Small aperture lighting system
The lighting system addresses glare and maintenance challenges of small aperture fixtures by using optical components and removable cartridges with heatsink assemblies for improved thermal management and ease of service, providing a visually appealing and functional lighting solution.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-10-06
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-09
AI Technical Summary
Conventional recessed lighting fixtures with small apertures suffer from glare and are difficult to service and maintain due to their compact design, which complicates access to components above the ceiling.
The proposed lighting system incorporates a housing assembly, heatsink assembly, and a cartridge with a LED light source, featuring optical components to minimize glare and facilitate easy maintenance by allowing removable cartridges and driver modules through the small aperture, along with a heatsink assembly for improved cooling and cableless electrical connectors.
The system achieves low glare and ease of maintenance by focusing light through a crossover beam and using removable components, while enhancing thermal dissipation and electrical connectivity, resulting in a visually appealing and functional lighting solution.
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Figure US2025049734_09042026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001SMALL APERTURE LIGHTI NG SYSTEMCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
[0001] This application claims the priority benefit, under 35 U.S.C. 119(e), of U.S. Application No. 63 / 703,306, filed October 4, 2024 and entitled, “SMALL APERTURE LIGHTING SYSTEM,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND
[0002] In recent years, contemporary interior designs have trended towards a minimalist aesthetic that favors less cluttered interior spaces with clean lines. In terms of lighting, this trend has led to interior designs favoring lighting fixtures that are not readily perceptible to the human eye. As an illustrative example, contemporary interior designs typically favor a “quiet ceiling,” where lighting fixtures are seamlessly integrated into a ceiling such that the lighting fixtures are not readily visible. The desire for less visually intrusive lighting fixtures has led to the development of recessed lighting fixtures with smaller apertures. This has been facilitated, in part, by improvements in the efficiency of LED light sources, which have resulted in smaller, more compact LED modules capable of providing light output similar to or greater than larger, conventional lighting modules.SUMMARY
[0003] The Inventors have recognized and appreciated recessed lighting fixtures with a small aperture (e.g., a round aperture with a diameter less than 2 inches) are highly desirable, in part, fortheir visual appearance. However, the Inventors have also recognized conventional recessed lighting fixtures with a small aperture typically suffer from appreciable glare, which can cause discomfort amongst the occupants in the illuminated space and adversely affect the appearance of the lighting fixture. The Inventors have further recognized conventional recessed lighting fixtures with a small aperture are challenging to service and maintain due, in part, to the small aperture and difficulties associated with accessing components disposed above the ceiling after installation of the lighting fixture.
[0004] Accordingly, the present disclosure is directed to various inventive implementations of small aperture recessed lighting systems that address the foregoing and other shortcomings and disadvantages of conventional small aperture recessed lighting systems. The lighting systems disclosed herein may include a housing assembly, a heatsink assembly, a cartridge with a LED light source, and a driver module to supply electrical power to the cartridge. The heatsink assembly may physically support the cartridge and the driver module. The housing assembly,Attorney Docket No. DMFL038W001 in turn, may support the heatsink assembly and provide various features to facilitate installation of the housing assembly in a built environment (e.g., a ceiling space).
[0005] In one aspect, one example implementation of an inventive recessed lighting system according to the present disclosure outputs light through a small aperture (e.g., 1 inch diameter aperture) with low glare at viewing angles greater than the desired and / or specified beam angle of the lighting system. In one non-limiting example, the glare of the inventive recessed lighting system may be evaluated in accordance with the European Unified Glare Rating (UGR) standard. The UGR standard is set forth and / or described in the following: A) the International Commission on Illumination, CIE 117-1995, Technical Report: Discomfort Glare in Interior Lighting, Vienna, Austria 1995, ISBN 978-3-900734-70-1 (https: / / cie.co.at / publications / discomfort-glare-interior-lighting); and B) CIE 190:2010, Technical Report: Calculation and Presentation of Unified Glare Rating Tables for Indoor Lighting Luminaires, 2010, ISBN 978-3-901906-87-9 (https: / / cie.co.at / publications / calculation-and-presentation-united-glare-rating-tables-indoor-lighting- luminaires). Each of the foregoing references is incorporated herein in its entirety.
[0006] Generally, a low UGR score indicates the lighting system has low glare. In some implementations, a given lighting system according to the present disclosure may be configured to facilitate a significantly low UGR score when used together with other lighting fixtures and / or lighting systems in a given built environment (e.g., a room, a space).
[0007] Low glare is accomplished, in part, by the incorporation of multiple optical components that focus the light emitted by a LED light source so as to create a “crossover beam” that emulates a virtual LED in proximity to the aperture of the lighting system. In one non-limiting example, the optical components include a primary optic (also referred to as a “primary lens” and a “stage 1 optic”) and secondary optics (also referred to as “secondary lenses”), which include a “stage 2 optic” and a “stage 3 optic.” The primary and secondary optics capture light emitted by the LED light source and focus the light such that the focal point is located near the aperture. In some implementations, the primary optic may be in close proximity (e.g., any air gap between the LED light source and the primary optic is negligible) or, in some instances, in physical contact with the LED light source to increase the optical efficiency (e.g., the ratio of light outputted along a desired direction and the total amount of light emitted by the LED light source).
[0008] In some implementations, the LED light source may be configured to output an appreciably large light flux (e.g., 1000 lumens or more). This, in turn, may result in the LED light source generating an appreciable amount of heat. By placing the primary optic near theAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001LED light source, the primary optic may be subject to high temperatures (e.g., 80°C, 90°C, or greater than 90°C) during operation due to the heat generated by the LED light source. To ensure the primary optic can operate at these temperatures, the primary optic may be formed from materials that can operate at these elevated temperatures, such as glass, or silicone.
[0009] In another aspect, the recessed lighting system is appreciably easier to service and maintain compared to conventional small aperture recessed lighting systems. For example, the recessed lighting system may include a removable cartridge containing the LED light source and multiple optical components. In another example, the recessed lighting system may include a removable driver module to supply regulated DC power to the LED light source in the cartridge. In some implementations, one or both of the cartridge or the driver module may be pre-installed (e.g., during assembly of the lighting system) before installation into a built environment. Both the cartridge and the driver module respectively may be removable from the recessed lighting system through the small aperture to facilitate replacement and / or repair. 10010] In some implementations, the driver module may be directly connected to one or more wires carrying electrical power (e.g., an electrical input at 24V or 48V) and / or one or more control signals, e.g. via a cable connected to the driver module. Accordingly, when the driver module is removed from the recessed lighting system through the aperture, the wires, any associated wire splices, and / or any associated wire splice connectors may also be pulled at least partially below the ceiling, thus providing access to the wires and wiring connections to facilitate service and repair.|0011] In yet another aspect, the recessed lighting system may provide improved cooling performance compared to conventional small aperture lighting systems. Improvements to cooling may be especially desirable for lighting systems that are configured to output a relatively large light flux (e.g., 1000 lumens or more) given the amount of heat that may be generated by the LED light source. As described above, the recessed lighting system may include a heatsink assembly that’s installed into the housing assembly. The heatsink assembly may provide a physical interface to mechanically support the cartridge and an electrical interface to electrically couple the cartridge to the driver module and, by extension, an external power supply and / or remote controller. The cartridge may include a core to support the LED light source. The core may be formed from a thermally conductive material, such as copper or aluminum, to dissipate heat generated by the LED light source. In some implementations, the core may be formed as a two-part assembly (e.g., a top core and a bottom core thermally coupled together) to facilitate greater ease of manufacture.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001[0012| The heatsink assembly may provide several pathways to dissipate heat generated by the LED light source of the cartridge. In some implementations, the heatsink assembly may include a baseplate and a heatsink mounted to the baseplate.
[0013] In one example, the cartridge may be coupled to the heatsink assembly such that a top surface of the core is in direct physical contact with the heatsink in the heatsink assembly to transfer heat from the core to the heatsink. In some implementations, the top surface of the core may be substantially flat so that the entirety of the top surface is in physical contact with the heatsink. This may be accomplished, in part, by placing the electrical connectors of the cartridge along the side of the cartridge as opposed to on the top surface of the core. Once the heat is transferred to the heatsink, the heat may thereafter be dissipated in at least the following ways: (a) convection from the heatsink to the surrounding air in the housing assembly; and (b) conduction from the heatsink to the baseplate (e.g., along the heatsink fins and a chimney portion) towards the drywall panel where it is then dissipated into the built environment via convection.
[0014] In another example, the heatsink assembly may include a baseplate supporting the heatsink. The baseplate may support a panel and, hence, may be disposed on or near the surface of the ceiling. The baseplate and the panel may further define the aperture through which the cartridge and the driver module may be inserted or removed and for light emitted by the LED light source to pass through into the built environment during operation. In some implementations, the baseplate may include an integrally formed chimney portion surrounding the aperture to provide, in part, support for a locking mechanism to securely couple the cartridge to the heatsink assembly. The chimney portion may further provide space to contain the cartridge within the heatsink assembly. In some implementations, the chimney portion may also facilitate heat dissipation from the LED light source through the side of the cartridge. For instance, the cartridge cavity may be dimensioned such that the air gap between the sides of the cartridge and the chimney portion is appreciably small. This, in turn, may facilitate heat conduction from the side of the cartridge to the chimney portion across the air gap. Thereafter, the heat may transfer towards the dry wall panel of the baseplate where it is then dissipated into the built environment via convection.[00.15] It should be appreciated that the foregoing features to facilitate improved thermal dissipation are non-limiting examples. Moreover, in some implementations, the LED light source may not generate an appreciable amount of heat, particularly if it emits light at a relatively lower light flux. Accordingly, the heatsink assembly and the cartridge may not include the foregoing features to dissipate heat. For example, the cartridge may be coupled toAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 the heatsink assembly via a threaded connection (e.g., screw threads). In another example, the cartridge cavity may be dimensioned such that air gaps between the side of the cartridge and the chimney portion is relatively large.
[0016] In yet another aspect, the cartridge and the driver module may include one or more cableless, spring-loaded electrical connectors, such as one or more pogo pins or one or more spring clip connectors (also referred to herein as “spring compression contact connectors”), to further improve the ease of installation and / or removal of these components. In one nonlimiting example, the cartridge may be electrically coupled directly to the driver module via one or more spring-loaded electrical connectors (e.g., respective male and female pogo pin connectors, or respective spring clip connectors and contact pads). The driver module, in turn, may be directly coupled to one or more wires providing electrical power and / or control signals. In this example, the housing assembly may not include any electrical connectors.
