BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
FIG. 1A is an exploded perspective view of a luminaire assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view of a luminaire assembly having one reversible reflector installed in an up-light configuration in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 1C is an exploded perspective view of a luminaire assembly having two reversible reflectors installed in an up-light configuration in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view of a luminaire assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2B is an exploded perspective view of a luminaire assembly having one reversible reflector installed in a no up-light configuration in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2C is an exploded perspective view of a luminaire assembly having two reversible reflectors installed in a no up-light configuration in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of a luminaire housing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is an elevation view of a luminaire housing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an unassembled luminaire housing in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a reversible reflector in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a plan view of a reversible reflector in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is an end view of a reversible reflector in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)
Referring now to FIG. 1A-C, and in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a luminaire 10 comprises a housing 20 having a housing top surface 22 that is depicted in the drawing Figures as a generally rectangular planar surface. Note that FIGS. 1A-C are exploded downward perspective views of luminaire 10 such that the underside of luminaire housing 20 is shown. Top surface 22 may be formed in a variety of shapes depending upon the overall shape of housing 20 and the aesthetic requirements of the luminaire. Housing 20 is preferably formed from an aluminum alloy sheet or the like, to provide a lightweight and inexpensive luminaire 10.
Housing 20 further comprises a plurality of pairs of lamp holders 24, spaced apart one from other a distance sufficient to accommodate a fluorescent lamp. Luminaire 10 and lamp holders 24 may be sized and spaced in a wide variety of configurations to accommodate the use of a plurality of different lamp sizes as necessitated by the overall housing 20 shape, which is not limited to the generally rectangular configuration shown in the drawing Figures.
Housing 20 may further include a wire way 30 through which electrical wiring is routed and inside of which electrical ballasts required to start fluorescent lamps may be mounted. In the luminaires 10 shown in the drawing Figures wire ways 30 are shown as generally situated longitudinally between two pairs of lamp holders 24. This central location facilitates the ease of manufacture of luminaire 10 as well as ease of connecting power wiring thereto in the field.
As best seen in FIG. 3, which is a plan view of an unassembled housing 20, the housing 20 further comprises an opposed pair of end caps 40 each having an aperture 42 therein through which power wiring may be routed. End caps 40 are constructed integrally with the housing 20 top surface 22 thence bent or folded upwardly along the lines A_A to mate with a pair of housing 20 sides 44 to form completed housing 20. The aforementioned housing 20 construction permits the manufacture of housing 20 from a single piece of material, for example a coated aluminum alloy, that is readily cut, drilled or stamped, and bent to its final shape by modern manufacturing methods.
Referring again to FIGS. 1A-1C opposed lamp holder pairs 24 each define a lamp region 26 generally understood to be the area proximate the installed lamp on the upper surface 22. Lamp regions 26 are generally shown as elongated portions of upper surface 22, but may be regions having different shapes depending upon the shape of the lamps used and luminaire design. As an example, a luminaire housing 20 may comprise a lamp region 26 that is circular, thereby permitting use of circular or curved lamps.
Upper surface 22 further includes a plurality of apertures 28, shown in exemplary form in the drawing Figures as slots having a generally rectangular shape. As best seen in FIGS. 1A-C and 2A-C a plurality of slots 28 are disposed in upper surface 22 proximate lamp regions 26 such that light from an installed lamp may be directed therethrough to illuminate an area above the installed luminaire.
The luminaire 10 of the present invention further comprises a plurality of reversible reflectors 80 each having a plurality of apertures 82 or slots therein. In one embodiment of the invention as best seen in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 each reflector may include a central longitudinal divider 84 that separates adjacent lamps and provides angled reflective surfaces 86 for directing light downwardly to a lighting area below luminaire 10.
