Light fixtures and lighting devices

• US 20080278952A1
• Filed: 05/07/2008
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cree Lighting Company (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: TROTT, Gary David, Pickard, Paul Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 9,310,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/299
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/02 of recess-mounted type, e.g. downlighters specially adapted for vehicle exteriors F21S41/00-F21S45/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 11/02 using parallel laminae or strips, e.g. of Venetian-blind type F21V11/06 takes precedence
• 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 29/70 characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/763 the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of the light emitting axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

There is provided a light fixture comprising a baffle system and a side reflector, the baffle system comprising at least an outer baffle structure and an inner baffle structure. Also, there is provided a light fixture which comprises at least two recessed concentric square elements, triangular connecting elements and lenses which are recessed from the faces of each of the square elements. In some embodiments, the lighting device comprises at least one solid state light emitter. In some embodiments, the light fixture further comprises at least one lens positioned between at least two respective baffle elements.

Claims

1. A light fixture comprising a baffle system and a side reflector, said baffle system comprising at least an outer baffle structure and an inner baffle structure,

an extremity of said outer baffle structure being in a first plane,

at least one surface of said side reflector abutting at least one surface of said outer baffle structure,

said inner baffle structure being entirely within planes which extend through said outer periphery of said outer baffle structure perpendicular to said first plane, an extremity of said inner baffle structure being in a second plane, said second plane being spaced from said first plane.

2. A light fixture as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said light fixture further comprises at least one lighting device,

said first plane is at a location where, if said lighting device is illuminated, light travels through said first plane, and

said second plane is at a location where, if said lighting device is illuminated, light travels through said second plane.

3. A light fixture as recited in claim 2, wherein said lighting device comprises at least one solid state light emitter, each of said at least one solid state light emitter being located entirely within a region defined by planes which extend through said extremity of said inner baffle structure perpendicular to said first plane.

4. A light fixture as recited in claim 3, wherein if said lighting device is illuminated, light passes through said first plane before passing through said second plane.

5. A light fixture as recited in claim 2, wherein:

if said lighting device is illuminated, light passes through a third plane before passing through said first plane, said third plane being parallel to said first plane,

said extremity of said outer baffle structure is a first series of points extending around a periphery of said outer baffle structure, wherein each of said first series of points is, for each radial position around said periphery of said outer baffle structure, a maximum distance from said third plane, and

said extremity of said inner baffle structure is a second series of points extending around a periphery of said inner baffle structure, wherein each of said second series of points is, for each radial position around said periphery of said inner baffle structure, a maximum distance from said third plane.

6. A light fixture as recited in claim 5, wherein said first series of points defines a first substantially square shape, and said second series of points defines a second substantially square shape.

7. A light fixture as recited in claim 1, wherein said baffle system comprises a plurality of baffle elements and said light fixture further comprises at least one lens, each of said at least one lens being positioned between at least two respective baffle elements.

8. A light fixture as recited in claim 7, wherein

said light fixture comprises at least a first lens abutting said outer baffle structure, said first lens being spaced from said first plane, said first lens being positioned on a side of said first plane which is opposite from said second plane, and

said light fixture comprises at least a second lens abutting said inner baffle structure, said second lens being positioned on a side of said second plane which is the same as said first plane.

9. A light fixture as recited in claim 1, wherein said side reflector is slanted at an angle of from about 20 degrees to about 40 degrees relative to said first plane.

10. A light fixture as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said outer baffle structure comprises a plurality of outer baffle elements, each of said outer baffle elements having an outer baffle element first side and an outer baffle element second side which are substantially perpendicular to said first plane, and

said inner baffle structure comprises a plurality of inner baffle elements, each of said inner baffle elements having an inner baffle element first side and an inner baffle element second side which are substantially perpendicular to said second plane.

11. A light fixture comprising:

a lighting device;

a baffle system, said baffle system comprising a plurality of baffle elements,

at least one side reflector; and

at least one lens, each of said at least one lens being positioned between respective baffle elements,

first and second major dimensions of said light fixture extending in a first plane,

at least one surface of said side reflector abutting at least one surface of said baffle system,

wherein if a viewer moves from a first position to a second position,

said first and second positions both being in a viewer plane which is parallel to said first plane and which is spaced from said first plane by thee feet, said viewer plane being on a side of said first plane where, if said lighting device is illuminated, light travels from said lighting device toward said viewer plane,

said second position being on a line which extends through a center of said light fixture perpendicular to said first plane, said first position being at least 30 feet from said second position,

said viewer will see within an area bounded by said at least one side reflector;

initially only at least one of said at least one side reflector,

then a portion of the baffle system which is closest to said viewer plane,

then more of said baffle system,

and then one or more of said lenses,

and if said lighting device is illuminated in an absence of other light;

said side reflector will be illuminated by said baffle system with an average luminance which is less than an average luminance of said baffle elements, and

a luminance gradient will be greatest next to said baffle elements and least at regions adjacent to and outside said at least one side reflector.

12. A light fixture as recited in claim 11, wherein when said viewer reaches said second position, said viewer will be able to see at least a portion of each baffle element in said light fixture and each lens in said light fixture, said baffle elements in said light fixture and said at least one lens in said light fixture together occupying an entire area surrounded by said side reflector.

13. A light fixture as recited in claim 11, wherein:

said baffle system comprises an inner baffle structure, and

said lighting device comprises at least one solid state light emitter, each of said at least one solid state light emitter being located entirely within a region defined by planes which extend through an extremity of said inner baffle structure perpendicular to said first plane.