[0017] In another non-limiting example, the cartridge and the driver module may each be electrically coupled to a housing hub in the housing assembly via respective spring-loaded electrical connectors. The housing hub may include electronics to electrically couple the driver module to the cartridge. The housing hub may further be directly coupled to one or more wires providing electrical power and / or control signals. In this example, the cartridge and the driver module are not electrically coupled directly to each other. In some implementations, the housing hub may also be removable, e.g., through the aperture of the housing assembly.[00.18] The cartridge may be securely coupled to the heatsink assembly via a locking mechanism (e.g., a twist and lock connector, a snap-in connector). In some implementations, the locking mechanism may also position and align the electrical connectors of the cartridge to the electrical connectors of the driver module during installation of the cartridge into the heatsink assembly. Said another way, the locking mechanism may ensure the electrical connectors of the cartridge reliably couple to the electrical connectors of the driver module. It should be appreciated that, in implementations where the cartridge and the driver module are electrically coupled directly to a housing hub, the locking mechanism may position and align the electrical connectors of the cartridge to corresponding electrical connectors of the housing hub.[00.19] In some implementations, the recessed lighting systems disclosed herein may be configured as a “trimless” lighting system. A “trimless” recessed lighting system (also referred to in the art as a “flangeless recessed lighting system”) is a type of recessed lighting fixture that includes a trim flange not readily visible to an observer. As a result, the surface of the ceiling in a trimless recessed lighting fixture may appear to extend to the opening formed in the ceilingAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 for the lighting fixture and provides a clean and finished edge around the opening, thus giving the appearance the lighting fixture is built into the ceiling. For example, the heatsink assembly may include a panel with a finished surface that can be integrated into the ceiling. Herein, a trimless appearance is facilitated, in part, by the cartridge being fully disposed within the housing assembly such that a bottom side of the cartridge is either aligned with the ceiling plane or disposed above the ceiling plane (e.g., recessed in the aperture of the housing assembly).
[0020] To facilitate removal of the cartridge from the housing assembly, the cartridge may include a latch mechanism (also referred to herein as a “touch latch mechanism”). The latch mechanism facilitates movement of a portion of the cartridge (e.g., a portion of a sleeve and / or a trim) such that said portion may be moved from above the ceiling plane (e.g., a retracted configuration) to below the ceiling plane (e.g., an extended configuration) and vice-versa. In the retracted configuration, the portion may be disposed above the ceiling plane to facilitate a trimless appearance. In the extended configuration, the portion may be used to facilitate removal from the housing assembly. For example, the portion may be grabbed by a user’s fingers and rotated to actuate and release the locking mechanism, thereby allowing the cartridge to be removed from the housing assembly. In both retracted and extended configurations, the cartridge may remain mechanically coupled to the housing assembly and any electrical connections to the cartridge (e.g., via the driver module) may remain unaffected. Additionally, no other portion of the lighting system is moved when actuating the latch mechanism. Said another way, the housing assembly and, especially, the heatsink assembly remains fixed in position. In some implementations, the latch mechanism may include a spring-loaded mechanism. The cartridge may be actuated to transition between the retracted and extended configurations by pressing the bottom side of the cartridge.[002.1] It should be appreciated that all combinations of the foregoing concepts and additional concepts discussed in greater detail below (provided such concepts are not mutually inconsistent) are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. In particular, all combinations of claimed subject matter appearing at the end of this disclosure are contemplated as being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. It should also be appreciated that terminology explicitly employed herein that also may appear in any disclosure incorporated by reference should be accorded a meaning most consistent with the particular concepts disclosed herein.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] The skilled artisan will understand that the drawings primarily are for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventive subject matter described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale; in some instances, various aspects of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein may be shown exaggerated or enlarged in the drawings to facilitate an understanding of different features. In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer to like features (e.g., functionally similar and / or structurally similar elements).
[0023] FIG. 1 shows a diagram of an example lighting system, according to various inventive implementations of the disclosure.
[0024] FIG. 2A shows a top, front, left-side perspective view of an example housing assembly.
[0025] FIG. 2B shows a bottom, front, left-side perspective view of the housing assembly of FIG. 2A.
[0026] FIG. 2C shows a top view of the housing assembly of FIG. 2 A.
[0027] FIG. 2D shows a bottom view of the housing assembly of FIG. 2 A.
[0028] FIG. 2E shows a front view of the housing assembly of FIG. 2A. The rear view of the housing assembly is a mirror image of the front view.
[0029] FIG. 2F shows a left-side view of the housing assembly of FIG. 2 A.
[0030] FIG. 2G shows a right-side view of the housing assembly of FIG. 2A.[003.1] FIG. 2H shows a cross-sectional view of the housing assembly of FIG. 2A corresponding to the plane A-A of FIG. 2D.
[0032] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of an example cartridge and an example heatsink assembly with annotations indicating several example thermal pathways to facilitate the dissipation of heat generated by a LED light source in the cartridge.
[0033] FIG. 4A shows a top, front, left-side perspective view of an example heatsink assembly for a downlight fixture. A driver module is shown coupled to the heatsink assembly.
[0034] FIG. 4B shows a top, front, right-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 4A.
[0035] FIG. 4C shows a bottom, front, right-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 4A.
[0036] FIG. 4D shows a top view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 4 A.
[0037] FIG. 4E shows a bottom view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 4A.
[0038] FIG. 4F shows a right-side view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 4A.
[0039] FIG. 4G shows a front view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 4 A.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001
[0040] FIG. 4H shows a rear view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 4 A.[004.1] FIG. 41 shows a left-side view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 4A.
[0042] FIG. 4J shows a cross-sectional view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 4A corresponding to the plane A-A of FIG. 4D. The driver module is removed for clarity.
[0043] FIG. 4K shows a cross-sectional view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 4A corresponding to the plane B-B of FIG. 4D. The driver module is removed for clarity.
[0044] FIG. 5A shows a top, front, right-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 4A with an exploded view of a flag connector in the heatsink assembly. The driver module in FIG. 4A is not shown for clarity.
[0045] FIG. 5B shows a bottom, front, right-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 5A.
[0046] FIG. 5C shows a bottom, front, left-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 5A with an exploded view of a panel and brackets in the heatsink assembly. The flag connector is not shown for clarity.
[0047] FIG. 5D shows a top, rear, right-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG.5C.
[0048] FIG. 5E shows a top, front, right-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 5D with an exploded view of a heatsink cover in the heatsink assembly. The panel and the brackets are not shown for clarity.
[0049] FIG. 5F shows a top, rear, left-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 5E with an exploded view of a driver cover in the heatsink assembly. The heatsink cover is not shown for clarity.
[0050] FIG. 5G shows a top, rear, left-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 5F with an exploded view of a baseplate and a heatsink in the heatsink assembly. The driver cover is not shown for clarity.
[0051] FIG. 5H shows a bottom, front, right-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 5G.
[0052] FIG. 51 shows a bottom view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 5G. The baseplate is not shown for clarity.
[0053] FIG. 5J shows a bottom, rear, right-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 51 where the heatsink is partially cutaway to show the retainers coupled to the heatsink.
[0054] FIG. 5K shows bottom, rear, right-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 51 with an exploded view of the heatsink and the retainers.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001
[0055] FIG. 5L shows a bottom view of the heatsink in the heatsink assembly of FIG. 51. The retainers are not shown for clarity.
[0056] FIG. 5M shows a top view of the heatsink of FIG. 5L.
[0057] FIG. 6A shows a bottom, front, right-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 4 A with an insert inserted into the opening defined by the panel.
[0058] FIG. 6B shows a bottom perspective view of the insert of FIG. 6 A.
[0059] FIG. 6C shows a top perspective view of the insert of FIG. 6A.
[0060] FIG. 6D shows a side view of the insert of FIG. 6A.
[0061] FIG. 7A shows a top, rear, right-side perspective view of another example heatsink assembly for an adjustable fixture. A driver module is shown coupled to the heatsink assembly.
[0062] FIG. 7B shows a bottom, rear perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 7A.
[0063] FIG. 7C shows a top view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 7A.
[0064] FIG. 7D shows a bottom view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 7 A.
[0065] FIG. 7E shows a left-side view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 7A.
[0066] FIG. 7F shows a rear view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 7A.
[0067] FIG. 7G shows a front view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 7A.
[0068] FIG. 7H shows a right-side view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 7 A.
[0069] FIG. 71 shows a cross-sectional view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 7A corresponding to the plane A-A of FIG. 7C.
[0070] FIG. 7J shows a cross-sectional view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 7A corresponding to the plane B-B of FIG. 7C.
[0071] FIG. 7K shows a cross-sectional view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 7A corresponding to the plane C-C of FIG. 7C.
[0072] FIG. 7L shows a cross-sectional view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 7A corresponding to the plane D-D of FIG. 7C.
[0073] FIG. 8 A shows a top, rear, right-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 7A with an exploded view of a flag connector in the heatsink assembly. The driver module in FIG. 7A is not shown for clarity.
[0074] FIG. 8B shows a bottom, rear, right-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 8A.
[0075] FIG. 8C shows a top, front, right-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 8A with an exploded view of a bracket in the heatsink assembly. The flag connector is not shown for clarity.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001
[0076] FIG. 8D shows a top, rear, right-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 8C with an exploded view of a retention ring and a panel in the heatsink assembly. The bracket is not shown for clarity.
[0077] FIG. 8E shows a top, rear, right-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 8D. The retention ring and the panel are not shown for clarity.
[0078] FIG. 8F shows a bottom, rear, right-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 8E.
[0079] FIG. 8G shows a right-side view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 8E.
[0080] FIG. 8H shows a bottom, rear, left-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 8E with an exploded view of a rotation disk in the heatsink assembly.[008.1] FIG. 81 shows a bottom, rear, right-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 8E with an exploded view of a gearbox in the heatsink assembly. The rotation disk is not shown for clarity.
[0082] FIG. 8J shows a bottom, rear, left-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 81 with an exploded view of a driver cover, a heatsink chimney, and a tilt rail in the heatsink assembly. The gearbox is not shown for clarity.
[0083] FIG. 8K shows a bottom, rear, right-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 8J.
[0084] FIG. 8L shows another bottom, rear, left-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 8 J.
[0085] FIG. 8M shows a bottom, rear, right-side perspective view of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 8J with an exploded view of retainers in the heatsink assembly. The driver cover, the heatsink chimney, and the tilt rail are not shown for clarity.
[0086] FIG. 9A shows a top, front, right-side perspective view of the panel in the heatsink assembly of FIG. 7 A.
[0087] FIG. 9B shows a top view of the panel of FIG. 9A.
[0088] FIG. 10A shows a top, front, left-side perspective view of the gearbox in the heatsink assembly of FIG. 7 A.
[0089] FIG. 10B shows a bottom, rear, right-side perspective view of the gearbox of FIG. 10 A.
[0090] FIG. 10C shows a left-side view of the gearbox of FIG. 10 A.
[0091] FIG. 10D shows a front view of the gearbox of FIG. 10A.
[0092] FIG. 10E shows a top view of the gearbox of FIG. 10 A.
[0093] FIG. 10F shows a bottom view of the gearbox of FIG. 10 A.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001
[0094] FIG. 10G shows an exploded top, front, left-side perspective view of the gearbox of FIG. 10 A.
[0095] FIG. 10H shows a top, rear, left-side perspective view of the gearbox of FIG. 10G.
[0096] FIG. 11 A shows a top, rear, left-side perspective view of an example driver module.
[0097] FIG. 11B shows a top, front, right-side perspective view of the driver module of FIG.11 A.
[0098] FIG. 11C shows a right-side view of the driver module of FIG. 11 A.
[0099] FIG. 1 ID shows a rear view of the driver module of FIG. 11 A.
[0100] FIG. 1 IE shows a left-side view of the driver module of FIG. 11 A.
[0101] FIG. 1 IF shows a front view of the driver module of FIG. 11 A.FIG. 11G shows
[0102] FIG. 11G shows a cross-sectional view of the driver module of FIG. 11 A corresponding to the plane A-A of FIG. 1 IE.
[0103] FIG. 11H shows an exploded bottom, front, left-side perspective view of the driver module of FIG. 11 A.
