PHOSPHORIC HORTICULTURAL LIGHT

• US 20140268635A1
• Filed: 01/14/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Valoya Oy
• Original Assignee: Valoya Oy
• Inventors: AIKALA, LARS, KIVIMAKI, ILKKA, RANTALA, JUHA
• Application Number:
  US14/154,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20140268635A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/84
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 7/045 with electric lighting
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 9/249 Lighting means with special arrangements for promoting growth A01G7/045
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 60/14 Measures for saving energy, e.g. in green houses

Abstract

A horticultural light for use in green houses and growth chambers of plants, includes multiple LEDs (Light Emitting Diode) configured to excite a single remote phosphor up-conversion unit, typically realized on a replaceable cover glass of the light. The LED emitters are also replaceable, and preferably attached to a trunk, and not a circuit board. The distance between the plurality of LEDs and the remote phosphor up-conversion unit is configured so that the temperature of the remote phosphor up-conversion unit is 40±10 C.°, and the LED is at 130±30 C.° temperature. The combination of being able to control a separation between the remote phosphor up-conversion unit and the LEDs and having multiple LEDs emit to a single remote phosphor up-conversion unit has a great synergistic advantage: this provides a very energy efficient way of designing complex emission spectra that can be used on an industrial scale.

Claims

1. Horticultural light (3, 4, 9 and 10) comprising at least one LED (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60 and/or 70) and at least one remote phosphoric material (45, 46, 47, 48 and 49) in a remote phosphor up-conversion unit (40, 440) for wavelength conversion and a mechanical trunk (12), characterised in that,

a plurality of LEDs (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60 and/or 70) and a remote phosphor up-conversion unit (40, 440) are configured to be separated (41) by air, gas and/or free space,

said remote phosphor up-conversion unit (40, 440) is configured to receive light emission from said plurality of LEDs (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60 and/or 70), and

said remote phosphor up-conversion unit (40, 440) is configured to absorb said light emission and up convert said emission to longer wavelengths,

said emission from said plurality of LEDs (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60 and/or 70) and/or said up-converted emission is configured to be emitted on at least one plant (5, 6, and 7).

2. Horticultural light as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that, said phosphoric material (45, 46, 47, 48 and 49) is configured to operate at a temperature of 40±

10 C.°

, and said LED (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60 and/or 70) is configured to operate at a temperature of 130±

30 C.°

.

3. Horticultural light as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that, the remote phosphor up-conversion unit (40, 440) is configured to be replaced with a second remote phosphor up-conversion unit.

4. Horticultural light as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that, the second remote phosphor up-conversion unit is configured with different optical emission properties and the emitted spectrum by the horticultural light (3, 4, 9 and 10) is configured to be changed with said replacement of the remote phosphor up-conversion unit (40, 440).

5. Horticultural light as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that, said plurality of LEDs (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60 and/or 70) is physically attached to and physically in contact with the mechanical trunk (12) of the horticultural light (3, 4, 9 and 10), and/or

the mechanical trunk (12) excludes any circuit board and/or breadboard for electrical connections.

6. Horticultural light as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that, the said LED (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60 and/or 70) is any of the following:

AlInGaP—

, AlInGaN—

, AlGaAs—

, and/or InGaN—

LED.

7. Horticultural light as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that, the said phosphoric material (45, 46, 47, 48 and 49) is any of the following:

BaMgAI₁₀O₁₇;

Eu²⁺, (Sr,Ba,Ca)₅(PO₄)₃ Cl;

Eu²⁺ and BaMg₂AI₁₆O₂₇;

Eu²⁺, La₃Si₆N₁₁;

Ce³⁺, SrSiAI₂O₃N₂;

Ce³⁺, YAG;

Ce³⁺ and/or quantum dot.

8. Horticultural light as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that, said plurality of LED emitters (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60 and/or 70) comprises LED emitters configured to transmit different emission spectra.

9. Horticultural light as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that, the separation (41) from the LED emitters (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60 and/or 70) to the remote phosphor up-conversion unit (40, 440) is configured to be changed manually or with an engine.

