GB2581975A

GB2581975A - LED lighting apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2581975A
Application number: GB1902936.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Harris-Marsh Christopher
Original assignee: SQUARE RIG Ltd
Current assignee: SQUARE RIG Ltd
Priority date: 2019-03-05
Filing date: 2019-03-05
Publication date: 2020-09-09
Anticipated expiration: 2039-03-05
Also published as: GB2581975B; GB201902936D0

Abstract

A LED lighting apparatus for illuminating surfaces such as walkways and decking comprises a protective housing 2 having an inner side for mounting on a surface, an opaque outer side 7 and one or more side openings 9 formed between the inner side and the outer side 7. At least one LED is mounted within the protective housing at the inner side to direct light towards the outer side 7 and an optical element 3 is formed within the protective housing 2 to direct light from the at least one LED out of a side opening 9 of the housing. The apparatus is advantageous in that, by mounting the at least one LED within the protective housing to direct light towards an opaque outer side of the housing and then using an optical element to direct light out of a side opening the mounting of the at least one LED can be simplified in comparison with the prior art.

Description

TITLE

LED lighting apparatus

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to LED lighting. In particular, the present invention relates to LED lighting apparatus that is suitable for illuminating walkways, decking and other similar surfaces.

Background

It is often desirable to illuminate boat decks, boardwalks, footpaths, and other similar surfaces.

This can be done in a number of ways. Typically, lights are recessed in the surface such that they shine directly out of the surface. In many cases, this direct lighting is appropriate. However, in some cases it is not appropriate or desirable for the light to shine directly out of the surface. Instead, it is desirable to illuminate the surface by providing light sources that shine across the surface, for example light sources that shine horizontally across a horizontal surfaces.

When it is desirable to illuminate a surface horizontally it is necessary to provide light sources that are positioned immediately above the surface and that are mounted or positioned to direct light across the surface. There are numerous existing apparatus that do this. Due to their relatively low power consumption, controllability, cost, and size, LED lights are generally used in such apparatus. LED lights provide directional lighting. Therefore, in LED lighting apparatus designed to horizontally illuminate a surface the LED lights are mounted substantially vertically such that their light is directed horizontally across the surface appropriately. Mounting LEDs vertically relative to a horizontal surface is more complex than mounting LEDs horizontally and introduces numerous complexities in cooling, control, and power supply that are not present in apparatus in which LEDS can be mounted flat on a back plate to shine directly out of an apparatus.

In light of the above there is a need for an improved LED lighting apparatus that can be mounted on or in a horizontal surface to provide horizontal lighting of a surface that has a less complex construction.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides a LED lighting apparatus for illuminating a surface comprising: a protective housing having an inner side for mounting on a surface, an opaque outer side and one or more side openings formed between the inner side and the outer side; at least one LED mounted within the protective housing at the inner side and to emit light in a direction from the inner side toward the outer side; and an optical element formed within the protective housing to direct the light from the at least one LED out of a side opening of the housing.

The present invention is advantageous in that the at least one LED is mounted within the housing at the inner side to direct light to the outer side. That is, the at least one LED is not mounted to emit light directly out of the side of the housing, rather it is mounted within a housing at the inner side such that they direct light towards an opaque outer side. This allows the at least one LED to be directly mounted to the inner side and for the inner side to operate as a heat sink, if necessary. There is no need for complex mountings or heat sink arrangements for the at least one LED.

The housing of the apparatus may be formed in any manner apparent to the person skilled in the art. In embodiments of the invention the housing is formed such that it comprises a back plate and a front bezel mounted to the back plate. This is a simple and advantageous construction that allows the optical element to be positioned within the housing, between the front plate and the back plate, without difficulty. Further, in such embodiments, the at least one LED may be mounted on the back plate in a simple manner without the need for complex fixings or mountings. The at least one LED may be mounted directly on a back plate or may be mounted on a circuit board or other appropriate mounting means, which is then mounted to a back plate.

If the housing of the present invention comprises a back plate and a front bezel it may be preferable that a single aperture is formed in the back plate through which a power cable for the at least one LED can be mounted Having only a single aperture in the back plate provides a simple construction and can help ensure that the apparatus can remain watertight by minimising entrance points in the back plate. In order to provide a robust construction, if the housing comprises a back plate and a front bezel, it may be preferable that any space between the back plate and the front bezel is substantially filled by the optical element.

A front bezel of a housing of the present invention may be formed of any suitable material. For example, a front bezel may be formed of stainless steel. Stainless steel is advantageous in that it is a waterproof and strong material that can provide excellent protection to the optical element and the at least one LED.

