Peerless Lighting Corporation

Nsi Enterprises, Inc.

Other

Herst Lighting Co.

Peter Y Ngai

Douglas J Herst

Utkan Salman

Hue Ly

Luminaire housing

An indirect luminaire having a housing with a top opening and a light source in the housing is provided with an exposed lens reflector system positioned over the top opening of the housing for receiving and redirecting source light from a position above the light source. The lensed reflector system includes an outer refracting lens element having a lens surface observable from below the luminaire and a substantially diffuse reflector substrate for the lens element. This system produces a light distribution pattern substantially governed by the internal reflection and refraction characteristics of the lens element and controlled brightness characteristics on the observable lens surface substantially governed by the diffuse reflection characteristics of the reflector substrate. A lens tower is suitably provided for holding the lensed reflective system in its operative position over the top opening of the luminaire housing. Preferably, the lens tower provides the diffuse reflector substrate for the lensed reflector system, with the lens element being removably attached to the lens tower so that the lens element can be readily replaced.

Indirect luminaire having an upper reflector for improved brightness

A direct-indirect luminaire is provided with a direct light control structure between the luminaire's light source and the down light openings in the luminaire's housing. The down light control structure has an interior light capture which extends to meet the light source and which is shaped to substantially conform to the shape of a capturable surface of the light source. The down light control structure captures and directs substantially all of the light emitted from the captured portion of the light source through the housing's down light opening to provide improved control over the down light component of the luminaire.

Direct-indirect luminaire with improved down light control

An improved task light is comprised of a housing having a center cavity portion, a light passage opening below the center cavity portion, and an edge cavity for supporting a light source that emits light from the housing's edge cavity portion into its center cavity portion. A reflector, at least a portion of which spans the center cavity portion of the housing and which portion has a proximal and distal edge in relation to the light source, lies along a path that curves inwardly of the housing such that, when the reflector is viewed through the housing's light passage opening from the level of a task surface below the task light and from any position to the front of the task light, the luminance of the spanning portion of the reflector from reflected source light is substantially uniform over substantially the entirety of the spanning portion of the reflector. By maintaining the spanning portion of the reflector at a low luminance level, preferably below approximately 250 footlamberts, the reflector, as an operatively luminous optical element that presents itself to the task area, can be substantially eliminated as a source of reflected glare. In a lens version of the invention, a lens covers the housing's light passage opening and becomes the luminous optical element presented to the task area having a uniform low luminance. The lens can advantageously be used to achieve uniform light distributions within the task area.

Task light

Direct indirect fluorescent lighting fixture

A luminaire, and typically an indirect luminaire, is provided with at least one visible lens element or other light transmissive media, the observable brightness of which is intended to enhance the performance of the luminaire in terms of providing a psychologically pleasing lighting environment. The brightness induced in the lens element is controlled by directing source light to the lens through a confined indirect light path provided by reflector components within the luminaire. Additionally, a light shield is provided internally of the luminaire to prevent direct source light from reaching the lens element. Preferably, at least one of the reflector components in the indirect light path is a diffuse reflector such that source light incident on the lens element is diffuse light. The amount of diffused source light reaching the lens element along the indirect light path is controlled by adjusting the size of an aperture disposed in the light path; any contributions to lens brightness from light reflected back from interior wall surfaces can be controlled or eliminated, if needed or desired, by a separate light shield element provided for this purpose. In accordance with the invention, the level of lens brightness can readily be controlled and the effects of the surrounding mounting environment for the fixture on lens brightness minimized or eliminated. Also eliminated will be the potential for hot spots on the lens, while overall uniformity of lens brightness will be improved.

Lensed luminaire with lens brightness control and method

A lensed reflector system for a luminaire produces a specular beam of reflected light to provide a degree of directivity to an otherwise non-directive reflector surface. The lensed reflector system is formed by a prismatic lens material, such as a Fresnel lens, overlaying a reflector substrate having, in one aspect of the invention, a diffuse reflecting surface. The combination of the diffuse reflector and prismatic lens, together with the positioning of the reflector system in relation to the luminaire's light source, provides a reflector system which uniquely exhibits both diffuse and specular reflection characteristics depending on the angle at which the reflector system is viewed. The lensed reflector system of the invention can suitably be used in indirect lighting systems employing compact fluorescent lamps for increasing the spread of light from the fixture onto adjacent wall surfaces. The invention also comtemplates a lensed reflector system having a specular reflector substrate wherein a beam of enhanced specular reflectance is produced from an otherwise normally specular reflecting surface.

