DESC:FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to a housing for a lighting apparatus and specifically to a housing with an integrated light guiding portion for a lighting apparatus.

BACKGROUND

Light-emitting diode or LED is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current is supplied to it. LEDs have higher lumen efficacy over fluorescent light or incandescent light sources and thus are a preferable choice in making lighting devices, such as ceiling mounted lighting panels. The lighting devices are usually made of an array of LEDs housed in a housing and a light-guiding plate (LGP) is placed in the housing to direct the LED light toward the area of illumination. The housing also includes a light diffuser applied to the LGP that diffuses the LED light passing therethrough.

There are various limitations associated with the current lighting devices. For instance, the use of multiple screens and films in the form of the LGP and light diffuser affects the luminescence of the LED. Moreover, the use of the LGP and light diffuser increases the number of parts used to assemble the lighting apparatus thereby making the current lighting apparatus complex. Moreover, an increased number of parts also increase the overall cost of the lighting apparatus. In addition, repair work of a defective lighting apparatus is also cumbersome due to its complex structure.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts, in a simplified format, that are further described in the detailed description of the invention. This summary is neither intended to identify key or essential inventive concepts of the invention and nor is it intended for determining the scope of the invention.

The present disclosure relates to a lighting apparatus that has a light-guiding portion integrated into the housing. The lighting apparatus has a simple structure and has fewer parts and does away a need for a separate light diffuser.

In an embodiment, a lighting apparatus is disclosed that includes a housing. The housing has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. In addition, the housing includes a set of housing walls extending from the second surface and defining an enclosed portion on the second surface. The lighting apparatus includes a light guiding portion formed on the first surface and at the enclosed portion and a plurality of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) disposed within the enclosed wall and adapted to emit LED light, such that the plurality of LEDs is positioned orthogonal to the LGP portion.

In another embodiment, the housing includes a back plate having a set of mounting walls adapted to attach to the set of housing walls and a heat sink enclosed between the back plate and the second surface and adapted to mount the plurality of LEDs thereon to dissipate heat from the LEDs.

According to the present disclosure, the LGP is formed on the housing thereby alleviating a need for a separate LGP used in the current lighting apparatus. Moreover, the integrated LGP also prevents the use of a light diffuser thereby making the lighting apparatus simple in structure.

To further clarify advantages and features of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof, which is illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 illustrates an exploded view of a lighting apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an assembled lighting apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 3 illustrates a side view and front view of a housing of the lighting apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
Figure 4 illustrates a side view and front view of a heat sink of the lighting apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and
Figure 5 illustrates a side view and front view of a back plate of the lighting apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Further, skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the drawings are illustrated for simplicity and may not have necessarily been drawn to scale. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the drawings by conventional symbols, and the drawings may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the drawings with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having benefit of the description herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

For the purpose of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated system, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skilled in the art to which invention belongs. The system and examples provided herein are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.

For example, the term “some” as used herein may be understood as “none” or “one” or “more than one” or “all.” Therefore, the terms “none,” “one,” “more than one,” “more than one, but not all” or “all” would fall under the definition of “some.” It should be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the terminology and structure employed herein is for describing, teaching, and illuminating some embodiments and their specific features and elements and therefore, should not be construed to limit, restrict or reduce the spirit and scope of the present disclosure in any way.

For example, any terms used herein such as, “includes,” “comprises,” “has,” “consists,” and similar grammatical variants do not specify an exact limitation or restriction, and certainly do not exclude the possible addition of one or more features or elements, unless otherwise stated. Further, such terms must not be taken to exclude the possible removal of one or more of the listed features and elements, unless otherwise stated, for example, by using the limiting language including, but not limited to, “must comprise” or “needs to include.”

Whether or not a certain feature or element was limited to being used only once, it may still be referred to as “one or more features” or “one or more elements” or “at least one feature” or “at least one element.” Furthermore, the use of the terms “one or more” or “at least one” feature or element do not preclude there being none of that feature or element, unless otherwise specified by limiting language including, but not limited to, “there needs to be one or more...” or “one or more elements is required.”

