Two-dimension configurable lighting system with enhanced light source placement capabilities

• US 9,062,841 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2013
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tran, Michael Trung, Blum, Darren, Ngai, Peter Y. Y., Lu, Min-Hao Michael, Fisher Wang, Jeannine, Engel-Hall, Aaron Mathew
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Anh
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZIMMERMAN, GLENN D
• Application Number:
  US13/888,311
• Publication Number:
  US 20130294079A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 362/249.15, 362/227, 362/249.14, 362/249.06, 362/370, 405/44
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 2/005 of modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/04 intended only for mounting on a ceiling or the like overhead structures F21S8/02 takes precedence; details of ceiling bases F21V21/03
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/043 mounted by means of a rigid support, e.g. bracket or arm
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/046 having multiple lighting devices, e.g. connected to a common ceiling base
• 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 lighting system having neural hubs that connect to other neural hubs in a manner that allows a lighting system to be configured in a two dimensional pattern that can propagate out from a single neural hub. Straight sections can be provided for use in connection with the neural hubs to enhance the configurability of the lighting system.

Claims

1. A two-dimension configurable lighting system comprising

at least two neural hubs, each of said neural hubs having a center section and neural arms radiating out from said center section, said neural arms having connector ends, and

a plurality of lighting elements connected to the center section and neural arms of said neural hub to form a pattern of lighting elements thereon,

the neural arm of any one of said neural hubs being connectable to any one of the neural arms to the other neural hub at the connector ends thereof.

2. The two-dimension configurable lighting system of claim 1 wherein said neural hub has three neural arms radiating from said center section 120 degrees apart.

3. The two-dimension configurable lighting system of claim 1 wherein the center section of each neural hub provides a suspension point for suspending said lighting system from an overhead ceiling structure.

4. The two-dimension configurable lighting system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of straight elements having connector ends which are connectable to the connector ends of any one of the neural arms of said neural hub.

5. The two-dimension configurable lighting system of claim 1 wherein each of said neural hubs is comprised of:

a plurality of connector rails,

each of said connector rails having a curved midsection transitioning into straight terminal sections,

said connector rails being interconnected such that the curved midsection of the rails form the center section of the neural hub and the straight terminal sections of adjacent connector rails radiate out from the center section in pairs that form the neural arms of said neural hub,

the straight terminal sections of the connector rails having connector ends wherein the connector ends of the pairs of straight sections that form the neural arms of the neural hub form the connector ends of the neural arms,

said plurality of lighting elements being connectable to any one of said connector rails anywhere along the length thereof.

6. The two-dimension configurable lighting system of claim 5 wherein said neural hub is comprised of three substantially identical connector rails, each having a curved mid-section sweeping through an arc of 120 degrees such that the straight terminal sections of adjacent connector rail extend out 120 degrees relative to each other to form the neural arms of said neural hub.

7. The two-dimension configurable lighting system of claim 5 wherein said neural hub further includes a center hanger bracket having a center core and spokes radiating out from the center core, each of said spokes supporting one of the connector rails of the neural hub, said center hanger bracket providing a suspension point for said lighting system.

8. The two-dimension configurable lighting system of claim 5 wherein said neural hub further includes a bridge bracket connected between the adjacent straight terminal sections of each pair of the connector rail'"'"'s straight termination sections that form the neural arms of the neural hub.

9. The two-dimension configurable lighting system of claim 5 wherein the connector rails of said neural hub provide wireways for the wiring the lighting system.

10. The two-dimension configurable lighting system of claim 9 further comprising return rails connectable to the connector ends of the pairs of straight sections that form the neural arms of the neural hub to provide and return path for the wireways in said connector rails.

11. A two-dimension configurable lighting system comprising

a plurality of neural hubs, each of said neural hubs having a center section and three neural arms radiating out from said center section, said neural arms being separated by 120 degrees and having connector ends adapted to be connected to any one of the neural arms of another of the plurality of said neural hubs, and

a plurality of lighting elements connected to the center section and neural arms of each neural hub to form a pattern of lighting elements thereon which extends through the center section and into the neural arms of the neural hub.

12. The two-dimension configurable lighting system of claim 11 wherein said plurality of lighting elements form a continuous pattern of lighting elements extending through the center section of the neural hubs and into the neural arms of the neural hub for substantially the entire length to the neural arms, such that, when the connector arm of one neural hub is connected to the neural arm of another neural hub, a continuous pattern of lighting elements is produced across the connected neural arms of the connected neural hubs to form a neural hex pattern of lighting elements.