14. A light fixture as recited in claim 11, wherein said side reflector is slanted at an angle of from about 20 degrees to about 40 degrees relative to said first plane.

15. A light fixture comprising a baffle system and a side reflector, said baffle system comprising at least an outer baffle structure, an inner baffle structure and at least a first intermediate baffle structure,

said outer baffle structure being annular, an extremity of said outer baffle structure being in a first plane,

at least one surface of said side reflector abutting at least one surface of said outer baffle structure,

said first intermediate baffle structure being annular, an extremity of said first intermediate baffle structure being in a second plane, said second plane being substantially parallel with said first plane,

said inner baffle structure being annular, an extremity of said inner baffle structure being in a third plane, said third plane being substantially parallel with said second plane, said second plane being located between said first plane and said third plane,

said outer baffle structure, said first intermediate baffle structure and said inner baffle structure each sharing at least two planes of symmetry,

planes extending through portions of said outer baffle structure and being perpendicular to said first plane surrounding said first intermediate baffle structure,

planes extending through portions of said first intermediate baffle structure and being perpendicular to said first plane surrounding said inner baffle structure.

16. A light fixture as recited in claim 15, wherein:

said light fixture further comprises at least one lighting device,

said first plane is at a location where, if said lighting device is illuminated, light travels through said first plane,

said second plane is at a location where, if said lighting device is illuminated, light travels through said second plane and

said third plane being at a location where, if said lighting device is illuminated, light travels through said third plane.

17. A light fixture as recited in claim 16, wherein if said lighting device is illuminated, light travels through said first plane, then through said second plane, and then through said third plane.

18. A light fixture as recited in claim 16, wherein said lighting device comprises at least one solid state light emitter, each of said at least one solid state light emitter being located entirely within a region defined by planes which extend through said extremity of said inner baffle structure perpendicular to said first plane.

19. A light fixture as recited in claim 16, wherein:

if said lighting device is illuminated, light passes through a fourth plane before passing through said first plane, said fourth plane being parallel to said first plane,

said extremity of said outer baffle structure is a first series of points extending around a periphery of said outer baffle structure, wherein each of said first series of points is, for each radial position around said periphery of said outer baffle structure, a maximum distance from said fourth plane,

said extremity of said first intermediate baffle structure is a second series of points extending around a periphery of said first intermediate baffle structure, wherein each of said second series of points is, for each radial position around said periphery of said first intermediate baffle structure, a maximum distance from said fourth plane, and

said extremity of said inner baffle structure is a third series of points extending around a periphery of said inner baffle structure, wherein each of said third series of points is, for each radial position around said periphery of said inner baffle structure, a maximum distance from said fourth plane.

20. A light fixture as recited in claim 19, wherein said first series of points defines a first substantially square shape, and said second series of points defines a second substantially square shape.

21. A light fixture as recited in claim 15, wherein said baffle system further comprises at least a first connector baffle structure extending from said outer baffle structure to said first intermediate baffle structure and a second connector baffle structure extending from said first intermediate baffle structure to said inner baffle structure.

22. A light fixture as recited in claim 15, wherein said outer baffle structure, said first intermediate baffle structure and said inner baffle structure are substantially concentric annular shapes.

23. A light fixture as recited in claim 22, wherein each of said outer baffle structure, said first intermediate baffle structure and said inner baffle structure has a substantially square annular shape.

24. A light fixture as recited in claim 15, wherein said baffle system comprises a plurality of baffle elements, and said light fixture further comprises at least one lens, each of said at least one lens being positioned between at least two respective baffle elements.

25. A light fixture as recited in claim 24, wherein

said light fixture comprises at least a first lens abutting said outer baffle structure, said first lens being spaced from said first plane, said first lens being positioned on a side of said first plane which is opposite from said second plane,

said light fixture comprises at least a second lens abutting said intermediate baffle structure, said second lens being positioned on a side of said second plane which is the same as said first plane, and

said light fixture comprises at least a third lens abutting said inner baffle structure, said third lens being spaced from said third plane, said third lens being positioned on a side of said third plane which is the same as said first plane.

26. A light fixture as recited in claim 15, wherein said side reflector is slanted at an angle of from about 20 degrees to about 40 degrees relative to said first plane.

27. A light fixture as recited in claim 15, wherein:

said outer baffle structure comprises a plurality of outer baffle elements, each of said outer baffle elements having an outer baffle element first side and an outer baffle element second side which are substantially perpendicular to said first plane,

said first intermediate baffle structure comprises a plurality of first intermediate baffle elements, each of said first intermediate baffle elements having a first intermediate baffle element first side and a first intermediate baffle element second side which are substantially perpendicular to said second plane, and

said inner baffle structure comprises a plurality of inner baffle elements, each of said inner baffle elements having an inner baffle element first side and an inner baffle element second side which are substantially perpendicular to said third plane.

28. A light fixture comprising:

at least two recessed square elements, said two recessed square elements being concentric;

triangular connecting elements between said recessed squares; and

lenses which are recessed from said faces of each of said concentric square elements.

29. A light fixture as recited in claim 28, wherein said light fixture comprises three of said recessed square elements.

30. A light fixture as recited in claim 28, wherein said light fixture comprises at least one solid state light emitter.

31. A light fixture as recited in claim 30, wherein said at least one solid state light emitter is an LED.