Patent Application
20160320007
The present invention relates to a retrofit recessed LED lighting apparatus, and more particularly, to non-round recessed LED lighting fixtures suitable for retrofit installation.
Recessed LED downlight fixtures are typically installed above a ceiling. Typically, replacement or modifications to an installed lighting assembly require removal of the existing assembly or various components from the ceiling. An example of conventional recessed downlight fixture is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,348,477, “Light emitting diode recessed light fixture”. This patent discloses a downlight fixture installed in a opening in a ceiling panel, a junction box mounted on the ceiling panel, and electric wires electrically connecting the LED downlight fixture with the junction box to supply electrical power to a LED driver of the LED downlight fixture.
Besides LED retrofit applications involving downlights that are mounted to a recessed junction box, another conventional type of recessed light or downlight application for retrofit LED light fixtures is sometimes called a recessed can light, referring to a light fixture including a can fixture that is installed into a hollow opening in a ceiling. When installed, a recessed can light appears to be light shining from a hole in the ceiling, concentrating the light in a downward direction as a broad floodlight or narrow spotlight. There are two main components to recessed can lights: the trim and the housing. The trim is the visible portion of the light fixture. It is the insert seen when looking up into the fixture, and also includes the thin lining around the edge of the light. In conventional can lights, the housing is the fixture itself that is installed inside the ceiling and contains the lamp holder. An exemplary recessed can light is disclosed in US Patent Application 20130100650 A1, Downlight LED Retrofit Kit.
The junction-box type recessed LED downlight fixture of U.S. Pat. No. 8,348,477, and the recessed can light of the US Patent Application 20130100650, are both round, i.e., they both have a circular cross section. Round light fixtures are virtually standard for both types of LED downlight retrofit light fixtures, as this is a natural form factor for installation either with recessed cans, which are round, or with recessed downlight junction boxes, which also often are round. A problem in retrofit installation of square, rectangular, or other non-round LED light form factors in recessed downlight applications is the difficulty of mounting the light in a desired orientation. In architectural recessed lighting installations including downlight cans or junction boxes, it is not normal practice to install the can or junction box with a view to providing a particular orientation of a recessed lighting fixture. This is to be expected, since conventional recessed lighting fixtures are generally round, and lighting fixtures for retrofit installation to replace such conventional recessed lighting fixtures also are generally round and hence do not require particular orientation. What is needed is non-round retrofit recessed LED down lighting fixtures, designed to facilitate retrofit installation of the non-round LED downlight fixtures in a desired orientation in an architectural recessed lighting installation.
A light emitting diode (LED) light fixture for attachment and electrical coupling to a recessed electrical connection enclosure includes a mounting fixture and a source of electrical power. The light fixture includes a luminaire with a frame having a non-round form, and a substantially flat light emitting diode (LED) panel disposed within the frame. In an embodiment, the luminaire of the light fixture is rotatably joined to a mounting member at a rotary connector. The mounting member includes least one fastener for attachment of the mounting member to the mounting fixture of the recessed electrical connection enclosure. The luminaire may be rotated relative to the mounting member attached to the mounting fixture of the recessed electrical connection enclosure, to orient the non-round frame of the luminaire in a desired orientation.
In an embodiment, a light emitting diode (LED) light fixture for installation at a recessed electrical connection enclosure including a mounting fixture, comprises a luminaire, comprising a frame having a non-round form; and a substantially flat light emitting diode (LED) panel disposed within the frame having the non-round form; and an attachment assembly, comprising a mounting member; at least one fastener; and a rotary connector; wherein the attachment assembly is configured for attachment of the mounting member to the mounting fixture of the recessed electrical connection enclosure via the at least one fastener, and the luminaire is rotatably joined to the mounting member at the rotary connector to permit rotation of the luminaire relative to the attachment assembly.
In another embodiment, a light emitting diode (LED) light fixture, for use in installation at a recessed electrical connection enclosure including a mounting fixture, comprises a luminaire having a non-round shape; and a substantially flat light emitting diode (LED) panel disposed within the luminaire having the non-round shape; and an attachment assembly, comprising a mounting bar; a first fastener joined to the mounting bar at a first side of the mounting bar; and a second fastener joined to the mounting bar at a second side of the mounting bar; and a rotary connector located between the first fastener and the second fastener; wherein the attachment assembly is configured for attachment of the mounting bar to the mounting fixture of the recessed electrical connection enclosure via the at least one fastener, and the luminaire is rotatably joined to the mounting member at the rotary connector to permit rotation of the luminaire relative to the attachment assembly.
Additional features and advantages of an embodiment will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the exemplary embodiments in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
Non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure are described by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures which are schematic and are not intended to be drawn to scale. Unless indicated as representing the background art, the figures represent aspects of the disclosure.
