Patent Application
20140268767
This invention generally relates to light fixtures, and more particularly to recessed light fixtures.
The movement towards greater energy efficiency and “greener” technologies has had a large impact in the area of building construction, both in the residential and commercial context. One area of continued focus is the lighting used in such buildings. There is a growing trend of utilizing LED (light emitting diode) type lighting in both the residential and commercial context, given the decreased power consumption and longer service life of such lighting.
As one particular example, there is a growing trend of utilizing LED type light sources in recessed lighting fixtures. A typical recessed lighting fixture will have a housing that extends into a ceiling, typically. The housing has a bottom face that is generally flush with ceiling. An opening is formed in the bottom face, which leads into a recess of the housing. An LED light source is positioned within the recess. Such assemblies have been readily adopted given their reduced power consumption and longer service life. They may be utilized in new construction, or as a retrofit of an existing recessed light that utilizes a conventional filament based bulb as a light source.
However, there are several disadvantages with such assemblies. First, they typically incorporate a power supply that is positioned above the LED light source within the housing. This power supply receives input power from the installation site (e.g. a consumer's residential power grid) and converts it to the particular power supply required by the LED light source. Because the power supply is positioned above the light source, it is generally in a location within the housing that operates at an elevated temperature due to the heat generated by the light source.
Operating in this elevated temperature environment restricts the maximum power output of the power supply, as it must not exceed a specified temperature during normal operation. In other words, given that the power supply is already at an elevated temperature due to its location, the heat generated by the operation of the power supply must not elevate the operating temperature of the power supply beyond the aforementioned limit. As a result, the overall maximum power output of the power supply must be carefully reduced and controlled to maintain a safe operating temperature, taking into account the baseline temperature of the power supply due to its location above the light source.
Second, situating the power supply above the light source reduces the distance taken from the light source to the opening of the housing from which light will be emitted. In other words, in order to maintain a generally desirable and standard overall height, additional housing space is sacrificed to make room for the power supply above the light source, thereby situating the light source closer to the opening of the housing. Such a configuration is not desirable because, as the light source moves closer to the opening, the amount of glare produced by the light is increased. Further, as the light source moves closer to the opening, it becomes visible to a consumer at a large range of angles. Seeing the actual light source is aesthetically displeasing, and as stated above, increases the glare produced by the light.
As such, there is a need in the art for a recessed LED lighting fixture that overcomes existing problems in the art by providing a high power output potential, with a reduced glare and improved aesthetics. The invention provides such a recessed LED lighting fixture. These and other advantages of the invention, as well as additional inventive features, will be apparent from the description of the invention provided herein.
In one aspect, a recessed LED lighting fixture is provided. An embodiment of such a recessed LED lighting fixture includes a housing assembly having an opening in a bottom face thereof. The opening communicates with a recess of the housing assembly. A LED light source is positioned within the recess of the housing assembly such that it emits light through the opening of the housing assembly. A power supply is mounted to the housing assembly below the LED light source.
In certain embodiments, the housing assembly comprises a housing body and a movable housing cover. The removable housing cover includes an arm. A channel is defined between the arm and an outer surface of the housing body. The channel routes input power lead wires to the power supply.
In certain embodiments, the LED light source includes at least one LED on a circuit board. In a subsidiary embodiment, the at least one LED includes a plurality of LEDs.
In certain embodiments, the housing assembly includes a trim ring for flush-mounting the housing assembly to a mounting surface. The power supply is mounted to the trim ring. In a subsidiary embodiment, the power supply is radially exterior of the recess of the housing assembly.
The power assembly may be ring-shaped and surround the housing assembly.
In another aspect, a recessed LED lighting fixture is provided. An embodiment of such a recessed LED lighting fixture includes a housing assembly having an opening in a bottom face thereof. The opening communicates with a recess of the housing assembly. A LED light source is positioned within the recess of the housing assembly such that it emits light through the opening of the housing assembly. A power supply is mounted to an exterior of the housing assembly such that it is radially outside of the recess.
In certain embodiments, the power supply is mounted to the housing assembly below the LED light source such that it is axially interposed between the LED light source and the opening.
In certain embodiments, the housing assembly recess is divided, by a dividing wall, into an upper cavity and a lower cavity. The LED light source is mounted to the dividing wall within the lower cavity. The housing assembly includes a housing cover and a housing body. The housing body defines the upper and lower cavities. The housing cover caps the upper cavity and includes an arm which extends axially along a length of the housing body and encloses a channel between the housing body and the arm. Electrical power input lead wires extend through an opening in the cover, into the upper cavity, through the channel, and connect to the power supply. Electrical power output lead wires extend from the power supply, through the channel, into the upper cavity, through an opening formed in the dividing wall, and connect with the LED light source.
