Lighting device and lighting method

• US 9,084,328 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Van De Ven, Antony Paul, Negley, Gerald H.
• Primary Examiner(s): PAYNE, SHARON E
• Application Number:
  US11/948,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20080130285A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,783 Days
• Field of Search: 362/231, 362/84, 362/601, 362/249.02, 362/85, 315/246
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/62 using mixing chambers, e.g. housings with reflective walls
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 6/002 Table lamps, e.g. for ambient lighting
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 6/005 with a lamp housing maintained at a distance from the floor or ground via a support, e.g. standing lamp for ambient lighting
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45147 Copper (Cu) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/46 having LEDs disposed in parallel lines

Abstract

A lighting device comprising first and second groups of solid state light emitters, which emit light having wavelength in ranges of from 430 nm to 480 nm and from 600 nm to 630 nm, respectively, and a first group of lumiphors which emit light having dominant wavelength in the range of from 555 nm to 585 nm. If current is supplied to a power line, a combination of (1) light exiting the lighting device which was emitted by the first group of emitters, and (2) light exiting the lighting device which was emitted by the first group of lumiphors would, in an absence of any additional light, produce a sub-mixture of light having x, y color coordinates within an area on a 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram defined by points having coordinates (0.32, 0.40), (0.36, 0.48), (0.43, 0.45), (0.42, 0.42), (0.36, 0.38). Also provided is a method of lighting.

Claims

1. A lighting device comprising:

a first group of solid state light emitters, said first group of solid state light emitters comprising at least one solid state light emitter;

at least a first luminescent material;

a second group of solid state light emitters, said second group of solid state light emitters comprising at least one solid state light emitter, said second group of solid state light emitters emitting light of a wavelength that differs from a wavelength of light emitted by said first group of solid state light emitters,

said lighting device comprises at least a first set of parallel strings, said first set of parallel strings comprising at least said first string and a second string,

at least one of the first group of solid state light emitters on said first string, at least one of the second group of solid state light emitters on the first string, a number of the first group solid state light emitters on the first string differing from a number of the second group of solid state light emitters on the first string,

a first ratio differs from a second ratio,

said first ratio equal to (1) a number of solid state light emitters in said second group of solid state light emitters and in said first string, divided by (2) a number of solid state light emitters in said first group of solid state light emitters and in said first string;

said second ratio equal to (3) a number of solid state light emitters in said second group of solid state light emitters and in said second string, divided by (4) a number of solid state light emitters in said first group of solid state light emitters and in said second string.

2. A lighting device comprising:

a first group of solid state light emitters, each of said first group of solid state light emitters, if illuminated, would emit light having a peak wavelength in a first wavelength range;

a second group of solid state light emitters, each of said second group of solid state light emitters, if illuminated, would emit light having a peak wavelength in a second wavelength range, every wavelength value in said second wavelength range different from every wavelength value in said first wavelength range; and

a first set of parallel strings,

said first set of parallel strings comprising at least a first string and a second string,

at least one of said first group of solid state light emitters and at least one of said second group of solid state light emitters on said first string,

at least one of said first group of solid state light emitters and at least one of said second group of solid state light emitters on said second string,

a first ratio differs from a second ratio,

said first ratio being equal to (1) a number of solid state light emitters in said second group of solid state light emitters and in said first string, divided by (2) a number of solid state light emitters in said first group of solid state light emitters and in said first string;

said second ratio being equal to (3) a number of solid state light emitters in said second group of solid state light emitters and in said second string, divided by (4) a number of solid state light emitters in said first group of solid state light emitters and in said second string.

3. A lighting device as recited in claim 2, wherein:

said first group of solid state light emitters comprises a plurality of first LEDs, and

said second group of solid state light emitters comprises a plurality of second LEDs.

4. A lighting device as recited in claim 2, wherein said lighting device further comprises a first power line and at least one switch electrically connected to said first power line, said switch selectively switching on and off current to said first power line.

5. A lighting device as recited in claim 2, wherein said lighting device further comprises at least a first luminescent material.

6. A lighting device as recited in claim 5, wherein at least one of the solid state light emitters in said first group of solid state light emitters and in said first string comprises at least some of said first luminescent material.

7. A lighting device as recited in claim 5, wherein each of the solid state light emitters in said first group of solid state light emitters and in said first string comprises some of said first luminescent material.

8. A lighting device as recited in claim 5, wherein said first luminescent material comprises YAG:

Ce.

9. A lighting device as recited in claim 2, wherein said lighting device further comprises at least a first group of lumiphors, said first group of lumiphors including at least one lumiphor.