[0104] FIG. I ll shows a bottom, front, right-side perspective view of the driver module of FIG. 11H.
[0105] FIG. 11 J shows a schematic for the circuitry of the driver module board of the driver module.
[0106] FIG. 1 IK shows a block diagram for the circuitry of the driver module board illustrated in FIG. 11 J.
[0107] FIG. 1 IL provides a higher resolution illustration of a first portion of the circuit shown in FIG. 11 J.
[0108] FIG. 1 IM provides a higher resolution illustration of a second portion of the circuit shown in FIG. 11 J.
[0109] FIG. 1 IN provides a higher resolution illustration of a third portion of the circuit shown in FIG. 11 J.
[0110] FIG. 12A shows a top, rear, right-side perspective view of an example cartridge. The cartridge is shown in a retracted configuration.
[0111] FIG. 12B shows a top, front, right-side perspective view of the cartridge of FIG. 12A.
[0112] FIG. 12C shows a top, front, left-side perspective view of the cartridge of FIG. 12 A.
[0113] FIG. 12D shows a top, rear, left-side perspective view of the cartridge of FIG. 12A.
[0114] FIG. 12E shows a bottom, rear, right-side perspective view of the cartridge of FIG.12 A.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001[0115| FIG. 12F shows a bottom, front, right-side perspective view of the cartridge of FIG. 12 A.|0116] FIG. 12G shows a bottom, front, left-side perspective view of the cartridge of FIG. 12A. 101171 FIG. 12H shows a bottom, rear, left-side perspective view of the cartridge of FIG. 12 A. [0118 FIG. 121 shows a right-side view of the cartridge of FIG. 12 A.
[0119] FIG. 12J shows a front view of the cartridge of FIG. 12A.
[0120] FIG. 12K shows a left-side view of the cartridge of FIG. 12A.
[0121] FIG. 12L shows a rear view of the cartridge of FIG. 12A.
[0122] FIG. 12M shows a top view of the cartridge of FIG. 12 A.
[0123] FIG. 12N shows a bottom view of the cartridge of FIG. 12 A.
[0124] FIG. 120 shows a cross-sectional view of the cartridge of FIG. 12A corresponding to the plane A-A of FIG. 12 J.
[0125] FIG. 12P shows a cross-sectional view of the cartridge of FIG. 12A corresponding to the plane B-B of FIG. 121.
[0126] FIG. 13A shows a right-side view of the cartridge of FIG. 12A. The cartridge is shown in an extended configuration.
[0127] FIG. 13B shows a rear view of the cartridge of FIG. 12 A.
[0128] FIG. 13C shows a left-side view of the cartridge of FIG. 12 A.
[0129] FIG. 13D shows a front view of the cartridge of FIG. 12A.
[0130] FIG. 13E shows a cross-sectional view of the cartridge of FIG. 13 A corresponding to the plane A-A of FIG. 13B.
[0131] FIG. 13F shows a cross-sectional view of the cartridge of FIG. 13 A corresponding to the plane B-B of FIG. 13 A.
[0132] FIG. 14A shows a bottom, front, right-side perspective view of the cartridge of FIG. 12A with an exploded view of a sleeve and a trim in the cartridge.
[0133] FIG. 14B shows a bottom, front, right-side perspective view of the cartridge of FIG. 12A. The sleeve and the trim are removed for clarity.
[0134] FIG. 14C shows a bottom, rear, left-side perspective view of the cartridge of FIG. 14B.
[0135] FIG. 14D shows a right-side view of the cartridge of FIG. 14B.
[0136] FIG. 14E shows a front view of the cartridge of FIG. 14B.
[0137] FIG. 14F shows a left-side view of the cartridge of FIG. 14B.
[0138] FIG. 14G shows a rear view of the cartridge of FIG. 14B.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001
[0139] FIG. 14H shows a bottom, front, left-side perspective view of the cartridge of FIG. 14B with an exploded view of the second and third stage optics, a touch latch retainer, and an electrical connector retainer in the cartridge.
[0140] FIG. 141 shows a bottom, front, right-side perspective view of the cartridge of FIG. 14H.
[0141] FIG. 14J shows a bottom, rear, left-side perspective view of the second and third stage optics in the cartridge of FIG. 12 A.
[0142] FIG. 14K shows a top, rear, left-side perspective view of the second and third stage optics of FIG. 14 J.[0143 J FIG. 14L shows right-side view of the second and third stage optics of FIG. 14J.
[0144] FIG. 14M shows a bottom, front, right-side perspective view of the cartridge of FIG. 14H with an exploded view of the first stage optic and a lens holder in the cartridge. The second and third stage optics, the touch latch retainer, and the electrical connector retainer in the cartridge are removed for clarity.
[0145] FIG. 14N shows a top, rear, left-side perspective view of the cartridge of FIG. 14M.
[0146] FIG. 140 shows a bottom, front, right-side perspective view of the cartridge of FIG. 14M with an exploded view of the cores, the light source, the electrical connector, and the light source holder. The first stage optic and the lens holder are removed for clarity.
[0147] FIG. 14P shows a top, front, right-side perspective view of the cartridge of FIG. 140.
[0148] FIG. 15A shows a magnified view of the touch latch opening of the sleeve and the connector of the touch latch retainer in the cartridge of FIG. 12 A.
[0149] FIG. 15B shows a side view of the touch latch retainer of FIG. 15 A.
[0150] FIG. 15C shows a magnified perspective view of the connector in the touch latch retainer of FIG. 15 A.
[0151] FIG. 16A shows a series of images of an example cartridge and, in particular, the touch latch opening and the connector of the touch latch retainer transitioning from a retracted configuration to an extended configuration.
[0152] FIG. 16B shows a series of images of the cartridge of FIG. 16A transitioning from the extended configuration to the retracted configuration.
[0153] FIG. 17A shows an example ray trace of light emitted by a bare LED light source.
[0154] FIG. 17B illustrates various concepts relating to glare.
[0155] FIG. 17C shows an example ray trace of light emitted by the light source of FIG. 17A with a first stage optic.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001[ 156| FIG. 17D shows an example ray trace of light emitted by the light source of FIG. 17A with a first stage optic, a second stage optic, and a third stage optic.
[0157] FIG. 18 shows an example ray path of light emitted by the light source of FIG. 17A and the locations of possible reflections along the ray path when a first stage optic, a second stage optic, and a third stage optic are present.
[0158] FIG. 19A shows an example combination of a first stage optic, a second stage optic, and a third stage optic that provides light output with a beam angle of 30 degrees.
[0159] FIG. 19B shows an example combination of a first stage optic, a second stage optic, and a third stage optic that provides light output with a beam angle of 45 degrees.
[0160] FIG. 19C shows an example combination of a first stage optic, a second stage optic, and a third stage optic that provides light output with a beam angle of 60 degrees.
[0161] FIG. 20 shows a table of beam properties for based on different parameters for an optical assembly.
[0162] FIG. 21 shows example ray traces for different sized light sources using a same optical assembly.
[0163] FIG. 22 A shows a photograph of an example cartridge mounted to a heatsink and having an optical assembly to provide light with low glare.
[0164] FIG. 22B shows a series of photographs comparing the observed light emission from an example cartridge (left) in a lighting system according to the present disclosure and a conventional lighting fixture (right) at various viewing angles.
[0165] FIG. 23 A shows the heatsink assembly of FIG. 4A coupled to a ceiling and the driver module of FIG. 11A partially inserted through the opening of the panel in the heatsink assembly. A cross-section of the heatsink assembly is shown corresponding to the plane A-A of FIG. 4D.
[0166] FIG. 23B shows the heatsink assembly and the driver module of FIG. 23 A where the driver module is shown inside the cavity of the heatsink assembly and oriented at an angle to facilitate attachment to the heatsink assembly.
[0167] FIG. 23C shows the heatsink assembly and the driver module of FIG. 23B where the driver module is shown attached to the heatsink assembly.
[0168] FIG. 23D shows the heatsink assembly and the driver module of FIG. 23 C and the cartridge of FIG. 13A (i.e., in the extended configuration) inserted through the opening of the panel in the heatsink assembly.
[0169] FIG. 23E shows the heatsink assembly, the driver module, and the cartridge of FIG. 23D where the cartridge is rotated to securely engage the cartridge to the heatsink assembly.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001[ 170| FIG. 23F shows the heatsink assembly, the driver module, and the cartridge of FIG. 23E where the cartridge is transitioned to the retracted configuration.
[0171] FIG. 24A shows a cross-sectional view of the heatsink assembly, the driver module, and the cartridge of FIG. 23D corresponding to the plane A-A of FIG. 23D.
[0172] FIG. 24B shows a cross-sectional view of the heatsink assembly, the driver module, and the cartridge of FIG. 23D corresponding to the plane B-B of FIG. 23D.
[0173] FIG. 24C shows a cross-sectional view of the heatsink assembly, the driver module, and the cartridge of FIG. 23E corresponding to the plane A-A of FIG. 23E.
[0174] FIG. 24D shows a cross-sectional view of the heatsink assembly, the driver module, and the cartridge of FIG. 23E corresponding to the plane B-B of FIG. 23E.
[0175] FIG. 25 A shows a top perspective view of another example housing assembly containing another example heatsink assembly.
[0176] FIG. 25B shows a bottom perspective view of the housing assembly and the heatsink assembly of FIG. 25 A.
[0177] FIG. 26A shows a top perspective view of the housing assembly and the heatsink assembly of FIG. 25 A with a housing of the housing assembly removed for clarity.
[0178] FIG. 26B shows another top perspective view of the housing assembly and the heatsink assembly of FIG. 26 A.
[0179] FIG. 26C shows a bottom perspective view of the housing assembly and the heatsink assembly of FIG. 26 A.
[0180] FIG. 26D shows a top view of the housing assembly and the heatsink assembly of FIG. 26A.
[0181] FIG. 26E shows a bottom view of the housing assembly and the heatsink assembly of FIG. 26A.
[0182] FIG. 26F shows a side view of the housing assembly and the heatsink assembly of FIG. 26A.
[0183] FIG. 26G shows a cross-sectional view of the housing assembly and the heatsink assembly of FIG. 26A corresponding to the plane A-A of FIG. 26D.
[0184] FIGS. 27A-27O show several views of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 25 A. FIG. 27J is a cross-sectional view of the heatsink assembly corresponding to the plane A-A in FIG. 27D. FIG. 27K is the cross-sectional view of FIG. 27J with the driver module removed. FIG. 27L is a cross-sectional view of the heatsink assembly corresponding to the plane B-B in FIG. 27D. FIG. 27M is a cross-sectional view of the heatsink assembly corresponding to the plane C-C inAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001FIG. 27D. FIGS. 27N and 270 show photographs of a prototype baseplate with a drywall bracket and a heatsink.
[0185] FIGS. 28A-28C show several views of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 27A with a bracket and a panel removed.
[0186] FIGS. 29A-29C show several views of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 28A with a baseplate removed.
[0187] FIGS. 30A-30E show several views of a heatsink in the heatsink assembly of FIG. 29A. FIGS. 30A, 30B, and 30E provide a cutaway view of the heatsink.
[0188] FIGS. 31A and 3 IB show several views of a housing hub and a driver module in the heatsink assembly of FIG. 27 A.
[0189] FIGS. 32A and 32B show several views of the housing hub of FIG. 31 A.
