Variable beam angle directional lighting fixture assembly

• US 9,360,185 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2012
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Demuynck, Randolph Cary, Lu, Dong
• Primary Examiner(s): Sember, Thomas M
• Application Number:
  US13/442,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20130265760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,520 Days
• Field of Search: 362/237, 362/240, 362/241, 362/244, 362/245, 362/246, 362/249.01, 362/249.02, 362/268, 362/296.1, 362/307, 362/308, 362/311.02
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/23 Retrofit light sources for lighting devices with a single fitting for each light source, e.g. for substitution of incandescent lamps with bayonet or threaded fittings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 13/04 the elements being reflectors and refractors for vehicle rear lights F21S43/40
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/004 using microlenses
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/007 Array of lenses or refractors for a cluster of light sources, e.g. for arrangement of multiple light sources in one plane combination of two or more refractors F21V5/008
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0091 using total internal reflection

Abstract

A directional lighting fixture having a variable beam angle that is easily adjusted. One or more lighting sources are disposed within a fixture housing. A removable cover is disposed over the open end of the housing. The cover comprises a micro lens structure that defines the beam angle of the light that is emitted from the fixture. The removable cover, or in some configurations portions of the cover, can be easily replaced by the end user to achieve a desired beam angle.

Claims

1. An assembly for directional lighting, comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of collimators within said housing; and

a transmissive cover which is removably mounted over said plurality of collimators, said cover comprising a plurality of micro lenses, all of which are co-planar and shaped to determine a desired outgoing beam angle, said cover proximate to said collimators without substantially extending into said collimators.

2. The assembly for directional lighting of claim 1, wherein each of said collimators comprises a total internal reflection (TIR) lens.

3. The assembly for directional lighting of claim 1, wherein each of said collimators comprises a reflector cup.

4. The assembly for directional lighting of claim 3, wherein each of said reflector cups comprises a substantially specularly reflective material.

5. The assembly for directional lighting of claim 3, wherein each of said reflector cups comprises a highly reflective material.

6. The assembly for directional lighting of claim 3, wherein each of said reflector cups is metal-coated.

7. The assembly for directional lighting of claim 1, further comprising respective reflector cups around each of said collimators.

8. The assembly for directional lighting of claim 1, wherein said cover is removably mounted to said housing with a snap-fit structure.

9. The assembly for directional lighting of claim 1, wherein an outer surface of said cover is flat, said outer surface opposite said collimators.

10. The assembly for directional lighting of claim 1, wherein said plurality of micro lenses are dispersed across the entire area of said cover.

11. The assembly for directional lighting of claim 1, wherein said plurality of micro lenses are confined to an area of said cover that aligns with at least one of said collimators.

12. The assembly for directional lighting of claim 1, wherein said plurality of micro lenses are non-uniform across the face of said cover.

13. The assembly for directional lighting of claim 1, wherein said cover is shaped to define cutout portions with said plurality of micro lenses therein.

14. The assembly for directional lighting of claim 13, wherein said plurality of micro lenses connect to at least one of said collimators.

15. A directional lighting system, comprising:

a housing comprising a base;

at least one light source on a mount surface of said base;

a plurality of collimators configured to receive light emitted from said light source and collimate said light; and

a cover which is removably mounted over said plurality of collimators, said cover comprising a plurality of micro lenses, all of which are co-planar and shaped to determine a desired beam angle of light exiting said lighting system, said cover proximate to said collimators without substantially extending into said collimators.

16. The directional lighting system of claim 15, wherein each of said collimators comprises a total internal reflection (TIR) lens.

17. The directional lighting system of claim 15, wherein each of said collimators comprises a reflector cup.

18. The directional lighting system of claim 17, wherein each of said reflector cups comprises a substantially specularly reflective material.

19. The directional lighting system of claim 17, wherein each of said reflector cups comprises a highly reflective material.

20. The directional lighting system of claim 17, wherein each of said reflector cups is metal-coated.

21. The directional lighting system of claim 15, further comprising a reflector cup around each of said collimators.

22. The directional lighting system of claim 15, wherein said cover is removably mounted to said housing with a snap-fit structure.

23. The directional lighting system of claim 15, wherein an outer surface of said cover is flat, said outer surface opposite said collimators.

24. The directional lighting system of claim 15, wherein said plurality of micro lenses are dispersed across the entire area of said cover.

25. The directional lighting system of claim 15, wherein said plurality of micro lenses are confined to an area of said cover that aligns with at least one of said collimators.

26. The directional lighting system of claim 15, wherein said plurality of micro lenses are non-uniform across a face of said cover.

27. The directional lighting system of claim 15, wherein said cover is shaped to define cutout portions with said plurality of micro lenses therein.

28. The directional lighting system of claim 27, wherein said plurality of micro lenses connect to at least one of said collimators.

29. A fixture assembly, comprising:

a housing defining an interior cavity and an open end, said housing comprising a base;

a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) on a mounting surface of said base in said cavity;

a plurality of collimators in said cavity, each of said collimators configured to collimate light from at least one of said LEDs toward said open end of said housing; and

a cover which is removably mounted on said open end of said housing and proximate to at least one collimator in said plurality of collimators without substantially extending into said at least one collimator, said cover comprising a plurality of micro lenses, all of which are co-planar and shaped to determine the beam angle of light exiting said open end of said housing.

30. The fixture assembly of claim 29, wherein each of said collimators comprises a total internal reflection (TIR) lens.

31. The fixture assembly of claim 29, wherein each of said collimators comprises a reflector cup.

32. The fixture assembly of claim 31, wherein each of said reflector cups comprises a substantially specularly reflective material.

33. The fixture assembly of claim 31, wherein each of said reflector cups comprises a highly reflective material.

34. The fixture assembly of claim 31, wherein an interior surface of each of said reflector cups is metal-coated.

35. The fixture assembly of claim 29, further comprising a reflector cup around each of said collimators.

36. The fixture assembly of claim 29, wherein said cover is removably mounted to said housing with a snap-fit structure.

37. The fixture assembly of claim 29, wherein an outer surface of said cover is flat, said outer surface opposite said cavity.

38. The fixture assembly of claim 29, wherein said plurality of micro lenses are dispersed across the entire area of said cover.

39. The fixture assembly of claim 29, wherein said plurality of micro lenses are confined to areas of said cover that align with said collimators.