The present disclosure relates generally to artificial lighting.
Artificial lighting is important to many aspects of modern life. For example, artificial lighting can be important for many different sporting competitions and sporting venues. While artificial lighting often allows participation in indoor sports, and outdoor sports in darkened conditions, artificial lighting is not without drawbacks. Glare is currently one of the biggest complaints about sports lighting. The problem of glare is not limited to sporting venues either. For example, flood lighting used around various structures and airport ramp lighting are often the subject of complaints about glare.
Glare and related light trespass are of special concern when installing floodlights. Disability glare reduces visual performance and visibility. Discomfort glare produces physical discomfort. It is possible to experience disability without discomfort, and conversely, discomfort without disability, however, one often accompanies the other. Regarding light that we actually see, brightness can be measured as the light leaving a lamp, or the light reflecting from an object's surface. It is measured in footlamberts (English) or candelas/square meter (metric). In practice, glare is usually a situation where a source of unshielded light is at least 1,000 times brighter than the average visual field. For instance, because the night sky is dark, almost all outdoor light sources, such as a street luminaire or automobile headlight, cause glare. To evaluate glare, however, one may use luminance, which typically is measured in candelas per square meter (cd/m2) or nits.
As used herein, the term glare includes all forms of glare, including discomfort glare and disability glare, as well as light trespass, and related stray light problems. For example, ocular stray light is a phenomenon where parts of the human eye scatter light that reaches the retina, but do not contribute to forming a correct image.
One approach to reducing glare is to decrease light intensity of the artificial light source. However, if the decreased light intensity cannot be offset with additional lighting fixtures, overall lighting may drop below acceptable levels. Even if decreased light intensity is offset with additional lighting fixtures, such additional lighting fixtures typically incur a corresponding increase in costs.
Another approach to reducing glare is to use louvers, such as various types of blade and concentric louvers. Unfortunately, louvers have the effect of reducing light output and correspondingly increasing costs to compensate for the loss of light by producing additional lumens of light to offset the losses.
Aspects and advantages of embodiments of the present disclosure will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be learned from the description, or may be learned through practice of the embodiments.
One example aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a light engine module having at least one light emitting source. The light engine module can include a bezel comprising at least one glare reduction tube configured to be approximately coaxial with the at least one light emitting source.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of various embodiments will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the related principles.
Detailed discussion of embodiments directed to one of ordinary skill in the art are set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which:
Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the embodiments, not limitation of the present disclosure. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the present disclosure. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that aspects of the present disclosure cover such modifications and variations.
Example aspects of the present disclosure are directed to reduced glare light fixtures mitigating glare associated with LED lighting. As described herein, some embodiments include a bezel having glare reducing tubes formed therein positioned over a light engine module having LED devices such that the LED devices are approximately coaxial with the glare reducing tubes to reduce glare. In some embodiments, reduced glare light fixtures described herein mitigate or prevent direct view of particularly bright parts of lighting, such as with floodlights. In some embodiments, the reduced glare light fixtures mitigate or eliminate stray lumens that cause glare without overly reducing the lumens in a main light beam otherwise intended for illumination purposes.
Referring to
In some embodiments, the upper driver casing 116a is physically coupled to the lower driver casing 116b through fasteners, such as bolts, and recessed sockets. However, unless specifically stated otherwise, neither physically connected components, nor physically coupled components, are not limited to any particular form of component attachment. For example, in some embodiments, the upper driver casing 116a is physically coupled to the lower driver casing 116b through mating surfaces. In some embodiments, the upper driver casing 116a is physically coupled to the lower driver casing 116b with adhesives. In some embodiments, the upper driver casing 116a and the lower driver casing 116b are formed as a single driver casing 116 component.
In some embodiments, the housing 110 can include a grill 113. To provide air flow to heat sinks 112, the grill 113 can extend around the heat sinks 112 along a circumferential direction C on housing 110, and the grill 113 can also be aligned with the heat sinks 112 along a radial direction R. As an example, the grill 113 can be positioned coplanar with the heat sinks 112, e.g., in a plane that is perpendicular to an axial direction A such that the plane intersects both the grill 113 and the heat sinks 112. In some embodiments, a length of the grill 113, e.g., along the axial direction A, may also be about equal to a length of the fins 114 of the heat sinks 112, e.g., along the axial direction A. In this manner, the grill 113 can facilitate cooling air flow into and out of housing 110. For example, the grill 113 can be perforated such that air may flow through the housing 110 at the grill 113 to and/or from the heat sinks 112. In particular, cooler air may flow through the grill 113 into the housing 110 below the heat sinks 112, whereas warmer air may flow through the grill 113 out of housing 110 above the heat sinks 112.