[0190] FIGS. 33 A-33K show several views of the driver module of FIG. 31 A. FIG. 33H shows a cross-sectional view of the driver module of FIG. 33 A corresponding to the plane A-A of FIG. 33D. FIG. 331 shows a cross-sectional view of the driver module of FIG. 33A corresponding to the plane B-B of FIG. 33E.
[0191] FIGS. 34A-34P show several views of another example cartridge in a retracted configuration. FIG. 340 is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge corresponding to the plane A-A in FIG. 34M. FIG. 34P is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge corresponding to the plane B-B in FIG. 34M.
[0192] FIGS. 35A-35D show several views of the cartridge of FIG. 34A in an extended configuration.10193] FIGS. 36A-36K show several exploded views of the cartridge of FIG. 34A. FIGS. 36B- 36G show several views of the cartridge of FIG. 36A with a sleeve and a trim removed. FIGS. 36H and 361 show several views of the cartridge of FIG. 36B with secondary optics (e.g., stage 2 and 3 optics) and retainers removed. FIGS. 36J and 36K show several views of the cartridge of FIG. 36H with a primary optic (e.g., stage 1 optic), a retaining ring, and a LED holder removed.
[0194] FIGS. 37A-37G show an example installation using the heatsink assembly of FIGS. 27A-27O, the driver module of FIGS. 33A-33K, and the cartridge of FIGS. 36A-36K.
[0195] FIGS. 38A-38C show the heatsink assembly and the cartridge of FIGS. 37A-37G where the cartridge is rotated to facilitate engagement of respective electrical connectors on the cartridge and the heatsink assembly.
[0196] FIGS. 39A-39K show several views of another example heatsink assembly, cartridge, and driver module. FIG. 39J is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge corresponding to theAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 plane A-A in FIG. 39D. FIG. 39K is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge corresponding to the plane B-B in FIG. 39D.
[0197] FIGS. 40A and 40B show several views of a heatsink assembly of FIG. 39A.
[0198] FIGS. 41 A and 41B show several views of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 40A with a drywall panel removed.
[0199] FIGS. 42A and 42B show several views of the heatsink assembly of FIG. 41 A with a baseplate removed.
[0200] FIGS. 43 A and 43B show several views of a heatsink in the heatsink assembly of FIG. 42A.
[0201] FIGS. 44A and 44B show several views of a housing hub and a driver module in the heatsink assembly of FIG. 40 A.
[0202] FIG. 45 shows the housing hub of FIG. 44 A.
[0203] FIGS. 46A-46I show several views of the driver module of FIG. 44A. FIG. 46G shows a cross-sectional view of the driver module of FIG. 46A corresponding to the plane A-A of FIG. 46E.
[0204] FIGS. 47A-47N show several views of the cartridge of FIG. 39A in a retracted configuration.
[0205] FIGS. 48A-48F show the cartridge of FIG. 47A in an extended configuration. FIG. 48E is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge corresponding to the plane A-A in FIG. 47M. FIG. 48F is a cross-sectional view of the cartridge corresponding to the plane B-B in FIG. 47M.
[0206] FIGS. 49A-49L show several exploded views of the cartridge of FIG. 48A. FIGS. 49B- 49H show several views of the cartridge of FIG. 49 A with a sleeve and a trim removed. FIGS. 491 and 49J show several views of the cartridge of FIG. 49B with secondary optics (e.g., stage 2 and 3 optics) and retainers removed. FIGS. 49K and 49L show several views of the cartridge of FIG. 491 with a primary optic (e.g., stage 1 optic), a retaining ring, and a LED holder removed.
[0207] FIG. 50 shows additional examples of a two-part heatsink for the cartridge.
[0208] FIGS. 51A-51C show additional views of a latch mechanism in the cartridge of FIG. 49A.
[0209] FIGS. 52A-52D show several views of another example housing assembly for a small aperture recessed lighting system.
[0210] FIGS. 53A-53G show several views of another example heatsink assembly.
[0211] FIGS. 54A-54E show several views of another example driver module.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001
[0212] FIGS. 55A-55F show several views of the driver module of FIGS. 54A-54E and the heatsink assembly of FIGS. 53A-5G inserted into the housing assembly of FIGS. 52A-52D.
[0213] FIGS. 56A-56K show several views of another example cartridge for installation into the heatsink assembly of FIG. 53 A.
[0214] FIGS. 57A-57C show several exploded views of the cartridge of FIG. 56A.
[0215] FIGS. 58A-58C show several examples of an optical assembly for the cartridge of FIG. 56A.
[0021] FIG. 59 shows several example light sources for the cartridge of FIG. 56A.
[0217] FIGS. 60A-60G show several views of another example recessed lighting system with a removable driver module and a removable cartridge.DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0218] Following below are more detailed descriptions of various concepts related to, and embodiments of, a lighting system that emits light through a small aperture (e.g., an aperture having a width less than or equal to 2 inches). It should be appreciated that various concepts introduced above and discussed in greater detail below may be implemented in multiple ways. Examples of specific implementations and applications are provided primarily for illustrative purposes so as to enable those skilled in the art to practice the implementations and alternatives apparent to those skilled in the art.
[0219] The figures and example implementations described below are not meant to limit the scope of the present implementations to a single embodiment. Other implementations are possible by way of interchange of some or all of the described or illustrated elements. Moreover, where certain elements of the disclosed example implementations may be partially or fully implemented using known components, in some instances only those portions of such known components that are necessary for an understanding of the present implementations are described, and detailed descriptions of other portions of such known components are omitted so as not to obscure the present implementations.
[0220] In the discussion below, various examples of inventive small aperture lighting systems are provided, wherein a given example or set of examples showcases a housing assembly, a heatsink assembly, a housing hub, a driver module, and a cartridge. It should be appreciated that one or more features discussed in connection with a given example of a lighting system may be employed in other respective examples of lighting systems according to the present disclosure, such that the various features disclosed herein may be readily combined in a givenAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 lighting system according to the present disclosure (provided that respective features are not mutually inconsistent).
[0221] Certain parameters and dimensions of the lighting system are described herein using the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially,” and / or “similar.” As used herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially,” and / or “similar” indicates that each of the described dimensions or features is not a strict boundary or parameter and does not exclude functionally similar variations therefrom. Unless context or the description indicates otherwise, the use of the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially,” and / or “similar” in connection with a numerical parameter indicates that the numerical parameter includes variations that, using mathematical and industrial principles accepted in the art (e.g., rounding, measurement or other systematic errors, manufacturing tolerances, etc.), would not vary the least significant digit.1. Examples of Small Aperture Recessed Lighting Systems
[0222] FIG. 1 shows an example installation of one or more lighting systems, according to the inventive implementations disclosed herein. The installation may include a lighting system 100. The lighting system 100 may be a recessed lighting system, i.e., a lighting system predominantly or, in some instances, entirely disposed above a ceiling such that light emitted by the lighting system is transmitted through an opening formed in the ceiling. As shown in FIG. 1, the lighting system 100 may be disposed above a ceiling 10, i.e., within a ceiling space 12. The lighting system 100 may include an opening 301 for light emitted by a light source (not shown) in the lighting system 100 to pass through and illuminate an environment.
[0223] The lighting system 100 may include a housing assembly 200. The housing assembly 200 may provide a protective barrier between the components of the lighting system 100 disposed within a cavity 201 of the housing assembly 200 and various materials and / or objects disposed within the ceiling space 12, such as insulation, wiring, and the like. Further details of the housing assembly 200 are discussed in Section 1.1.
[0224] The lighting system 100 may further include a heatsink assembly 300 coupled to the heatsink assembly 200 and disposed within the cavity 201, a driver module 500 coupled to the heatsink assembly 300, and a cartridge 600 (also referred to as a “light source cartridge,” a “light module,” and a “lighting module”) coupled to the heatsink assembly 300 and containing a light source (not shown) to emit light through the opening 301.
[0225] During operation, the heatsink assembly 300 may dissipate heat generated by the cartridge 600 and the driver module 500. In some implementations, the heatsink assembly 300 may include a panel 330 defining the opening 301 to facilitate installation of the lighting systemAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001100 as a “trimless” recessed lighting system. A “trimless” recessed lighting system (also referred to in the art as a “flangeless recessed lighting system”) is a type of recessed lighting system that includes a trim flange integrated into the ceiling such that the trim flange is not readily visible to an observer. As a result, the surface of the ceiling extends seamlessly from the lighting system’s surroundings to an opening formed in the ceiling to transmit light emitted by the lighting system with a clean and finished edge formed around the opening. Thus, a trimless recessed lighting system gives the appearance that the lighting system is built into the ceiling.[0226| In this example, the panel 330 may be integrated with the surrounding ceiling 10 to give the appearance that the ceiling 10 extends seamlessly to the opening 301. For instance, after the housing assembly 200 is installed in the ceiling space 12 and a sheet of drywall forming the ceiling 10 is installed, an opening 11 may be formed in the ceiling 10 (e.g., by cutting the drywall) in the shape of the panel 330. Thereafter, the heatsink assembly 300 may be inserted into the cavity 201 through the opening 11 and securely coupled to the housing assembly 200. The panel 330 may improve the ease of installation of the lighting system 100 by appreciably reducing the amount of joint compound applied to the panel 330 to integrate the panel 330 into the ceiling 10. For examplejoint compound may only be applied to the edges of the panel 330. In another example, the panel 330 may be shaped as a square or a rectangle, which may make the application of joint compound easier since the joint compound can be applied along a straight line (e.g., the edges of the square-shaped panel 330) instead of a curved line as often encountered with conventional trimless recessed lighting system with round openings. Further details of the heatsink assembly 300 are discussed in Section 1.2.
[0227] The driver module 500 may supply regulated electrical power to the cartridge 600, e.g., to power the light source. In some implementations, the driver module 500 may also transmit one or more control signals to adjust the light output from the light source in the cartridge 600. In one example, the control signal(s) may provide dimming by controllably reducing the intensity of the light emitted by the light source. In another example, the control signal(s) may change the color of the light output (e.g., the correlated color temperature). As shown in FIG. 1, the driver module 500 may include an electrical connector 560 and the cartridge 600 may include an electrical connector 660 electrically coupled to the electrical connector 560. The electrical connectors 560 and 660 may not be directly attached to an electrical cable or a wire. Instead, the electrical connectors 560 and 660 may be directly attached to a printed circuit board (PCB) in the driver module 500 and the cartridge 600, respectively. In some implementations, one of the electrical connectors 560 and 660 may include one or more spring-loaded electricalAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 connectors to maintain an electrical connection between the driver module 500 and the cartridge 600 without requiring interlocking electrical contacts.
[0228] The driver module 500 may receive electrical power and / or one or more control signal(s) from an external electrical system. For example, FIG. 1 shows the lighting system 100 may be electrically coupled to a dimmer 90 and a driver 92. As shown, the driver 92 may be electrically coupled to the dimmer 90 via an electrical cable 91 (e.g., field wiring). The lighting system 100, in turn, may be electrically coupled to the driver 92 via an electrical cable 93. Specifically, the electrical cable 93 may include an electrical connector 94 and the driver module 500 may include an electrical cable 501 with an electrical connector 502 connected to the electrical connector 94. In some implementations, the electrical connectors 94 and 502 may include interlocking electrical contacts. However, it should be appreciated that, in some implementations, the electrical cable 93 may not include a connector 94. Instead, one or more wires within the electrical cable 93 may be connected to the electrical connector 502, e.g., via a wire splice, a pigtail connection, or a terminal connection.
