Cove Illumination Module and System

• US 20080298058A1
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: TIR Systems Limited (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Kan, Peter, Matheson, George, Schmeikal, Lawrence, Weston, Adrian, Campbell, Damon, Flood, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US10/588,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20080298058A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/240
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/20 with light sources held by or within elongate supports
• 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 15/015 Devices for covering joints between adjacent lighting devices; End coverings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/164 the parts being subjected to bending, e.g. snap joints
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/001 the light sources being semiconductors devices, e.g. LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/005 for several lighting devices in an end-to-end arrangement, i.e. light tracks
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/06 the elements being coupling devices , e.g. connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 31/005 Sealing arrangements therefor
• 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: G09F 13/02 Signs, boards, or panels, illuminated by artificial light sources positioned in front of the insignia
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/162 Electrical connections between or with rails or bus-bars rails having primarily a non electrical function H01R4/64
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/167 Using mechanical means for positioning, alignment or registration, e.g. using rod-in-hole alignment

Abstract

The present invention provides a cove illumination module for use in a plurality of illumination applications wherein a particular type of cove type illumination pattern is desired due to close proximity between the cove illumination module and a to-be-illuminated surface. The cove illumination module comprises a substrate to which a plurality of light-emitting elements is operatively connected. Optionally, the substrate can form a base portion of the cove illumination module. An external housing unit is sealingly mated with the substrate in order to environmentally seal the light-emitting elements. The external housing unit comprises one or more optical elements which can shape the beams of light emitted by the light-emitting elements under operating conditions and generate a desired illumination pattern on a lit surface, thereby providing a cove type illumination pattern.

Claims

1. A cove illumination module for illuminating a cove, the module comprising:

a) a substrate having one or more light-emitting elements operatively mounted thereon, said one or more light-emitting elements generating light having one or more wavelengths; and

b) an external housing unit sealingly connected to the substrate, said external housing element including one or more optical elements optically coupled to the one or more light-emitting elements, said one or more optical elements manipulating the light in a desired manner thereby illuminating the cove;

wherein the substrate is adapted for connection to a source of power thereby enabling activation of the one or more light-emitting elements.

2. The cove illumination module according to claim 1 further comprising a heat sink thermally connected to the substrate.

3. The cove illumination module according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is configured as a metal core printed circuit board or a FR4 board.

4. The cove illumination module according to claim 1, further comprising a reflector mounted on the substrate, the reflector optically coupled to one or more of the light emitting elements.

5. The cove illumination module according to claim 4, wherein the reflector is configured as a linear reflector having a uniform longitudinal cross-sectional shape.

6. The cove illumination module according to claim 5, wherein the longitudinal cross sectional shape has one or more walls, the one or more walls being vertical, parabolic or sloped.

7. The cove illumination module according to claim 4, wherein the reflector is configured to generate an asymmetric beam of light or symmetric beam of light from the light generated by the light-emitting elements.

8. The cove illumination module according to claim 1, wherein the external housing unit is manufactured from a metal.

9. The cove illumination module according to claim 1, wherein the external housing unit and the one or more optical elements are integrally formed.

10. The cove illumination module according to claim 1, wherein the one or more optical elements are configured to generate an asymmetric beam of light or a symmetric beam of light from the light generated by the light-emitting elements.

11. The cove illumination module according to claim 1, wherein the one or more of the optical elements are configured as a lens.

12. The cove illumination module according to claim 10, wherein the lens is a lenticular lens, toroidal shaped lens, Fresnel lens or pillow lens.

13. A cove illumination system comprising two or more cove illumination modules according to claim 1, said two or more cove illumination modules operatively coupled for operation thereof.

14. The cove illumination system according to claim 13, wherein the two or more cove illumination modules are operatively connected by an environmentally sealable electrical connection.