Luminaire for interior lighting

• US 5,662,403 A
• Filed: 08/11/1995
• Issued: 09/02/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Akashi, Yukio, Mukai, Kenji, Tanabe, Yoshinori, Akashi, Izumi
• Primary Examiner(s): CARIASO, ALAN B
• Application Number:
  US08/513,722
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 362/32, 362/84, 362/290, 362/297, 362/342, 362/346, 362/347, 362/348, 362/291, 362/292
• US Class Current: 362/558
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 19/005 Combining sunlight and electric light sources for indoor illumination
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/02 of recess-mounted type, e.g. downlighters specially adapted for vehicle exteriors F21S41/00-F21S45/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/026 intended to be recessed in a ceiling or like overhead structure, e.g. suspended ceiling
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/033 the surface being a wall or like vertical structure, e.g. building facade
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 11/06 using crossed laminae or strips , e.g. grid-shaped louvers; using lattices or honeycombs
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 2200/40 of hollow light guides
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/04 characterised by materials, surface treatments or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0016 on lighting devices that also provide for direct lighting, e.g. by means of independent light sources, by splitting of the light beam, by switching between both lighting modes
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/24 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/402 for working places
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/00 Elongate light sources, e.g. fluorescent tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/20 of different form
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0008 the light being emitted at the end of the fibre

Abstract

A luminaire used in a room is provided with a brightness effect to avoid giving glare directly to people in the room, to give a desired illuminance on a working surface, and to give a high brightness sensation in the overall room. One or more sparkling regions are provided in which the luminance L (cd/m²) is in a range of 3.3≦log L≦-0.3 log w+2.63, when seen from any position in the room between a perpendicular angle of 60 degrees to less than 90 degrees, with the direction immediately beneath the center of the luminaire being 0 degrees. The apparent size of the sparkling region is the solid angle w (steradian (sr)).

Claims

1. A luminaire for interior lighting comprising:

a first luminous element having at least one bright region with a luminance L (unit;

cd/m²), wherein;

the at least one bright region of the first luminous element is visible at any position in a specified area of a room, and

a relation of the luminance L of the first luminous element and a solid angle w satisfies one of

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">3.3≦

log L≦

-0.3 log w+2.63

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">and

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">log L≦

-0.3 log w+2.63,

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">where

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">3.64≦

log L≦

3.90,

the solid angle w (unit;

steradian (sr))being an apparent size of the bright region, whereby the specified area is based on the first luminous element in the room.

3. A luminaire for interior lighting of claim 1, wherein

the specified area is an area over a specific angle and under another specific angle on the basis of a perpendicular direction from one of an end and a center of the first luminous element.

4. A lumlnaire for interior lighting of claim 3, wherein

the specified area is an area over a 60 degree angle and under an 80 degree angle on the basis of the perpendicular direction.

5. A luminaire for interior lighting of claim 1, wherein

the specified area is an area over a specific distance from a center of the first luminous element.

7. A luminaire for interior lighting of claim 1, further comprising:

a second luminous element provided near the first luminous element.

9. A luminaire for interior lighting of claim 7, further comprising:

a light source for radiating a light, and

a louver member, the louver member having;

a front end for guiding a part of the light radiated from the light source into the louver member and diffusing the guided light thereby, forming the first luminous element, and

a reflector for reflecting other part of the light radiated from the light source, thereby forming the second luminous element.

10. A luminaire for interior lighting of claim 7, further comprising:

a light source for radiating light, and

a lattice shaped louver member formed of plate members for reflecting the light of the light source, wherein

at least one plate member of the lattice shaped louver member reflects the light from the light source to form the first luminous element, and

other plate members reflect the light from the light source to form the second luminous element.

13. A luminaire for interior lighting of claim 1, further comprising:

a light source for radiating light, and

one of a reflection object for reflecting a part of the light radiated from the light source and a transmission object for transmitting a part of the light, such objects being supported at a specified place near the light source, wherein

the one of the reflection object and the transmission object is the first luminous element.

14. A luminaire for interior lighting of claim 1, further comprising:

a luminaire main body buried in a ceiling,

a light source coupled to the luminaire main body for radiating light,

at least an optical fiber for leading out part of the light radiated from the light source, and

a light diffusion part attached to a front end of the optical fiber for diffusing the led out light to the ceiling near the main body of the luminaire, wherein

the light diffusion part is the first luminous element.

15. A luminaire for interior lighting of claim 1, further comprising:

a first light source for general illumination, and

a second light source for use by the first luminous element, wherein the first luminous element is prevented from using the first light. source.

2. A luminaire for interior lighting comprising:

a first luminous element having at least one bright region with a luminance L (unit;

cd/m²), wherein;

the at least one bright region of the first luminous element is visible at any position in a specified area, and

a relation of the luminance L of the first luminous element and a solid angle w satisfies one of

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">3.3≦

log L≦

-0.3 log w+2.63

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">and

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">log L≦

-0.3 log w+2.63,

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">where

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">3.64≦

log≦

3.90,

the solid angle w (unit;

steradian (sr))being an apparent size of the bright region, whereby the specified area is based on the first luminous element of the luminaire.

6. A luminaire for interior lighting of claim 2, wherein

the specified area is an area over a specific distance from a center of the first luminous element.

8. A luminaire for interior lighting of claim 2, further comprising:

a second luninous element provided near the first luminous element.

11. A luminaire for interior lighting of claim 8, further comprising:

a light source for radiating a light, and

a louver member, the louver member having;

a front end for guiding a part of the light radiated from the light source into the louver member and diffusing the guided light, thereby forming the first luminous element, and

a reflector for reflecting other part of the light radiated from the light source, thereby forming the second luminous element.

12. A luminaire for interior lighting of claim 8, further comprising:

a light source for radiating light, and

a lattice shaped louver member formed of plate members for reflecting the light of the light source, wherein

at least one plate member of the lattice shaped louver member reflects the light from the light source to form the first luminous element, and

other plate members reflect the light from the light source to form the second luminous element.

16. A luminaire for interior lighting of claim 2, further comprising:

light source for radiating light, and

one of a reflection object for reflecting a part of the light radiated from the light source and a transmission object for transmitting a part of the light, such objects being supported at a specified place near the light source, wherein

the one of the reflection object and the transmission object is the first luminous element.

17. A luminaire for interior lighting of claim 2, further comprising:

a luminaire main body buried in a ceiling,

a light source coupled to the luminaire main body for radiating light,

at least an optical fiber for leading out part of the light radiated from the light source, and

a light diffusion part attached to a front end of the optical fiber for diffusing the led out light to the ceiling near the main body of the luminaire, wherein

the light diffusion part is the first luminous element.

18. A luminaire for interior lighting of claim 2, further comprising:

a first light source for general illumination, and

a second light source for use by the first luminous element, wherein the first luminous element is prevented from using the first light source.