Lighting assembly

Abstract

A lighting assembly (10) comprises a light source assembly (12) including a light source component (14) and a light control circuit configured to change the correlated colour temperature (CCT) of the light source component (14). The lighting assembly (10) also includes a lens (20) being arranged in the lighting assembly (10) to permit access to the lens (20) when the lighting assembly (10) is in-situ, and to permit movement of the lens (20) in a prescribed manner while remaining in-situ. The lens (20) and the light source assembly (12) each include mutually engageable actuators (22a, 22b), the actuators (22a, 22b) being configured to translate movement of the lens (20) to movement of the actuators (22a, 22b) to physically actuate the light control circuit.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a lighting assembly.

[0002] It is known to use lighting to illuminate an area and to create a certain "look" or "mood" within a room or space in which the lighting is being used. One way to do this is by choosing a specific correlated colour temperature (CCT) of the lighting. CCT is known and understood in the art and is a way to measure the quality of white light. CCT describes the relative proportions of the low frequency reds and oranges and the higher frequency blues and violets in any particular white light. For example, CCT may be chosen to be rich in red and yellow wavelengths to give a "warm" cozy light which might be used in a living room, while another CCT may be chosen to be rich in blue wavelengths to give a "cool" white light which might be used in an office. CCT is measured in Kelvin and a warm light at one end of the spectrum may have a CCT of 2700K and a cool light at the other end of the spectrum may have a CCT of 5000K, with varying CCTs in between.

[0003] The CCT of a light may be chosen by installing a specific light source, e.g. bulb or LED, that is configured to emit light at the chosen CCT only. However, this restricts the ability to adapt the "mood" or "feeling" of room ad-hoc. It is known to provide an LED with a lighting circuit that can be switched so as to change the CCT of the light being emitted. This allows users to change the mood to feeling of a room as they please. However access to the circuit and switch is restricted by the lighting assembly such that removal of the lighting assembly is required in order to change the CCT.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided lighting assembly comprising: a light source assembly including a light source component and a light control circuit configured to change the correlated colour temperature of the light source component; a lens arranged relative to the light source component to permit light emitted from the light source component to, in use, pass through the lens, the lens being arranged in the lighting assembly to permit access to the lens when the lighting assembly is in-situ, and to permit movement of the lens in a prescribed manner while remaining in-situ; wherein the lens and the light source assembly each include mutually engageable actuators, the actuators being co-operable with one another to physically actuate the light control circuit upon movement of the lens, thereby causing a change in the correlated colour temperature of the light source component upon movement of the lens in the prescribed manner.

[0005] Such an arrangement permits a user to change the CCT of the light source component without having to remove, reinstall or replace any part of the lighting assembly. It also permits such a change in CCT without the need for a "smart light" being installed. Instead, a user can change the CCT of the light source component by moving the lens in a prescribed manner while the lens remains in-situ in the lighting assembly.

[0006] It will be understood that the circuitry required to permit a change in CCT of the light source component would be known by the skilled person.

[0007] Optionally, wherein the lens is arranged to rotate within the lighting assembly, such rotational movement causing the mutually engageable actuators to actuate light control circuit.

[0008] As such, the prescribed manner of the lens movement is to rotate the lens, which in turn actuates the light control circuit in order to change the CCT.

[0009] Preferably the lens includes an aperture accessible when the lighting assembly is in-situ, the aperture being configured to receive a tool for rotating the lens in the prescribed manner.

[0010] The lens including such an aperture provides a means for a user to "grip" the lens to rotate it. The tool may be a screwdriver or may be a coin or key.

[0011] Optionally, the mutually engageable actuators are configured to convert rotational movement to linear movement.

[0012] Such an arrangement permits the prescribed manner of movement of the lens to be rotational when the actuation of the light source component controller is linear. For example, the light control circuit may be operated via a push button or switch which requires linear motion to actuate, and so the rotational movement of the lens can be translated to linear motion to actuate the light control circuit.

[0013] There are many known mechanisms which convert rotational movement to linear movement, and it is understood that any suitable mechanism could be used with the invention.

[0014] In an example, the lens is arranged to permit linear inward movement within the lighting assembly, such linear inward movement causing the mutually engageable actuators to actuate the light control circuit.

[0015] Such movement allows a different way to actuate the light control circuit. This may be useful if, for example, the light control circuit is operated via a "push" motion, such as through use of a button or switch. It will be understood that "inward" movement refers to the lens being moveable towards the inner of, i.e. within, the lighting assembly in a pushing manner.

