Tread area and step edge lighting system

• US 6,082,870 A
• Filed: 09/16/1998
• Issued: 07/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Permlight Products Inc
• Original Assignee: Permlight Products Inc
• Inventors: George, Ben
• Primary Examiner(s): CARIASO, ALAN B
• Application Number:
  US09/154,255
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 362/145, 362/146, 362/153, 362/240, 362/244, 362/246, 362/249, 362/147, 362/355, 362/800
• US Class Current: 362/146
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 11/166 with means for fixing a separate edging strip
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/20 with light sources held by or within elongate supports
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/28 rigid, e.g. LED bars
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/032 the surface being a floor or like ground surface, e.g. pavement
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/006 General building constructions or finishing work for buildings, e.g. roofs, gutters, stairs or floors; Garden equipment; Sunshades or parasols
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/027 for indicating kerbs, steps or stairs
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A tread area and step edge illumination system is disclosed which comprises a base member configured for attachment to an exposed edge or surface of a step or stair. The base member has a downwardly projecting rearward wall and a forwardly and downwardly extending forward wall portion, a downwardly facing opening being defined between the rearward and forward walls. A light strip assembly having an elongate light strip with a number of longitudinally spaced-apart miniature lights, for example pre-focused LED'"'"'s, mounted to the strip. The light strip assembly is detachably mounted to the base member so that light from the miniature lights on the light strip is directed downwardly through the downwardly facing opening when the lights are lit, the light strip assembly being mounted to the base member so that the light strip assembly can be selectively adjusted through an angle of about 60° to enable selective adjustment of the direction of light from the light strip assembly. A diffuser lens may be detachably mounted to the base member so that the lens is in the path of light from the light strip assembly when the lights are lit.

Claims

1. An illumination apparatus for attachment to a substantially vertical surface, comprising:

a support member comprising a generally vertical wall having a rear side for mounting against said vertical surface and a front side opposite said rear side, and a projection extending transversely from an upper portion of said front side of said wall and downwardly in spaced relation to said front side, said support member including a cavity between said front side and said projection, said cavity having an opening comprised of an edge portion of said projection, said edge portion oriented so that said cavity opening is downwardly facing;

an elongate light source assembly comprising a substrate, said elongate assembly having a series of miniature lights mounted thereon, said elongate light source assembly mounted on said support member such that all of said miniature lights are disposed substantially at or above said edge portion of said downwardly facing opening, said substrate comprising a strip positioned at an acute angle with respect to said substantially vertical wall so that light from said miniature lights is directed out of said cavity opening to illuminate an area adjacent to said substantially vertical surface, whereby the miniature lights are substantially hidden from direct view when said support member is viewed in the direction of the front side.

2. The illumination apparatus of claim 1, wherein said support member additionally comprises a horizontal wall perpendicular to said vertical wall, said support member configured for mounting to an edge region of an object.

5. The illumination apparatus of claim 2, wherein said support member is configured for mounting to an edge region of a step.

3. An illumination apparatus for attachment to a substantially vertical surface, comprising:

a support member comprising a generally vertical wall having a rear side for mounting against said vertical surface and a front side opposite said rear side, and a projection extending transversely from an upper portion of said front side of said wall and downwardly in spaced relation to said front side, said support member including a cavity between said front side and said protection, said cavity having an opening comprised of an edge portion of said projection, a diffuser extending across said opening, said edge portion oriented so that said cavity opening is downwardly facing;

an elongate light source assembly comprising a substrate, said elongate assembly having a series of miniature lights mounted thereon, said elongate light source assembly mounted on said support member such that all of said miniature lights are disposed substantially at or above said edge portion of said downwardly facing opening, whereby the miniature lights are substantially hidden from direct view when said support member is viewed in the direction of the front side.

4. The illumination apparatus of claim 3, wherein the miniature lights are spaced apart from each other and interconnected via electrical conduits.

6. An illumination apparatus for attachment to a substantially vertical surface, comprising:

a support member comprising a generally vertical wall having a rear side for mounting against said vertical surface and a front side opposite said rear side, and a projection extending transversely from an upper portion of said front side of said wall and downwardly in spaced relation to said front side, said support member including a cavity between said front side and said projection, said cavity having an opening comprised of an edge portion of said projection, said edge portion oriented so that said cavity opening is downwardly facing;

an elongate light source assembly comprising a substrate, said elongate assembly having a series of miniature lights mounted thereon, said miniature lights being spaced apart from each other and interconnected via electrical conduits, and each miniature light comprises a prefocused light emitting diode which confines emitted light to a predetermined angle, said elongate light source assembly mounted on said support member such that all of said miniature lights are disposed substantially at or above said edge portion of said downwardly facing opening, whereby the miniature lights are substantially hidden from direct view when said support member is viewed in the direction of the front side.