In certain embodiments, the housing body includes a flange-shaped trim ring surrounding the opening. The power supply is mounted to an upper surface of the trim ring. The power supply surrounds a radially outer-most wall of the housing body which forms a boundary of the upper and lower cavities. In certain embodiments, the power supply circumscribes the lower cavity. In certain embodiments, the power supply is ring-shaped.
In yet another aspect, a method for retrofitting a structure with a recessed LED lighting fixture is provided. An embodiment of such a method includes the steps of removing an existing recessed lighting fixture, and thereafter, installing a recessed LED lighting fixture. The recessed LED lighting fixture including a housing assembly having an opening in a bottom face thereof. The opening communicates with a recess of the housing assembly. A LED light source is positioned within the recess of the housing assembly such that it emits light through the opening of the housing assembly. A power supply is mounted to the housing assembly below the LED light source such that it is axially interposed between the opening and the LED light source.
In a subsidiary embodiment, the step of installing includes flush-mounting a trim ring of the housing assembly with a mounting surface. The power supply is mounted to an upper surface of the trim ring and is radially outside of the recess of the housing assembly.
Other aspects, objectives and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification illustrate several aspects of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
While the invention will be described in connection with certain preferred embodiments, there is no intent to limit it to those embodiments. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents as included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Turning now to the drawings, an exemplary embodiment of a recessed LED lighting fixture 100 (hereinafter referred to as “light fixture”) is illustrated. Light fixture 100 includes a generally cylindrically-shaped housing assembly 102, with a generally ring-shaped power supply 104 mounted to an exterior of the housing assembly 102. As will be explained in greater detail below, power supply 104 is mounted axially below a light source of light fixture 100 such that the heat generated by the aforementioned light source has little-to-no effect upon power supply 104. Advantageously, power supply 104 may be rated at higher power outputs, and not exceed an upper operating temperature limit. Further, by situating power supply 104 below the light source, the light source of light fixture 100 may be positioned deeper into a recess of housing assembly 102 to thereby reduce glare and line-of-sight to the actual light source contained therein.
Although the embodiment illustrated and described herein incorporates a cylindrically-shaped housing assembly, and a ring-shaped power supply, those skilled in the art will immediately recognize that other housing and power supply sizes and shapes are possible in accordance with the teachings herein.
The housing assembly includes a housing body 106 and a housing cover 108. The housing body 106 may incorporate heat sink fins as illustrated, or may omit the same and have a generally smooth outer surface. A lead wire assembly 110 protrudes through an opening 112 formed in housing cover 108. Lead wire assembly 110 includes a plug-style termination as shown, however, other terminations are contemplated (e.g. bare wires, tin connections, etc.). A plurality of mounting clips 114 are attached to housing cover 108 and facilitate the mounting of light fixture 100. A plurality of locating detents 116 are formed on housing cover 108 for situating and maintaining the orientation of mounting clips 114. Mounting clips 114 are generally resilient and thus can flex and adjust to reposition the same. Additionally, although three mounting clips 114 are illustrated, it will be recognized that fewer or greater mounting clips 114 may be utilized.
Turning now to
With reference now to
Indeed, power supply input leads 140 extend through opening 112 formed in housing cover 108, through upper cavity 134, downwardly through channel 144, and connect to power supply 104. In turn, power supply output leads 142 extend from power supply 104, upwardly through channel 144, into upper cavity 132, and through an aperture 146 formed in dividing wall 136 to ultimately connect with light source 120 and provide input power thereto.
As can also be seen in this illustration, an axial upper-most extent of light source 120 is spaced from bottom face 130 of housing body 106 at a distance D1. An upper-most axial extent of power supply 104 is spaced from bottom face 130 of housing body at a distance D2. D2 is less than D1. In other words, power supply 104 is interposed between opening 122 and light source 120. As a result, the heat generated by light source 120 has little to no effect upon power supply 104. Further, because power supply 104 is situated on an exterior of housing body 106, it can readily transfer heat to its ambient environment. Contrast this with prior designs which situate a power supply above a light source and within a cavity of a housing. In such designs, the power supply is already in an operating environment at an elevated temperature. Once the power supply begins its own operation, the heat generated thereby will ultimately raise the temperature of such a power supply. As a result, the power supply has a limited power output to avoid overheating the power supply entirely.
Such disadvantages are not present in the embodiment illustrated in
Turning now to
Claims 5-11 illustrate various aesthetic features of one embodiment of the invention.
As described herein, light fixture 100 overcomes the above-described problems associated with existing recessed LED light fixtures by utilizing a power supply 104 which is mounted below a light source 120 relative to an opening of its associated housing assembly from which light is emitted. Such a configuration allows for a higher power output power supply to be utilized given that the base environmental temperature of the power supply is reduced. Further, such a configuration allows for the higher placement of a light source within a housing to thereby reduce glare and direct line-of-sight of the light source.
All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) is to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.
Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
