED 41 and thus control or regulate the light output of the LED 41. Examples of non-LED components 31 of the LED circuit include, but are not limited to, a current-limiting resistor such as a series resistor, an active constant current regulator, a depletion-mode MOSFET (metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor), a low drop-out (LDO) constant current regulator, a switched-mode power supply, a power MOSFET, a power integrated circuit (IC) chip, a power switch, an electromagnetic relay including a coil, a rectifier, a pulse-width modulator, an AC/DC converter or inverter configured to transform alternating current (AC) power to direct current (DC) power, and the like. For example, the main power source 2 may be e.g. a commercial power source, and its AC voltage may be e.g. 100 V. The power driver 3 may be able to convert 100-300 V such as 100 V or 277 V AC current to 10-18 V DC current.
In some embodiments, the LED circuit ensures the correct polarity, because LEDs will only light with correct electrical polarity. When the voltage across the p-n junction is in the correct direction, a significant current flows and the device is forward-biased. If the voltage is of the wrong polarity, the device is reverse biased, very little current flows, and no light is emitted. In some embodiments, the LED circuit ensures that LEDs are operated on an alternating current voltage, but they will only light with positive voltage, causing the LED to turn on and off at the frequency of the AC supply. In some embodiments, the LED circuit pulses LEDs on and off, by applying power periodically or intermittently. As long as the flicker rate is greater than the human flicker fusion threshold and the LED is stationary relative to the eye, the LED will appear to be continuously lit. Varying the on/off ratio of the pulses is known as pulse-width modulation. In some embodiments, PWM-based drivers are more efficient than constant current or constant voltage drivers. The LED light output is generally controlled by regulating a current level of a LED current through the LED. The LED current may be further modulated with, e.g. a pulse width modulation (PWM) scheme. In such a PWM-scheme, the LED receives the LED current in a periodic sequences of pulses of a certain width, while the width of the pulses is modulated from a first pulse width to a second pulse width when the effective light output is to be changed from a first light output level to a second light output level.
The present invention also provides a method of illuminating the internal space of a building 7. As shown in
An advantage of the invention is that, when the light source driver 3 fails, the user can keep (not throw away) the light source unit 4 or the user can maintain the integrity of the light source unit 4 without pulling it apart and repairing it. By the same token, when the light source unit 4 fails, the user can keep (not throw away) the light source driver 3 or the user can maintain the integrity of the light source driver 3 without pulling it apart and repairing it.
In preferred embodiments, the first location 5a has a temperature lower than the second location 4a or the third location 4b. Additionally, as shown in
In a specific but exemplary embodiment, a “Remote Driver Hold Down Assembly 16 Inch-Model” as shown in
In another specific but exemplary embodiment as shown in
In still another specific but exemplary embodiment as shown in
In still another specific but exemplary embodiment as shown in
The parameters such as voltage of the fixture may be specified in the LED driver housing 5. Exemplary residential LEDs may be provided with a warm 3000 kelvin color, while an exemplary commercial light may include an exemplary 4000 kelvin cool white color. The color temperatures of the daylight color, the daylight white color, the white color, the warm white color and the incandescent color may be, for example, 6500 K (Kelvin), 5000 K, 4200 K, 3500 K, and 2900 K, respectively. Exemplary lighting fixtures may include a color rating index (CRI) of about 780, a measure of how well the lighting fixture will maintain its color over the life of the lighting device, approximately 86-88, and potentially 90 or greater.
In still another specific but exemplary embodiment as shown in
In still another specific but exemplary embodiment as shown in
In the foregoing specification, embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to numerous specific details that may vary from implementation to implementation. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The sole and exclusive indicator of the scope of the invention, and what is intended by the applicant to be the scope of the invention, is the literal and equivalent scope of the set of claims that issue from this application, in the specific form in which such claims issue, including any subsequent correction.
This application expressly claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. Section 119(e) and Article 4 of the Stockholm Act of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/067,876, filed Aug. 20, 2020, entitled “LED DRIVING DEVICES; LED FIXTURES; AND LED LIGHTING SYSTEMS, ASSEMBLIES AND METHODS THEREOF,” the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63067876 | Aug 2020 | US |