7. An illumination apparatus for attachment to a substantially vertical surface, comprising:

a support member comprising a generally vertical wall having a rear side for mounting against said vertical surface and a front side opposite said rear side, and a projection extending transversely from an upper portion of said front side of said wall and downwardly in spaced relation to said front side, said support member including a cavity between said front side and said projection, said cavity having an opening comprised of an edge portion of said projection, said edge portion oriented so that said cavity opening is downwardly facing;

an elongate light source assembly comprising a substrate, said elongate assembly having a series of miniature lights comprised of light emitting diodes (LED'"'"'s) mounted thereon, said miniature lights being prefocused to focus light from said LED'"'"'s to confine the light to a predetermined angle, the prefocused LED'"'"'s providing respective light beams which, when combined, illuminate a horizontal surface that extends perpendicularly from said vertical surface, said light source assembly mounted on said support member such that all of said miniature lights are disposed substantially at or above said edge portion of said downwardly facing opening, whereby the miniature lights are substantially hidden from direct view when said apparatus is viewed in the direction of the front side.

8. The illumination apparatus of claim 7, wherein said substrate comprises a strip positioned at an acute angle with respect to said substantially vertical wall so that light from said miniature lights is directed out of said cavity opening to illuminate an area adjacent to said substantially vertical surface.

9. The illumination apparatus of claim 7, wherein said support member additionally comprises a horizontal wall perpendicular to said vertical wall, said support member configured for mounting to an edge region of an object.

10. The illumination apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a diffuser extending across said opening.

11. The illumination apparatus of claim 7, wherein the miniature lights are spaced apart from each other and interconnected via electrical conduits.

12. The illumination apparatus of claim 9, wherein said support member is configured for mounting to an edge region of a step.

13. An illumination apparatus for attachment to a substantially vertical surface, comprising:

a support member comprising a generally vertical wall having a rear side for mounting against said vertical surface, a front side opposite said rear side, a horizontal wall perpendicular to said vertical wall, and a protection extending transversely from an upper portion of said front side of said wall and downwardly in spaced relation to said front side, said support member configured for mounting to an edge region of an object;

an elongate diffuser having opposite sides one of which is mounted on the projection and one of which is mounted on the front side of the wall such that the diffuser extends between the projection and the wall to form an enclosed area; and

an elongated strip mounted within the enclosed area, said strip having light emitting diodes (LED'"'"'s) mounted in spaced relationship along the strip, the LED'"'"'s being prefocused to provide light within a predetermined angle, said prefocused LED'"'"'s mounted to illuminate the diffuser and project light through the diffuser in a generally downward direction.

14. The illumination apparatus of claim 13, wherein said elongated strip is positioned at an acute angle with respect to said vertical wall so that light from said LED'"'"'s is directed out of said enclosed area to illuminate an area adjacent to said substantially vertical surface.

15. The illumination apparatus of claim 13, wherein said support member is configured for mounting to an edge region of a step.

16. An elongate illumination apparatus for mounting on a flat, substantially vertical surface, comprising:

an elongate light source assembly; and

an elongate light support having a cavity defined between spaced surfaces, said elongate light source assembly mounted within the cavity between elongate ribs extending from said spaced surfaces, respectively, the light support further including a cavity opening having a top edge, said cavity opening in optical communication with the cavity;

said elongate light source assembly comprising a series of miniature lights, each miniature light mounted on a substrate and comprising a light emitting diode (LED), the miniature lights being prefocused to focus light from the LED'"'"'s to confine the light to a predetermined angle, the prefocused LED'"'"'s providing respective light beams which, when combined, illuminate an area adjacent to the vertical surface, the substrate being substantially flat and positioned at an acute angle relative to the vertical surface, the substrate having opposing first and second edges which are adapted to engage the ribs on the light support, said cavity opening configured so that said miniature lights are disposed substantially at or above the top edge of the cavity opening;

whereby the miniature lights are substantially hidden from direct view when the apparatus is viewed in the direction of a front side.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, comprising a diffuser positioned across the cavity opening.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the top edge is oriented so that the cavity opening is downwardly facing.