10. Horticultural light as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that, the remote phosphor up-conversion unit (40, 440) comprises at least one laminar layer of phosphoric material (47, 48 and 49).

11. Horticultural light as claimed in claim 10, characterised in that, the remote phosphor up-conversion unit (40, 440) comprises at least two laminar layers of phosphoric material (47, 48 and 49) arranged so that the phosphoric materials with same particle sizes are in the same layer.

12. Horticultural light as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that, at least one reflector (90) is arranged to reflect light into the remote phosphor up-conversion unit (40, 440).

13. Plant cultivation method comprising at least one LED (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60 and/or 70) and at least one remote phosphoric material (45, 46, 47, 48 and 49) in a remote phosphor up-conversion unit (40, 440) for wavelength conversion and a mechanical trunk (12), comprising the following steps,

a plurality of LEDs (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60 and/or 70) emit light to a remote phosphor up-conversion unit (40, 440) through air, gas and/or free space (41),

said remote phosphor up-conversion unit (40, 440) receives light emission from said plurality of LEDs (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60 and/or 70),

said remote phosphor up-conversion unit (40, 440) absorbs said light emission and up-converts said emission to longer wavelengths,

said emission from said plurality of LEDs (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60 and/or 70) and/or said up-converted emission is directed to at least one plant (5, 6, and 7).

14. Plant cultivation method as claimed in claim 13, characterised in that, said at least one phosphoric material (45, 46, 47, 48 and 49) is at an operational temperature of 40±

10 C.°

, and at least two LEDs (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60 and/or 70) are at 130±

30 C.°

.

15. Plant cultivation method as claimed in claim 13, characterised in that, the remote phosphor up-conversion unit (40, 440) is mechanically replaced with a second remote phosphor up-conversion unit.

16. Plant cultivation method as claimed in claim 15, characterised in that, the second remote phosphor up-conversion unit absorbs and emits light differently to the replaced remote phosphor up-conversion unit (40, 440), and spectrum of emitted light changes due to said replacement.

17. Plant cultivation method as claimed in claim 13, characterised in that, said plurality of LEDs (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60 and/or 70) is physically attached to and physically in contact with the mechanical trunk (12) of the horticultural light (3, 4, 9 and 10), and/or

the mechanical trunk (12) excludes any circuit board and/or breadboard for electrical connections.

18. Plant cultivation method as claimed in claim 13, characterised in that, at least one said LED (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60 and/or 70) is any of the following:

AlInGaP—

, AlInGaN—

, AlGaAs—

, and/or InGaN—

LED.

19. Plant cultivation method as claimed in claim 13, characterised in that, at least one said phosphoric material (45, 46, 47, 48 and 49) is any of the following:

BaMgAI₁₀O₁₇;

Eu²⁺, (Sr,Ba,Ca)₅(PO₄)₃Cl;

Eu²⁺ and BaMg₂AI₁₆O₂₇;

Eu²⁺, La₃Si₆N₁₁;

Ce³⁺, SrSiAI₂O₃N₂;

Ce³⁺, YAG;

Ce³⁺ and/or quantum dot.

20. Plant cultivation method as claimed in claim 13, characterised in that, said plurality of LED emitters (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60 and/or 70) comprises LED emitters transmitting different emission spectra.

21. Plant cultivation method as claimed in claim 13, characterised in that, the separation (41) from the LED emitters (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 57, 58, 60 and/or 70) to the remote phosphor up-conversion unit (40, 440) is changed manually or with an engine.

22. Plant cultivation method as claimed in claim 13, characterised in that, the remote phosphor up-conversion unit (40, 440) comprises at least one laminar layer of phosphoric material (47, 48 and 49).

23. Plant cultivation method as claimed in claim 13, characterised in that, the remote phosphor up-conversion unit (40, 440) comprises at least two laminar layers of phosphoric material (47, 48 and 49) and the phosphoric materials with same particle sizes are in the same layer.

24. Plant cultivation method as claimed in, characterised in that, at least one reflector (90) reflects light into the remote phosphor up-conversion unit (40, 440).

25. (canceled)