Luminaire for Creating Effective Proximity Lighting in a Low Ambient Lighting Environment

• US 20160061393A1
• Filed: 08/27/2015
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ngai, Peter Y.Y.
• Granted Patent: US 10,539,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 6/003 for task lighting, e.g. for reading or desk work, e.g. angle poise lamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/06 Bases for movable standing lamps; Fixing standards to the bases F21V21/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/00 Planar light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/15 Organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]

Abstract

A luminaire is provided for illuminating a task surface and a volume of space above and about the task surface, including a limited human occupiable space proximate the task surface. The luminaire includes a body having a base end and an extension portion extending from the base end. A task lighting element on the body, and suitably at the base of the body, directs light in a directional light distribution pattern toward a task surface. Area light sources on the extension portion of the body emit light in a diffuse light distribution pattern for illuminating the volume of space over the task surface and a limited human occupiable space proximate the task surface.

Claims

1. A luminaire for illuminating a task surface and a volume of space above and about the task surface, including a limited human occupiable space proximate the task surface, said luminaire comprising:

a body having a base end and an extension portion extending from said base end, said extension portion having a distal end remote from said base end,

means for supporting said body in an operative position relative to a task surface such that the task surface is situated in front of the base end of the body and the extension portion of said body extends above the task surface,

task lighting means on said body, said task lighting means being configured to direct light in a directional light distribution pattern toward a task surface when the body is supported in its operative position relative to the task surface, and

at least one area light source on the extension portion of said body, said area light source having a light emitting surface generally facing a space over the task surface when the body is supported in its operative position relative to the task surface, said area light source emitting light in a generally diffuse light distribution pattern wherein, when said body is supported in its operative position relative to the task surface, said area light source can illuminate the space over the task surface, said area light source having a size and light output selected to illuminate a limited human occupiable space proximate the task surface in addition to the space over the task surface.

2. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein said task light means is comprised of a task light source positioned at the base end of said body and optical means for directing light emitted by said light source in a forward and downward direction onto a task surface in front of the base end of the body.

3. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein a plurality of area light sources is provided on the extension portion of said body, wherein each of said area light sources has a light emitting surface generally facing a space over the task surface when said body is supported in its operative position relative to the task surface, and wherein said area light sources collectively have a size and light output selected to illuminate the limited human occupiable space proximate the task surface in addition to the space above the task surface.

4. The luminaire of claim 3 wherein said plurality of area light sources are distributed over the length of the extension portion of said body.

5. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein the extension portion of said body has a substantially vertical portion and a substantially horizontal portion, and wherein both the vertical and horizontal portions face the space over the task surface when said body is supported in its operative position relative to the task surface, and wherein said at least one light source emits light from both the vertical and horizontal portions of said extension portion.

6. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein, when said body is supported in its operative position relative to the task surface, the extension portion is positioned no more than about four feet above the task surface.

7. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein said at least one area light source has a total surface area of between about 50 square inches and about 150 square inches and a luminance of between about 1000 cd/m² and about 3000 cd/m².

8. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein said at least one area light source produces generally diffuse light having a vector/scalar ratio of no more than about 3.0.

9. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein said at least one area light source produces generally diffuse light having a vector/scalar ratio of between about 1.0 and 2.0.

10. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein said at least one area light source produces generally diffuse light wherein the ratio of the total illumination of light at the task surface to the vertical illumination within the limited human occupiable space proximate the task surface is no more than about three to one.

11. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein the extension portion of the body has a substantially linear form, wherein said at least one area light source provides one or more light emitting surfaces that extend along the linear form of the body extension portion, and wherein the generally diffuse light distribution pattern of said area light source spreads light away from the linear form into the limited human occupiable space proximate the task surface.

12. The luminaire of claim 11 wherein the substantially linear form of the extension portion of said body wraps over the space above the task surface.

13. The luminaire of claim 12 wherein the substantially linear form of the extension portion of said body is a curvilinear form that wraps over the space above the task surface.