10. A lighting device as recited in claim 9, wherein:

said first group of solid state light emitters comprises at least five light emitting diodes; and

said first group of lumiphors comprises at least five lumiphors.

11. A lighting device as recited in claim 9, wherein if all of said solid state light emitters in said first group of solid state light emitters are illuminated, at least one of said lumiphors in said first group of lumiphors would be excited by light emitted from said first group of solid state light emitters.

12. A lighting device as recited in claim 9, wherein if all of said solid state light emitters in said first group of solid state light emitters are illuminated, all of said lumiphors in said first group of lumiphors would be excited by light emitted from said first group of solid state light emitters.

13. A lighting device as recited in claim 9, wherein at least one of said solid state light emitters in said first group of solid state light emitters is embedded within an encapsulant element in which at least one of said first group of lumiphors is also embedded.

14. A lighting device as recited in claim 2, wherein said lighting device has an efficacy of at least 25 lumens per watt.

15. An enclosure, comprising an enclosed space and at least one lighting device as recited in claim 2, wherein if current is supplied to said lighting device, said lighting device would illuminate at least a portion of said enclosed space.

16. A structure comprising a surface and at least one lighting device as recited in claim 2, wherein if current is supplied to said lighting device, said lighting device would illuminate at least a portion of said surface.

17. An area, comprising at least one item selected from among the group consisting of a swimming pool, a room, a warehouse, an indicator, a road, a vehicle, a road sign, a billboard, a ship, a boat, an aircraft, a stadium, a tree, a window, and a lamppost, having mounted therein or thereon at least one lighting device as recited in claim 2.

18. A lighting device as recited in claim 2, wherein said lighting device further comprises at least one current adjuster directly or switchably electrically connected to one of said first and second strings, said current adjuster, if adjusted, adjusting the current supplied to said one of said first and second strings.

19. A lighting device as recited in claim 18, wherein said current adjuster is automatically adjusted to maintain a mixture of light emitted from said lighting device within seven MacAdam ellipses of at least one point on the blackbody locus on a 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram.

20. A lighting device as recited in claim 2, wherein:

each of said first group of solid state light emitters, if illuminated, would emit light having a peak wavelength in the range of from 430 nm to 480 nm; and

each of said second group of solid state light emitters, if illuminated, would emit light having a dominant wavelength in the range of from 600 nm to 630 nm.

21. A lighting device as recited in claim 20, wherein:

said lighting device further comprises at least a first group of lumiphors, and

each of said first group of lumiphors, if excited, would emit light having a dominant wavelength in the range of from about 555 nm to about 585 nm.

22. A method of adjusting a color of a mixture of light emitted from a lighting device, comprising:

adjusting a current supplied to a first string relative to a current supplied to a second string,

the first string and the second string arranged as a first set of parallel strings,

said first string comprising at least one of a first group of solid state light emitters and at least one of a second group of solid state light emitters,

said second string comprising at least one of said first group of solid state light emitters and at least one of said second group of solid state light emitters,

each of said first group of solid state light emitters, if illuminated, would emit light having a peak wavelength in a first wavelength range;

each of said second group of solid state light emitters, if illuminated, would emit light having a peak wavelength in a second wavelength range, every wavelength value in said second wavelength range different from every wavelength value in said first wavelength range;

a first ratio differs from a second ratio,

said first ratio being equal to (1) a number of solid state light emitters in said second group of solid state light emitters and in said first string, divided by (2) a number of solid state light emitters in said first group of solid state light emitters and in said first string;

said second ratio being equal to (3) a number of solid state light emitters in said second group of solid state light emitters and in said second string, divided by (4) a number of solid state light emitters in said first group of solid state light emitters and in said second string.

23. A lighting device comprising:

a first group of solid state light emitters, each of said first group of solid state light emitters, if illuminated, would emit light having a peak wavelength in a first wavelength range;

a second group of solid state light emitters, each of said second group of solid state light emitters, if illuminated, would emit light having a peak wavelength in a second wavelength range, every wavelength value in said second wavelength range different from every wavelength value in said first wavelength range; and

a first set of parallel strings,

said first set of parallel strings comprising at least a first string and a second string,

wherein the lighting device is configured such that adjusting current supplied to said first string relative to current supplied to said second string can change a color temperature of a mixture of light emitted from said lighting device from a first color temperature to a second color temperature.

24. A lighting device as recited in claim 23, wherein at least one of said first color temperature and said second color temperature is a correlated color temperature.