Booster optic

• US 7,497,600 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Current Lighting Solutions, LLC (f/k/a GE Lighting Solutions, LLC) (American Industrial Partners)
• Original Assignee: Lumination LLC
• Inventors: Toot, Alan, Mayer, Mark, Sommers, Mathew, Sekela, William
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea; Sandra L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunwiddie; Meghan K.
• Application Number:
  US11/468,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20080055913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 362/127, 362/133, 362/134, 362/240, 362/241, 362/247, 362/346, 362/545, 362/800
• US Class Current: 362/346
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 3/001 Devices for lighting, humidifying, heating, ventilation
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/68 Details of reflectors forming part of the light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/28 rigid, e.g. LED bars
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/767 the planes containing the fins or blades having directions perpendicular to the light emitting axis
• 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 7/0025 Combination of two or more reflectors for a single light source array of reflectors for a cluster of light sources F21V7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/405 for shop-windows or displays
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A booster optic is provided in an LED light assembly that includes a primary reflective surface to redirect light towards a desired location to form an illuminance pattern that when combined with a first illuminance pattern, which is formed by only the primary reflector, provides a combined illuminance pattern having a more uniform illuminance characteristic as compared to not having the booster optic.

Claims

1. A lighting assembly for illuminating items in a display case, the assembly comprising:

a plurality of LED devices;

a reflector having a longitudinal axis and disposed in relation to the LED devices such that light emitted from the LED devices reflects from a primary reflective surface of the reflector and is directed toward items in the display case; and

a booster optic extending from the primary reflective surface of the reflector in a direction which is generally the same as a direction that each of the plurality of LED devices extend with respect to the reflective surface, the booster optic including a first reflective surface associated with a first LED device of the plurality of LED devices and a second reflective surface associated with a second LED device of the plurality of LED devices.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the booster optic is a separate component from the reflector, and the booster optic is fastened to the reflector.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the booster optic is integrally formed with the reflector.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first reflective surface being configured and positioned with respect to the first LED device such that light emitted from the first LED device towards the first reflective surface reflects from the first reflective surface and is redirected away from the central axis of the primary reflective surface in a plane that is generally parallel with a plane in which the longitudinal axis resides.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first reflective surface being configured and positioned with respect to the first LED device such that light emitted from the first LED device towards the first reflective surface reflects from the first reflective surface and is redirected further away from the central axis of the primary reflective surface in a plane that is angled with respect to a plane in which the longitudinal axis resides.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first reflective surface is configured and positioned with respect to the first LED device such that light emitted from the first LED device towards the first reflective surface reflects from the first reflective surface and is redirected away from the longitudinal axis the second reflective surface is configured and positioned with respect to the second LED device such that light emitted from the second LED device towards the secondary reflective surface reflects from the second second reflective surface and is redirected away from the longitudinal axis.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first reflective surface is generally planar and defined by a lower edge that abuts against the primary reflective surface, a plane in which the first reflective surface resides being disposed at an obtuse angle with respect to a plane in which a portion of the primary reflective surface adjacent the lower edge resides.

8. A light assembly comprising:

a first LED device;

a primary reflector disposed with respect to the first LED device such that light emanating from the first LED device is redirected from the primary reflector towards a desired location to form a first illuminance pattern;

a booster optic disposed with respect to the first LED device and the primary reflector such that light emanating from the first LED device is redirected towards at least one of the desired location and the primary reflector to form a second illuminance pattern that when combined with the first illuminance pattern provides a combined illuminance pattern having a more uniform illuminance characteristic as compared to the first illuminance pattern.

9. The assembly of claim 8, further comprising a second LED device, the primary reflector being disposed with respect to the second LED device such that light emanating from the second LED device is redirected from the primary reflector towards a desired location to form a third illuminance pattern that is similar to the first illuminance pattern although offset from the first illuminance pattern a function of the distance between the first LED device and the second LED device, and the booster optic is configured and disposed with respect to the second LED device and the primary reflector such that light emanating from the second LED device is redirected towards at least one of the desired location and the primary reflector to form a fourth illuminance pattern that when combined with the third illuminance pattern provides a combined illuminance pattern having a more uniform illuminance characteristic as compared to the third illuminance pattern.

10. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the booster optic is symmetric about two mutually perpendicular axes.

11. The assembly of claim 8, further comprising a heat sink connected to the primary reflector and a mounting clip connected to the heat sink, the mounting clip being configured to attach to a mullion of an associated display case.

12. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the booster optic includes a tab for fastening the booster optic to the primary reflector.

13. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the booster optic includes a first reflective surface configured to redirect light away from a longitudinal axis of the primary reflector in a first direction and a second reflective surface configured to redirect light away from the longitudinal axis of the primary reflector in a second direction.

14. The assembly of claim 8, further comprising a second LED device, the booster optic including a first reflective surface for redirecting light from the first LED device and a second reflective surface for redirecting light from the second LED device.

15. A lighting assembly for illuminating items in a display case, the assembly comprising:

a reflector having a longitudinal axis and a primary reflective surface angled with respect to the longitudinal axis;

a plurality of LEDs disposed along the longitudinal axis in relation to the reflector such that light emitted from the LED devices reflects from the reflector and is directed toward items in the display case; and

a plurality of booster optics extending from the primary reflective surface of the reflector, each booster optic including a first reflective surface associated with a respective LED device of the plurality of LED devices, the first reflective surface being configured and positioned with respect to the respective LED device such that light rays emitted from the respective LED device in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis are redirected away from the longitudinal axis of the reflector.

16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein each booster optic further includes a second reflective surface, both the first reflective surface and the second reflective surface being configured to redirect light from the first LED device, wherein the first reflective surface directs light away from the longitudinal axis in a first direction and the second reflective surface directs light away from the longitudinal axis in a second, opposite, direction.

17. The assembly of claim 15 further comprising a translucent cover covering the LED devices, wherein each booster optic includes a lower edge that abuts the primary reflective surface and an upper edge limited by the cover.

18. The assembly of claim 15, wherein at least one booster optic redirects light from at least two LEDs.

19. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the first reflective surface is disposed at an obtuse angle with respect to the primary reflective surface.

20. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the booster optic is generally diamond shaped in a plain view.

21. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the reflector is V-shaped.