Low profile luminaire and associated systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9435930-B2
Application number	US-201514863150-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2015
Priority date	Oct 5, 2009
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

A luminaire comprising a heat sink, a light source carried by the heat sink to emit a source light and comprising a heat spreader having inner and outer surfaces and a plurality of LEDs carried by a circuit board and disposed generally along a periphery of the inner surface and positioned in thermal communication therewith. The luminaire comprises a reflector disposed coextensively with the LEDs and comprising an aperture in a medial region thereof, an outer edge of the aperture defining an inner rim of the reflector and a light guide positioned between the reflector and the light source, the light guide characterized by a height defined as the distance between the inner surface of the heat spreader and a plane defined by the inner rim of the reflector, the light guide configured to change the source light into a shaped light that is directed through the aperture.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A luminaire comprising:
a heat sink;
a light source carried by the heat sink and configured to emit a source light, the light source comprising
a heat spreader having an inner surface and an outer surface, and
a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) carried by a circuit board and disposed generally along an outer peripheral perimeter portion of the inner surface of the heat spreader, and positioned in thermal communication therewith;

a reflector disposed generally coextensive with the plurality of LEDs and comprising an aperture formed in a medial region thereof, an outer edge of the aperture defining an inner rim of the reflector; and
a light guide positioned between the reflector and the light source, the light guide characterized, at any position along its width, by a height defined as the distance between the inner surface of the heat spreader and a plane defined by the inner rim of the reflector, the light guide configured to change the source light into a first shaped light;
wherein the source light is emitted from the light source incident upon the reflector, and is changed by the light guide into the first shaped light that is directed by the light guide through the aperture.

2. The luminaire according to claim 1 wherein the light guide is configured to change the source light into the first shaped light using at least one of collimation, concentration, refraction, reflection, conversion, and diffusion.

3. The luminaire according to claim 2 wherein the source light is within a first wavelength range and wherein the first shaped light is within a second wavelength range.

4. The luminaire according to claim 2 wherein the light guide comprises a material selected from the group consisting of phosphors, quantum dots, luminescent materials, fluorescent materials, and dyes.

5. The luminaire according to claim 1 wherein the light guide is integrally formed with the reflector.

6. The luminaire according to claim 1 wherein the light source is positioned so as to be obscured from view from any point external the luminaire by at least one of the heat sink, the light guide, and the reflector.

7. The luminaire according to claim 1 wherein the heat spreader comprises a printed circuit board.

8. The luminaire according to claim 7 wherein the printed circuit board further comprises a reflective layer positioned so as not to occlude the plurality of LEDs from at least one of the reflector and the light guide and so as to reflect light incident thereupon into the light guide.

9. The luminaire according to claim 1 wherein the heat sink comprises a sidewall and a base that, in combination, define a recess; and wherein the heat spreader is fittedly disposed in the recess of the heat sink.

10. The luminaire according to claim 9 wherein the heat sink comprises an Edison connector positioned to project from the base opposite the recess.

11. The luminaire according to claim 10 wherein the Edison connector comprises a substantially hollow interior configured to receive a power supply.

12. The luminaire according to claim 1 wherein the heat sink is frustoconically-shaped, the heat spreader is disk-shaped, and the reflector is ring-shaped.

13. The luminaire according to claim 1 wherein the light source, the heat sink, and the reflector, in combination, has an overall outside height H and an overall outside dimension D such that the ratio of H/D is equal to or less than 0.25.

14. The luminaire according to claim 1 wherein a combination of the light source, the heat sink, and the reflector is so dimensioned as to cover an opening defined by a nominally sized four-inch can light fixture, and to cover an opening defined by a nominally sized four-inch electrical junction box.

15. The luminaire according to claim 1 further comprising a mounting bracket configured to carry the heat sink and having a plurality of mounting holes suitably spaced apart to receive at least one mounting fastener to secure the mounting bracket to an electrical junction box.

16. The luminaire according to claim 1 further comprising an outer optic retained relative to at least one of the light source and the light guide.

17. The luminaire according to claim 16 wherein the outer optic is configured to change the first shaped light into a second shaped light using at least one of collimation, concentration, refraction, reflection, conversion, and diffusion of the first shaped light; and wherein the outer optic comprises a material selected from the group consisting of phosphors, quantum dots, luminescent materials, fluorescent materials, and dyes.

18. The luminaire according to claim 17 further comprising a mounting ring; and wherein the outer optic is carried by at least one of the reflector and the mounting ring.

19. A luminaire comprising:
a heat sink comprising a sidewall and a base that, in combination, define a recess;
a light source carried by the heat sink and configured to emit a source light, the light source comprising
a heat spreader that is fittedly disposed in the recess of the heat sink and has an inner surface and an outer surface, the heat spreader comprising a printed circuit board, and
a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) disposed generally along an outer peripheral perimeter portion of the inner surface of the heat spreader, and positioned in thermal communication therewith;

a reflector disposed generally coextensive with the plurality of LEDs and comprising an aperture formed in a medial region thereof, an outer edge of the aperture defining an inner rim of the reflector; and
a light guide positioned between the reflector and the light source, the light guide characterized, at any position along its width, by a height defined as the distance between the inner surface of the heat spreader and a plane defined by the inner rim of the reflector, the light guide comprising a lens portion and a propagation region configured to change the source light into a first shaped light;
wherein the source light is emitted from the light source incident upon the reflector, and is changed by the light guide into the first shaped light that is directed by the light guide through the aperture; and
wherein a combination of the light source, the heat sink, and the reflector has an overall outside height H and an overall outside dimension D such that the ratio of H/D is equal to or less than 0.25.

20. The luminaire according to claim 19 wherein the light guide is configured to change the source light into the first shaped light using at least one of collimation, concentration, refraction, reflection, conversion, and diffusion; wherein the source light is within a first wavelength range and wherein the first shaped light is within a second wavelength range; and wherein the light guide comprises a material selected from the group consisting of phosphors, quantum dots, luminescent materials, fluorescent materials, and dyes.

21. The luminaire according to claim 19 wherein the heat sink comprises an Edison connector positioned to project from the base opposite the recess.

22. The luminaire according to claim 21 wherein the Edison connector comprises a substantially hollow interior configured to receive a power supply.

23. A luminaire comprising:
a heat sink;
a light source carried by the heat sink and configured to emit a source light, the light source comprising
a heat spreader comprising a circuit board having an inner surface and an outer surfac

Assignees

• Lighting Science Group Corp

Inventors

• Boomgaarden Mark Penley
• Romeu Ricardo
• Kelley Ryan
• Holland Eric

Classifications

• H05B45/00

  Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• F21Y2103/33

  annular · CPC title

• F21K9/20

  Light sources comprising attachment means · CPC title

• F21V29/70

  characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks · CPC title