Linear shelf light fixture with reflectors

• US 10,100,988 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2014
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rodgers, Elizabeth, Beck, Benjamin, Bowden, James, Huang, Yaote, Dungan, William Laird
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Anh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Snyder, Zachary J
• Application Number:
  US14/252,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20150167902A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,646 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/03 of surface-mounted type F21S8/02, F21S8/04 take precedence; details of wall or floor bases F21V21/02
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/015 Devices for covering joints between adjacent lighting devices; End coverings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/0045 by tongue and groove connections, e.g. dovetail interlocking means fixed by sliding
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/0055 by screwing
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/005 for several lighting devices in an end-to-end arrangement, i.e. light tracks
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/009 the casing being inside the housing of the lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0016 on lighting devices that also provide for direct lighting, e.g. by means of independent light sources, by splitting of the light beam, by switching between both lighting modes
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A linear light fixture with gap filler elements. The fixture comprises two primary structural components: a base and a light engine, which may be removably attached. The base comprises a body with end panels at both ends and is mountable to an external structure. The light engine comprises the light sources, an elongated lens, and any other optical elements that tailor the outgoing light to a particular profile. External reflectors are included to further shape the output beam. The reflectors may be shaped to define louvers which direct some of the emitted light in a direction opposite the primary emission direction, e.g., as uplight. The fixtures may be connected in a serial arrangement using a joiner.

Claims

1. A light fixture, comprising:

an elongated base comprising end panels at both ends;

a light engine removably fastened to said base; and

at least one elongated reflector extending away from said base such that at least some light emitted from said light engine impinges on said reflector and is redirected in a primary emission direction, wherein said reflector redirects at least some light emitted from said light engine in a direction opposite said primary emission direction;

wherein said reflector is mounted to at least one outside surface of said base.

2. The light fixture of claim 1, said at least one reflector shaped to define at least one louvre to allow light to pass through said reflector.

3. The light fixture of claim 2, said reflector comprising at least one linear portion that is bent inward away from said base to define said at least one louvre.

4. The light fixture of claim 1, said at least one reflector comprising a plurality of louvres along the length of said reflector, said louvres shaped to redirect at least a portion of light emitted from said light engine in a direction opposite said primary emission direction.

5. The light fixture of claim 1, said at least one reflector comprising two reflectors, one on each side of said light engine, said reflectors running along the length of said fixture.

6. The light fixture of claim 1, said reflector connected to said base or said light engine with a snap-fit structure.

7. The light fixture of claim 1, further comprising a gap filler element between said light engine and one of said end panels.

8. The light fixture of claim 7, said gap filler element comprising:

a spacer portion between an end of said light engine and said end panel; and

an internal ridge protruding from said spacer portion, said ridge shaped to conform to an interior surface of said light engine.

9. The light fixture of claim 1, further comprising a joiner at one end of said fixture, said joiner comprising an attachment mechanism for joining said fixture to another fixture in serial arrangement.

10. A light device, comprising:

at least two light fixtures connected in a serial arrangement, each of said light fixtures comprising;

an elongated base comprising end panels at both ends;

a light engine removably fastened to said base; and

at least one elongated reflector extending away from said base; and

a joiner joining consecutive ends of said light fixtures in said serial arrangement, said joiner comprising a groove for joining consecutive ends of each of said light fixtures, wherein edge portions of each of said end panels of said consecutive ends are shaped to be received by said groove.

11. The light device of claim 10, said joiner further comprising:

an elongated body spanning the width of said fixtures at a joint between consecutive fixtures;

at least one clip at an end of said body that is releasably attachable to an edge of said reflectors such that consecutive reflectors are connected.

12. The light device of claim 11, said groove sized to receive said edge portions of said end panels of consecutive fixtures.

13. The light device of claim 11, wherein said at least one clip attaches to said reflectors with a snap-fit mechanism.

14. The light device of claim 11, said joiner comprising fasteners at both ends of said body.

15. The light device of claim 10, wherein said joiner is shaped to conform to said light engine and said at least one reflector.

16. The light device of claim 10, wherein said joiner completely covers the joint between consecutive fixtures.

17. The light device of claim 10, said at least one reflector shaped to define at least one louvre to allow light to pass through said reflector.

18. The light device of claim 10, each of said light fixtures further comprising a gap filler element between said light engine and one of said end panels.

19. The light device of claim 18, said gap filler element comprising:

a spacer portion between an end of said light engine and said end panel; and

an internal ridge protruding from said spacer portion, said ridge shaped to conform to an interior surface of said light engine.

20. A joiner device, comprising:

an elongated body shaped to conform to a surface of at least two adjacent structures;

fasteners on both ends of said body to removably attach said body to said adjacent structures; and

a groove sized to receive a protruding portion of an end panel of each of said adjacent structures such that said adjacent structures are aligned when each of said protruding portions of said end panels are inserted into said groove.