[0229] The electrical connection between the electrical cables 93 and 501 may be disposed within the cavity 201 of the housing assembly 200. This may be accomplished, for example, by removing a knockout from the housing assembly 200 and routing the electrical cable 93 through the resulting feedthrough 232. In some implementations, the housing assembly 200 may define a separate cavity to contain wiring connections with the electrical cable 93 (see, for example, the cavity 202 in FIG. 2H). Additionally, the housing assembly 200 may include one or more intervening electrical cables to connect the electrical cable 501 to the electrical cable 93 (see, e.g., the cable 220 in FIG. 2B).
[0230] The driver module 500 may be removably coupled to the heatsink assembly 300 in a tool-free manner. In one non-limiting example, the heatsink assembly 300 may include a magnet and the driver module 500 may include a magnet magnetically attracted to the magnet of the heatsink assembly 300. During installation, the driver module 500 may be inserted through the opening 301 and maneuvered to align the respective magnets. In some implementations, the driver module 500 may further include a ribbon (e.g., the ribbon 530 shown in FIG. 11 A) to facilitate removal of the driver module 500 from the heatsink assembly 300, e.g., by pulling the ribbon 530 to disengage the driver module 500 from the heatsink assembly 300 before pulling the driver module 500 out through the opening 301. In this manner, the driver module 500 may be readily serviced and / or replaced after installation of the lighting system 100. Further details of the driver module 500 are discussed in Section 1.3.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001[02311 The dimmer 90 and the driver 92 may be off-the-shelf components. For example, the driver 92 may be a DMX low-voltage remote power system.
[0232] In one non-limiting example, the dimmer 90 may transmit electrical inputs (e.g., electrical power and / or control signal(s)) to the driver 92 using alternating current (AC) at a voltage equal to 120 V or 277 V. The driver 92 may convert the electrical inputs from AC to direct current (DC). Thus, the driver 92 may be an AC-to-DC converter. The driver 92 may transmit the electrical inputs to the driver module 500 using DC at a voltage ranging from 40 V to 48 V. The driver module 500 may adjust the voltage of the electrical inputs before transmitting the electrical inputs to the cartridge 600 using DC at a voltage ranging from 0 V to 36 V. Thus, the driver module 500 may be a DC-to-DC converter.
[0233] In some implementations, the driver 92 may support more than one lighting system 100. For example, FIG. 1 shows the driver 92 may be electrically connected to multiple lighting systems 100 via respective electrical cables 93. In some implementations, the driver 92 may support up to 8 lighting systems 100. In this manner, the driver 92 may form a daisy chain with the lighting systems 100, thus simplifying installation, e.g., by not requiring each lighting system 100 to be connected to a central electrical system via respective home run connections.
[0234] Although FIG. 1 shows multiple lighting systems 100 may be supported by the driver 92, it should be appreciated that this is a non-limiting example. More generally, the driver 92 may support multiple lighting systems where the lighting systems differ in one or more ways. For example, the driver 92 may support lighting systems with different-sized apertures for illumination. In another example, the driver 92 may support lighting systems that emit light with different luminous flux. In yet another example, the driver 92 may support lighting systems that emit light with different beam distributions (e.g., a combination of ambient lighting and task lighting). It should also be appreciated that the driver 92 may transmit different electrical inputs to each lighting system connected to the driver 92, e.g., different electrical power inputs, different control signals to control dimming and color.
[0235] The lighting system 100 may be a small aperture recessed lighting system. The aperture of the lighting system 100 may be defined, in part, by a trim in the cartridge 600 e.g., the opening 601 of the trim 670 shown in FIG. 12N). The opening in the cartridge 600 may have various geometries including, but not limited to, a circle, an oval, a square, a rectangle, a polygon, or any combinations of the foregoing. The opening may have a characteristic width (e.g., a diameter if the opening is circular in shape) less than or equal to about 2 inches. For example, the characteristic width of the opening in the lighting system may range from about 0.5 inches to about 2 inches, including all ranges and sub-ranges in between. In anotherAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 example, the characteristic width of the opening may be equal to 0.5 inches, 0.75 inches, 1 inch, 1.25 inches, 1.5 inches, 1.75 inches, or 2 inches.
[0236] The term “about,” when used to describe the dimensions of the lighting system 100, is intended to cover manufacturing tolerances and variations in the assembly and installation of the recessed lighting system 100. For example, “about 1 inch” may correspond to the following ranges: 0.99 inches to 1.01 inches (+ / - 1% variation), 0.98 inches to 1.02 inches (+ / - 2% variation), 0.97 inches to 1.03 inches (+ / - 3% variation), 0.96 inches to 1.04 inches (+ / - 4% variation), 0.95 inches to 1.05 inches (+ / - 5% variation), 0.9 inches to 1.1 inches (+ / - 10% variation), including all values and sub-ranges in between.]0237] The opening 301 of the panel 330 may have a geometry substantially similar to or, in some instances, the same as the opening defined by the cartridge 600. For example, the opening 301 and the opening of the cartridge 600 may be shaped as a circle. In some implementations, the opening 301 may have a characteristic width (e.g., a diameter if circular in shape) slightly larger than the opening of the cartridge 600 to allow, for example, insertion and removal of the cartridge 600 through the opening 301.
[0238] The cartridge 600 may further include an optical assembly (e.g., the optical assemblies 700a-700c shown in FIGS. 19A-19C) to redirect the light emitted by the light source such that the light output from the cartridge 600 (i.e., the light that exits through the opening defined by the cartridge 600) has a desired light distribution. For example, the cartridge 600 may include an optical assembly that provides light output with a beam angle equal to about 30 degrees, 45 degrees, or 60 degrees. More generally, the optical assembly may provide light output with a beam angle ranging from about 15 degrees to about 70 degrees, including all sub-ranges and values in between.
[0239] The optical assembly may include three optical components arranged optically in a serial manner, i.e., the light emitted by the light source may pass through a first optical component, then a second optical component, and then a third optical component. The respective optical components of the optical assembly may each be an optical lens, i.e., an optical component that refracts light. The optical components may be designed and arranged, in part, to focus the light emitted by the light source such that the light is focused at a location above the opening of the trim. The light passing through the opening of the trim may appear as if it is emanating from a “virtual” light source at the location where the light is focused above the opening. In this manner, the optical assembly may provide light output with a desired beam angle while reducing or, in some instances, mitigating glare. Additionally, the intensity profileAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 of the light output may be relatively smooth, i.e., the intensity does not exhibit visible intensity variations in its spatial distribution and angular distribution.
[0240] The cartridge 600 may be removably coupled to the heatsink assembly 300 in a tool- free manner. In one non-limiting example, the cartridge 600 may be coupled to the heatsink assembly 300 via a locking mechanism, which may be engaged and disengaged by moving the cartridge 600 relative to the heatsink assembly 300 in a particular way (e.g., by rotating the cartridge 600). The cartridge 600 may be installed by inserting the cartridge 600 through the opening 301 and maneuvering (e.g., rotating) the cartridge 600 to engage the locking mechanism. The cartridge 600 may be configured to also electrically connect to the driver module 500 when the locking mechanism is engaged, e.g., via the electrical connectors 560 and 660. The cartridge 600 may be removed by maneuvering (e.g., rotating) the cartridge 600 to disengage the locking mechanism, and pulling the cartridge 600 out through the opening 301. In order to maneuver the cartridge 600, the cartridge 600 may include a spring-loaded touch latch mechanism to extend a portion of the cartridge 600 (e.g., the sleeve 610 and the trim 670) beneath the opening 301 so that the portion is accessible to a user. In this manner, the cartridge 600 may be readily serviced and / or replaced after installation of the lighting system 100. Further details of the cartridge 600 are discussed in Section 1.4.
[0241] The lighting systems disclosed herein may be configured for various lighting applications. These applications may include, but are not limited to, general ambient lighting, task lighting, wall wash lighting, and adjustable lighting. This may be accomplished in several ways. In one example, different optical assemblies may be used to provide light output according to a particular application, such as light output with a large beam angle for ambient lighting or light output with a small beam angle for task lighting. In another example, different heatsink assemblies 300 may be used to change the position and / or orientation of the cartridge 600 with respect to the ceiling 10, such as a heatsink assembly designed for a downlight fixture or a heatsink assembly for an adjustable fixture (e.g., where the orientation of the cartridge 600 may be adjusted according to user preferences).]0242] The lighting system 100 shown in FIG. 1 may be configured for a new construction installation. For example, the housing assembly 200 may be installed into the ceiling space 12 and securely coupled to one or more support structures before a sheet of drywall forming the ceiling 10 is installed. It should be appreciated that the new construction installation of the lighting system 100 shown in FIG. l is a non-limiting example. The various inventive features and components of the lighting system 100 may be readily adapted for other types of installations, such as a retrofit installation, e.g., an installation that utilizes previously installedAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 components, such as a housing, wiring, or a junction box and / or does not require removal of dry wall. For example, the heatsink assembly 300 may be readily adapted for attachment to the ceiling 10. In another example, the driver module 500 and the cartridge 600 be readily installed into a retrofit installation using the same features described herein for a new construction installation. Further details of installing and servicing the components of the lighting system 100, particularly the driver module 500 and the cartridge 600, are discussed in Section 1.6.1.1 An Example Housing Assembly
[0243] FIGS. 2A-2H show several views of an example housing assembly 200a. As shown, the housing assembly 200a may include a frame 210 and a housing 230 mounted to the frame 210. The frame 210 and the housing 230 may together form an enclosure that defines a cavity 201 to contain various components of the lighting system 100, such as the heatsink assembly 300, the driver module 500, and the cartridge 600. FIG. 2H shows the frame 210 and the housing 230 may also define a cavity 202 to contain, for example, one or more electrical connections (e.g., wire splices, electrical connections formed by interlocking electrical connectors), such as an electrical connection with an electrical cable from an external electrical system (e.g., the electrical cable 93), or an electrical connection with a ground wire (e.g., to electrically ground the driver module 500 and / or the cartridge 600). By separating the components of the lighting system 100 from the electrical connections via the cavities 201 and 202, the housing assembly 200a may reduce or, in some instances, eliminate user exposure to electrical connections that pose a safety hazard.
[0244] The dimensions of the cavities 201 and 202 may depend, in part, on the size and / or number of components to be contained in each cavity. In some implementations, the cavity 202 may be dimensioned to contain a set number of wires with a particular gauge and length. For example, the cavity 202 may contain (1) three 12 AWG wires, cables, and / or conductors (e.g., a load wire, a neutral wire, a ground wire), (2) six 12 AWG wires, cables, and / or conductors (e.g., a first set of wires providing electrical power to the housing assembly, a second set of wires providing electrical power to another lighting system), (3) five wires, cables, and / or conductors (e.g., a load wire, a neutral wire, a ground wire, and two wires for dimming control), and / or (4) ten wires, cables, and / or conductors (e.g., a first set of wires providing electrical power and dimming to the housing assembly, a second set of wires providing electrical power and diming to another lighting system).