The optical element of the present invention may be a single unitary element that acts on the 112 or each LED within the apparatus. A single unitary optical element may comprise separate physically connected optical sub-elements. For example, a unitary optical element may be a single moulded element comprising a plurality of lenses and/or reflectors and/or any other suitable optical sub-element. Alternatively, the optical element may consist of a plurality of physically separate optical sub-elements that each act on one or more LED. A unitary element may be advantageous in that it can provide a more robust and simple construction for the apparatus. An optical element of an apparatus according to the present invention may be formed of a suitable material such as an optical polymer, including high impact polymers.

The housing of the present invention may have a plurality of side openings to provide illumination in different directions about the housing. In such embodiments the optical element will act to direct light from at least one LED out through each of the openings If the housing has a plurality of side openings it may be preferable that the are equally spaced around a circumference of the housing.

In embodiments of the invention the apparatus may comprise a plurality of LEDs and the housing may have a plurality of side openings; in such embodiments it may be advantageous that a separate side opening is provided for each of the plurality of LEDs such that the optical elements acts to direct light from each LED out of a separate side opening. In alternative embodiments the optical element may act to direct the light from more than one LED out of at least one of the side openings. In embodiments of the invention the optical element may act to direct the light from more than one LED out of each of a plurality of side openings; that is, the light from two or more LEDs may be directed out of each side opening.

The optical element may act to direct light from a LED out of a side opening in any manner apparent to the person skilled in the art, including, but not limited to, reflection, refraction, or a combination thereof In embodiments of the invention the optical element consists of a plurality of optical sub-elements each formed to direct light from one or more LEDs out of a side opening of housing. An optical sub-element may be formed to direct light from a single LED out of a side opening of a housing. An optical sub-element may be formed to fit directly over one or more LEDs, for example an optical sub-element may have one or more indentations at an inner side into which the one or more LEDs may be located.

An optical sub-element of an apparatus according to the present invention acts to direct the light from said one or more LEDs out of a side opening and may be sized and shaped such that light emitted from said one or more LEDs that does not directly exit the housing via the side opening is deflected by the sub-element to exit the housing via the side opening along a beam path that is substantially parallel to the beam path of all other light deflected by said optical sub-element. The beam paths may be substantially parallel to a surface in or on which the apparatus is mounted. Alternatively, each sub-element may be sized shaped such that light emitted from said LED that does not directly exit the housing via the at least one opening is deflected by the sub-element to exit the housing via the at least one opening along a beam path that is oriented no more than 20°, preferably no more than 100, even more preferably no more than 5°, away from a direction that is parallel to a surface in or on which the apparatus is mounted.

A sub-element of an optical element according to the present invention may be a reflector and may deflect the light by means of reflection An apparatus according to the present invention may comprise any suitable number of LEDs For example, an apparatus according to the present invention may have one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten or more LEDs.

As will be readily understood any embodiment of an apparatus according to the present invention is intended to be mounted in or on a surface to illuminate said surface. On that basis, the skilled person will readily understood the proper orientation of embodiment of the present -5 -invention when mounted in or on an appropriate surface. On that basis, the skilled person would readily understand which parts of the apparatus and its component parts are an inner side, an outer side, and which directions will be parallel to a surface in or on which the apparatus may be mounted without the need to physically mount the apparatus to determine those directions.

That is, although parts of the present apparatus may be defined with reference to a surface in or on which an apparatus may be mounted, said surface does not form part of the present invention.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the preferred embodiments that are shown in the drawings and are discussed below.

Drawings Figure 1 is a top view of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a first side view of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a second side view of the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2; Figure 4 is an isometric view of the apparatus of the previous Figures; Figure 5 is a side view of an optical sub-element of the apparatus of the previous Figures; Figure 6 is a top view of the optical sub-element of Figure 5; and Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of LEDs, back plate, and optical element of the apparatus of Figures 1 to 4.

An embodiment of a LED lighting apparatus 1 according to the present invention is shown in the Figures. The apparatus 1 is intended for mounting on a surface (not shown) such as a walkway or a boat decking in order to illuminate said surface.

The apparatus 1 comprises a housing 2, an optical element 3, a plurality of LEDs 4, a cable 5, and a watertight cable gland 6. The housing 2 consists of an opaque stainless steel front bezel 7 and a back plate 8. Two side openings 9 are formed in the front bezel 7 of the housing 2. The optical element 3 is contained within the housing 2 between the front bezel 7 and the back plate 8. The apparatus 1 can be mounted to a surface by means of screw holes 10 formed through the front bezel 7 and the back plate 8 between the side openings 9. The cable gland 6 and cable 5 extend out of a rear side of the housing 2 at a central point of the back plate 8. The LEDs 4 are mounted on an upper side of the back plate 8 and are located within the apparatus] between the upper side of the back plate 8 and a lower side of the optical element 3. The LEDs 4 are oriented such that they shine light towards an inner side of the front bezel 7. The LEDs are supplied power via the cable 5. The front bezel 7 of the housing 2 has a profiled relief both on its upper surface and around the side openings 9 to aid water dispersion in wet conditions.