[0016] Optionally, the lens is arranged to permit linear inward movement within the lighting assembly and rotational movement within the lighting assembly, such combination of linear and rotational movement causing the mutually engageable actuators to actuate the light control circuit.

[0017] Such an arrangement may be used to help prevent accidental actuation of the light source assembly by including two separate motions that the user has to complete in order to change the CCT.

[0018] The mutually engageable actuators may include a toothed spindle and complementary toothed wheel.

[0019] The light control circuit may include a light source component controller in the form of a switch and / or press button.

[0020] The mutually engageable actuator of the lens may include a toothed wheel that at least partially extends around the lens, and wherein the mutually engageable actuator of the light source assembly may include a toothed spindle extending into and abutting the toothed wheel.

[0021] The actuator of the light source assembly may be interlocked with the light source component controller so as to translate movement of the actuator to the light source component controller.

[0022] The mutually engageable actuator of the lens may be integrated with the lens, wherein the lens includes a lens portion and an actuator portion.

[0023] Optionally, the light control circuit includes a light source component controller, the light source component controller forming the actuator of the light source assembly.

[0024] The light control circuit may include at least two light source component controllers, each of the light source component controllers being a switch that is connected to the light control circuit for producing separate correlated colour temperatures of the light source component when the switch is actuated, wherein actuation of more than one switch simultaneously results in a blended correlated colour temperature of the light source component.

[0025] According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a downlight lighting assembly comprising a lighting assembly as described hereinabove.

[0026] A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of a nonlimiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a cross section of a downlight lighting assembly according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a portion of the cross section of the downlight lighting assembly shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows the lens of the downlight lighting assembly shown in Figure 1; and Figures 4a and 4b show alternative embodiments of the downlight assembly shown in Figures 1 to 3.

[0027] A lighting assembly in the form of a downlight lighting assembly 10 is shown in Figures 1 to 3.

[0028] The downlight lighting assembly 10 includes a light source assembly 12 including a light source component in the form of an LED 14, a light control circuit (not shown) and an LED controller 18. The light control circuit is configured to change the correlated colour temperature (CCT) of the LED 14, and the LED controller 18 is configured to control the light control circuit.

[0029] The downlight lighting assembly 10 further includes a lens 20 that is arranged beneath (preferably directly beneath) the LED 14 (when the downlight lighting assembly 10 is in-situ) so as to permit light emitted from the LED 14 to pass through the lens 20.

[0030] The lens 20 and the light source assembly 12 each include mutually engageable actuators 22a, 22b which are in physical contact with one another. In this embodiment, the actuators 22a, 22b are also in physical contact with the LED controller 18.

[0031] The downlight lighting assembly 10 also includes a housing 24 which encases the light source assembly 12, lens 20 and actuators 22a, 22b.

[0032] In the embodiment shown, the lens 20 is configured to rotate within the lighting assembly 10. It will be understood that by rotate it is meant that the lens 20 turns while remaining in the same plane and in its lens position (i.e. underneath the LED 14). To permit such rotation, the lens 20 includes a slidable member 26 which slides within a channel 28 formed in the housing 24. Other components such as bearings may also be included to aid with the rotation. Any other suitable arrangement to permit rotation of the lens 20 within the housing 24 could be utilised and be in the scope of the invention.

[0033] In other embodiments, the lens 20 may be configured to permit linear inward movement of the lens 20 within the lighting assembly 10. In other words, the lens 20 may be able to be pushed into the housing 24 by a limited amount. It will be understood that there are many ways to permit and limit such movement, such as protruding portions within channels, the use of stop portions and potentially the use springs.

[0034] Moreover, in further embodiments of the invention, the lens 20 may be configured to permit both linear inward movement and rotational movement. Indeed, the movements may only be possible in a prescribed order (e.g. linear inward movement followed by rotational movement or vice versa). There are many known ways to permit such movements which would be understood by the skilled person.

[0035] The lens 20 may be made of two parts, a lens portion (i.e. the portion which directs the light) and a lens body portion (i.e. the remaining portion), wherein the lens portion is moveable (e.g. rotatable, linearly moveable inwards or a combination of both) relative to the lens body portion. Furthermore, the lens 20 may be made from a circular plastic ring (i.e. lens body portion) which rotates around the central part (i.e. the lens portion) of the lens 20.

[0036] As shown more clearly in Figure 3, the lens 20 includes an aperture 30 formed on the outer surface 32 of the lens. In this embodiment, the aperture 30 is in the form of a narrow slot 34 which is sized and shaped to receive a tool such a flathead screwdriver or coin. It will be understood that the aperture 30 may take any suitable form, depending on the tool intended to be used with it. For example, it may be square, hexagonal, a cross or similar, or a shape to compliment a specific type of screwdriver (e.g. flathead, Philips, Torx, Robertson, Hex, Pozidriv, tri-wing). The shape may be custom to compliment a specific tool which is provided with the lighting assembly 10.