The reduced glare light fixture 100 includes a light-emitting diode (LED) system 120. The LED system 120 includes a plurality of light engine modules 122. While six light engine modules 122 are shown in
Each light engine module 122 includes a bezel 123, a plurality of optics 124, and a plurality of LED devices (not illustrated). In some embodiments, the bezel 123 is formed separately from the light engine modules 122 and attached after formation. In some embodiments, the bezel 123 includes a plurality of glare reduction tubes 126. More specifically, each glare reduction tube of the plurality of glare reduction tubes 126 is hollow and enables light to pass from the one optic 124 and one LED device. In some embodiments, the plurality of glare reduction tubes 126 are integrally formed with the bezel 123. For instance, the plurality of glare reduction tubes 126 and the bezel 123 can be formed as a single monolithic component. Alternatively, the plurality of glare reduction tubes 126 and the bezel 123 can be formed as separate components. In this manner, the plurality of glare reduction tubes 126 can be removably coupled to the bezel 123.
In some embodiments, as shown in
As shown in
As used herein, the terms “about, “approximate,” “approximately,” and the like, when used in conjunction with a numerical value are intended to refer to any number within twenty five percent (25%) of the stated numerical value. In some embodiments, each optic 124 and LED device are recessed approximately 0.8 inches within each tube 126. In general, in some embodiments, the depth of the recess is a variable dependent on the width of the light beam spread. For example, a more narrow light beam has a deeper recess than a wider light beam. In some embodiments, to reduce glare, the bezel 123, including each glare reduction tube of the plurality of glare reduction tubes 126 in the bezel 123, are formed from a translucent material that diffuses light from the LED devices. In some embodiments, the bezel 123 is formed from a material selected from an acrylic compound and polycarbonate. Some light from the LED devices passes through and is diffused by the translucent material in the bezel 123 before being emitted by the reduced glare light fixture 100. It has been discovered that, under certain conditions, observers viewing the reduced glare light fixture 100 from some angles offset to an outward axial direction A, i.e., the normal axis for the reduced glare light fixture 100, report a significant reduction in glare from the reduced glare light fixture as opposed to comparable light fixtures without the bezel 123. Note that the outward axial direction A is generally in the direction from the rear portion 119 to the front portion 118. One possible explanation for the apparent reduction in glare is thought to be due to smoothing contrast between light from the LED devices passing through each of the glare reduction tubes 126 effectively reduces glare for an observer at certain distances and angles.
In some embodiments, to reduce glare, the bezel 123, including each of the plurality of glare reduction tubes 126 in the bezel 123, are formed from an opaque material that blocks light from the LED devices. In some embodiments, the opaque material is black. In this manner, the bezel 123 can block light emitted from the LED devices before said light can be emitted by the reduced glare light fixture 100. It has been discovered that, under certain conditions, observers viewing the reduced glare light fixture 100 from some angles offset to axial direction A, i.e., the normal axis for the reduced glare light fixture 100, report a significant reduction in glare from the reduced glare light fixture as opposed to comparable light fixtures without the bezel 123. It is thought that the reduction of light emitted at angles offset to the axial direction A passing through the tubes 126 from the LED devices reduces glare for an observer.
Each optic 124 in the reduced glare light fixture 100 is optically coupled with one of the plurality of LED devices. In some embodiments, each optic 124 is a lens used to help direct light from the plurality of LED devices in the axial direction A out of the reduced glare light fixture 100. One or more examples of the optic 124 are shown in the figures, but the optic 124 is not limited to any particular shape. Each optic 124 is positioned over one LED device of the plurality of LED devices. For example, the optic 124 shown in
Turning to
While some embodiments are described herein as including an LED system 120 as a light engine, it is understood that halogen lights are substituted for the LED system in some alternative embodiments and incandescent lights are substituted for the LED system in some other alternative embodiments. The reduced glare light fixture 100 is not limited to any particular form of light emitting source.
Turning to
Referring to
Referring to
In some embodiments, the upper driver casing 116a and the lower driver casing 116b include vertical fins 117, also known as ribs. In some embodiments, the vertical fins 117 are for heat dissipation, while in other embodiments the vertical fins 117 are decorative. In some embodiments, some of the upper driver casing 116a, lower driver casing 116b, housing 110, mounting yoke 105, yoke mount portion 111 of the housing, a back panel 115, the heat sinks 112, the bezel 123 and the optics 124 are made of materials suitable for direct exposure to outside conditions that include one or more of fresh water, salt water, temperature extremes, sunlight, animals, dust, debris, corrosive chemicals, combustible materials and explosive materials. In some embodiments, the housing 110 substantially protects the interior from at least one such outside condition.