[0245] As shown in FIG. 2B, the frame 210 may include an opening 213, which provides access to the cavity 201. During installation, the heatsink assembly 300 may be partiallyAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 inserted through the opening 213 and securely coupled to the frame 210. Accordingly, the opening 213 may be dimensioned and / or shaped to allow the insertion of at least a portion of the heatsink assembly 300 into the cavity 201. The portion of the frame 210 surrounding the opening 213 may provide a surface to securely couple the heatsink assembly 300 to the housing assembly 200a. For example, the heatsink assembly 300 may include one or more flag connectors (see, for example, the flag connectors 312 shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B) to clamp onto the portion of the frame 210 surrounding the opening 213.
[0246] The frame 210 may further include an opening 218, which provides access to the cavity 202. During installation, the electrical cable 93 may be routed into the cavity 202 through a feedthrough (e.g., the feedthrough 232). The opening 218, in turn, may provide access for a user to form a wire splice with the electrical cable 93. Once all the desired electrical connections (e.g., wire splices) are formed, a cover plate 214 may be attached to the frame 210, e.g., via one or more fasteners 217, to cover the opening 218. Typically, access to the cavity 202 through the opening 218 and the attachment or removal of the cover plate 214 may occur when the housing assembly 200a is mounted to various support structures, but before the ceiling 10 is installed.
[0247] The housing 230 may include one or more knockouts 231. Each knockout 231 may be removable to create a feedthrough 232 that allows external electrical cables (e.g., the electrical cable 93) to pass into the cavity 202. Generally, various types of knockouts 231 may be incorporated onto the housing 230 including, but not limited to, circular trade-size knockouts, Romex knockouts, and concentric knockouts.
[0248] FIG. 2H shows the cavities 201 and 202 may be defined, in part, by a partition 215 that physically divides the interior space of the enclosure formed by the frame 210 and the housing 230. In some implementations, the partition 215 may form part of the frame 210. Although the partition 215 provides a physical barrier separating components disposed within the cavities 201 and 202, the partition 215 may nevertheless allow electrical cables to pass between the cavities 201 and 202, e.g., to supply electrical power and / or control signals to the driver module 500 and the cartridge 600. This can be accomplished in several ways. In one example, the partition 215 may include a feedthrough 216 defining an opening that allows one or more electrical cables to pass between the cavities 201 and 202. In another example, the partition 215 may only span a portion of the height and / or depth of the cavities 201 and 202. As a result, the partition 215 may provide a gap that allows one or more electrical cables to pass between the cavities 201 and 202.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001|0249| In a typical recessed lighting installation, the electrical cables from an external electrical system (e.g., the electrical cable 93 from the driver 92) are provided with exposed leads, i.e., the electrical cable does not have a connector. Thus, electrical connections are often formed by splicing the wires of the electrical cable 93 with the wires of electrical cables connected to the lighting system, e.g., via one or more wire nuts. If the electrical cable 93 is directly attached to the wiring from the driver or the light source, subsequent replacement of the driver or the light source may be more difficult due to the wire splices. Specifically, each wire splice connection would need to be replaced, which can be a tedious and time-consuming process.[0250| To improve the ease of connecting and disconnecting the driver module 500 from the electrical cable 93, FIG. 2B shows the housing assembly 200a may include an electrical cable 220 (also referred to herein as a “wiring harness 220” or a “cable harness 220”) to electrically connect the driver module 500 to the electrical cable 93 of an external electrical system. As shown, one end of the cable 220 may connect to the electrical cable 501 of the drive module 500 and another end of the cable 220 may connect to the electrical cable 93. In some implementations, the cable 220 may include an electrical connector 221 to connect to the electrical connector 502 of the electrical cable 501. The electrical connectors 221 and 502 may be interlocking electrical connectors. In some implementations, the cable 220 may include terminal connectors 224 (e.g., a ring connector, a spade connector) that directly connect to the exposed leads in the electrical cable 93 to form a pigtail connection. The electrical connector 502 may be readily disconnected from the electrical connector 221 when, for example, the driver module 500 requires replacement.10251 J In addition to making it easier to connect and disconnect the driver module 500, the electrical cable 220 may significantly reduce the need to directly handle the wire splices, e.g., during maintenance of the lighting system 100. Thus, users are less likely to be physically exposed to the wiring in the wire splices, which reduces the risk of a user being exposed to an electrical safety hazard.[0252| In some implementations, the cable 220 may be securely coupled to the housing 230 via a cable clamp 222. As shown in FIGS. 2B and 2D, the cable clamp 222 may be disposed within the cavity 201 above the opening 213 and coupled to the housing 230 via a fastener 223. In some implementations, the cable clamp 222 may function as a strain relief feature for the cable 220, reducing or, in some instances, eliminating undesirable forces (e.g., tensile forces, bending forces) applied to the cable 220, e.g., during installation or maintenance of the lighting system 100.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001[02531 The housing assembly 200a may further include a bar hanger assembly 250 to securely couple the housing assembly 200a to one or more support structures in the ceiling space 12. The bar hanger assembly 250 may be movably coupled to the frame 210, which allows the frame 210 and the housing 230 to be positioned at a desired location between support structures in the ceiling space 12.
[0254] In one non-limiting example, FIGS. 2A and 2B show the bar hanger assembly 250 may include two pairs of bar hangers (e.g., bar hangers 251a and 251b). Each pair of bar hangers may be slidably coupled to a corresponding bar hanger holder 211 formed on the frame 210. For each pair, the bar hanger 251a may be slidably coupled to the bar hanger 251b. Thus, the total span of each pair of bar hangers may be adjustable, which provides a way to accommodate different spacing between support structures. In some implementations, the housing assembly 200a may include a locking mechanism to lock the frame 210 at a particular position along the bar hangers 251a and 251b. For example, FIGS. 2A and 2B show each bar hanger holder 211 may include a fastener opening to receive a locking fastener 212. The locking fastener 212, when tightened, may prevent the frame 210 from moving along the bar hangers 251a and 25 lb. (0255] The bar hanger assembly 250 may further include a pair of crossmembers 252 that couple together the two pairs of bar hangers. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, each crossmember 252 may be attached to one bar hanger from each pair of bar hangers (e.g., the bar hanger 251a from one pair and the bar hanger 25 lb from the other pair). Each crossmember 252 may include mounting features to couple the housing assembly 200a to various support structures including, but not limited to, a metal or wood joist, a metal or wood stud, a T-bar, a hat channel.
[0256] The components of the housing assembly 200a (e.g., the frame 210, the housing 230, the bar hanger assembly 250, and so on) may be formed from various materials including, but not limited to, steel, galvanized steel (e.g., G40 galvanized steel). The frame 210 and the housing 230 may be formed from a sheet (e.g., sheet metal) having a thickness ranging between about 1 mm and about 2 mm. The housing 230 may be coupled to the frame 210 using various coupling mechanisms including, but not limited to, a fastener and a rivet.1.2 Examples of Heatsink Assemblies
[0257] The heatsink assembly 300 may serve several functions in the lighting system 100. For example, the heatsink assembly 300 may dissipate heat generated by the cartridge 600 (e.g., the light source 650) and the driver module 500 to maintain the cartridge 600 and the driver module 500 at a desirable operating temperature. As an illustrative example, FIG. 3 shows an example cartridge 600 coupled to a heatsink assembly 300, e.g., via a locking mechanism (e.g.,Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 the retainers 380). As shown, the light source 650 may be thermally coupled to multiple cores in the cartridge 600 (e.g., the cores 630a and 630b) and the surface 63 la of the core 630a may be in thermal contact with a surface 354 of a heatsink 340 in the heatsink assembly 300. In some implementations, the entirety of the surface 631a may dissipate heat to the heatsink 340. The interfacial thermal resistance between the surfaces 631a and 354 may be reduced, for example, by polishing the surfaces 631a and 354, or by inserting a thermal pad (e.g., the thermal pad 390) or thermal paste between the surfaces 631a and 354. Additionally, when the cartridge 600 is coupled to the heatsink assembly 300 via the locking mechanism, the locking mechanism may impart a force onto the cartridge 600 that presses the core 630a against the heatsink 340, further reducing the interfacial thermal resistance.
[0258] FIG. 3 further shows the heatsink assembly 300 may provide multiple thermal pathways to dissipate heat generated by the light source 650. In one example, heat may be dissipated via a thermal pathway 303a, which includes heat dissipation via thermal conduction through the cores 630a and 630b to the heatsink 340, and convection from the heatsink 340 to surrounding air in the housing assembly 200 (e.g., via heatsink fins 341). In another example, heat may be dissipated via a thermal pathway 303b, which includes heat dissipation via thermal conduction through the cores 630a and 630b to the heatsink 340, thermal conduction from the heatsink 340 to a baseplate 310 and a panel 330 of the heatsink assembly 300 (e.g., via the heatsink fins 341 and / or a chimney portion 325), and convection from the baseplate 310 to the surrounding air within the housing assembly 200 and / or convection from the panel 330 to the air below the ceiling 10. In yet another example, heat may be dissipated via a thermal pathway 303c, which includes heat dissipation via thermal conduction through the sides of the cartridge 600 to the heatsink 340, thermal conduction from the heatsink 340 to a baseplate 310 and a panel 330 of the heatsink assembly 300 (e.g., via the heatsink fins 341 and / or a chimney portion 325), and convection from the baseplate 310 to the surrounding air within the housing assembly 200 and / or convection from the panel 330 to the air below the ceiling 10. For the thermal pathway 303c, the air gap separating the side of the cartridge 600 from the chimney portion 325 may be kept small (e.g., less than or equal to about 2 mm or, preferably, less than or equal to about 1 mm) to reduce the thermal resistance of the air between the cartridge 600 and the chimney portion 325.
[0259] In another example, the heatsink assembly 300 may include the panel 330 to improve the ease of installing the lighting system 100 as a trimless recessed lighting fixture. For instance, the panel 330 may provide a finished opening 301, thus reducing the amount of joint compound applied to the panel 330 to integrate the panel 330 into the ceiling 10 (e.g., jointAttorney Docket No. DMFL038W001 compound may only be applied to the edges of the panel 330). Herein, a finished opening may be an opening that does not require any further renovations except painting. The panel 330 may also be shaped to make the application of joint compound easier. For instance, the panel 330 may be shaped as a square or a rectangle so that the joint compound can be applied along a straight line (e.g., the edges of the square-shaped panel 330) instead of a curved line, which can be more challenging.