Unless otherwise defined, all terms and especially any technical and/or scientific terms, used herein may be taken to have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person ordinarily skilled in the art.

Reference is made herein to some “embodiments.” It should be understood that an embodiment is an example of a possible implementation of any features and/or elements of the present disclosure. Some embodiments have been described for the purpose of explaining one or more of the potential ways in which the specific features and/or elements of the proposed disclosure fulfil the requirements of uniqueness, utility, and non-obviousness.

Use of the phrases and/or terms including, but not limited to, “a first embodiment,” “a further embodiment,” “an alternate embodiment,” “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “multiple embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “other embodiments,” “further embodiment”, “furthermore embodiment”, “additional embodiment” or other variants thereof do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, one or more particular features and/or elements described in connection with one or more embodiments may be found in one embodiment, or may be found in more than one embodiment, or may be found in all embodiments, or may be found in no embodiments. Although one or more features and/or elements may be described herein in the context of only a single embodiment, or in the context of more than one embodiment, or in the context of all embodiments, the features and/or elements may instead be provided separately or in any appropriate combination or not at all. Conversely, any features and/or elements described in the context of separate embodiments may alternatively be realized as existing together in the context of a single embodiment.

Any particular and all details set forth herein are used in the context of some embodiments and therefore should not necessarily be taken as limiting factors to the proposed disclosure.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

For the sake of clarity, the first digit of a reference numeral of each component of the present disclosure is indicative of the Figure number, in which the corresponding component is shown. For example, reference numerals starting with digit “1” are shown at least in Figure 1. Similarly, reference numerals starting with digit “2” are shown at least in Figure 2.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a lighting apparatus 100, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, Figure 1 illustrates an exploded view of the lighting apparatus 100 while Figure 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the assembled lighting apparatus 100. The lighting apparatus 100 may be employed to provide illumination in a space and can be mounted on a ceiling of the space. The lighting apparatus 100 can either be installed as a single unit or an array/grid in the space. Further, the lighting apparatus 100 may employ an array of Light Emitting Diodes (LED) 102 (shown in Figure 2) to provide illumination. The lighting apparatus 100 includes, but is not limited to, a housing 104, a reflector 106, a heat sink 108, and a back plate 110, details of each will be explained in subsequent paragraphs.

In one example, the housing 104 may be transparent and may be made of plastic. Referring now to Figure 3 that illustrates a front view (A) and a top view (B) of the housing 104. In the present embodiment, the housing 104 may have a square shape. In other embodiments, the housing 104 may have a different shape, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The housing 104 may have a first surface 112 that faces towards the space to be illuminated and a second surface 114 opposite to the first surface 112 and facing the ceiling. In an example, the first surface 112 may be flush with the ceiling when installed thereon and the second surface 114 may be embedded in the ceiling. The housing 104 may include a set of enclosing walls 118 that extends from the second surface 114 and forms an enclosed portion on the second surface 114. Further, each enclosing wall 118 has an adequate height for the enclosed portion to house other components of the lighting apparatus 100. Further, the portions outside the enclosing walls 118 may form a plurality of flanges 120 of the housing 104.

The housing 104 also includes a light guiding portion 122 formed on the first surface 112 underneath the enclosed portion. The light guiding portion 122 is configured to direct the light emitted from an array of LED 102 (shown in Figure 2) towards the space in the direction D. The light guiding portion 122 may be formed by engraving a portion of the first surface 112 using lasers. The laser engraving carves out a pre-defined pattern on the light guiding portion 122, such that the pre-defined pattern directs the light in the direction D. As shown in Figure 2, the reflector 106 is placed on top of the light guiding portion 122 to reflect a portion of the LED light incident thereon towards the light guiding portion 122 for transmission in the direction D.