[0037] The lens 20, and more particularly the aperture 30, is arranged to be accessible when the downlight lighting assembly 10 is installed, that is to say that there are no components of the assembly 10 that obstruct access to the aperture 30.

[0038] Returning to Figures 1 and 2, the LED controller 18 in this embodiment is a rotational switch 36 which has a rotational knob 37. The rotational switch 36 is one which is configured to select one of several binary switch outputs upon rotation of the knob 37 (i.e. it has several "stops" as it rotates which provide different outputs). The switch may take another form such as a dimmer.

[0039] The actuator 22a of the light source assembly 12 is a toothed spindle 38 which includes teeth 40 on an outer surface thereof. The spindle 38 is interlocked with the rotational switch 36 via interlocking members 42 which are located at one end (i.e. top end, when the lighting assembly 10 is installed) of the spindle 38. The interlocking members 42 are such that, as the spindle 38 rotates, it causes rotational movement of the switch 36, more specifically of the knob 37.

[0040] The actuator 22b of the lens 20 is a toothed wheel 44 which fully extends around the lens 20 with the teeth 40 formed on an inner surface of the wheel 44. The toothed wheel 44 is positioned within the housing 24 such that it extends upwards from the lens 20 (i.e. within the housing 24) so that it does not protrude externally from the lens 20. The toothed wheel 44 is integrally formed with the lens 20 (although this may not be the case).

[0041] The spindle 38 extends downwards towards the lens 20 and the teeth 40 are positioned at the end of the spindle 38 adjacent to the lens 20. More specifically, the spindle 38 extends towards the lens 20 such that the complimentary teeth 40 of the spindle 38 and the wheel 44 engage with one another.

[0042] In other embodiments, the actuators 22a, 22b may take another form which permits translation of the rotational movement of the lens 20 to actuate the LED controller 18. The actuators 22a, 22b may include a mechanism which translates rotational movement (of the lens 20) to linear movement so as to actuate the LED controller 18, which may be a push button or linear swich. As described previously, the lens 20 may permit linear inward movement and so the actuators 22a, 22b may be connected to another to allow that pushing movement to actuate the LED controller 18, which again may be a push button or linear switch.

[0043] In the embodiment shown, the actuators 22a, 22b are engaged with one another at all times. In other embodiments, the actuators 22a, 22b may be formed so that they are not engaged with one another until the prescribed movement of the lens 20 occurs, which brings the actuators 22a, 22b into engagement and such engagement permits the actuation of the LED controller 18. Moreover, in the embodiment shown, the actuator 22a of the light source assembly is engaged with the LED controller 18 at all times. In other embodiments, the actuator 22a of the light source assembly may not be engaged with the LED controller until the prescribed movement of the lens 20 occurs, which brings the actuator 22a and LED controller 18 into engagement and such engagement permits actuation of the LED controller 18. In this sense, the actuator 22a of the light source assembly 12 may not be a part of the light source assembly 12 but would be the actuator 22a that is associated with the light source assembly 12 (i.e. by virtue of it coming into engagement with the light source assembly 12 in use).

[0044] In this embodiment, the light source assembly 12 includes an LED array 46, i.e. on a LED board, and a separate power supply 48. It will be known that the power supply 48 includes components to permit operation of the LED array 46 when the downlight lighting assembly 10 is connected to mains power. The lighting assembly 10 may instead have its own power supply such as batteries. The LED controller 18, i.e. the switch 36, is located on the power supply 48. The light control circuit may be included in the power supply 48, the LED array 46 or both. The circuitry required to change the CCT of the LED 20 would be known to the skilled person.

[0045] In this embodiment, the LED array 46 is positioned adjacent and above the lens 20, i.e. towards the bottom of the lighting assembly 10 when it is installed, while the power supply 48 is located towards the opposite (i.e. top) end of the lighting assembly 10.

[0046] The LED array 46 and power supply 48 are arranged in parallel with one another in a horizontal fashion. There may be a separate housing for the power supply 48 and the remainder of the assembly 10.

[0047] The downlight lighting assembly 10 further includes a bezel 50, located adjacent to and extending around the lens 20, and spring clips 52 (as is common with downlight lighting assemblies). The downlight lighting assembly 10 would be installed in a ceiling with the lens 20 facing downwards into a room or space so as to illuminate an area within that room / space.

