Recessed light fixture retrofit kit

• US 9,494,304 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2012
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dixon, Mark E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, Stephen F
• Application Number:
  US13/672,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20140126195A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 362/217.01, 362/217.12, 362/217.16, 362/218, 362/221, 362/223, 362/224, 362/225, 362/249.02, 362/260, 362/398
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/026 intended to be recessed in a ceiling or like overhead structure, e.g. suspended ceiling
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/00 Supporting, suspending, or attaching arrangements for lighting devices F21V17/00, F21V19/00 take precedence; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q, stands for supporting apparatus or articles in general F16M11/00; Hand grips
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49128 Assembling formed circuit to base

Abstract

This disclosure relates to retrofit systems and methods for lighting installations, and in particular, to retrofit systems and methods used to retrofit troffer-style lighting installations with LED light sources. Retrofit systems can be used with different light fixtures, but those described are particularly adapted for use with troffer-style fixtures. These retrofit systems can provide the same amount of light as traditional light fixtures already do, for example 1600-4000 lumens or more. The retrofit systems can be used with many different light sources but are particularly well-suited for use with solid state light sources or light engines, such as those utilizing LEDs. Some embodiments of the present invention comprise a mechanical mounting system for installing an LED light engine within an existing lighting system housing or pan, such as a troffer pan, without penetrating the ceiling plenum.

Claims

1. A system for mounting a light source in a fixture, comprising:

at least two mounting brackets configured to be mounted within an existing light fixture, in which the mounting bracket further comprises a wire path for at least a wire providing power to the light source bar, in which the wire path comprises a covered portion enclosing at least a portion of the wire path, wherein said wire path runs orthogonal to said light source bar; and

light source bars configured to engage each of the mounting brackets.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the light source bars engage the mounting brackets by a mechanism comprising snap fit, press fit, interference fit, adhesive, screw or twist.

3. The system of claim 1, in which the mounting brackets are held in place by a feature of the existing light fixture.

4. The system of claim 3, in which the feature is a raceway cover.

5. The system of claim 1, in which the mounting bracket includes a temporary fastener.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a power supply connected to the light source bars.

7. The system of claim 6, in which the mounting bracket comprises a living hinge portion.

8. The system of claim 6, in which the mounting bracket comprises a removable cover.

9. The system of claim 1, in which the mounting brackets further comprise guides for consistent mounting.

10. The system of claim 1, in which the plurality of mounting brackets are configured to be mounted within a troffer pan.

11. The system of claim 1, in which at least one of the mounting brackets is mounted proximate to an edge of the fixture.

12. The system of claim 1, in which the light source bar comprises a housing, a circuit board and a plurality of LEDs on the circuit board.

13. The system of claim 12, in which the light source bar is rigid.

14. The system of claim 12, in which the light source bar comprises multiple rigid portions.

15. The system of claim 12, in which the light source bar is capable of dissipating heat without the use of a heat sink.

16. The system of claim 12, in which the light source bar is capable of dissipating heat using traces on the circuit board.

17. The system of claim 12, in which the circuit board is held in place by at least a portion of the housing.

18. The system of claim 12, in which the housing comprises features which allow it to snap fit with the mounting brackets.

19. A system for mounting a light source in a fixture, comprising:

at least two mounting brackets configured to be mounted within an existing light fixture; and

light source bars, each of which is positioned between and configured to engage at least two of said mounting brackets, said light source bars comprising a housing, a circuit board and a plurality of LEDs on the circuit board, in which the circuit board is held in place by a snap fit connection.

20. A system for mounting a light source in a fixture, comprising:

at least two mounting brackets configured to be mounted within an existing light fixture; and

light source bars, each of which is positioned between and configured to engage at least two of said mounting brackets, said light source bars comprising a housing, a circuit board and a plurality of LEDs on the circuit board, in which the housing further comprises a lens portion.

21. A system for retrofitting existing lighting troffer pans, comprising:

a plurality of mounting brackets configured to be mounted within the troffer pan, in which said mounting brackets are configured to be held in place by a raceway cover of the troffer pan; and

light source bars comprising a mechanism that allows the light source bars to engage with the mounting brackets, such that said light source bars are positioned against a bottom surface of said mounting bracket.

22. The system of claim 21, in which the mechanism includes at least one of a snap fit, press fit, interference fit, adhesive, screw or twist.

23. The system of claim 21, in which the mounting bracket comprises a wire path for at least a wire providing power to the light source bar.

24. The system of claim 23, in which the wire path comprises a covered portion enclosing at least a portion of the wire path.