13. The two-dimension configurable lighting system of claim 11 further comprising at least one straight element having connector ends which are connectable to the connector ends of any one of the neural arms of said neural hub, said straight element having a plurality of lighting elements connected in a continuous pattern of lighting elements for substantially the length of the straight element, such that, when the connector end of the straight element is connected to a neural arm of a neural hub, a continuous pattern of lighting elements is produced across the connected straight element and neural hub.

14. The two-dimension configurable lighting system of claim 11 wherein the center section of each neural hub provides a suspension point for suspending said lighting system from an overhead ceiling structure.

15. The two-dimension configurable lighting system of claim 11 wherein the plurality of lighting elements for each neural hub are planar lighting elements having planar light emitting surfaces and wherein the neural hub presents a pattern of continuous planar light emitting surfaces which extends through the center section and into the neural arms of the neural hub.

16. The two-dimension configurable lighting system of claim 15 wherein the plurality of lighting elements for each neural hub are OLED panels.

17. A two-dimension configurable lighting system comprising

a plurality of neural hubs, each of said neural hubs having three radiating neural arms separated by 120 degrees, the neural arms of any one of the neural hubs being connectable to any one of the neural arms of another of the neural hubs, such that a hex pattern lighting system can be propagated out from a single neural hub,

said neural hubs being adapted to receive and retain a plurality of lighting elements thereon to provide a pattern of lighting elements which continues from one neural hub to another neural hub as the neural hubs are connected together to form a lighting system.

18. The two-dimension configurable lighting system of claim 17 further comprising at least one straight element connectable to any one of the neural arms of said neural hub, said straight element being adapted to receive and retain a plurality of lighting elements thereon to provide a pattern of lighting elements which continues from said straight element to the neural hub to which it is connected.

19. A neural hub for a two-dimension configurable lighting system comprising

three connector rails, each of said connector rails having a curved midsection transitioning into straight terminal sections, the terminal straight sections of each connector rail having an angular relationship to each other of 120 degrees,

said connector rails being interconnected such that the curved midsections of the rails form a center section of the neural hub and such that the straight terminal sections of adjacent connector rails radiate out from the center section in pairs that form neural arms of the neural hub, wherein the neural arms thusly formed radiate out from the center section of the neural hub with a separation between neural arms of 120 degrees,

the straight terminal sections of the connector rails having connector ends wherein the connector ends of the pairs of straight sections that form the neural arms of the neural hub form connector ends of the neural arms,

the connector ends of the neural arms being adapted to connect to the connector end of any neural arm of another neural hub or straight element of a lighting system comprised of at least two neural hubs or at least one neural hub and an end connectable straight element of the lighting system,

said connector rails being adapted to connectably receive and retain a plurality of lighting element thereon in a pattern of lighting elements that extends through the center section of the neural hub into the neural arms of the neural hub.

20. The two-dimension configurable lighting system of claim 19 wherein said connector rails are adapted to connectably receive and retain a plurality of lighting elements anywhere along the length thereof.

21. The two-dimension configurable lighting system of claim 19 further comprising a center hanger bracket having a center core and spokes radiating out from the center core, each of said spokes supporting one of the connector rails of the neural hub.

22. The two-dimension configurable lighting system of claim 21 wherein said center hanger bracket provides a suspension point for a lighting system comprised of a plurality of the neural hubs.

23. The two-dimension configurable lighting system of claim 19 further comprising a bridge bracket connected between the adjacent straight terminal sections of each pair of the connector rail'"'"'s straight termination sections that form the neural arms of the neural hub.

24. The two-dimension configurable lighting system of claim 19 wherein said connector rails provide wireways for wiring lighting elements retained on said connector rails.

25. A two-dimension configurable lighting system comprising

at least one neural hub having a center section and neural arms radiating out from said center section, said neural arms having connector ends and said neural hub being adapted to connectably receive and retain a plurality of lighting elements in a pattern of lighting elements, and

at least one straight element having connector ends which are connectable to any one of the connector ends of the neural arms of said neural hub, said straight elements being adapted to connectably receive and retain a plurality of lighting elements in a pattern wherein the pattern of lighting elements on said straight element continues the pattern of lighting elements on said neural hub.

26. The two-dimension configurable lighting system of claim 25 comprising a plurality of neural hubs and a plurality of straight elements, wherein said neural hubs and straight elements can be interconnected in an expanding pattern of neural hubs and straight elements to produce an expanding continuous pattern of lighting elements supported by said neural hubs and straight elements.

27. The two-dimension configurable lighting system of claim 26 wherein said neural hub has three neural arms radiating from said center section 120 degrees apart.

28. The two-dimension configurable lighting system of claim 26 wherein said plurality of neural hubs provide suspension points for suspending the lighting system from an overhead ceiling structure of a space.