LOW-PROFILE PATHWAY ILLUMINATION SYSTEM

• US 20090278474A1
• Filed: 05/07/2009
• Published: 11/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Express Imaging Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Express Imaging Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Reed, William G., Renn, John O.
• Granted Patent: US 8,118,456 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/294
• CPC Class Codes: E01F 9/559 illuminated
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/022 intended to be recessed in a floor or like ground surface, e.g. pavement or false floor
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/032 the surface being a floor or like ground surface, e.g. pavement
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/023 for pedestrian walkways
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/109 of gardens
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A luminaire to illuminate surfaces comprises a housing, a mounting fixture and a light source. The housing includes a base having a bottom surface positionable on a surface to be illuminated, an interior, and at least one window providing access between the interior and an exterior of the housing. The mounting fixture extends at least approximately perpendicularly downward with respect to the bottom surface of the base to secure the housing into a peripheral portion of the surface to be illuminated. The light source has a principal axis of emission that is directed outwardly through the window of the housing at a downwardly oriented angle with respect to the bottom surface of the base such that, when in use with the luminaire mounted to the surface to be illuminated, the principal axis of emission of the light source is directed at a portion of the surface to be illuminated.

Claims

1. A luminaire to illuminate surfaces, the luminaire comprising:

a housing including a base having a bottom surface that is positionable on a surface to be illuminated, the housing including an interior and at least one window providing access between the interior of the housing and an exterior of the housing;

a mounting fixture extending at least approximately perpendicularly downward with respect to the bottom surface of the base to secure the housing to a peripheral portion of the surface to be illuminated; and

a light source received in the interior of the housing, the light source having a principal axis of emission that is directed outwardly through the window of the housing at a downwardly oriented angle with respect to the bottom surface of the base such that, when in use with the luminaire mounted to the surface to be illuminated, the principal axis of emission of the light source is directed at a portion of the surface to be illuminated.

2. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein the mounting fixture includes at least one mounting hole sized to receive a portion of a respective fastener.

3. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein the base and the mounting fixture are each separate unitary parts that are physically coupled together.

4. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein the light source includes at least one light emitting device.

5. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein the light source includes at least one solid-state light emitting device.

6. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein the light source includes at least one light-emitting diode.

7. The luminaire of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller coupled to regulate power to the light source.

8. The luminaire of claim 7 wherein the controller is configured to regulate power at a voltage level within a threshold from a voltage level of a power source to permit full light emission by the light source.

9. The luminaire of claim 7 wherein the controller is configured to regulate power to the light source to adjust an intensity of the light emitted by the light source according to a voltage of power from a power source.

10. The luminaire of claim 7, further comprising:

a controller housing physically coupled to the mounting fixture, the controller housing having an interior in which the controller is received, wherein the housing, the mounting fixture and the controller housing each includes at least one respective passage to provide communication between the controller in the interior of the controller housing and the light source in the interior of the housing.

11. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein the window includes a substantially transparent member positioned in an opening of the housing to environmentally isolate the interior of the housing from the exterior thereof.

12. The luminaire of claim 11 wherein the substantially transparent member comprises a toughened glass made of one of Chrysterna and Pyrex.

13. The luminaire of claim 11 wherein the substantially transparent member is coated with one of artificial diamond-like deposition and sapphire.

14. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein the window has a shape that forms the light emitted by the light source into a light beam when exiting the housing, the light beam having a vertical angle of +/−

10 degrees relative to a horizontal plane parallel to the surface to be illuminated and a horizontal angle of at least +/−

70 degrees along the horizontal plane.

15. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein the housing has a height of less than 0.75 inch measured from the surface when positioned on the surface to be illuminated.

16. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein the interior of the housing is environmentally sealed from the exterior thereof.

17. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein a top portion of the interior of the housing, at least partially between the light source and the window, has high reflectance, and wherein a bottom portion of the interior of the housing, at least partially between the light source and the window, has low reflectance.

18. A pathway light, comprising:

a solid-state device configured to emit light when powered;

a control circuit coupled to the solid-state device and a power input, the control circuit configured to receive power from the power input and provide regulated power to the solid-state device; and

a housing for enclosing the solid-state device and the control circuit, the housing constructed to withstand contact by moving equipment and function as a heat sink for the solid-state device and the control circuit, the housing having an opening shaped and angled to project light emitted by the solid-state device onto and across a surface to be illuminated when the pathway light is placed on the surface in a position for operation.

19. The pathway light of claim 18 wherein the solid-state device comprises at least one light-emitting diode.

20. The pathway light of claim 18 wherein the housing has a height of less than 0.75 inch measured from the surface when placed on the surface in the position for operation.

21. The pathway light of claim 18 wherein the control circuit comprises a low dropout voltage regulator configured to adjust an intensity of the light emitted by the solid-state device according to a voltage level of the power from the power input.

22. The pathway light of claim 18 wherein the housing is at least partially placed on the surface when the pathway light is in operation, and wherein the housing has a maximum height of less than 0.75 inch measured from the surface when the housing is placed on the surface.

23. The pathway light of claim 18 wherein the housing further has an extension that extends from the housing in a direction such that when the pathway light is in the position for operation with the extension inserted into a discontinuity in the surface or into a gap between the surface and an adjacent surface the light from the solid-state device is projected onto and across the surface through the opening of the housing.

24. The pathway light of claim 18, further comprising a hardened glass that is substantially transparent and placed in the opening of the housing to protect the solid-state device from moisture and physical damage, and wherein the hardened glass is coated with one of artificial diamond-like deposition and sapphire for extended life.

25. The pathway light of claim 18 wherein the opening of the housing forms the light emitted by the solid-state device into a light beam having a vertical angle of +/−

10 degrees relative to a horizontal plane parallel to the surface to be illuminated and a horizontal angle of at least +/−

70 degrees along the horizontal plane.