[0048] The downlight lighting assembly 10 further includes a sealing member 54 positioned between the lens 20 and the housing 24. It will be understood that the sealing member 54 may be positioned between the lens 20 and any suitable part of the housing 24, which may be a housing provided for by the bezel 50, the external housing components 24 or another separate housing component or compartment (this is dependent on the design of the lighting assembly 10).

[0049] The sealing member 54 may be made from any suitable material, for example rubber or silicone, and take a similar form to a gasket. The sealing member 54 is positioned in any suitable manner to provide a seal between the internal components (e.g. the electrical components) of the lighting assembly 10 and the outside elements (i.e. dust, debris, fire). More specifically, the sealing member 54 is preferably formed to provide an IP65 rating of the lighting assembly.

[0050] The lighting assembly 10 may not be a downlight lighting assembly 10, but may instead take any suitable form. Moreover, the light source component may be something other than an LED 14.

[0051] In use, when the downlight lighting assembly 10 is installed, a user rotates the lens 20 by inserting a tool (not shown) into the slot 34 and twisting the tool, thereby rotating (turning) the lens 20. The rotating movement of the lens 20 rotates the integrally formed toothed wheel 44, which in turn rotates the spindle 38 due to the engaged teeth 40 of the spindle 38 and the wheel 44. The interlocking arrangement of the spindle 38 and the LED controller 18 means that the LED controller 18, i.e. the knob 37 of the rotational switch 36, is also rotated. Therefore, rotational movement of the lens 20 is translated through to the LED controller 18.

[0052] The rotational switch 36 moves from the current switch position to another binary switch position and the user hears and / or feels a "click" which provide tactile feedback to the user that the switch 36 is in a correct position. The change in position changes the CCT output of the LED 14 via the light control circuit. There may be several switch positions, each of which provides a different CCT output of the LED 14.

[0053] It will be understood that "actuation" of the LED controller 18 may take any suitable form, such as pushing, pulling, rotating, engaging, abutting. It will also be understood that the actuator 22a of the light source assembly may be integrally formed with the LED controller 18 and, in some cases, may be the LED controller 18. For example, the LED controller 18 may be a rotary switch and the toggle or knob of the LED controller 18 may be the actuator of the light source assembly. In such an example, the actuator 22a, 18 of the lens 20 would operate directly with the toggle / knob of the LED controller 18 so as to translate movement of the lens to actuation of the LED controller 18.

[0054] Figures 4a and 4b show alternative embodiments of the lighting assembly 100, 200. The embodiments shown in Figures 4a and 4b are similar to that shown in Figures 1 to 3 and identical reference numerals indicate the same features as described hereinabove.

[0055] The lighting assembly 100 of Figure 4a differs to that shown in Figures 1 to 3 in that there are two LED controllers 118, in the form of switches, and that the LED controllers 118 are the actuators 122a of the light source assembly 12. Moreover, the actuator 122b of the lens 20 is in the form of a protrusion, or boss, extending out from an inner surface of the lens 20 towards the LED controllers 118 of the light source assembly 12 ("inner" referring to a surface inside the lighting assembly 100 when it is in-situ).

[0056] In this embodiment, the LED controllers 118 are positioned on the LED array / board 46 in succession. They may be welded onto the board. Moreover, each controller 118 has a switching element 120 which actuates the light control circuit.

[0057] The actuator 122b of the lens 20 extends in an upwards direction (relative to when the lighting assembly 100 is installed) towards the LED controllers 118. The actuator 122b extends from the surface of the lens 20 by an amount which allows the actuator 122b to come into contact with the switch element 120 of the LED controllers 118.

[0058] In this embodiment, the lens 20 is configured to rotate, as is previously described. Upon rotation of the lens 20, the lens actuator 122b moves in the path of one of the LED controllers 118 so as to contact, and actuate, the switching element 120 of the LED controller 118. Further rotation moves the lens actuator 122b in the path of the other LED controller 118 so as to actuate the switching element 120 of that LED controller 118. The switching elements 120 may be configured to allow actuation when the lens actuator 122b approaches the switching element 120 in the opposition direction such that rotation of the lens 20 in either direction actuates the LED controllers 118. Moreover, actuation in one direction may operate the light circuit in one mode (e.g. "on" to turn on a particular CCT) and actuation in the opposite direction may operate the light circuit in another mode (e.g. "off" to turn off a particular CCT).

[0059] It will be understood that the switching element 120 of the LED controllers 118 may take any suitable form which allows actuation of the switching element 120 upon a force being exerted on it by a passing boss or protrusion. For example, the switching element 120 may be a spring-loaded switch. Moreover, the surfaces of the switching element 120 and / or the boss may be complimentary to one another to help with the actuation, e.g. they may be slanted and / or curved.

