Thin profile surface mount lighting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10663127-B2
Application number	US-201916653497-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2019
Priority date	Jun 22, 2017
Publication date	May 26, 2020
Grant date	May 26, 2020

Abstract

A thin profile surface mount LED lighting apparatus includes a housing, an LED board including multiple LEDs, and a lens. The lens has a back side facing the LED board and a front side that provides a downward facing surface when the LED lighting apparatus is installed in an opening of a ceiling. The lens is disposed with respect to the LED board such that the LEDs illuminate the back side of the lens. A first spacing of the LEDs causes resulting light from the downward facing surface of the lens to be substantially uniform during operation of the apparatus. In one example, a thin front edge of a sidewall of the housing, forming a perimeter around the lens, is flush with the lens and is appreciably thin (e.g., a thickness of less than three millimeters), and a depth of the sidewall housing is less than one inch.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An LED lighting apparatus, comprising:
a housing including at least one sidewall, wherein a thickness of at least a portion of the at least one sidewall is less than ten millimeters;
an LED board coupled to the housing, the LED board comprising a plurality of LEDs; and
a lens coupled to the housing, the lens having a back side facing the LED board and a front side opposite to the back side, the lens being disposed with respect to the LED board such that the plurality of the LEDs illuminate the back side of the lens,
wherein the quotient of:
an LED-to-LED spacing of adjacent LEDs of the plurality of LEDs on the LED board; and
a spacing between the LED board and the lens,
is in a range of from 7.5/8 to 8.5/8.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one sidewall has a front facing edge; and
an edge thickness of the front facing edge of the at least one sidewall is less than 2.0 millimeters.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lens is substantially flat or flat.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the at least one sidewall of the housing is substantially perpendicular or perpendicular to the lens.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the LED board has a first dimension in a first plane parallel to the back side of the lens;
the lens has a second dimension in a second plane corresponding to the back side of the lens; and
the first dimension of the LED board and the second dimension of the lens are substantially the same or the same.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the front side of the lens is essentially flush with the front facing edge of the at least one sidewall of the housing.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein:
the at least one sidewall further has a back facing edge; and
a depth of the at least one sidewall of the housing, between the front facing edge and the back facing edge, is less than one inch.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one screwless mechanical coupler to couple the apparatus to a surface.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the at least one screwless mechanical coupler comprises at least one snap fit coupler.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the at least one screwless mechanical coupler comprises at least one of a friction fit clip, a spring clip, or a magnet.

11. An assembly, comprising:
the apparatus of claim 8 ; and
an adapter ring to couple the apparatus to a junction box,
wherein the apparatus is coupled to the adapter ring via the at least one screwless mechanical coupler.

12. The assembly of claim 11 , further comprising the junction box.

13. The assembly of claim 12 , wherein the junction box is one of a 3½ inch or 4 inch square, octagon, or round junction box.

14. The assembly of claim 12 , wherein the adapter ring is coupled to the junction box via one or more screws.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the housing, the LED board and the lens are assembled to provide a luminaire; and
the apparatus further comprises at least one mechanical coupler to couple the luminaire to a surface without using one or more screws.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein:
the surface is a ceiling; and
the at least one mechanical coupler includes at least one of a friction fit clip, a spring clip, or a magnet to snap fit the luminaire to a junction box installed and positioned above the ceiling such that when the luminaire is snap fit to the junction box, the housing appears to be surface mounted to the ceiling.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein:
the at least one sidewall of the housing is perpendicular to the ceiling when the luminaire is snap fit to the junction box.

18. An LED lighting apparatus, comprising:
a housing including at least one sidewall, wherein a thickness of at least a portion of the at least one sidewall is less than ten millimeters;
an LED board coupled to the housing, the LED board comprising a plurality of LEDs; and
a lens coupled to the housing, the lens having a back side facing the LED board and a front side opposite to the back side, the lens being disposed with respect to the LED board such that the plurality of the LEDs illuminate the back side of the lens,
wherein the plurality of LEDs is distributed uniformly on the LED board and spaced apart almost identically or identically; and
wherein an LED-to-LED spacing of adjacent LEDs of the plurality of LEDs on the LED board is in a range of from approximately 7.5 millimeters to 8.5 millimeters.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the at least one sidewall of the housing is substantially perpendicular or perpendicular to the lens.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , further comprising at least one screwless mechanical coupler to couple the apparatus to a surface.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the at least one screwless mechanical coupler comprises at least one snap fit coupler.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the at least one screwless mechanical coupler comprises at least one of a friction fit clip, a spring clip, or a magnet.

23. An assembly, comprising:
the apparatus of claim 20 ; and
an adapter ring to couple the apparatus to a junction box,
wherein the apparatus is coupled to the adapter ring via the at least one screwless mechanical coupler.

24. The assembly of claim 23 , further comprising the junction box.

25. The assembly of claim 24 , wherein the junction box is one of a 3½ inch or 4 inch square, octagon, or round junction box.

26. The assembly of claim 24 , wherein the adapter ring is coupled to the junction box via one or more screws.

27. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein:
the housing, the LED board and the lens are assembled to provide a luminaire; and
the apparatus further comprises at least one mechanical coupler to couple the luminaire to a surface without using one or more screws.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein:
the surface is a ceiling; and
the at least one mechanical coupler includes at least one of a friction fit clip, a spring clip, or a magnet to snap fit the luminaire to a junction box installed and positioned above the ceiling such that when the luminaire is snap fit to the junction box, the housing appears to be surface mounted to the ceiling.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 , wherein:
the at least one sidewall of the housing is perpendicular to the ceiling when the luminaire is snap fit to the junction box.

30. An LED lighting apparatus, comprising:
a housing including at least one sidewall, wherein a thickness of at least a portion of the at least one sidewall is less than ten millimeters;
an LED board coupled to the housing, the LED board comprising a plurality of LEDs; and
a lens coupled to the housing, the lens having a back side facing the LED board and a front side opposite to the back side, the lens being disposed with respect to the LED board such that the plurality of the LEDs illuminate the back side of the lens,
wherein the plurality of LEDs is distributed uniformly on the LED board and spaced apart almost identically or identically; and
wherein a spacing between the LED board and the lens is approximately or equal to eight millimeters.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 , wherein the at least one sidewall of the housing is substantially perpendicular or perpendicular to the lens.

Assignees

• Dmf Inc

Inventors

• Danesh Michael D
• Williams Vincent
• Jongewaard Mark

Classifications

• G02B6/0031

  Reflecting element, sheet or layer · CPC title

• F21Y2105/18

  annular; polygonal other than square or rectangular, e.g. for spotlights or for generating an axially symmetrical light beam · CPC title

• F21Y2105/16

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

• G02B6/0021

  for housing at least a part of the light source, e.g. by forming holes or recesses · CPC title

• F21S8/026 Primary

  intended to be recessed in a ceiling or like overhead structure, e.g. suspended ceiling · CPC title