Luminaires using waveguide bodies and optical elements

• US 9,869,432 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2013
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• 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: Keller, Bernd P., Tarsa, Eric J., Yuan, Zongjie
• Primary Examiner(s): Kianni, Kaveh C
• Application Number:
  US14/101,147
• Publication Number:
  US 20140211462A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,499 Days
• Field of Search: 385 27
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/20 Light sources comprising attachment means
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/61 using light guides
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 2/00 Systems of lighting devices, not provided for in main groups F21S4/00 - F21S10/00 or F21S19/00, e.g. of modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0008 providing for indirect lighting
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/13 comprising an assembly of point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• 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 6/003 Lens or lenticular sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0068 Arrangements of plural sources, e.g. multi-colour light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0073 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0078 Side-by-side arrangements, e.g. for large area displays

Abstract

According to one aspect, a luminaire includes a waveguide body having an interior coupling cavity extending into a portion of the waveguide body remote from an edge thereof. The luminaire further includes an LED element extending into the interior coupling cavity having first and second sets of LEDs wherein each LED of the first set comprises a blue-shifted yellow LED and each LED of the second set comprises a red LED wherein the red LEDs are disposed between the blue-shifted yellow LEDs and wherein the blue-shifted yellow LEDs have a first height and the red LEDs have a second height less than the first height. The LED element further includes a lens disposed over the first and second sets of LEDs.

Claims

1. A luminaire, comprising:

a waveguide body comprising a coupling cavity;

a plug member having a first portion disposed in the coupling cavity and having an outer surface substantially conforming to the coupling cavity and a second portion extending from the first portion into the coupling cavity and, the plug member comprising a reflective surface adapted to direct light in the coupling cavity into the waveguide body; and

a light source comprising one or more LEDs that emit light with different spectral emission characteristics, wherein the one or more LEDs are disposed in the coupling cavity, wherein the coupling cavity is star-shaped comprising a plurality of points, wherein at least one of the points at an outer margin of the star-shaped cavity is a rounded point having a radius of curvature, wherein at least one surface between the plurality of points comprises a rounded portion adjacent to the second portion of the plug member, and wherein the plurality of points mix the light with different spectral emission characteristics.

2. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the one or more LEDs include blue-shifted yellow LEDs and red LEDs wherein the blue-shifted yellow LEDs have a first height and the red LEDs have a second height less than the first height.

3. The luminaire of claim 2, wherein the one or more LEDs include a substantially square base defined by four sides and has at least six blue-shifted yellow LEDs disposed on the base along the four sides and further includes at least two red LEDs disposed inside the blue-shifted yellow LEDs.

4. The luminaire of claim 3, wherein the blue-shifted yellow LEDs are arranged in two rows of three LEDs in each row adjacent opposite sides of the base.

5. The luminaire of claim 4, wherein the blue-shifted yellow LEDs are arranged in two rows of two LEDs in each row adjacent first and second opposite sides of the base and a single LED adjacent a third side of the base and another single LED adjacent a fourth side of the base.

6. The luminaire of claim 1, further including a masking element disposed on the waveguide body.

7. The luminaire of claim 1, further including a lens disposed over the one or more LEDs.

8. The luminaire of claim 7, wherein the lens scatters light developed by the one or more LEDs.

9. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the plurality of points comprise a first point and a second point, and wherein the first point has a first shape and the second point has a second shape different from the first shape.