In this embodiment of the invention each reversible reflector 80 is secured to housing 20 and accommodates a pair of adjacent lamps installed in adjacent pairs of lamp holders 24. However, it should be understood that reversible reflector 80 may be configured to accommodate a single lamp, or a plurality thereof without departing from the scope of the present invention. Referring again to FIGS. 1A-C a pair of reversible reflectors 80 are provided with apertures 82 that are complementary to the apertures 28 provided in housing 20. Reflectors 80 may further have a plurality of screw apertures 88 that align closely with complementary screw apertures 32 in housing 20 when reflector 80 is placed into housing 20 for securing reflector 80 to housing 20 with a removable fastener such as a screw (now shown).
FIG. 1A depicts a pair of reversible reflectors 80 each of which includes two groups of apertures 82 proximate reflective surfaces 86. The reflectors 80 are oriented such that the apertures 82 do not align with the apertures 28 proximate each lamp region 26 when reflectors 80 are installed as shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C. In this particular exemplary embodiment of the invention the apertures 28 proximate the lamp regions 26 in the interior of housing 20 include four (4) rectangular apertures 28 while the apertures proximate the exterior lamp regions 26 include five (5) rectangular apertures 28. When reflectors 80 are installed in housing 20 as shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C the reflector 80 apertures 82 do not align with apertures 28 thereby prohibiting light transmission through housing 20 once lamps are properly installed.
Referring now to FIGS. 2A-C there is shown generally a housing 20 identical to that of FIGS. 1A-C and a pair of reversible reflectors 80 that are identical to those of FIGS. 1A-C but whose orientation is reversed such that the four aperture 82 groups of reflectors 80 are now aligned with the interior lamp regions 26 while the five aperture groups 82 of reflectors 80 are aligned with the exterior lamp regions 26 of housing 20. In this orientation, when installed in housing 20 apertures 82 align closely with apertures 28 in housing 20 thereby permitting up lighting once lamps are installed. Thus the reflectors 80 may be readily reversed to provide for up-light or no up-light as desired by an installer.
As can be readily seen from the description herein above luminaries 10 in accordance with the instant invention may be quickly and easily configured to provide up light and down light, or down light only, simply depending upon the orientation of reflectors 80 as they are installed in housing 20. In a yet further embodiment of the invention a single luminaire 10 may be configured to provide up light and down light from a pair of lamps while providing only down light from an adjacent pair of lamps by simply installing a pair of reflectors 80 in opposite orientations.
FIGS. 6, 7, and 8 depict an exemplary reflector 80 configured to accommodate a pair of lamps. Reflector 80 may further include reflective surfaces 86 to direct light downwardly and may be formed of a reflective metal or a material having a reflective coating thereon to enhance luminaire 10 efficiency. Furthermore, reflective surfaces 86 may be convex, concave, flat, or include more complex shapes as desired to direct light downwardly to a subject or subjects.
The reflectors 80 shown in the drawing Figures have a four aperture 82/five aperture 82 configuration for use in adjacent four aperture 28/five aperture lamp regions 26. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that a wide variety of aperture shapes and locations in both reflector 80 and housing 20 may be used as long as reflector 80 apertures 82 generally align with housing apertures 28 in a first reflector 80 orientation and generally block or cover housing apertures 28 in a second reflector 80 orientation.
As one example, a plurality of generally circular apertures 82 may be provided on each reflector 80 to align with generally circular apertures 28 disposed proximate each lamp region of housing 20. The plurality of circular apertures 82 may be arranged on reflector 80 so that they align with the circular apertures 28 of housing 20 when the reflector 80 is in a first orientation, but block apertures 28 when reflector 80 is in a second orientation. In this fashion, the apertures 28 and 82 may be shaped in a wide variety of different shapes, and be spaced in a plurality of patterns in both housing 20 and reflectors 80 to establish specific up light illumination patterns which may be desirable in lighting installations.
While the present invention has been shown and described herein in what are considered to be the preferred embodiments thereof, illustrating the results and advantages over the prior art obtained through the present invention, the invention is not limited to those specific embodiments. Thus, the forms of the invention shown and described herein are to be taken as illustrative only and other embodiments may be selected without departing from the scope of the present invention, as set forth in the claims appended hereto.
Patent Application
20070291495
