Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21V—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F21V7/00—Reflectors for light sources
  • F21V7/04—Optical design
  • F21V7/09—Optical design with a combination of different curvatures
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47F—SPECIAL FURNITURE, FITTINGS, OR ACCESSORIES FOR SHOPS, STOREHOUSES, BARS, RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE; PAYING COUNTERS
  • A47F3/00—Show cases or show cabinets
  • A47F3/001—Devices for lighting, humidifying, heating, ventilation
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
  • F21S4/00—Lighting devices or systems using a string or strip of light sources
  • F21S4/20—Lighting devices or systems using a string or strip of light sources with light sources held by or within elongate supports
  • F21S4/22—Lighting devices or systems using a string or strip of light sources with light sources held by or within elongate supports flexible or deformable, e.g. into a curved shape
  • F21S4/24—Lighting devices or systems using a string or strip of light sources with light sources held by or within elongate supports flexible or deformable, e.g. into a curved shape of ribbon or tape form, e.g. LED tapes
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21V—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F21V7/00—Reflectors for light sources
  • F21V7/0008—Reflectors for light sources providing for indirect lighting
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21V—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F21V7/00—Reflectors for light sources
  • F21V7/0066—Reflectors for light sources specially adapted to cooperate with point like light sources; specially adapted to cooperate with light sources the shape of which is unspecified
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21W—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO USES OR APPLICATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS
  • F21W2131/00—Use or application of lighting devices or systems not provided for in codes F21W2102/00-F21W2121/00
  • F21W2131/30—Lighting for domestic or personal use
  • F21W2131/305—Lighting for domestic or personal use for refrigerators
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21W—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO USES OR APPLICATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS
  • F21W2131/00—Use or application of lighting devices or systems not provided for in codes F21W2102/00-F21W2121/00
  • F21W2131/40—Lighting for industrial, commercial, recreational or military use
  • F21W2131/405—Lighting for industrial, commercial, recreational or military use for shop-windows or displays
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F21—LIGHTING
  • F21Y—INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED
  • F21Y2115/00—Light-generating elements of semiconductor light sources
  • F21Y2115/10—Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Definitions

