Waveguide luminaire with guide imbedded activity sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9534771-B2
Application number	US-201514612197-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2015
Priority date	Jan 31, 2014
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

An edge-fed waveguide luminaire includes a light waveguide having a planar body, a waveguide edge support structure, and an anchor opening in the planar body of the light waveguide, which is displaced from said waveguide edge support structure. A sensor is fixed in the anchor opening of said light waveguide so as to be responsive to conditions in the space below the luminaire. The sensor, which will have minimal impact on the aesthetic qualities of the luminaire, is in communication with light switching means for adjusting the light output from the luminaire in response to changes in conditions in the space below the luminaire.

First claim

We claim:

1. An edge-fed waveguide luminaire for illuminating a space, said luminaire comprising
a light waveguide having a substantially planar body, waveguide edges, a visible bottom surface and a top surface, and further having light extraction means for extracting light fed into the light waveguide through at least the bottom surface thereof,
a waveguide edge support structure,
an anchor opening in the planar body of said light waveguide displaced from said waveguide edge support structure,
a sensor fixed in the anchor opening of said light waveguide, said sensor being adapted to sense conditions in the space below the luminaire and being in communication with light switching means for adjusting the light output from the luminaire in response to changes in conditions in the space below the luminaire.

2. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein said anchor opening is laser cut in the planar body of said light waveguide.

3. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein said anchor opening forms interior opening edge walls and wherein said interior edge walls are substantially covered by an opaque coating.

4. The luminaire of claim 1 wherein said sensor includes a rear body portion positioned behind the top surface of the light waveguide and a front lens portion visible against the bottom surface of the light waveguide.

5. The luminaire of claim 4 wherein the rear body portion of said sensor is dark in color.

6. The luminaire of claim 4 wherein the rear body portion of said sensor is black.

7. The luminaire of claim 4 wherein a surround structure is provided below the waveguide such that the surround structure surrounds the visible front lens portion of said sensor, and wherein said surround structure presents visible surfaces that are light in color.

8. The luminaire of claim 7 wherein the visible surfaces of said surround structure are white.

9. The luminaire of claim 7 wherein said surround structure is a snap ring which engages the rear body portion of the sensor through the anchor opening of said light waveguide.

10. An edge-fed waveguide luminaire for illuminating a space, said luminaire comprising
a light waveguide having a substantially planar body, waveguide edges, a visible bottom surface and a top surface, and further having light extraction means for extracting light fed into the light waveguide through at least the bottom surface thereof,
a waveguide edge support structure,
an anchor opening in the planar body of said light waveguide displaced from said waveguide edge support structure, and
a sensor fixed in the anchor opening of said light waveguide for sensing conditions in the space below the luminaire, said sensor being in communication with light switching means for adjusting the light output from the luminaire in response to changes in conditions in the space below the luminaire,
wherein said anchor opening forms interior opening edge walls and wherein said interior edge walls are substantially covered by an opaque coating, and wherein said sensor includes a rear body portion positioned behind the top surface of the light waveguide and a front lens portion visible against the bottom surface of the light waveguide, and the rear body portion of said sensor is dark in color.

Assignees

• Abl Ip Holding Llc

Inventors

• Wu Xiaoping
• Trincia Nicholas R
• Shahbaz Mohammad Zafar

Classifications

• G02B6/0091

  of the light source relative to the light guide (G02B6/0021 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/0081

  Mechanical or electrical aspects of the light guide and light source in the lighting device peculiar to the adaptation to planar light guides, e.g. concerning packaging · CPC title

• F21Y2115/10

  Light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• F21V23/0471 Primary

  the sensor detecting the proximity, the presence or the movement of an object or a person · CPC title

• F21V2200/20

  of light guides of a generally planar shape · CPC title