[0060] In one embodiment, the LED controllers 118 are switches that are normally open. The two LED controllers 118 are placed after the LED power supply and the LED's. Each switch 118 is linked to a circuit which controls a different CCT, e.g. the first LED controller 118 is linked to the 3000K circuit and the second LED controller 118 is linked to the 6000K circuit. When the first switch 118 is open, current flows through the 3000K circuit and produces light from the associated LEDs 14 at that CCT. When the second switch 118 is open, current flows though the 6000K circuit and produces light from the associated LEDs 14 at that CCT. When both switches 118 are open, current flows through both circuits and this operates both circuits so as to produce a blended CCT, e.g. 4000K blended by 3000K and 6000K circuits.

[0061] In some embodiments, the lens actuator 122b may be located between the first and second LED controller 118 and actuate either switch 118, upon rotation of the lens 20 in either direction, so as to actuate either LED controller 118. Actuating the controller 118 may mean to close the switch 118, or open the switch 118.

[0062] In such embodiments, the switching of the CCT may be independent of the LED driver which turns the LEDs on / off.

[0063] The light assembly 200 shown in Figure 4b is similar to that shown in Figure 4a. The light assembly 200 of Figure 4b differs in that it includes a third switch (LED controller) 118 in succession with the first two switches 118. The light assembly 200 operates in a similar way to that of the assembly 100 shown in Figure 4a, this time with a third switch 118 which is able to produce a third CCT. The three CCT's may also be able to be operated simultaneously to produce one or more blended CCT's.

Claims

1. A lighting assembly comprising: a light source assembly including a light source component and a light control circuit configured to change the correlated colour temperature of the light source component; a lens arranged relative to the light source component to permit light emitted from the light source component to, in use, pass through the lens, the lens being arranged in the lighting assembly to permit access to the lens when the lighting assembly is in-situ, and to permit movement of the lens in a prescribed manner while remaining in-situ; wherein the lens and the light source assembly each include mutually engageable actuators, the actuators being co-operable with one another to physically actuate the light control circuit upon movement of the lens, thereby causing a change in the correlated colour temperature of the light source component upon movement of the lens in the prescribed manner.

2. A lighting assembly according to Claim 1 wherein the lens is arranged to rotate within the lighting assembly, such rotational movement causing the mutually engageable actuators to actuate the light control circuit.

3. A lighting assembly according to Claim 2 wherein the lens includes an aperture accessible when the lighting assembly is in-situ, the aperture being configured to receive a tool for rotating the lens in the prescribed manner.

4. A lighting assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the mutually engageable actuators are configured to convert rotational movement to linear movement.

5. A lighting assembly according to Claim 1 wherein the lens is arranged to permit linear inward movement within the lighting assembly, such linear inward movement causing the mutually engageable actuators to actuate the light control circuit.

6. A lighting assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the lens is arranged to permit linear inward movement within the lighting assembly and rotational movement within the lighting assembly, such combination of linear and rotational movement causing the mutually engageable actuators to actuate the light control circuit.

7. A lighting assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the mutually engageable actuators include a toothed spindle and complementary toothed wheel.

8. A lighting assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the actuator of the light source assembly is or includes a switch and / or press button.

9. A lighting assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the light source assembly includes at least two actuators, each of the actuators being a switch that is connected to the light control circuit for producing separate correlated colour temperatures of the light source component when the switch is actuated, wherein actuation of more than one switch simultaneously results in a blended correlated colour temperature of the light source component.

10. A lighting assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the mutually engageable actuator of the lens includes a toothed wheel that at least partially extends around the lens, and wherein the mutually engageable actuator of the light source assembly includes a toothed spindle extending into and abutting the toothed wheel.

11. A lighting assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the light control circuit includes a light source component controller, and wherein the actuator of the light source assembly is interlocked with the light source component controller so as to translate movement of the actuator to the light source component controller.

12. A lighting assembly according to any preceding claim wherein the mutually engageable actuator of the lens is integrated with the lens, wherein the lens includes a lens portion and an actuator portion.

13. A downlight lighting assembly comprising a lighting assembly according to any preceding claim.

14. A lighting assembly according to Claim 1 wherein the light source assembly includes a light source component controller configured to change the correlated colour temperature of the light source component, and wherein the mutually engageable actuators of the lens and the light source assembly are configured to translate movement of the lens to movement of the actuators to physically actuate the light source component controller, thereby causing a change in the correlated colour temperature of the light source component upon movement of the lens in the prescribed manner.

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