[0260] In yet another example, the heatsink assembly 300 may be coupled to the housing assembly 200 and, in turn, may support the driver module 500 and the cartridge 600. In this manner, the heatsink assembly 300 may provide a mechanical interface to removably couple the driver module 500 and the cartridge 600 to the housing assembly 200. In some implementations, mechanical engagement of the driver module 500 and the cartridge 600 to the housing assembly 200 may also electrically couple the driver module 500 to the cartridge 600 (e.g., via one or more spring-loaded electrical connectors). The driver module 500 and the cartridge 600 may each be coupled to the heatsink assembly 300 in a tool-free manner. After installation of the lighting system 100, if the driver module 500 and / or the cartridge 600 need to be serviced and / or replaced, the driver module 500 and the cartridge 600 may each be removed through the opening 301. Likewise, a new driver module 500 and / or a new cartridge 600 may be inserted through the opening 301 and maneuvered to couple to the heatsink assembly 300. Further details of the mechanisms to couple the driver module 500 and the cartridge 600 to the heatsink assembly 300 are discussed in further details below in Sections 1.3 and 1.4.[02611 In some implementations, the heatsink assembly 300 may also control the direction of the light output the direction of light from the lighting system 100. For example, the heatsink assembly 300 may orient the cartridge 600 such that the light output is directed vertically downward (e.g., the centerline of the light beam may be aligned to a vertical axis). In this configuration, the lighting system 100 may be a downlight fixture. In another example, the heatsink assembly 300 may orient the cartridge 600 such that the light output is directed at an angle relative to a vertical axis. In this configuration, the lighting system 100 may be an adjustable fixture, e.g., to provide wall washing. Following below are examples of a heatsink assembly 300 for a downlight fixture (e.g., the heatsink assembly 300a) and an adjustable fixture (e.g., the heatsink assembly 300b).Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W0011.2.1. An Example Heatsink Assembly for a Downlight Fixture
[0262] FIGS. 4A-4K show several views of an example heatsink assembly 300a for a downlight fixture configuration. As shown, the heatsink assembly 300a may include a baseplate 310 to support other components of the heatsink assembly 300a, a heatsink 340a mounted to a top side of the baseplate 310, and a panel 330a mounted to a bottom side of the baseplate 310.
[0263] The baseplate 310 and the heatsink 340a may together define a cavity 304 to contain, for example, a driver module 500a and a cartridge 600a. The panel 330a may define the opening 301, which, in turn, defines the aperture of the lighting system 100, i.e., the opening through which light emitted by a light source 650 in the cartridge 600a exits the lighting system 100 and enters the illuminated environment. The baseplate 310 may define an opening 302 aligned to the opening 301. Together, the openings 301 and 302 may provide access to the cavity 304 from below the ceiling 10 after the lighting system 100 is installed in the ceiling 10. For example, the driver module 500a and the cartridge 600a may be inserted into the cavity 304 and removed from the cavity 304 through the opening 301 and, by extension, the opening 302. The geometry and the dimensions of the opening 302 may be similar to or, in some instances, the same as the opening 301. The heatsink 340a may define an opening 344 disposed near the top of the heatsink assembly 300 for the cable 501 of the driver module 500a to connect, for example, to the cable 220 or the cable 93. In some implementations, the opening 344 may provide a path to pull the cable 220 out of the cavity 201 of the housing assembly 200, e.g., to connect to the cable 501 of the driver module 500a. For example, the cable 220 may be pulled through the cavity 304 of the heatsink assembly 300a via the openings 344, 301, and 302. When the cable 220 is attached to the cable 501, the cable 220 may be inserted into the cavity 304 through the openings 301 and 302 and, thereafter, into the cavity 201 of the housing assembly 200 through the opening 344.
[0264] As described above, the heatsink assembly 300 may be securely coupled to the housing assembly 200. For the heatsink assembly 300a, this may be accomplished via a clamping mechanism. For example, the heatsink assembly 300a may include one or more vertically adjustable flag connectors 312 that form part of the clamping mechanism. For instance, FIGS. 4 A and 4B show the heatsink assembly 300a may include a pair of flag connectors 312 located at opposite corners of the baseplate 310, e.g., to apply a more balanced clamping force to the heatsink assembly 300a. In some implementations, a flag connector 312 may be disposed at every comer of the baseplate 310.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001|0265| FIGS. 5A and 5B show each flag connector 312 may be coupled to a fastener 313 (e.g., a bolt fastener) and a nut 314. The fastener 313 may be inserted through a fastener opening 317 on the baseplate 310 and a fastener opening 319 on the flag connector 312. When assembled, the fastener 313 may not extend below the bottom surfaces of the panel 330a, in part, so that a smooth, uninterrupted surface may be formed when the panel 330a is integrated into the ceiling 10. The baseplate 310 may further include a boss 311 for each flag connector 312. Each boss311 may vertically protrude from the top side of the baseplate 310 and partially surround a portion of the fastener 313.[0266| Each flag connector 312 may be rotatable about a vertical axis (e.g., the centerline axis of the fastener 313) with respect to the baseplate 310 and vertically translatable along the vertical axis with respect to the baseplate 310. The rotation and translation of the flag connector312 may be controlled via rotation of the fastener 313. For example, as the fastener 313 is rotated, the position of the nut 314 along the threaded portion of the fastener 313 may change (e.g., due to threads on the nut 314). Subsequent physical contact between the nut 314 and the flag connector 312 may thus change the position of the flag connector 312 along the threaded portion of the fastener 313 resulting in the vertical displacement of the flag connector 312. Rotation of the flag connector 312 may be caused, in part, by physical contact between the flag connector 312 and the sides of the boss 311. For example, the top side of the boss 311 may include a sloped edge. As the fastener 313 is rotated and the flag connector 312 is moved closer to the top side of the baseplate 310, physical contact between the flag connector 312 and the sloped edge may cause the flag connector 312 to rotate. The rotation of the flag connector 312 may be limited, in part, by subsequent physical contact between the flag connector 312 and the side of the boss 311.
[0267] As shown in FIG. 5 A, the flag connector 312 may include a locking portion 312a. The rotational range of the flag connector 312 may be configured such that the locking portion 312a may be fully disposed above the baseplate 310 at one limit, e.g., to facilitate insertion of the heatsink assembly 300a into the cavity 201 of the housing assembly 200 through the opening 213 without the flag connector 312 physically contacting the frame 210 of the housing assembly 200. At the other limit, the flag connector 312 may extend horizontally away from the baseplate 310 and, in part, above a lip 324 of a bracket 320a located at the same corner as the flag connector 312, e.g., to clamp onto an interior surface of the frame 210 surrounding the opening 213.
[0268] The heatsink assembly 300a may further include one or more brackets 320a that form the other part of the clamping mechanism. Each bracket(s) 320a may be coupled to one cornerAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 of the baseplate 310. In FIG. 4C, each corner of the baseplate 310 may include one bracket 320a. However, it should be appreciated that, in some implementations, the number of brackets 320a in the heatsink assembly 300a may be less than the number of corners of the baseplate 310. For example, if the baseplate 310 is shaped as a square or a rectangle, the heatsink assembly 300a the number of brackets 320a may be equal to 1, 2, 3, or 4. The bracket 320a may include a lip 324, which abuts a bottom surface of the ceiling 10 when the heatsink assembly 300a is mounted to the housing assembly 200. In this manner, the bracket 320a provides a mechanical stop that limits how far the heatsink assembly 300a is inserted into the cavity 201 of the housing assembly 200. In some implementations, the brackets 320a may be the only portion the heatsink assembly 300a that physically contacts the ceiling 10.
[0269] Each bracket 320a may be directly coupled to the baseplate 310. For example, FIGS. 5C and 5D show each bracket 320a may include a pair of tabs 321 joined to the lip 324 where each tab 321 has a fastener opening 322. The baseplate 310 may include corresponding fastener openings 316 at each corner that align with the fastener openings 322 of the bracket 320a. FIGS. 5C and 5D show a fastener 323 may be inserted through each fastener opening 316 of the baseplate 310 and each fastener opening 322 of the bracket 320a to securely couple the bracket 320a to the baseplate 310. In some implementations, a recess 318 may be formed on the top side of the baseplate 310 where each fastener opening 316 is located. The recess 318 may have the same shape as the tab 321 of the bracket 320a. Thus, the bracket 320a may be directly coupled to the baseplate 310 such that the tabs 321 are disposed within corresponding recesses 318.
[0270] Together, the flag connectors 312 and the brackets 320a may form a clamping mechanism to securely couple the heatsink assembly 300a to the housing assembly 200 and the ceiling 10. Specifically, each flag connector 312 may contact an interior surface of the frame 210 of the housing assembly 200 and each bracket 320a may contact a bottom surface of the ceiling 10. The clamping mechanism may be tightened or loosened by rotating the fastener 313 in the appropriate direction.
[0271] It should be appreciated that the clamping mechanism in the heatsink assembly 300a is a non-limiting example. More generally, other attachment mechanisms may be used to securely couple the heatsink assembly 300 to the housing assembly 200. For example, the heatsink assembly 300 may be securely coupled to the housing assembly 200 using one or more fasteners inserted through the fastener openings 317 of the baseplate 310 and corresponding fastener openings on the frame 210 of the housing assembly 200.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001
[0272] The panel 330a may generally be designed for ease of integration with the surrounding drywall forming the ceiling 10. For example, the panel 330a may be shaped such that the application of drywall tape and / or joint compound is appreciably similar to conventional drywall panels. For instance, the panel 330a may have an outer edge 333 shaped as a square or a rectangle. In some implementations, the square shape of the outer edge 333 may have rounded corners; thus, the square may be a rounded square. During installation, an opening 11 may be formed in the ceiling 10 in the shape of the panel 330a (e.g., a square, a rectangle) so that the panel 330a may be inserted into the opening 11 for integration with the ceiling 10. As a nonlimiting example, FIG. 4E shows the outer edge 333 of the panel 330a shaped as a square. FIG. 4E also shows the panel 330a may not cover portions of the baseplate 310 where the fastener openings 317 are located so that the fasteners 313 may be readily accessed from below the heatsink assembly 300a.
[0273] In another example, the panel 330a may include a center portion 331 and a recessed portion 332 disposed along the periphery of the panel 330a around the center portion 331. The recessed portion 332 may accommodate the thickness of drywall tape and / or one or more coats of joint compound applied to the panel 330a when integrating the panel 330a into the ceiling 10, thus reducing the likelihood of a bulge forming around the panel 330a. Said another way, the recessed portion 332 of the panel 330a may facilitate greater ease of blending the panel 330a with the adjacent ceiling dry wall.
[0274] In yet another example, the panel 330a may provide a finished opening for the lighting system 100. Herein, a finished opening may be an opening that does not require any further renovations except painting. For example, the surface of the panel 330a may be sufficiently smooth such that no additional coats of joint compound need to be applied before the surface is painted (e.g., with wall paint). In this manner, the panel 330a may improve the ease of integrating the panel 330a into the ceiling 10 by only requiring the application of joint compound along the edges of the panel 330a. In some implementations, at least the center portion 331 of the panel 330a may have a surface finish that corresponds to a level 5 surface finish as set forth in Gypsum Association GA-214-2021. However, it should be appreciated that, in some implementations, the panel 330a may include portions (including the center portion 331) with a lower-level surface finish (e.g., a level 3 surface finish, a level 4 surface finish).
[0275] By providing a finished opening, the panel 330a may appreciably reduce the amount of joint compound applied to integrate the panel 330a into the ceiling 10 compared to conventional mud-in plates. For examplejoint compound may only be applied to the edges ofAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 the panel 330a (e.g., the recessed portion 332) to integrate the panel 330a into the ceiling 10. In some implementations, the panel 330a may be coated with a primer to improve adhesion of any joint compound applied to the panel 330a. For example, both the center portion 331 and the recessed portion 332 may be coated with a primer. In one non-limiting example, the primer may comprise a waterborne acrylic urethane primer / sealer (e.g., STIX SXA-110).
