Apparatus method, and system for cost-effective lighting system retrofits including LED luminaires

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10337693-B1
Application number	US-201715826772-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 30, 2017
Priority date	Feb 10, 2017
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

As lighting systems age the need for retrofits—namely where newer lighting technology is used to replace older or different technology, but where a direct replacement is not possible without some kind of modification to the rest of the lighting system—increases. The residential lighting retrofit market is well established with a one-for-one light source replacement approach that is widely embraced; for example, a table lamp with a failed incandescent bulb can be readily replaced with an LED bulb despite the disparate power requirements because of the onboard driver system, and this avoids having to modify the lamp itself, the outlet, incoming power, etc. No such solution exists for specialized lighting systems such as sports and wide area lighting systems. The present invention is directed to such a solution, and one which is cost effective, easy to implement, and customizable to meet the varying site requirements of such specialized systems.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of retrofitting an existing lighting system comprising non-lighting technology and lighting technology portions with a retrofit lighting system comprising non-lighting technology and lighting technology portions, the non-lighting technology portion of the retrofit lighting system including one or more retained devices of the non-lighting technology portion of the existing lighting system, further comprising:
a. evaluating the existing lighting system to determine:
i. which non-lighting technology portions of the existing lighting system can be retained;
ii. which portions of light emitted from the existing lighting system are useful and which are not useful;
iii. which lighting technology and non-lighting technology portions of the existing lighting system contribute to glare; and
iv. characteristics of power regulating and connection means of the existing lighting system;

b. designing the lighting technology portion of the retrofit lighting system by:
i. selecting an operating condition of a retrofit light source so to produce a light level which is comparable to or exceeds a light level of the useful portion of light emitted from the existing lighting system;
ii. selecting a number and design of both light directing and light redirecting devices so to produce a cutoff and beam design which results in (i) lower glare, (ii) lower or fewer portions of light which are not useful, or both (i) and (ii), as compared to the existing lighting system; and
iii. installing the retrofit light source, light directing devices, and light redirecting devices in a retrofit luminaire;

c. designing the non-lighting technology portion of the retrofit lighting system comprising:
i. determining power requirements of the retrofit luminaire so to produce the light level which is comparable to or exceeds a light level of the useful portion of light emitted from the existing lighting system; and
ii. modifying the characteristics of power regulating and connection means of the existing lighting system to meet the power requirements of the retrofit luminaire;

d. and installing the retrofit lighting system in a manner that does not exceed a loading capacity or an allowed EPA for the one or more retained devices of the non-lighting technology portion of the existing lighting system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of designing the lighting technology portion of the retrofit lighting system further comprises selecting reflective properties and angle of an uplight visor, and wherein the step of installing the retrofit light source, light directing devices, and light redirecting devices in a retrofit luminaire further comprises installing the uplight visor in the retrofit luminaire at the selected angle so to produce a desired amount of uplight.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the lighting technology portion of the existing lighting system comprises an HID luminaire, and wherein the retrofit luminaire comprises an LED luminaire containing one or more LEDs.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the one or more retained devices of the non-lighting technology portion of the existing lighting system include at least a portion of one or more poles and at least a portion of the power regulating means.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of modifying the characteristics of the power regulating and connection means of the existing lighting system to meet the power requirements of the retrofit luminaire comprises:
a. rectifying power downstream of a ballast of the existing lighting system; and
b. conditioning the rectified power to provide a desired capacitance or current upstream of the LED luminaire.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the LED luminaire is lightweight and wherein the step of installing the retrofit lighting system in a manner that does not exceed a loading capacity or an allowed EPA for the one or more retained devices of the non-lighting technology portion of the existing lighting system comprises slip-fitting an array of one or more pre-aimed lightweight LED luminaires on the pole.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the one or more retained devices of the non-lighting technology portion of the existing lighting system further includes at least a portion of the connection means and at least a portion of a crossarm.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the LED luminaire is lightweight and wherein the step of installing the retrofit lighting system in a manner that does not exceed a loading capacity or an allowed EPA for the one or more retained devices of the non-lighting technology portion of the existing lighting system comprises installing on a one-for-one basis the lightweight LED luminaire for the HID luminaire, the LED luminaire fitting in a same crossarm footprint as the HID luminaire.

9. An LED retrofit lighting system designed to replace an existing lighting system on a one-for-one luminaire basis comprising:
a. an adjustable armature adapted to permit panning and tilting;
b. an LED retrofit luminaire comprising:
i. a housing sized to fit in a footprint of an existing lighting system luminaire when affixed to the adjustable armature;
ii. one or more LEDs contained in an opening in the housing;
iii. one or more light directing devices;
iv. one or more light redirecting devices;
v. a light transmissive lens sealed against the opening of the housing; and
vi. a lightweight visor proximate the housing and sized to fit in the footprint of the existing lighting system luminaire when the adjustable armature is panned and tilted; and

c. a retrofit control circuit comprising:
i. a capacitor bank; and
ii. a rectifying sub-circuit.

10. The LED retrofit lighting system of claim 9 wherein the retrofit control circuit is adapted for high power operation.

11. The LED retrofit lighting system of claim 9 wherein a capacitance of the capacitor bank is selected to produce a specified amount of flicker of the one or more LEDs at an operating condition which produces a light level which is comparable to or exceeds a light level of the light emitted from the existing lighting system.

12. The LED retrofit lighting system of claim 9 wherein the lightweight visor comprises a rigid or semi-rigid lightweight skin formed around a lightweight polystyrene foam insert.

13. The LED retrofit lighting system of claim 9 further comprising an uplight visor adapted to direct a portion of light from the one or more LEDs away from a plane and into an aerial space.

14. An LED retrofit lighting system designed to replace an existing lighting system while retaining one or more devices of the existing lighting system comprising:
a. a fitter comprising:
i. a pole section adapted to mate to a retained pole section of the existing lighting system; and
ii. one or more crossarms affixed to the pole section of the fitter;

b. one or more adjustable armatures affixed to the crossarms at one end and adapted to permit panning and tilting;
c. one or more LED retrofit luminaires each comprising:
i. a housing affixed to the adjustable armature;
ii. one or more LEDs contained in an opening in the housing;
iii. one or more light directing devices;
iv. one or more light redirecting devices;
v. a light transmissive lens sealed against the opening of the housing; and
vi. a lightweight visor proximate the housing; and

d. a retrofit control circuit comprising:
i. a capacitor bank; and
ii. a rectifying sub-circuit.

15. The LED retrofit lighting system of claim 14 wherein the one or more retained devices of the existing lighting system further comprises a retained ballast, and wherein the

Assignees

• Musco Corp

Inventors

• Gordin Myron
• Barker Timothy A
• Schembs Andrew J
• Sheldon Alan W
• Mckee Luke C
• Lickiss Chris P
• Klyn Aric D
• Deboef Joel D

Classifications

• H05B47/20

  Responsive to malfunctions or to light source life; for protection · CPC title

• H05B45/10

  Controlling the intensity of the light · CPC title

• F21Y2105/16

  square or rectangular, e.g. for light panels · CPC title

• F21V21/30

  Pivoted housings or frames · CPC title

• F21V11/00

  Screens not covered by groups F21V1/00, F21V3/00, F21V7/00 or F21V9/00 (characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/502) · CPC title