In one example, forming the light guiding portion 122 on the first surface 112 eliminates the need for a separate LGP film. As a result, the light guiding portion 122 results in simpler construction. In addition, the light guiding portion 122 doubles up as the light diffuser thereby avoiding a separate light diffuser to disperse the light and makes the lighting apparatus 100 simpler. Moreover, since the light guiding portion 122 is performed on plastic material, the housing 104 can be made of plastic material as opposed to metal and/or alloy there reducing the overall weight of the lighting apparatus 100.

In an example, the plurality of flanges 120 may extend from the light guiding portion 122. While the light guiding portion 122 guides the light and hence is transparent, the flanges 120 can either be opaque or transparent or include a design. In one example, the flanges 120 may be kept opaque while in another example, the flanges 120 may be kept transparent or translucent. In another example, the flanges 120 may be coloured or a pattern or variations may be made, such as a logo of the company. In either case, the flanges 120 are designed to enhance the aesthetics of the lighting apparatus 100.

Referring now to Figure 2, a thickness T1 of the housing 104 at the light guiding portion 122 is greater than a thickness T2 of the housing 104 at the flanges 120. The greater thickness may be provided to enable laser engraving and to allow maximum light to enter the light guiding portion 122. The light guiding portion 122 is sized to have a smaller dimension than the overall dimension of the enclosed portion, such that a gap is formed between the walls of the light guiding portion 122 and the enclosing walls 118. Further, the plurality of LED 102 may be installed in the gap, such that a region 126 on the first surface 112 opposite to the plurality of LED 102 may exist. Further, as shown in Figure 3, the region 126 may surround the light guiding portion 122. In one example, the region 126 is opaque to prevent transmission of stray light emitted from the LED 102 therethrough.

Referring now to Figure 4 that illustrates a front view (A) and a top view (B) of the heat sink 108. The heat sink 108 may be installed inside the gap between the light guiding portion 122 and the enclosing walls 118. The heat sink 108 includes a flat metallic plate 128 and a set of extensions 130 that extends from the ends of the plate 128. Referring now to Figure 2, the heat sink 108 is mounted in an inverted position, such that the extensions 130 are inserted in the gap while the plate 128 may rest on the reflector 106. Further, the heat sink 108 has the LED light mounted on the extensions 130, such that the LED 102 is orthogonal to the direction D1. In one example, the heat sink 108 may include a hole 132 on the plate 128 to allow passage of electrical wires therethrough for the LED 102. The heat sink 108 may be made of Aluminium to dissipate of the heat generated during the operation of the LED 102. Referring back to Figure 2, the heat sink 108 may be encapsulated by the back plate 110.

Referring now to Figure 5 that illustrates a front view (A) and a top view (B) of the back plate 110. The back plate 110 may act as a cover for the enclosed portion of the second surface 114. In addition, the back plate 110 may prevent dust from entering the gap of the enclosed portion. The back plate 110 is designed to perform two tasks. First, the back plate 110 covers the components in the enclosed portion and second, the back plate 110 is configured to mount the housing 104 on the ceiling. The back plate 110 may include a base 134 and a set of mounting walls 136 that extends from the base 134. In one example, the mounting walls 136 may be adapted to couple to the enclosing walls 118 of the housing 104 as shown in Figure 2.

In order to couple the mounting walls 136 to the enclosing walls 118, the mounting walls 136 may include locks 138. In one example, the locks 138 can be the snap-lock adapted to be inserted into complementing holes (not shown) in the enclosing walls 118. In addition, the back plate 110 may include protrusions 140 that extends from the top of the mounting walls 136 to mount the back plate 110 on the ceiling. As shown in Figure 5, the pair of opposite facing mounting wall 136 may include the protrusions 140. Further, the protrusions 140 are adapted to receive mounting springs. The back plate 110 also includes a hole 142 that is coaxial with the hole 132 (shown in Figure 4) of the heat sink (shown in Figure 4) when the back plate 110 is attached to the housing 104. The hole 142 may allow passage of electrical wires therethrough for the LED 102. Referring back to Figure 2, the back plate 110 has a plurality of spacers 144 sandwiched between the back plate 110 and the heat sink 108 and is adapted to absorb vibrations from the back plate 110 and the heat sink 108.