25. The system of claim 21, in which the mounting brackets are held in place by an interference fit with the raceway cover of the troffer pan.

26. The system of claim 21, in which the mounting bracket includes a temporary fastener.

27. The system of claim 21, further comprising a power supply connected to the light source bars.

28. The system of claim 27, in which the mounting bracket comprises a living hinged portion.

29. The system of claim 27, in which the mounting bracket comprises a removable cover.

30. The system of claim 21, in which the mounting brackets comprise guides for consistent mounting.

31. The system of claim 21, in which at least one of the mounting brackets is mounted proximate to an edge of the troffer pan.

32. The system of claim 21, in which the light source bar is comprised of a housing, a circuit board and a plurality of LEDs on the circuit board.

33. The system of claim 32, in which the light source bar is rigid.

34. The system of claim 32, in which the light source bar comprises multiple rigid portions.

35. The system of claim 32, in which the LEDs are spaced equidistantly across the circuit board.

36. The system of claim 32, in which the light source bar is capable of dissipating heat generated by the LEDS without the use of a heat sink.

37. The system of claim 32, in which the light source bar is capable of dissipating heat generated by the LEDs using traces on the circuit board.

38. The system of claim 32, in which the circuit board is held in place by at least a portion of the housing.

39. The system of claim 38, in which the circuit board is held in place by a snap fit.

40. The system of claim 32, in which the housing comprises a lens portion.

41. The system of claim 32, in which the housing comprises features which allow it to snap fit with the mounting brackets.

42. The system of claim 21, in which the mounting brackets are mounted within the troffer pan by a mechanism including at least one of a snap fit, press fit, interference fit, adhesive, screw or twist.

43. A system for retrofitting existing lighting troffer pans, comprising:

a plurality of mounting brackets configured to be mounted within the troffer pan; and

light source bars comprising a mechanism that allows the light source bars to engage with the mounting brackets said mounting bracket comprising a temporary fastener, in which the temporary fastener is an adhesive, in which the light source bar is comprised of a housing, a circuit board and a plurality of LEDs disposed on the circuit board.

44. A method for retrofitting a light source in an existing fixture, comprising:

providing a plurality of mounting brackets configured to be mounted in a fixture;

securing the mounting brackets to the existing fixture, in which the mounting brackets are configured to be secured by a raceway cover of the fixture; and

engaging at least one light source bar with the mounting bracket.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising passing power wires through a wire path of at least one of said mounting brackets.

46. The method of claim 44, further comprising connecting the light source bar to a power source via said power wires.

47. The method of claim 44, further comprising providing a power supply.

48. The method of claim 44, in which the mounting brackets are configured to be secured to a troffer pan of a fixture.

49. The method of claim 44, in which engaging comprises engaging with at least one of a snap fit, press fit, interference fit, adhesive, screw or twist.

50. The method of claim 44, in which securing the mounting bracket comprises using an interference fit with a raceway cover of the fixture.

51. The method of claim 44, further comprising temporarily attaching the mounting bracket with a temporary fastener.

52. The method of claim 51, in which the temporary fastener is an adhesive.

53. The method of claim 45, further comprising enclosing a portion of the wire path.

54. The method of claim 53, in which enclosing comprises using a living hinged portion of the mounting bracket.

55. The method of claim 53, in which enclosing comprises using a removable cover.

56. The method of claim 44, in which the mounting brackets comprise guides for consistent mounting.

57. The method of claim 44, in which at least one of the mounting brackets is mounted proximate to an edge of the fixture.

58. The method of claim 44, in which the light source bar comprises a housing, a circuit board and a plurality of LEDs on the circuit board.

59. The method of claim 44, in which the light source bar is rigid.

60. The method of claim 44, in which the light source bar comprises multiple rigid portions.

61. The method of claim 58, in which the LEDs are spaced equidistantly across the circuit board.

62. The method of claim 58, further comprising dissipating heat from the plurality of LEDs without the use of a heat sink.

63. The method of claim 58, further comprising dissipating heat from the plurality of LEDs using traces on the circuit board.

64. The method of claim 58, in which the circuit board is held in place by at least a portion of the housing.

65. The method of claim 64, in which the circuit board is held in place by a snap fit.

66. The method of claim 58, in which the housing comprises a lens portion.

67. The method of claim 58, in which the housing comprises features which allow it to snap fit with the mounting brackets.

68. The method of claim 44, in which securing comprises using at least one of a snap fit, press fit, interference fit, adhesive, screw or twist.