14. The luminaire of claim 11 wherein said area light source is a planar OLED light source.

15. A luminaire for illuminating a task surface and a volume of space above and about the task surface, including a limited human occupiable space proximate the task surface, said luminaire comprising:

a body structure having a base end and extending upwardly from said base end to form an extension portion having a distal end,

means of supporting said body in an operative position relative to a task surface wherein the task surface is situated in front of the base end of the body and the extension portion of said body extends above the task surface,

task light means on said body for providing light in a directional light distribution pattern, wherein, when said body is supported in its operative position relative to the task surface, the light provided by said task light means is directed toward the task surface, and

a plurality of area light sources distributed over the extension portion of said body from the base end to distal end of said extension portion, each of said area light sources having a light emitting surface generally facing a space over the task surface when said body is supported in its operative position relative to the task surface, said area light sources collectively emitting light in a generally diffuse light distribution pattern wherein, when said body is supported in its operative position relative to the task surface, said area light sources can illuminate the space over the task surface, said area light sources having a size and light output selected to illuminate the limited human occupiable space proximate the task surface in addition to the space over the task area.

16. The luminaire of claim 15 wherein the extension portion of said body has a substantially vertical portion and a substantially horizontal portion, wherein both the vertical and horizontal portions of said extension portion face the space over the task surface when said body is supported in its operative position relative to the task surface, and wherein said area light sources are distributed over both the substantially vertical and horizontal portions of said extension portion.

17. The luminaire of claim 15 wherein the extension portion of the body has a substantially curvilinear form that wraps over the space above the task surface, wherein the area light sources are arranged substantially in a line along the curvilinear form of the body extension portion, and wherein the generally diffuse light distribution pattern of said area light sources spreads light away from the curvilinear form of the body extension portion into the limited human occupiable space proximate the task surface.

18. The luminaire of claim 15 wherein said task light means is comprised of a task light source positioned at the base end of said body and optical means for directing light emitted by said light source in a forward and downward direction onto a task surface in front of the base end of the body, and wherein said plurality of area light sources are distributed over the extension portion of said body, generally from a position above said task light source to the distal end of said extension portion.

19. The luminaire of claim 15 wherein said area light sources have a total surface area of between about 50 square inches and 150 square inches and a luminance of between about 1000 cd/m² and 3000 cd/m².

20. A luminaire for illuminating a task surface and a volume of space above and about the task surface, including a limited human occupiable space proximate the task surface, said luminaire comprising:

a body structure having a base end and extending upwardly from said base end to form an elongated extension portion having a substantially vertical portion, a substantially horizontal portion and a distal end,

means of supporting said body in an operative position relative to a task surface wherein the task surface is situated in front of the base end of the body and the extension portion of said body extends above the task surface so that the substantially vertical and substantially horizontal portions of said extension portion face the space over the task surface,

a task light means at the base end of said body, said task light means being configured to direct light in a directional light distribution pattern in a forward and downward direction onto a task surface in front of the base end of the body, and

a plurality of area light sources distributed over the substantially vertical and substantially horizontal portions of said extension portion from above the task light means at the base end of said body to the distal end of said extension portion, each of said area light sources having a light emitting surface generally facing a space over the task surface when said body is supported in its operative position relative to the task surface, said area light sources collectively emitting light in a generally diffuse light distribution pattern wherein, when said body is supported in its operative position relative to the task surface, said area light sources can illuminate the space over the task surface, said area light sources having a size and light output selected to illuminate the limited human occupiable space proximate the task surface in addition to the space over the task area.

21. The luminaire of claim 20 wherein said area light sources have a total surface area of between about 50 square inches and 150 square inches and a luminance of between about 1000 cd/m² and 3000 cd/m².

22. The luminaire of claim 21 wherein the extension portion of the body has a substantially curvilinear form that wraps over the space above the task surface, wherein the area light sources are arranged substantially in a line along the curvilinear form of the body extension portion, and wherein the generally diffuse light distribution pattern of said area light sources spreads light away from the curvilinear form of the body extension portion into the limited human occupiable space proximate the task surface.

23. A method of creating effective proximity lighting about a task surface in a low ambient lighting environment, wherein there exists a volume of space above the task surface and a limited human occupiable space proximate the task surface, comprising:

from a position or positions in proximity to the task surface, directing task light in a directional light distribution pattern toward the task surface for illuminating the task surface, and

producing in proximity to the task surface light in a generally diffuse light distribution pattern which illuminates a volume of space above and about the task surface, including an limited human occupiable space proximate the task surface.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said task light is produced from an elevation of no more than about four feet above the task surface.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the light produced in a generally diffuse light distribution pattern has a vector/scalar ratio in the range of about 1.0 to 2.0.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the light produced in a generally diffuse light distribution pattern has a vector/scalar ratio of no more than about 3.0.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the ratio of the total illumination at the task surface to the vertical illumination within the limited human occupiable space proximate the task surface is no more than about three to one.