Lamps, luminaries and lighting systems

• US 20040062055A1
• Filed: 06/04/2003
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: George Alan Limpkin, Ian Shaun Lawry, Simon Grant Rozenberg
• Original Assignee: George Alan Limpkin, Ian Shaun Lawry, Simon Grant Rozenberg
• Inventors: Rozenberg, Simon Grant, Lawry, Ian Shaun, Limpkin, George Alan
• Granted Patent: US 6,994,452 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/555
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/02 of recess-mounted type, e.g. downlighters specially adapted for vehicle exteriors F21S41/00-F21S45/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/022 intended to be recessed in a floor or like ground surface, e.g. pavement or false floor
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/024 intended to be recessed in a wall or like vertical structure, e.g. building facade
• 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: F21S 9/022 Emergency lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/013 the housing being an extrusion
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/104 using feather joints, e.g. tongues and grooves, with or without friction
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/0045 by tongue and groove connections, e.g. dovetail interlocking means fixed by sliding
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/009 the support means engaging the vessel of the source
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2111/00 Use or application of lighting devices or systems for signalling, marking or indicating, not provided for in codes F21W2102/00 – F21W2107/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2107/30 on the outer surface of cylindrical surfaces, e.g. rod-shaped supports having a circular or a polygonal cross section
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/00 Combination of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 13/22 electroluminescent electroluminescent light sources per se H05B33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/33 being semiconductor devices, e.g. diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/02 in which an auxiliary distribution system and its associated lamps are brought into service
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 35/00 Electric light sources using a combination of different types of light generation
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

The invention relates to LED-based lamps, luminaires and lighting systems for buildings particularly, though not exclusively; for providing emergency light in the event of power failure. In particular it provides a light-emitting diode lamp comprising a support (26) and an array of light emitting diodes (58) on the support, an optical axis (72) passing through the middle of the array (58) and diodes increasing in number and increasing in inclination with distance from the optical axis (72). It also provides a luminaire (24) comprising a lamp as described above and a lens (30) having facets for generally un-deviated and un-reflected passage of light from off-axis diodes, and a building emergency lighting system comprising luminaires (24) as described above. In an alternative embodiment inclination of the light is through progressively increasing inclination of the facets.

Claims

1. A light-emitting diode lamp comprising a support and an array of light emitting diodes on the support, an optical axis passing through the middle of the array, wherein:

the diodes increase in number with distance from the optical axis; and

the light from the diodes increases in inclination with distance from the optical axis.

2. The lamp of claim 1, wherein the diodes are arranged in an array so that their light produces a single lobe facing away from the axis.

3. The lamp of claim 1, wherein the diodes are arranged in an array so that their light produces first and second lobes facing in opposite directions away from the axis.

4. The lamp of claim 1, wherein the diodes are arranged in an array so that their light produces first and second lobes facing in opposite directions away from the axis along a first line and third and fourth lobes facing in opposite directions away from the axis along a second line directed at right angles to the first line.

5. The lamp of claim 1, wherein the diodes are arranged in circles whose size and number of diodes increases progressively with distance from the axis.

6. The lamp of any preceding claim, wherein the inclination of the light results from passage of the light from diodes at progressively increasing distance from the axis through respective lens facets of progressively increasing inclination.

7. The lamp of any of claims 1-5, wherein the inclination of the light results from an increase in inclination of the diodes with distance from the optical axis.

8. The lamp of claim 7, wherein the support is generally planar and the diodes are carried on inclined faces forming part of the support.

9. The lamp of claim 7, wherein the support is concave and the diodes are on the inner face.

10. The lamp of claim 7, wherein the support is convex and the diodes are on the outer face.

11. The lamp of claim 9 or 10, wherein the support is of flexible material.

12. The lamp of any preceding claim, wherein the diodes are lensed.

13. The lamp of claim 12, wherein the diodes have an output in the form of a concentrated beam of angle of about ±

25°

with respect to their optical axes.

14. The lamp of any preceding claim, wherein the diodes are at spacings one from another.

15. The lamp of any preceding claim, wherein the support carries an electrical circuit for supplying power to the diodes, the diodes being connected in parallel.

16. A luminaire comprising a lamp as claimed in any of claims 7-10 and a lens having facets for passage of light from off-axis diodes generally un-deviated and un-reflected.

17. The luminaire of claim 16, further comprising storage batteries for supplying current to the diodes, a charging circuit for charging the batteries from mains power and a control circuit for switching battery power to the diodes on loss of mains power.

18. The luminaire of claim 17, further comprising at least one source of general light.

19. The luminaire of claim 18, wherein the source of general light is at least one incandescent lamp.

20. The luminaire of claim 18, wherein the source of general light is at least one fluorescent tube.

21. A building emergency lighting system comprising luminaires as claimed in any of claims 16-20.

22. The lighting system of claim 21, wherein means provides control of the luminaries for operation in a first mode to provide emergency lighting and in a second mode to provide continuous security lighting.

23. The lighting system of claim 22, wherein said control means causes the diodes to operate at a first power during emergency lighting and at a second power less than the first power during security lighting.

24. A light-emitting diode lamp comprising a support and an array of light emitting diodes on the support, and control means for causing the lamp to operate in a first mode to provide emergency lighting and in a second mode to provide continuous security lighting and to operate at a first power during emergency lighting and at a second power less than the first power during security lighting.