Referring back to Figure 1, the assembly of the lighting apparatus 100 is now explained. In order to assemble the lighting apparatus 100, the housing 104 may be placed on a fixture or a platform. Thereafter, the reflector 106 may be attached to the light guiding portion 122. Once attached, the LED 102 may be attached to the extensions 130 via adhesive and the electrical wires of the LED 102 may be passed through the hole 132. The heat sink 108 may be placed in the enclosed portion. Once installed, the electrical wires are again passed through the hole 142 in the back plate 110 and finally, the back plate 110 may be installed by inserting the locks 138 in the holes (not shown) of the enclosing wall 118. Once the locks 138 secures the back plate 110 to the housing 104, the protrusions 140 may be inserted in locking connectors in the ceiling to secure the lighting apparatus 100 to the ceiling.

According to the present disclosure, the light guiding portion 122 formed on the housing 104 eliminates a need for three separate components in current lighting devices, namely the housing, the LGP, and the light diffuser. As a result, the light guiding portion 122 formed on the housing 104 reduces the number of components used in the lighting apparatus 100. Moreover, the use of locks 138 enables easy disassembly of the lighting apparatus 100 in case of LED malfunction thereby making the repair and maintenance of the lighting apparatus 100 easy.

While specific language has been used to describe the present disclosure, any limitations arising on account thereto, are not intended. As would be apparent to a person in the art, various working modifications may be made to the method in order to implement the inventive concept as taught herein. The drawings and the foregoing description give examples of embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the described elements may well be combined into a single functional element. Alternatively, certain elements may be split into multiple functional elements. Elements from one embodiment may be added to another embodiment. ,CLAIMS:I/We Claim:
1. A lighting apparatus (100) comprising:
a housing (104) having a first surface (112) and a second surface (114) opposite to the first surface (112), and a set of enclosing walls (118) extending from the second surface (114) and defining an enclosed portion on the second surface (114);
a Light guiding portion (122) formed on the first surface (112) and underneath the enclosed portion; and
a plurality of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) (102) disposed within the enclosed wall and adapted to emit LED (102) light, wherein the plurality of LEDs (102) is positioned orthogonal to the light guiding portion (122).

2. The lighting apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, comprising:
a back plate (110) having a set of mounting walls (136) adapted to couple to the set of enclosing walls (118); and
a heat sink (108) enclosed between the back plate (110) and the second surface (114) and adapted to mount the plurality of LEDs (102) thereon to dissipate heat from the LEDs (102).

3. The lighting apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 2, comprising a plurality of spacers (144) sandwiched between the back plate (110) and the heat sink (108) and is adapted to absorb vibrations from the back plate (110) and the heat sink (108).

4. The lighting apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, comprising a plurality of flanges (120) extending from the light guiding portion (122), wherein a thickness (T1) of the light guiding portion (122) is greater than a thickness (T2) of the flanges (120).

5. The lighting apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the flanges (120) is one of opaque, transparent, coloured, and includes variations thereon.

6. The lighting apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the back plate (110) and the heat sink (108) includes a hole to allow passage of wires therethrough.

7. The lighting apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 2, comprising a reflector mounted on the heat sink (108) and facing the second surface (114), wherein the reflector is adapted to reflect a portion of the LED (102) light incident thereon towards the light guiding portion (122).

8. The lighting apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the light guiding portion (122) is formed by laser engraving.

9. The lighting apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first surface (112) includes a region opposite to the plurality of LEDs (102) on the first surface (112) and surrounding the light guiding portion (122), wherein the region is opaque.

10. The lighting apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein a pair of opposite facing mounting wall (136) includes protrusions to receive a mounting spring.

11. The lighting apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing (104) is transparent and is made of plastic.