Retrofit and new light-emitting diode (LED) light fixtures for replacement of a fluorescent light fixture

• US 10,253,959 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2014
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flow Lighting Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Flow Lighting Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Brown, Gregory A. M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Anh T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Apenteng, Jessica M
• Application Number:
  US14/893,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20160138789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,793 Days
• Field of Search: 362 95
• 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 15/01 Housings, e.g. material or assembling of housing parts F21V15/02 takes precedence housings forming signs or letters G09F13/04
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/04 Recessed bases
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/02 the elements being transformers, impedances or power supply units, e.g. a transformer with a rectifier
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0442 activated by means of a sensor, e.g. motion or photodetectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/045 the sensor receiving a signal from a remote controller
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0471 the sensor detecting the proximity, the presence or the movement of an object or a person
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/125 by using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/13 by using passive infrared detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

This disclosure includes kits for retrofitting, or replacing with new, light fixtures using an existing troffer, without using a troffer, and/or including a troffer. Some kits include a frame for a light fixture having a first end, a second end, and a frame length extending between the ends, a first mounting member coupled to the frame and configured to extend beyond the first end of the frame, and a second mounting member coupled to the frame and configured to extend beyond the second end of the frame, where the mounting members are configured to support the frame relative to the troffer. Others of the present kits have a trim configured to support the frame relative to a T-bar support of a suspended ceiling. Some kits have a processor configured to control the light fixtures, and some kits have one or more sensors configured to detect events or environmental characteristics.

Claims

1. A kit for retrofitting a light fixture into a rectangular troffer with first and second ends each having a vertical wall portion and a lower horizontal shelf portion extending inward from the vertical wall portion toward the other of the first and second ends, inner surfaces of the vertical wall portions separated by a first distance, the kit comprising:

a frame for a light fixture, the frame configured to support one or more light sources, the frame having a first end, a second end, and a frame length extending between the first and second ends;

a first mounting member coupled to the frame and configured extend beyond the first end of the frame and be removably coupled to the first end of the troffer to support the frame relative to the first end of the troffer;

a second mounting member coupled to the frame and configured to extend beyond the second end of the frame and be removably coupled to the second end of the troffer to support the frame relative to the second end of the troffer;

two or more mounts, each having a mounting surface and a protrusion extending to an inner end spaced from the mounting surface by a protrusion depth, each mount configured to be coupled to an inner surface of the vertical wall portion of one of the first and second ends of the troffer such that a distance between mounts on opposing ends of the troffer define a mount-opening length that is equal to or less than the first distance less twice the protrusion depth;

where the first mounting member is configured to contact the protrusion of one of the mounts coupled to the first end of the troffer to support the first end of the frame,

where the second mounting member is configured to contact the protrusion of another one of the mounts coupled to the second end of the troffer to support the second end of the frame,

where at least a portion of the second mounting member is configured to move between an extended first position and a retracted second position in which a distance between the first end of the frame and a distal end of the second mounting member is less than the mount-opening length,

where the second mounting member is biased toward the extended first position,

where the second mounting member comprises a spring with an upper end fixed to the exterior of the second end of the frame and a lower end movable relative to the second end of the frame, and

where the lower end of the spring extends through an aperture in an end wall of the frame into an interior of the frame such that a user can pull the lower end of the spring toward the first end of the frame to move the second mounting member to the retracted second position.

2. The kit of claim 1 where the two or more mounts each comprise a first planar portion having a lower end and an upper end and defining the mounting surface on a first side between the upper and lower ends, and the protrusion extends outwardly from a second side and defines a shelf spaced from the lower end.

3. The kit of claim 2, where each end of the troffer includes an interior, second vertical wall portion extending upward from an inner end of the respective horizontal shelf portion, and the shelf of each mount is spaced above the lower end of the mount by a distance at least as great as the height of the inner vertical wall positions of the ends of the troffer.

4. The kit of claim 1, where the frame defines an inverted channel having a cross-sectional shape that includes an upper end, a lower end that is wider than the upper end, and first and second sides between the upper end and the lower end, the frame configured to receive one or more light sources in the inverted channel, the kit further comprising:

a plurality of lens tabs coupled to the frame and extending into the inverted channel from each of the first and second sides between the upper and lower ends;

one or more shelves coupled to the frame and extending inward toward a vertical plane bisecting the inverted channel from a point that is at the lower end or between the lower end and the plurality of lens tabs;

where the lens tabs and shelves are configured to support a lens between any of;

the one or more shelves independent of the lens tabs;

one or more of the lens tabs and the one or more shelves;

or

the plurality of lens tabs independent of the one or more shelves.

5. The kit of claim 1, where the frame:

defines a plurality of inverted channels each having a cross-sectional shape that includes an upper end, a lower end that is wider than the upper end, and first and second sides between the upper end and the lower end, the frame configured to receive one or more light sources in each inverted channel; and

includes a sensor bay disposed between two of the inverted channels and having a mounting location configured to be coupled to one or more sensors;

where the frame is configured to be coupled to a plurality of lenses such that (1) each lens encloses at least a portion of a different one of the inverted channels, and (2) none of the lenses cover the mounting location.

