Lighting systems including diffusers formed with additive manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11713862-B2
Application number	US-202117164172-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2021
Priority date	Jan 30, 2020
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

A lighting system includes an upper housing supporting a light engine, and a diffuser coupled to the upper housing. The diffuser may be monolithic, i.e. formed of a single material as a single piece without joints or seams where separate components are joined. The monolithic diffuser may be formed by an additive manufacturing process, for example 3D printing. The diffuser may couple to the upper housing with a tool-less connection. The portion of the tool-less connection defined by the diffuser may be formed by the additive manufacturing process. The lighting system may further include a lens coupled to the diffuser opposite the upper housing with a lens retaining ring. The lens retaining ring may be formed with an additive manufacturing process, and may define an annular snap-fit with the diffuser.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lighting system comprising:
an upper housing, wherein the upper housing is configured to support a light engine; and
a monolithic diffuser formed by an additive manufacturing process and coupled to the upper housing, wherein the diffuser extends along a longitudinal axis from an upper portion through a central portion and to a lower portion and comprises a diffuser sidewall having an outer surface and an inner surface defining an internal cavity, wherein the central portion of the diffuser is configured to diffuse light emitted by the light engine into the internal cavity in directions radially away from the longitudinal axis, and wherein the upper portion is configured to directly couple to the upper housing with a tool-less connection in order to allow the diffuser to be coupled to and uncoupled from the upper housing by rotating the diffuser in a direction around the longitudinal axis,
wherein the diffuser sidewall comprises visual artifacts formed as byproducts of the additive manufacturing process, wherein the visual artifacts are visible when light passes through the diffuser.

2. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the lower portion defines a lip extending in a radial direction relative to the longitudinal axis;
wherein the lighting system further comprises:
a lens retaining ring defining a substantially continuous circumference, wherein the lens retaining ring is adapted to couple to the lower portion of the diffuser via an annular snap-fit connection in a direction from the lower portion towards the upper portion of the diffuser such that the lens retaining ring extends substantially entirely around the lip; and
a lens captured between the lower portion of the diffuser and the lens retaining ring, wherein the lens is configured to filter light emitted by the light engine passing through the internal cavity defined by the diffuser.

3. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the additive manufacturing process comprises at least one of: fused deposition modeling (FDM), Stereolithography (SLA), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), and Material Jetting (MJ).

4. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the upper portion comprises a planar top surface substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and in which is defined a plurality of key-hole openings,
wherein the plurality of key-hole openings are defined in the additive manufacturing process,
wherein the upper housing comprises a plurality of studs extending downwardly from the upper housing in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis, and
wherein the tool-less connection comprises the plurality of key-hole openings and the plurality of studs.

5. The lighting system of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of studs each comprise a screw extending downwardly from the upper housing.

6. A lighting system, comprising:
an upper housing, wherein the upper housing is configured to support a light engine; and
a monolithic diffuser formed by an additive manufacturing process and coupled to the upper housing, wherein the diffuser extends along a longitudinal axis from an upper portion through a central portion and to a lower portion and comprises an outer surface and an inner surface defining an internal cavity, wherein the diffuser is configured to diffuse light emitted by the light engine into the internal cavity in directions radially away from the longitudinal axis, and wherein the upper portion is configured to directly couple to the upper housing with a tool-less connection in order to allow the diffuser to be coupled to and uncoupled from the upper housing by rotating the diffuser in a direction around the longitudinal axis,
wherein the upper portion comprises an internal diffuser sidewall facing, and defining an opening around, the longitudinal axis;
wherein the opening is configured so that light emitted from the light engine passes through the opening and into the internal cavity,
wherein the internal diffuser sidewall comprises a plurality of L-shaped slots defined in the internal diffuser sidewall and invisible on the outer surface of the diffuser, each of the plurality of L-shaped slots comprising a first slot portion extending substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis and a second slot portion extending along a curved path around and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis,
wherein the upper housing comprises an upper housing outer sidewall and a plurality of tabs positioned on the upper housing outer sidewall and extending radially away from the longitudinal axis, and
wherein the tool-less connection comprises the plurality of L-shaped slots and the plurality of tabs.

7. The lighting system of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of L-shaped slots are formed with the additive manufacturing process.

8. The lighting system of claim 6 , wherein the upper housing, including the plurality of tabs, are formed with additive manufacturing.

9. The lighting system of claim 2 , wherein the lip extends radially away from the longitudinal axis,
wherein the lens retaining ring defines an inwardly facing groove, and
wherein the lip is positioned within the groove.

10. The lighting system of claim 9 , wherein the lip and groove are circular in shape.

11. The lighting system of claim 9 , wherein the lip and groove are rectangular in shape.

12. The lighting system of claim 9 , wherein the lens retaining ring, including the groove, is formed with additive manufacturing.

13. The lighting system of claim 9 , wherein the lens and the lip are positioned within the groove.

14. The lighting system of claim 9 , wherein the lens retaining ring is coupled to diffuser without using adhesives or fasteners, and
wherein the annular snap-fit connection is configured to allow the lens retaining ring to be uncoupled from the diffuser in order to replace the lens with a second lens captured between the lower portion and lens retaining ring.

15. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the diffuser is coupled to the upper housing without using adhesives, and
wherein the tool-less connection is configured to allow the diffuser to be uncoupled from the upper housing in order to replace the diffuser with a second diffuser comprising a portion of the tool-less connection.

16. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of protrusions extend outwardly from the outer surface of the diffuser sidewall.

17. The lighting system of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of protrusions comprises a plurality of ridges, and
wherein the ridges extend between the lower portion and the upper portion in a wave-shaped pattern.

18. A method of manufacturing the lighting system of claim 1 , comprising:
forming the diffuser monolithically with the additive manufacturing process; and
coupling the diffuser to the upper housing with the tool-less connection.

19. A method of manufacturing the lighting system of claim 2 , comprising:
forming the diffuser monolithically with the additive manufacturing process;
coupling the diffuser to the upper housing with the tool-less connection; and
capturing the lens between the diffuser and the lens retaining ring by coupling the lens retaining ring to the diffuser with the annular snap-fit connection.

20. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the visual artifacts comprise at least one of striations, lines, or patterns.

21. The lighting system of claim 1 , wherein the diffuser further comprises a plurality of ridges extending outwardly from the outer surface of t

Assignees

• Abl Ip Holding Llc

Inventors

• Trott Gary
• Ferrier David
• Collver Noel
• Large Dominic

Classifications

• F21V3/02 Primary

  characterised by the shape · CPC title

• B29D11/00798

  Producing diffusers · CPC title

• B33Y80/00 Primary

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• F21V17/002

  with provision for interchangeability, i.e. component parts being especially adapted to be replaced by another part with the same or a different function (F21V17/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F21V17/12

  by screwing · CPC title