The present disclosure is here described in detail with reference to embodiments illustrated in the drawings, which form a part here. Other embodiments may be used and/or other changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description are not meant to be limiting of the subject matter presented here. Furthermore, the various components and embodiments described herein may be combined to form additional embodiments not expressly described, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.
Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used here to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated here, and additional applications of the principles of the inventions as illustrated here, which would occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention.
As seen in
The term “substantially flat light emitting diode (LED) panel,” as used in connection with the description of various embodiments, is meant to include LED panels having a thickness that is substantially less than the length and width of the panel. In addition, the term “substantially flat LED panel” is meant to include LED panels of slightly non-uniform thickness. The substantially flat light emitting diode (LED) panel may include various optical materials and configurations, such as configurations including light emitting diodes (LEDs) at one or more edge of an optically transmissive panel, and configurations including an array light emitting diodes (LEDs) at a face of a substantially flat panel.
The luminaire 102, which may include the frame 104 and the substantially flat LED panel 108, may have a variety of dimensions and non-round forms (also herein called shapes, and form factors), including, but not limited to, square, rectangular, other polygonal (e.g., pentagonal, hexagonal, octagonal), and oval and elliptical forms. As used in the present disclosure, “non-round” shapes or form factors of the LED light fixture 100 refer to non-circular shapes or form factors. In an embodiment, the frame 104 of luminaire 102 has a substantially square form, and the substantially flat LED panel 108 is visible through a substantially square aperture; wherein “aperture” indicates linear dimension(s) of a light emission area of the substantially flat LED panel 108. For example, the luminaire 102 can be square with a size of approximately eight inches by eight inches (8″ by 8″). In another embodiment, the luminaire 102 can be square with a size of approximately six inches by six inches (6″∴6″). In another exemplary embodiment, the luminaire 102 can be rectangular a size of about six inches by twelve inches (6″×12″).
In an embodiment, rotatable mounting member 120 is mounted to a cylindrical housing 118 at the rear surface of luminaire 102. The frame 104 may include a rectangular frame 116, and an integral cylindrical housing 118 protruding from the rear of rectangular frame 116. Alternatively, the cylindrical housing 118 and the rectangular frame may be separate structures that are joined during assembly of frame 104. The cylindrical housing 118 provides additional room for housing internal components of luminaire 102, such a power supply and driver circuitry. In an embodiment, the cylindrical housing 118 of luminaire 102 houses an internal power supply for converting AC power to DC power.
In an embodiment, the frame 104 is comprised of a metal, a metal alloy, or a composite material including a metal. For example, the frame may be comprised of ferrous metals, or non-ferrous metals such as aluminum, brass, bronze, copper, and stainless steel. The frame may include a surface treatment such as electroplating or powder coating. Surface treatments for improved durability, such as rust-proofing, may be applied to frame 104.
Attachment assembly 110 includes components of LED light fixture 100 for attachment of luminaire 102 to recessed electrical connection enclosure installations. In the first embodiment of
As seen is the side view in
Other structures of attachment assembly 110 include first mounting arm 128 attached at one end of rotatable bar 124, and second mounting arm 130 attached at the other end of rotatable bar 124. As seen in
The LED light fixture 100 of
As a first step of installing LED light fixture 100 in the recessed downlight installation 150, an electrical adapter 144 (also called screw base adapter 144) is screwed into electrical socket 154, possibly after removing and then reinstalling the socket 154 and socket plate 156. Then, connector assembly 136 may be attached to electrical adapter 144. The attachment assembly 110 of light fixture is then attached to the mounting fixture, i.e., clasps 160, 162, of the recessed electrical connection enclosure 152.
In the embodiment of
Alternatively, the user may rotate and orient the luminaire 102 after LED light fixture 100 has been installed against the ceiling or other architectural installation, provided that there is adequate clearance to permit rotation. After rotating the LED light fixture 100 to a desired orientation, it may be desirable to further press in place or otherwise secure the LED light fixture to limit its freedom of rotation, so that the light fixture remains in the chosen orientation if and when it is subjected to shaking, vibration or other forces.
Turning now to
In the mounting fixture embodiment as seen in
In the embodiment of
While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed, other aspects and embodiments are contemplated. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.
The foregoing method descriptions and the interface configuration are provided merely as illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that the steps of the various embodiments must be performed in the order presented. As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art the steps in the foregoing embodiments may be performed in any order. Words such as “then,” “next,” etc. are not intended to limit the order of the steps; these words are simply used to guide the reader through the description of the methods. Although process flow diagrams may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination may correspond to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function.
The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed here may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present invention.