As introduced above, in some embodiments the reduced glare light fixture 100 includes at least one spacer module known as a plug 150. In some embodiments, with less than the maximum number of the plurality of light engine modules 122 positioned within the housing 110, e.g., mounted on support plate 140, a separate plug 150 is positioned at a location of each omitted light engine module 122 within housing 110. In some embodiments, a plurality of plugs 150 are interspersed between the plurality of light engine modules 122. Thus, each plug 150 replaces each omitted light engine module 122 within housing 110. In some embodiments, the plug 150 is sized to match the light engine modules 122 such that plug 150 and the light engine modules 122 are interchangeable. In some embodiments, the plug 150 has suitable holes for receiving fasteners 142 at support plate 140 and/or a wedge shaped outer plate 152 that is positioned coplanar with LED devices. In this manner, the plug 150 enhances an appearance of the reduced glare light fixture 100 as opposed to leaving a void in place of the omitted light engine module 122. In some embodiments, one or more plugs 150 and one or more light engine modules 122 are distributed along the circumferential direction C at the front portion 118 of housing 110, and the one or more plugs 150 and light engine modules 122 cooperate to collectively form a front face of the reduced glare light fixture 100. In some embodiments, the plug(s) 150 and the light engine module(s) 122 collectively extend three hundred and sixty degrees (360°) along the circumferential direction C at the front portion 118 of housing 110. In some embodiments, the plugs 150 have an outer appearance that is identical to the light engine modules 122 except that the plugs 150 do not include LED devices. In some embodiments, each plug 150 is connected between adjacent light engine modules 122.
In some embodiments, the plurality of fins 114 on the heat sinks 112 are vertically aligned with the light engine modules 122 and are mounted on the support body 140 to provide the vertical flow paths 160. Vertical air flow paths 160 facilitate cooling air flow through the heat sinks 112 by enabling air heated by the LED devices to flow upwardly along vertical air flow paths 160 between fins 114 and cooler outside air is drawn into the vertical air flow paths 160.
In some embodiments, the reduced glare light fixture 100 includes an upper power circuit 200a and a lower power circuit 200b. In some embodiments, the reduced glare light fixture 100 combines the upper power circuit 200a and the lower power circuit 200b into a single power circuit 200. In some embodiments, the upper power circuit 200a and the lower power circuit 200b receive alternating current (AC) electrical power at a higher voltage and convert it to direct current (DC) electrical power at a lower voltage to energize the plurality of light engine modules 122. In some embodiments, the upper power circuit 200a and the lower power circuit 200b include one or more surge protective devices, transformers, and drivers. In some embodiments, the surge protector is configured to receive electrical current from an external power source such as a power grid or battery while protecting the reduced glare light fixture from one or more of electrical noise, spikes, lightning-induced surges and electrical anomalies.
In some embodiments, the reduced glare light fixture 100 includes a laser emitter 211. In some embodiments, the laser emitter 211 emits a laser beam used to assist with orienting the reduced glare light fixture 100. For example, a direction of the beam emitted by laser emitter 211 may generally correspond the direction of light emitted by LED system 120. An installer operates the laser emitter 211 and observes the beam emitted by laser emitter 211 to align the reduced glare the reduced glare light fixture 100 towards a desired location. In such a manner, LED system 120 may emit light in a desired direction after installation of the reduced glare light fixture 100.
Referring to
Referring to
Some embodiments herein describe a reduced glare light fixture including a light emitting diode (LED) system, wherein the LED system includes at least one LED module having a plurality of LED devices and a bezel physically coupled to the LED system engine, the bezel having a plurality of glare reduction tubes formed therein, at least one glare reduction tube configured to be approximately coaxial with one LED device.
Some other embodiments herein describe a reduced glare light fixture including a light emitting diode (LED) system, wherein the LED system includes a plurality of LED modules each including a plurality of LED devices. The reduced glare light fixture also includes a bezel physically coupled to the LED system, the bezel having a plurality of glare reduction tubes formed therein, at least one glare reduction tube configured to be approximately coaxial with one LED device and an optic, the optic configured to be approximately coaxial and optically coupled between the at least one glare reduction tube and the one LED device.
Some still other embodiments herein describe a reduced glare light fixture including a light emitting diode (LED) system, wherein the LED system includes a plurality of LED modules each including a plurality of LED devices and a plurality of plugs, wherein the plurality of LED modules and plurality of plugs are interspersed and arranged in a ring. The reduced glare light fixture also includes a bezel physically coupled to the LED system, the bezel having a plurality of glare reduction tubes formed therein, at least one glare reduction tube configured to be approximately coaxial with one LED device, and an optic, the optic configured to be approximately coaxial and optically coupled between the at least one glare reduction tube and the one LED device.
While the present subject matter has been described in detail with respect to specific example embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the art, upon attaining an understanding of the foregoing may readily produce alterations to, variations of, and equivalents to such embodiments. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure is by way of example rather than by way of limitation, and the subject disclosure does not preclude inclusion of such modifications, variations and/or additions to the present subject matter as would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.
This application claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 16/752,912 filed on Jan. 27, 2020, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/964,153 filed on Apr. 27, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,551,015, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/501,959 filed on May 5, 2017 and to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/613,959 filed on Jan. 5, 2018, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
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20210332956 A1 | Oct 2021 | US |
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62613959 | Jan 2018 | US | |
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Parent | 16919916 | Jul 2020 | US |
Child | 17317303 | US | |
Parent | 16752912 | Jan 2020 | US |
Child | 16919916 | US | |
Parent | 15964153 | Apr 2018 | US |
Child | 16752912 | US |