Lighting system

• US 10,962,181 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2019
• Issued: 03/30/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Contemporary Visions LLC
• Original Assignee: Contemporary Visions LLC
• Inventors: Sonneman, Robert A., Garnett, Christian N., Pires Da Silva, Nuno Luis, Wang, Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): Bowman, Mary Ellen
• Application Number:
  US16/670,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20200132262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 2/005 of modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/06 by suspension
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/005 for several lighting devices in an end-to-end arrangement, i.e. light tracks
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/008 Suspending from a cable or suspension line
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/002 Arrangements of cables or conductors inside a lighting device, e.g. means for guiding along parts of the housing or in a pivoting arm
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/06 the elements being coupling devices , e.g. connectors
• 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]

Abstract

A modular lighting system that includes or more luminaires that can be individually suspended from a surface or connected to each other to form a variety of scalable arrangements that project light downwardly therefrom. The luminaire can includes a housing that has a first and a second sidewall that is spaced from the first sidewall and a light source that is arranged between the first sidewall and the second sidewall. A first connector can be fixed to and delimit a first end of the luminaire and deliver power to the light source and a second connector can be configured to be fixed to and delimit a second end of the luminaire.

Claims

1. A lighting system, comprising:

a luminaire that includes a housing that has a first sidewall, a second sidewall that is spaced from the first sidewall, a light source arranged between the first sidewall and the second sidewall and a wire arranged within the luminaire that includes a first wire segment that is in contact with the light source and a second wire segment that bypasses and is not in contact with the light source, the first wire segment and the second wire segment being separated from each other at a first end of the wire and rejoining each other at a second end of the wire;

a first connector that is configured to be fixed to and delimit a first end of the luminaire and

a second connector that is configured to be fixed to and delimit a second end of the luminaire,

at least one of the first connector and the second connector are configured to transfer power to the wire arranged within the luminaire with one half of the positive current from the powcr source being directed by the first wire segment to light source and the other half of the positive current traveling over the second wire segment.

2. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the luminaire includes a top plate that is arranged between the first sidewall and the second sidewall and a printed circuit board that is fixed to the top plate.

3. The lighting system of claim 1, further comprising at least one fastener that is configured to fix the printed circuit board to the top plate and transfer electrical current from the top plate to the circuit board.

4. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the light source is fixed to the printed circuit board.

5. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the light source is a plurality of light-emitting diodes.

6. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the luminaire includes a diffuser that is spaced from the top plate and through which light from the light source projects.

7. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein each of the first sidewall and the second sidewall include a plurality of rails, openings and grooves that are configured to accommodate and aid in securing elements of the lighting system therein.

8. The lighting system of claim 1, further comprising a first bracket that include a first leg, a second leg and a base that extends between the legs, has an opening extending therethrorugh and is configured to be arranged at each end of the luminaire.

9. The lighting system of claim 8, further comprising a second bracket that includes a housing, an opening extending through the housing and a plug fixed to the opening of the housing that is arranged between the first leg and the second leg of the first bracket in an assembled state with the plug extending toward the opening of the base of the first bracket at each end of the luminaire in contact with the first bracket.

10. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the first connector and the second connector are one of an end connector that is configured to delimit the lighting system, an inline connector that is configured to connect two of the luminaires to each other, a corner connector that is configured to connect two of the luminaires to each other at an angle and a three-way connector that is configured to connect three of the luminaires to each other.

11. The lighting system of claim 1, further comprising a cable that extends from a power source and is fixed within one of the first connector and the second connector.

12. The lighting system of claim 11, wherein the cable includes an inner wire over which positive current is transferred and an outer wire over which a negative current is transferred.

13. The lighting system of claim 12, wherein the negative current is in contact with at least one of the first connector and the second connector and over the at least one of the first connector and the second connector negative current travels and the positive current is in connect with at least one pin that extends from the at least one of the first connector and the second connector.

14. The lighting system of claim 9, wherein, in an assembled state, the at least one pin is arranged within the plug which in turn is in contact with a wire to transfer positive current therefrom.

15. The lighting system of claim 14, wherein the first wire segment is fixed to the printed circuit board to transfer positive current to the light source and the second wire segment that bypasses the printed circuit board.

16. The lighting system of claim 15, wherein the first wire segment is fixed to a first end of the printed circuit board and a second end of the first wire segment is fixed to a second end of the printed circuit board and extends to reconnect with the second wire segment at a second end of the luminaire.

17. A method of assembling a lighting system comprising the steps of:

providing a luminaire that includes a housing that has a first sidewall, a second sidewall that is spaced from the first sidewall, a light source arranged between the first sidewall and the second sidewall and a wire arranged within the luminaire that includes a first wire segment that is in contact with the light source and a second wire segment that bypasses and is not in contact with the light source, the first wire segment and the second wire segment being separated from each other at a first end of the wire and rejoining each other at a second end of the wire;

fixing a first connector to a first end of the luminaire;

fixing a second connector to a second end of the luminaire; and

providing power through one of the first connector and the second connector to illuminate the light source with at least one of the first connector and the second connector configured to transfer power to the wire arranged within the luminaire with one half of the positive current from the power source being directed by the first wire segment to light source and the other half of the positive current traveling over the second wire segment.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the luminaire includes a pin and a plurality of brackets extending at each end therefrom and the first connector and the second connector include opening therein and the method further comprises the step of arranging the brackets within the openings of the first connector and the second connector and fixing the luminaire to the first connector and the second connector.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of transferring power from the one of the first connector and the second connector to the luminaire with negative current transferred through and about the one of the first connector and the second connector and positive current transferred through the pin of one of the first connector and the second connector the wire to illuminate the light source.