As shown in Figure 7, the optical element 3 is a unitary moulded element formed of high impact polymer and comprises a number of optical sub-elements 11 formed with the moulding. An individual optical sub-element 11 is shown in Figures 5 and 6. Each optical sub-element 11 is formed to sit directly above a LED 4 and has an indentation 12 formed at an inner side in which the LED 4 is located. Figures 5 and 6 show beam paths 13 of light emitted from the LED 4. A fo small portion of light emitted from the LED 4 will exit the apparatus 1 directly through the side opening 3 after passing through the optical sub-element 11 without being reflected. The beam paths of this portion of light are not shown in Figures 5 and 6. The majority of light emitted from the LED 4 will be incident upon a reflecting surface 14 of the optical sub-element 11 and be reflected out of the side opening 3. As can be seen in Figure 5, the reflecting surface 14 of the optical sub-element 11 is shaped such that the beam paths 13 of the reflected light from the LED 4 are substantially parallel to each other and to a surface on which the apparatus 1 is mounted when the beam paths exit the apparatus 1 via the side opening 3. This provides for excellent illumination of the surface.

Figure 6 shows the beam paths 13 of the reflected light from the LED 4 from a top view. As can be seen, the optical sub-element 11 acts to reflect the light from the LED 4 to provide a broad illumination of a surface on which the apparatus 1 is mounted.

As seen in Figure 7, the LEDs 4 are mounted on a circuit board 15 that is mounted on the back plate 8. The optical element 3 sits over the LEDs 4 and the circuit board 15 and against the back plate 8 around an outer circumferential edge. In order to provide a waterproof seal a rubber sealing member 16 is provided between the back plate 8 and the optical element 3 around an outer circumferential edge.

It is to be understood that the embodiment of the invention shown in the Figures is illustrative only and, unless otherwise indicated by context, any individual feature of the illustrated embodiment may be incorporated in an embodiment of the invention independently from any other feature.

Claims

Claims I. A LED lighting apparatus for illuminating a surface comprising a protective housing having an inner side for mounting on a surface, an opaque outer side and one or more side openings formed between the inner side and the outer side; at least one LED mounted within the protective housing at the inner side to direct light towards the outer side; and an optical element formed within the protective housing to direct light from the at least one LED out of a side opening of the housing.
2. A LED lighting apparatus according to claim I, wherein the housing comprises a back plate and a front bezel mounted to the back plate.
3, A LED lighting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the or each LED is mounted in the back plate
4 A LED lighting apparatus according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein a single aperture is formed in the back plate through which a power cable for the at least one LED can be mounted.
5. A LED lighting apparatus according to any of claims 2 to 4, wherein the front bezel is formed of stainless steel.
6 A LED lighting apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the optical element comprises a plurality of optical sub-elements.
7. A LED lighting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the optical element is a unitary moulded element.
8. A LED lighting apparatus according to any of claims Ito 6, wherein the optical element consists a plurality of physically separate optical sub-elements. -8 -
9 A LED lighting apparatus according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the optical element comprises a plurality of optical sub-elements and a separate optical sub-element is provided for each LED.
10. A LED lighting apparatus according to any of claims 6 to 9, wherein each optical sub-element is formed to fit over one or more LEDs.
11 A LED lighting apparatus according to any of claims 6 to 10, wherein each optical sub-element is sized and shaped such that any light from an LED that is incident upon the sub-element and that does not directly exit the housing via the at least one opening is deflected by the sub-element to exit the housing via the at least one opening along a beam path that is substantially parallel to the beam paths of all other light deflected from an LED by said optical sub-element.
12 A LED lighting apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the beam paths are parallel to a surface on, or in, which the apparatus is mounted.
13 A LED lighting apparatus according to any of claims 6 to 11, wherein each optical sub-element is sized and shaped such that any light from an LED that is incident upon the sub-element and that does not directly exit the housing via the at least one opening is deflected by the sub-element to exit the housing via the at least one opening along a beam path that is oriented no more than 100 away from a direction that is parallel to a surface in or on which the apparatus is mounted.
14, A LED lighting apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the optical element is formed of a high impact polymer.
15, A LED lighting apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the protective housing has a plurality of openings spaced around a circumference of the housing.
16 A LED lighting apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of openings are equally spaced around a circumference of the housing.
17. A LED lighting apparatus according to claim 15 or claim 16, wherein the apparatus comprises more than one LED and a separate opening is provided for each LED.
18. A LED lighting apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus comprises more than one LED and the light from two or more LEDs is directed through at least one opening.
19. A LED lighting apparatus according to any preceding claim, having two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, or ten LEDs