6. The kit of claim 1, where the frame:

defines a plurality of inverted channels each having a cross-sectional shape that includes an upper end, a lower end that is wider than the upper end, and first and second sides between the upper end and the lower end, the portions of the frame defining the first and second sides of the cross-sectional shape having reflector surfaces facing the channel, the frame configured to receive one or more light sources in each inverted channel; and

includes a component bridge configured to be coupled to control components and/or driving components for the light sources.

7. The kit of claim 6, where the component bridge is spaced apart from the portions of the frame having reflector surfaces such that airflow is permitted between the component bridge and the portions of the frame having reflector surfaces.

8. The kit of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of light-emitting-diodes (LEDs) coupled to the frame.

9. The kit of claim 8, further comprising:

a processor coupled to the plurality of LEDs to control the operation of the LEDs.

10. The kit of claim 9, further comprising an LED dimming power supply in electrical communication with the plurality of LEDs, the LED dimming power supply configured to receive control signals from the processor.

11. The kit of claim 10, further comprising:

one or more sensors coupled to the processor and configured to detect one or more events or environmental characteristics;

where the processor is configured to control the operation of the LEDs responsive to one or more events or environmental characteristics detected by the one or more sensors.

12. The kit of claim 11, where the environmental characteristics comprise at least an occupancy of an environment.

13. The kit of claim 11, where the one or more sensors comprise at least one camera configured to capture at least two images of the environment and the processor is configured to compare the at least two images to detect changes in the environment.

14. The kit of claim 11, where the one or more sensors comprise a motion sensor configured to capture data indicative of motion within the environment.

15. A method of retrofitting a light fixture into a rectangular troffer with first and second ends each having a vertical wall portion and a lower horizontal shelf portion extending inward from the vertical wall portion toward the other of the first and second ends, inner surfaces of the vertical wall portions separated by a first distance;

the method comprising;

coupling a first mount to an inner surface of the vertical wall portion of the first end of the troffer; and

coupling a second mount to an inner surface of the vertical wall portion of the second end of the troffer,

removably coupling a first end of a frame for a light fixture to the first end of the troffer via a mounting member coupled to the frame and configured to extend beyond the first end of the frame to support the frame relative to the first end of the troffer; and

removably coupling a second end of a frame for a light fixture to the second end of the troffer via a mounting member coupled to the frame and configured to extend beyond the second end of the frame to support the frame relative to the second end of the troffer;

where each mount has a mounting surface facing the inner surface of the respective vertical wall portion and a protrusion extending to an inner end spaced from the mounting surface by a protrusion depth such that a distance between mounts on opposing ends of the troffer define a mount-opening length that is equal to or less than the first distance less twice the protrusion depth,

where the first mounting member is coupled to the fast end of the troffer via contact with the protrusion of the mount coupled to the first end of the troffer, and the second mounting member is coupled to the second end of the troffer via contact with the protrusion of the mount coupled to the second end of the troffer,

where the first mounting member is configured to contact the protrusion of one of the mounts coupled to the first end of the troffer to support the first end of the frame,

where the second mounting member is configured to contact the protrusion of another one of the mounts coupled to the second end of the troffer to support the second end of the frame,

where at least a portion of the second mounting member is configured to move between an extended first position and a retracted second position in which a distance between the first end of the frame and a distal end of the second mounting member is less than the mount-opening length,

where the second mounting member is biased toward the extended first position,

where the second mounting member comprises a spring with an upper end fixed to the exterior of the second end of the frame and a lower end movable relative to the second end of the frame,

where the lower end of the spring, extends through an aperture in an end wall of the frame into an interior of the frame such that a user can pull the lower end of the spring toward the first end of the frame to move the second mounting member to the retracted second position, and

where the frame is configured to support one or more light sources.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising retrofitting a plurality of light fixtures into a respective plurality of rectangular troffers to form a set of retrofitted light fixtures, wherein the retrofitted light fixtures are configured with light emitting diodes as a light source.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

identifying, in the set of retrofitted light fixtures, a primary retrofitted light fixture by detecting an occupant within range of the primary retrofitted light fixture;

identifying, in the set of retrofitted light fixtures, a first perimeter group of retrofitted light fixtures comprising a ring of retrofitted light fixtures around the primary retrofitted light fixture;

setting the light output of the primary retrofitted light fixture to a first level; and

setting the light output of the first perimeter group of retrofitted light fixtures to a second level that is lower than the first level.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

identifying, responsive to an emergency, a first group of retrofitted light fixtures in the set of retrofitted light fixtures as being adjacent to an exit; and

setting the light output of the first group of retrofitted light fixtures to be a green color.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising operating the light emitting diodes in a second group of retrofitted light fixtures in the set of retrofitted light fixtures in a sequential manner to indicate a direction toward the first group of retrofitted light fixtures.