Illumination devices with adjustable optical elements

• US 10,180,240 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2016
• Issued: 01/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
• Original Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
• Inventors: Ng, Andrew Tien-Man, Speier, Ingo, Dau, Wilson, Lerman, Louis, Stormberg, Hans Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Bannan, Julie A
• Application Number:
  US15/231,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20170038041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 36221705, 36221712, 36221716, 362223
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/23 Retrofit light sources for lighting devices with a single fitting for each light source, e.g. for substitution of incandescent lamps with bayonet or threaded fittings
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/61 using light guides
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 6/002 Table lamps, e.g. for ambient lighting
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 6/007 for indirect lighting only, e.g. torchiere with reflector bowl directed towards ceiling
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 6/008 with a combination of direct and indirect lighting
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/026 intended to be recessed in a ceiling or like overhead structure, e.g. suspended ceiling
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 13/04 the elements being reflectors and refractors for vehicle rear lights F21S43/40
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/02 by movement of light sources in vehicle head lamps F21S41/657
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/04 by movement of reflectors in vehicle head lamps F21S41/675
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/02 with provision for adjustment, e.g. for focusing
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/06 the elements being coupling devices , e.g. connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0008 providing for indirect lighting
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/30 Collimators
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0278 used in transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/0284 used in reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0023 provided by one optical element, or plurality thereof, placed between the light guide and the light source, or around the light source
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0028 Light guide, e.g. taper
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/003 : Lens or lenticular sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0045 : by shaping at least a portion of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0051 : Diffusing sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 : Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0096 : the lights guides being of the hollow type

Abstract

Illumination devices with adjustable optical elements configured to provide a variable illumination pattern of an area are described. The adjustable optical elements of the illumination devices can be traversed relative to a surface (e.g., a ceiling of a room) to vary the light distribution and/or intensity to the surface.

Claims

1. An illumination device comprising:

a housing having an opening elongated along a first direction;

an adjustable mount attached to the housing; and

a luminaire module coupled to the housing via the adjustable mount, the luminaire module comprising;

a plurality of light-emitting elements (LEEs) adapted to emit light;

a light guide positioned to receive, at an input end of the light guide, light from the LEEs and adapted to guide in a forward direction the received light to an output end of the light guide, the forward direction being orthogonal to the first direction, wherein the light guide comprises a pair of side surfaces which (i) extend in the forward direction between the input end and the output end, and (ii) are arranged parallel to the first direction; and

an optical extractor optically coupled with the light guide at the output end to receive light from the light guide, the optical extractor comprising at least one redirecting surface elongated along the first direction and one or more output surfaces, each being elongated along the first direction and curved in a cross-section orthogonal to the first direction, the at least one redirecting surface being adapted to reflect at least a portion of the light received at the optical extractor towards the corresponding one or more output surfaces, the one or more output surfaces being configured to output into the environment of the optical extractor in backward directions, the light reflected from the corresponding redirecting surface, each of the backward directions having a component opposite the forward direction and another component along a second direction, the second direction being orthogonal to both the forward direction and the first direction,

wherein the LEEs and at least a portion of the light guide are recessed within the housing and the adjustable mount allows adjusting a distance between the one or more output surfaces of the optical extractor and the opening of the housing.

2. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the luminaire module further comprises one or more primary optics

positioned to receive light emitted by at least some of the LEEs,

adapted to at least partially collimate the light from the at least some LEEs, and

optically coupled at an input end of the light guide.

3. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the at least one redirecting surface is partially transmissive for the light received from the light guide.

4. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the at least one redirecting surface reflects substantially all of the light received from the light guide.

5. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a mounting structure adapted to mount the illumination device in a ceiling so that adjusting the position between the optical extractor and the opening of the housing varies a distance between the optical extractor and the ceiling.

6. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the adjustable mount comprises an electrometrical actuator adapted to move the luminaire module relative to the housing.

7. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the adjustable mount is a manually adjustable mount.

8. The illumination device of claim 1, further comprising a stand for supporting the housing during operation of the illumination device.

9. The illumination device of claim 8, wherein the stand is a floor stand or a desk stand.

10. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a connector for connecting the illumination device to a standard light socket.

11. The illumination device of claim 10, wherein the adjustable mount is adapted to translate the luminaire module relative to the connector.

12. The illumination device of claim 1, wherein the illumination device is sized to attach to a recessed can ceiling fixture.