• the invention relates to luminaries for display of products, such as in refrigerated cabinets.
• US7559672 (Inteled) describes a refrigerator luminaire having two mutually tilted lines of LEDs and a Fresnel lens over both lines of LEDs.
• the invention is directed towards achieving improved energy efficiency and/or more uniform spread of illumination, and/or simpler manufacture and installation in such luminaries.
• a luminaire comprising
• a linear array of light emitting diodes mounted on a substrate and extending along the longitudinal axis, and a top reflector means adapted to reflect light emitted by said array to both transverse sides of the luminaire while blocking light in a region between the two transverse sides.
• the top reflector means comprises a discrete reflector for each diode or cluster of diodes.
• each discrete reflector is mounted on the substrate in an arched configuration around and over the diode or diode cluster.
• the top reflector means comprises a pair of longitudinal reflective surfaces, one on each side of the longitudinal axis of the luminaire.
• said surfaces meet at an inner end at an apex pointing towards the diode.
• each of said surfaces joins an outer longitudinal surface.
• each of said outer longitudinal surfaces extends at a shallower angle to a plane of the substrate.
• the top reflector means comprises transverse reflective surfaces for deflecting emitted light substantially parallel to the plane of the substrate and away from the longitudinal axis of the luminaire.
• each diode or diode cluster there are two pairs of opposed transverse reflective surfaces for each diode or diode cluster, the pairs being on either side of the diode or diode cluster along said longitudinal axis.
• the discrete reflector is removably mounted by legs on the substate.
• the luminaire further comprises a side reflector means arranged to reflect some light emitted from the LEDs or reflected from the top reflector means.
• the side reflector is arranged to reflect some light into the space from which light is blocked by the top reflector means.
• the side reflector comprises a reflective strip removably mounted onto the structure on each side of the longitudinal axis.
• transverse sides of the side reflectors snap-fit into grooves in the structure.
• the luminaire further comprises a cover over the LEDs, configured to act as dispersing lens.
• the structure is configured to act as a mullion.
• the structure comprises a front part providing a mullion external surface, and an internal part supporting the substrate.
• a side of the structure opposed to the diodes has longitudinal ridges and grooves to allow snap-fitting of a cover.
• said cover is a label.
• the luminaire comprises a flexible seal extending from the structure on each side of the longitudinal axis in a rearward direction away from the diodes.
• the seal is of silicone material.
• each seal is configured to snap fit into a longitudinal groove of the structure.
• a luminaire comprising:
• a linear array of light emitting diodes mounted on a substrate and extending along the longitudinal axis, and a flexible seal extending from the structure on each side of the longitudinal axis in a rearward direction away from the diodes, said seals being configured to enclose a space between the structure and a cabinet structural member.
• the seal is of moulded construction, configured to fit into a longitudinal grove or around a longitudinal ridge of the structure.
• a display case comprising a luminaire as defined above and a product support shelf, the luminaire being mounted so that the shelf is closest to a central plane extending through the longitudinal axis, working distance increases with angle of divergence from the central plane, and the top reflector means causes illumination intensity to increase with angle of divergence from said central plane.
• the luminaire is mounted such that the shelf is substantially normal to said central plane.
• the luminaire is mounted vertically between display case frame members.
• the luminaire is mounted behind hinges of two opposed doors, diverging light from the luminaire illuminating products behind both of the doors.
• Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective and side views of an individual LED and associated top reflector
• Fig. 5 is a diagram showing mounting of two luminaries at cabinet mullions and the line of sight of a person
• Fig. 6 is a set of plots showing illumination patterns
• Fig. 8 is a plot showing approximate luminaire-observed surface area across the width of the cabinet
• Fig. 9 is a plot showing approximate light emission intensity across the width of the cabinet
• Fig. 10 is a plot showing approximate light intensity at the working distance
• Figs. 11 and 12 are diagrams showing vertical mounting of a luminaire of the invention behind a door of a cabinet
• Fig. 13 is set of views showing mounting of a luminaire of the invention at the edge of a shelf, achieving illumination above and below the shelf;
• each discrete reflector 4 presents eight polished reflective surfaces to the LED 3. These are the internal surfaces of the following walls on each side of a longitudinal axis through the LEDs 3 : a wall 15 which extends in a direction having upward and transverse components with respect to the PCB 10, a wall 16 extending as a continuation of a wall 15 but at a shallower angle to the plane of the PCB 10, and two vertical end walls 17 each of which extends in a direction having longitudinal and transverse components with respect to the PCB luminaire.
• each top reflector 4 is arranged in the general form of an arch around and over each LED 3.
• the material of the top reflector 4 is moulded plastics, the reflective surfaces of which are coated in aluminium in a vapour deposition process for good reflectivity.
• each top reflector 4 is supported by legs 20 which engage in corresponding apertures in the substrate 10.
• the luminaire 1 also comprises an elongate removable lower cover 30 having opposed lips 31 snap-fitting over opposed ridges 32 of the structure 2.
• the structure 2 comprises two pairs of opposed ridges 33 and 34, which retain between them a side reflector 40 and the lens 5.
• the arrangement of the structure 2 allows flexibility as the side reflector 40 can be removed for some applications.
• two luminaries 50 are spaced-apart in the vertical plane in a cabinet behind mullions 51.
• the luminaries 50 do not have side reflectors in this embodiment.
• the structure 2 supports a pair of opposed snap-fitted silicone seals 52 shaped to cover the gap between the luminaire body and the mullion 51 on each side of the longitudinal axis.
• Fig. 5 also shows that the structure 2 blocks laterally-directed light so that a customer does not look directly into emitted light; it only illuminates the products within the cabinet. In this way, the structure acts a visor on each side.
• the side reflectors 40 run along the entire length of the luminaire, on two sides of the light engine (assembly of electronic boards carrying the linear array of LEDs), of discrete reflectors, located over the LEDs, and fixed onto the boards (in our case they clip in through two little holes in the board) and of a plastic extrusion cover acting as dispersing lens.
• Each discrete reflector 4 exhibits the following specific properties and attributes and carries the following functions:
• the side reflectors 40 are positioned on either side of the light engine in some embodiments, to channel some of the emitted the light towards the centre of the cabinet. These reflectors run along the entire length of the luminaire, and are therefore independent of the LED pitch. They reflect light coming directly from the LED towards the back of the mullion, behind the discrete reflectors 4. Also, they reflect the light reflected from the discrete reflectors towards the middle of the cabinet. They are held up in place by the light engine (electronics boards) and the extruded cover.
• the lens 5 increases the uniformity of the light normal to the axis of the luminaire. It consists of a plastics extruded material containing grooves running along the length of the luminaire. On the inner side of the extrusion, two grooves are present on either side of the position determined by the discrete reflector 4. The start of these grooves coincides with the edge of the discrete reflector. On the upper side of the extrusion, a series of four grooves is present above each underside grooves. The grooves have the function of dispersing light, similarly to a dispersing lens.
• the top reflector 4 blocks from the hemisphere a large region above the LED. The full intensity of emitted light is hence combined into two regions transversely of the longitudinal axis of the luminaire. If one considers that there is a plane extending through the LED linear array and the top reflectors 4, then the top reflector reflects light away from a region including this plane.
• a major benefit is that a single linear array of LEDs effectively provides illumination of two separate regions on each transverse side of the luminaire, avoiding need for two separate linear arrays of LEDs and hence reducing cost and power consumption.
• the luminaire 1 may be mounted along the front edge of a shelf S. Here, it provides illumination both above and below the shelf. As shown, a price tag 120 may be supported, again in a manner akin to the rear casing part 30.
• the invention is not limited to the embodiments described but may be varied in construction and detail.
• the luminaire may be behind doors which open in the same sense, rather then behind opposed doors s illustrated.
• the lens is structured for more physical conformity with the external shape of the reflectors as viewed in cross-section.
• the arrangement of side seals to define an enclosure between the luminaire and a mullion may be employed in a luminaire without a top reflector.
• the luminaire may extend along a longitudinal axis which is curved instead of being straight.
• the linear array of LEDs may be more than one LED across is some embodiments.
• each top reflector there may be a small cluster, possibly of different colours chosen according to colour mixing (eg. CRI or colour temperature) requirements.
• the LEDs may be bare or encapsulated.
• the top reflector need not have flat planar surfaces. For example they could be curved, either concave or convex. Indeed it is envisaged that they may not meet at a discrete apex, instead being in a single continuous curve.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Arrangement Of Elements, Cooling, Sealing, Or The Like Of Lighting Devices (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

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Family Cites Families (4)

• 2009
  • 2009-10-21 EP EP09744771A patent/EP2344807A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2009-10-21 WO PCT/IE2009/000073 patent/WO2010046887A1/en not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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