Consolidated troffer

• US 9,291,320 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Durkee, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Santiago, Mariceli
• Application Number:
  US14/015,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20140211496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: F21V 7/0008 providing for indirect lighting
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/33 annular
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/00 Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0021 for housing at least a part of the light source, e.g. by forming holes or recesses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0035 provided on the surface of the light guide or in the bulk of it
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0038 Linear indentations or grooves, e.g. arc-shaped grooves or meandering grooves, extending over the full length or width of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0046 Tapered light guide, e.g. wedge-shaped light guide

Abstract

A dropped-ceiling lighting system having a reflector positioned in an opening in a grid used to suspend a dropped ceiling, a lighting device including a light source mounted adjacent to the reflector, a structural support securing the lighting device to the grid, and a power source for the lighting device. Also discloses is a dropped-ceiling lighting system comprised of a reflector attached to a plenum barrier positioned in an opening in a grid used to suspend a dropped ceiling, a power source extends from a first edge of the plenum barrier to a second edge of the plenum barrier, and a light source is mounted to the power source.

Claims

1. A lighting system, comprising:

a support element having a reflective surface; and

a luminaire mounted on the support element, said luminaire comprising

an LED light source that provides light in a first pattern, and

a waveguide redirection element comprising an inner portion and an outer portion having an emission surface disposed adjacent and at an oblique angle with respect to the inner portion, the outer portion comprising

an end having a first thickness adapted to receive light and an outer edge opposite the end having a second thickness less than the first thickness;

a third surface opposite the emission surface and disposed between the end and the outer edge;

a series of first cascading surfaces spaced from one another and extending from the end to the outer edge; and

a series of second surfaces each disposed between an adjacent pair of first cascading surfaces and connecting such pair of first cascading surfaces together, wherein the series of first cascading surfaces and second surfaces define at least one of the emission surface and the third surface, wherein the waveguide redirection element receives the light from the LED light source and redirects the light into a second pattern out of the emission surface onto the reflective surface such that the second pattern illuminates a first area and the LED light source occupies a second area smaller than the first area.

2. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the first area illuminated by the second pattern is 12 times greater than the second area occupied by the LED light source.

3. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the LED light source occupies an area approximately 4 inches in diameter.

4. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the LED light source provides light in a direction downward from the reflective surface.

5. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the LED light source provides light in an upward direction toward the reflective surface.

6. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the LED light source provides light at an angle less than 90°

with respect to the reflective surface.

7. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the light source emits light in a circular pattern.

8. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the light source emits light in a linear pattern.

9. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the light is emitted from the light source and reflected from the reflective surface in a luminance per unit maximum to minimum ratio of about 1:

1 to about 3;

1 over the reflective surface.

10. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the light is emitted from the light source and reflected from the reflective surface in a luminance per unit maximum to minimum ratio of about 1.5:

1 to about 2.5;

1 over the reflective surface.

11. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the light is emitted from the light source and reflected from the reflective surface in a luminance per unit maximum to minimum ratio of about 2.0:

1.0 over the reflective surface.

12. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the reflective surface is diffuse.

13. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the reflective surface is on a ceiling.

14. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the support element is adapted to fit in a modular ceiling system.

15. A lighting system, comprising;

a support element having a reflective surface; and

an LED light engine mounted on the support element comprising

an LED light source that provides light in a first pattern, and

a waveguide element that receives the light from the LED light source and redirects the light into a second pattern onto a portion of the reflective surface laterally spaced from the waveguide element, wherein the waveguide element comprises an inner portion and an outer portion having an emission surface disposed adjacent and at an oblique angle with respect to the inner portion, the outer portion comprises;

an end having a first thickness adapted to receive light and an outer edge opposite the end having a second thickness less than the first thickness,

a third surface opposite the emission surface and disposed between the end and the outer edge;

a series of first cascading surfaces spaced from one another and extending from the end to the outer edge;

a series of second surfaces each disposed between an adjacent pair of first cascading surfaces and connecting such pair of first cascading surfaces together, wherein the series of first cascading surfaces and second surfaces define the emission surface.

16. The lighting system of claim 15, wherein the reflective surface is diffuse.

17. The lighting system of claim 15, wherein the light shines downward from the reflective surface into an area to be illuminated.

18. The lighting system of claim 15, wherein the reflective surface is on a ceiling.

19. The lighting system of claim 15, wherein the reflective surface is on a support member for the LED light engine.

20. The lighting system of claim 15, wherein the waveguide generally defines a plane and the plane of the waveguide is generally parallel to the plane of the reflective surface.

21. The lighting system of claim 15, wherein:

the LED light engine is supported by a support member; and

the reflective surface is a surface of the supporting member of the reflective surface.

22. The lighting system of claim 15, wherein the reflective surface is positioned in an opening in a grid used to suspend a dropped ceiling.

23. The lighting system of claim 15, wherein the waveguide is adapted to direct all of the light generated from said one LED light source onto the reflective surface.

24. The lighting system of claim 15, wherein the waveguide is directed to direct most of the light generated from said one LED light source onto the reflective surface.

25. The lighting system of claim 15, wherein the emission surface angles away from the reflective surface.

26. The lighting system of claim 15, wherein the LED light engine comprises a reflector.

27. The lighting system of claim 15, wherein the waveguide comprises a reflector opposite the reflective surface.

28. The lighting system of claim 15, wherein:

the second pattern illuminates a first area;

said one LED light source occupies a second area; and

the first area is greater than the second area.

29. The lighting system of claim 28, wherein the first area is 12 times greater than the second area.

30. The lighting system of claim 15, wherein the LED light engine is adjacent to yet spaced apart from said reflective surface.

31. The lighting system of claim 15, wherein the support element is adapted to fit in a modular ceiling system.