REFRACTIVE OPTICS TO PROVIDE UNIFORM ILLUMINATION IN A DISPLAY CASE

• US 20110096533A1
• Filed: 10/27/2010
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Current Lighting Solutions, LLC (f/k/a GE Lighting Solutions, LLC) (American Industrial Partners)
• Original Assignee: GE Lighting Solutions LLC (Savant Systems, LLC)
• Inventors: Kaminski, Mark, Schultz, Samantha, Sekela, William, Stadelman, Larry, Sommers, Mathew
• Granted Patent: US 8,613,524 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/125
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/001 Devices for lighting, humidifying, heating, ventilation
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/20 with light sources held by or within elongate supports
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/08 producing an asymmetric light distribution
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0091 using total internal reflection
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/305 for refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/405 for shop-windows or displays
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A lighting assembly for illuminating a display case, where the lighting assembly is mounted to a display case and includes a visibility envelop within which an onlooker of the display case cannot see. The lighting assembly includes an elongated frame provisioned to receive modular inserts and at least one modular insert operatively connected to the elongated frame. The at least one modular insert includes a light module, where the light module includes an optical lens and a light source. The optical lens is disposed over and/or around the light source and is disposed exclusively within the visibility envelope. The optical lens is fashioned to control light emitted from the light source using refraction and total internal reflection.

Claims

1. A lighting assembly for illuminating a display case, said assembly comprising:

an elongated frame; and

,

a plurality of modular inserts removably connected to the elongated frame, wherein the plurality of modular inserts include a plurality of light modules, wherein each of the plurality of light modules is removably coupled to adjacent light modules electrically.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of modular inserts includes at least one spacer.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the each of the plurality of light modules is disposed within one of the at least one spacer.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the each of the plurality of light modules is in electrical communication with each other light module.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of modular inserts receives power from an external power supply electrically connected to one of the plurality of modular inserts disposed at a distal end of the lighting assembly.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of modular inserts includes a power module disposed on a distal end of the lighting assembly.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of modular inserts includes a plurality of spacers, wherein the plurality of light modules and the plurality of spacers alternate along the length of the lighting assembly.

8. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the each of the plurality of light modules includes at least one light source and a lens, wherein the lens directs a majority of light generated by the at least one light source perpendicular to the normal of a base upon which the at least one light source rests.

9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the each of the plurality of light modules includes at least one light source, wherein the at least one light source includes at least one LED.

10. A lighting assembly for illuminating a display case, wherein the lighting assembly is mounted to the display case and includes a visibility envelope within which an onlooker of the display case cannot see, the assembly comprising:

a light source; and

,

an optical lens disposed over and/or around the light source, wherein the optical lens is disposed exclusively within the visibility envelope, wherein the optical lens is fashioned to control light emitted from the light source using refraction and total internal reflection.

11. The lighting assembly of claim 10, wherein the optical lens is recessed within a housing and light emitted from the light source is reflected off the housing to light an area proximate the lighting assembly.

12. The lighting assembly of claim 10, wherein light emitted from the light source is directed substantially perpendicular to a normal of a base upon which the light source rests.

13. The lighting assembly of claim 10, wherein the light source is an LED.

14. The lighting assembly of claim 10, wherein the optical lens defines a cavity between the light source and the optical lens.

15. The lighting assembly of claim 10, wherein the optical lens includes a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is disposed above the second portion and facilitates total internal reflection.

16. A lighting assembly for illuminating a display case, wherein the lighting assembly is mounted to the display case and includes a visibility envelop within which an onlooker of the display case cannot see, the assembly comprising:

an elongated frame provisioned to receive modular inserts; and

,

at least one modular insert operatively connected to the elongated frame, wherein the at least one modular insert includes a light module having an optical lens and a light source, wherein the optical lens is disposed over and/or around the light source and exclusively within the visibility envelope, wherein the optical lens is fashioned to control light emitted from the light source using refraction and total internal reflection.

17. The lighting assembly of claim 16, wherein the light module further includes a housing, wherein the optical lens is recessed within the housing and light emitted from the light source is reflected off the housing to light an area proximate the lighting assembly.

18. The lighting assembly of claim 16, wherein the light source is an LED.

19. The lighting assembly of claim 16, wherein the at least one modular insert includes a second light module, wherein the at least one light module and the second light module are removably coupled electrically.

20. The assembly of claim 16, wherein each of the at least one modular insert receives power from an external power supply electrically coupled to one of the at least one modular insert disposed at a distal end of the lighting assembly.

21. A lighting assembly for illuminating a display case, said lighting assembly comprising:

an elongated frame; and

,

a plurality of modular inserts removably connected to the elongated frame, wherein said plurality of modular inserts include a plurality of spacers and a plurality of LED modules, wherein said plurality of LED modules are spaced along the length of the elongated frame using the plurality of spacers, wherein each of said plurality of LED modules is removably coupled to adjacent LED modules electrically.