Luminaire having a lensed reflector system for improved light

An indirect lighting system having a generally visible light transmissive element, such as a prismatic lens element or a diffuser strip, which modifies the direction of the light incident thereon from a secondary light source. The lighting system has a primary light source and structural means for positioning the primary light source proximate a reflective surface which reflects light back toward the light transmissive element and which thereby acts as a secondary source of light for illuminating this element. A light foil means is disposed between the primary light source and light transmissive element for substantially blocking direct transmission of light to the latter from the former. The light foil means, by keeping primary source light from directly striking the light transmissive element, forces the observable brightness in this element to be induced substantially entirely by the reflected light from the secondary source.

Indirect luminaire having a secondary source induced low brightness lens

An indirect luminaire which has an opaque housing that masks light directed downwardly of the luminaire is provided with an elevated light source, that is, a light source which is elevated relative to the side walls of the luminaire housing. Luminaire lenses extend upwardly from the side walls to receive generally laterally directed light and to redirect same. The luminaire lenses are formed to receive laterally directed light from the elevated light source and to refract same in a direction near or above the horizontal plane of the fixture such that the pervasive problem of excessive brightness in certain prismatic surfaces is substantially eliminated. Also disclosed is two level lighting employing an elevated light source and a lens in accordance with the invention and a second light source directly beneath the elevated light source in an over/under relation. The disclosed two level lighting provides two levels of light without disturbing the symmetry of the light distribution pattern of the luminaire.

Lensed indirect luminaire with side angle brightness control

The luminaire includes a source of light in an opaque housing which extends beneath the source and upwardly about the sides of the source to hide the source from direct view from a horizontal line of sight even with the source. A lens is mounted to the housing above the source and extending around to join with the upper edge of the housing. The lens includes an upper light-dispersing portion which diverges one portion and only displaces another portion of the light from the source to provide an even distribution of luminance to a ceiling above the source. The lens also includes a lateral light-bending portion which receives light from the source and fans it out laterally over the side of the housing to continue the uniform illumination pattern of the ceiling and to illuminate vertical surfaces in the vicinity of the luminaire. A reflector beneath the source directs light onto the lateral light-bending portion of the lens to at least partly compensate for the fact that the light passing through the lateral portion of the lens normally travels farther to the surface it is illuminating and also strikes any horizontal surface at an increased angle of incidence. The lens and housing cooperate to enclose the source of light to prevent dust from entering, and the lateral portion of the lens provides a visible source of light to a person in the room being illuminated.

Luminaire for indirect lighting

A method for indirectly illuminating an interior space is disclosed wherein a laterally extended overhead distribution of light is produced from a source of indirect lighting, such as a fluorescent indirect luminaire, by directing a portion of the source light upward to produce a luminance pattern on the ceiling surface directly overhead and then refracting substantially all of another portion of the source light laterally of the indirect luminaire so as to spread the refracted portion away from the directly overhead luminance pattern. Illustrated is a luminaire having trough-shaped lensed for achieving the method of the invention wherein the lateral portions of the lens act to refract the light laterally as above described, and the top lens portion is formed to diverge the light incidence thereon directly overhead in a substantially uniform luminance pattern which is extended by the light refracted through the lateral lens portions.

Method for indirect lighting

An elongated indirect luminaire is provided with two separate lens elements in the form of a primary trough-shaped lens cover supported over the luminaire's light source and at least one secondary lens strip supported laterally of the primary lens cover. A prismatic surface is formed on the lens cover for directing a portion of the available source light to the secondary lens strip; the secondary lens in turn has a prismatic surface designed for redirecting the light in a desired controlled fashion. The laterally placed secondary lens provides added control to the light distribution in the lateral regions of the luminaire near the luminaire's operative horizontal plane, and, in the illustrated embodiment, is designed to slightly boost the light in the lateral regions near the horizontal plane in a manner that provides improved control over the luminance of the secondary lens at viewing angles near the horizontal plane of the fixture. Such optical control provides a visible low brightness secondary lens in a fixture mounted at or near eye level.

Lensed indirect luminaire having improved light distribution control

A linear light passing media, typically a linear prismatic lens or a linear diffuser strip, is provided with linear areas of coloration to give a striped effect to the media. Color or neutral stripes are provided to areas of the media that are observable by persons standing in the vicinity of the lighting fixture; they act to give the media a psychological pleasing appearance, or on linear prismatic lenses, to mask out bright strips on the prismatic surfaces or at the base of the lens.

Linear light passing media having certain striped characteristics

A long, linear indirect lighting fixture of a relatively small cross-sectional dimension which is mounted above eye level is comprised of lamps secured within an elongated housing, and a reflector and side lenses which direct and refract the greatest portion of luminous flux from the lamps above the horizontal plane of the fixture, yet a small portion of the luminous flux below but near the horizontal plane. The portion of light directed below but near the horizontal plane, which is controlled by, among other things, the relative placement of the lens and lamps, is great enough for an individual to have a perception of seeing a light source but small enough to avoid discomfort produced by glare.

Growing community of inventors

Alamo, CA, United States of America

Peter Y Ngai