[0276] In some implementations, the outer edge 333 of the panel 330a may have a length, Z, (e.g., the span of one side of the square or the rectangle) ranging from about 5 inches to about 8 inches, including all values and sub-ranges in between. For example, the length, Z, may be equal to about 5 inches, about 5.5 inches, about 6 inches, about 6.5 inches, about 7 inches, about 7.5 inches, or about 8 inches. The opening 301 of the panel 330a may have various geometries including, but not limited to, a circle, an oval, a square, a rectangle, a polygon, or any combinations of the foregoing. In some implementations, the baseplate 310 may have an outer edge that has a similar or, in some instances, the same shape and dimensions as the outer edge 333 of the baseplate 310. The opening 301 may have a characteristic width, w, (e.g., a diameter if the opening is circular in shape) less than or equal to about 2 inches. For example, the characteristic width, w, of the opening 301 may range from about 0.5 inches to about 2 inches, including all ranges and sub-ranges in between. In another example, the characteristic width, w, of the opening 301 may be equal to 0.5 inches, 0.75 inches, 1 inch, 1.25 inches, 1.5 inches, 1.75 inches, or 2 inches.
[0277] The panel 330a may be formed from various materials including, but not limited to, gypsum and a composite material comprising 30% glass filled polycarbonate (e.g., LEXAN™ FR Resin 3413R). The panel 330a may be coupled to the baseplate 310 in different ways depending on the material used to form the panel 330a.
[0278] In implementations where the panel 330a is formed from a composite material, the panel 330a may be fabricated, for example, via injection molding and subsequently attached to the baseplate 310 during assembly. For example, FIGS. 5C and 5D show the top side of the panel 330a may include a plurality of fastener openings 334 aligned to the fastener openings 316 of the baseplate 310. Thus, the fasteners 323 used to securely couple the brackets 320a to the baseplate 310 may also securely couple the panel 330a to the baseplate 310. FIG. 5D further shows the top side of the baseplate 310 may include a rib structure 335 comprising a plurality of ribs disposed across the top side of the baseplate 310. The rib structure 335 may increase the mechanical stiffness of the panel 330a, thus reducing or, in some instances, preventing undesirable deformation of the panel 330a when mechanical loads are applied to the panel 330a during installation, e.g., when applying joint compound to the panel 330a. FIG. 5C furtherAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 shows the bottom side of the baseplate 310 may include a plurality of grooves 315 that are shaped and dimensioned to match the ribs of the rib structure 335. When the panel 330a is coupled to the baseplate 310, the ribs of the structure 335 may be disposed, at least in part, within corresponding grooves 315. In this manner, the combination of the rib structure 335 and the grooves 315 may facilitate alignment of the panel 330a to the baseplate 310.
[0279] In implementations where the panel 330a is formed from gypsum, the panel 330a may be cast directly onto the bottom side of the baseplate 310 around the opening 302. Thus, the baseplate 310 may be partially embedded within the panel 330a. In this manner, the panel 330a may be securely coupled to the baseplate 310. During casting, the baseplate 310 may be disposed within a mold that defines the exterior shape of the panel 330a. The baseplate 310 may include multiple casting openings to facilitate a flow of dry wall material (e.g., gypsum) around the baseplate 310 during the casting process, thus reducing or, in some instances, eliminating the formation of bubbles within the dry wall material.
[0280] As described above, the heatsink assembly 300 may dissipate heat generated by the driver module 500a and the cartridge 600a, in part, via the baseplate 310 and the heatsink 340a. The baseplate 310 and the heatsink 340a may each be formed from various thermally conductive materials including, but not limited to, aluminum, copper, steel, and any combinations of the foregoing. In some implementations, the baseplate 310 and the heatsink 340a may be fabricated separately for ease of manufacture.(028.1] For example, FIGS. 5G and 5H show an exploded view of the baseplate 310 and the heatsink 340a. FIGS. 5L and 5M further show additional views of the heatsink 340a. As shown, the heatsink 340a may include an outer wall 348 and a plurality of heatsink fins 341 joined to the side of the outer wall 348 to convectively dissipate heat generated by the driver module 500a and the cartridge 600a. In some implementations, the outer wall 348 may be shaped as a cylinder. Said another way, the horizontal cross-section of the outer wall 348 may be shaped as a circle. More generally, the shape of the horizontal cross-section of the outer wall 348 may include, but is not limited to, a circle, an oval, a square, a rectangle, a polygon, and any combinations of the foregoing. The heatsink 340a may further include an inner wall 349 joined to the outer wall 348 via one or more rib sections of the heatsink 340a. The inner wall 349 may define an opening 343. During assembly, the chimney portion 325 of the baseplate 310 may be inserted through the opening 343, as discussed below. The heatsink 340a may further define the opening 344, e.g., for the cable 501 and the connector 502 of the driver module 500a to pass through and connect, for example, to the cable 220 of the housing assembly 200.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001|0282| FIG. 5E shows the top side of the heatsink 340a may include a recessed portion 345a and a recessed portion 345b adjacent to the recessed portion 345a. The recessed portion 345a may accommodate the thickness of a heatsink cover 360 such that the top side of the heatsink cover 360 is aligned with the top side of the heatsink 340a. In other words, the top side of the heatsink cover 360 may not be disposed above the top side of the heatsink 340a. The recessed portion 345b may be offset from the top side of the heatsink 340a by a height greater than the recessed portion 345a. In other words, the recessed portion 345b may be disposed lower than the recessed portion 345a. The recessed portion 345b may accommodate the thicknesses of the heatsink cover 360 and a driver cover 370a inserted through the opening 344 such that the top side of the heatsink cover 360 is aligned with the top side of the heatsink 340a. In some implementations, the opening 344 may extend from the side of the outer wall 348 to the top side of the heatsink 340a and include a slotted portion 347. The driver cover 370a may include a sidewall 371 inserted through the slotted portion 347 of the opening 344, e.g., to maintain vertical alignment of the driver cover 370a.(0283J As described above, the baseplate 310 may include the chimney portion 325, which extends from the top side of the baseplate 310. As shown in FIG. 4G, the chimney portion 325 may include a wall (e.g., a U-shaped wall where the horizontal cross-section of the wall is a U shape) that partially surrounds the opening 302. As described above, the chimney portion 325 may facilitate alignment of the baseplate 310 to the heatsink 340a. For instance, FIG. 5H shows the chimney portion 325 may be inserted into an opening 343 of the heatsink 340a. FIGS. 4J and 4K show the top surface of the chimney portion 325 may abut an interior surface 355 of the heatsink 340a and the exterior sides of the chimney portion 325 may be disposed proximate to or, in some instances, may abut the inner wall 349 of the heatsink 340a. The chimney portion 325 may also provide a thermal pathway that extends from the side of the cartridge 600a directly to the bottom of the baseplate 310 without passing through any physical interfaces, which would otherwise increase thermal resistance.[0284| The heatsink cover 360 may be used, in part, to retain the driver cover 370a to the heatsink 340a. As described above, the heatsink cover 360 may be disposed within the recessed portions 345a and 345b of the heatsink 340a and securely coupled to the heatsink 340a via a plurality of fasteners 362. The heatsink cover 360 may be formed from various thermally conductive materials including, but not limited to, aluminum, copper, steel, and any combinations of the foregoing.[0285 j As described above, the driver module 500 may be removably coupled to the heatsink assembly 300. In the heatsink assembly 300a, the driver cover 370a may provide features toAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 align and securely couple the driver module 500a to the heatsink assembly 300a. FIG. 5F shows the driver cover 370a. As shown, the driver cover 370a may include a body 377 with a recess 372. The recess 372 may be shaped to receive a magnet 375. The magnet 375 may provide an attachment mechanism to secure the driver module 500a to the heatsink assembly 300a in a tool-free manner. For example, the magnet 375 may be magnetically coupled to the plate 531 of the driver module 500a (see, for example, FIG. 11B). The magnet 375 may be securely coupled to the body 377 via fastener 376 inserted through an opening of the magnet 375 and into the fastener opening 378 formed within the recess 372 on the body 377 of the driver cover 370a.|0286| The driver cover 370a may further include a pair of sidewalls 371 joined to the body 377. A portion of the sidewalls 371 may abut the sides of the recessed portion 345b defining the slotted portion 347 of the opening 344 thus vertically aligning the driver cover 370a when the driver cover 370a is coupled to the heatsink 340a. The driver cover 370a may further include a tab 373 joined to each sidewall 371 where the tab 373 defines a fastener opening 374. As shown, the fastener opening 374 may be defined along the edge of the tab 373 and, thus, may not provide a fully enclosed opening. The respective tabs 373 of the drive cover 370a may be disposed onto the recessed portion 345b with each fastener opening 374 aligning with one fastener opening 346 of the heatsink 340a.[0287 j The heatsink 340a may be directly coupled to the baseplate 310 and the heatsink cover 360. For example, the heatsink 340a may be placed onto the baseplate 310 such that the chimney portion 325 is inserted through the opening 343 of the heatsink 340a. Thereafter, the driver cover 370a may be inserted through the portion of the opening 344 adjacent to the recessed portion 345b such that the sidewall 371 passes through the slotted portion 347 of the opening 344. Then, the heatsink cover 360 may be placed into the recessed portions 345a and 345b. As shown in FIG. 5E, fasteners 362 may then be inserted through corresponding fastener openings 346 of the heatsink 340a, fastener openings 326 disposed on the top side of the chimney portion 325 of the baseplate 310, and fastener openings 361 of the heatsink cover 360. [0288 j As described above, the cartridge 600 may be removably coupled to the heatsink assembly 300. This may be accomplished using a locking mechanism that can be actuated in a tool-free manner to securely couple the cartridge 600 to the heatsink assembly 300. In one nonlimiting example, the heatsink assembly 300a may include a twist-and-lock mechanism as the locking mechanism. For example, FIGS. 5I-5K show the heatsink assembly 300a may include a plurality of retainers 380 that form part of the twist-and-lock mechanism. The retainers 380 may be actuated to engage and disengage corresponding connectors on the cartridge 600 thatAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 form the other part of the twist-and-lock mechanism (e.g., the channels 635 and ridges 636 formed on the core 630a of the cartridge 600a).
[0289] The retainers 380 may be disposed within a recessed portion 350a of the heatsink 340a adjoining the surface 355. As shown, each retainer 380 may include a base portion 381 and a latch portion 382 joined to the base portion 381. The base portion 381 may define a fastener opening 383 to receive a fastener 384. The fastener 384 may be further inserted into a fastener opening 353 to securely couple the retainer 380 to the heatsink 340a. In some implementations, the chimney portion 325 may include corresponding grooves 327 to accommodate the head of the fasteners 384. FIG. 5L shows the fastener opening 353 may be located within a recess 352 in the recessed portion 350a shaped and dimensioned to conform with the shape of the base portion 381 of the retainer 380. The latch portion 382 of the retainer 380 may physically interact with a corresponding channel 635 and ridge 636 of the core 630a of the cartridge 600a to securely couple and remove the cartridge 600a to and from the heatsink 340a. For example, the latch portion 382 may be mechanically compliant and, thus able to deflect when physical contact with the ridge 636 occurs. The retainer 380 may further include a groove 385 adjoining the latch portion 382 that conforms in shape to the ridge 636. To provide sufficient space to accommodate the deflection of the latch portion 382, FIG. 51 shows the recessed portion 350a may include a recess 351 disposed next to each latch portion 382 of each retainer 380. Further details on the twist-and-lock connection mechanism in the heatsink assembly 300a are provided in Section 1.5.
[0290] FIG. 5L further shows the heatsink 340a may further include a recessed portion 350b adjoining the recessed portion 350a that includes the surface 354. The surface 354 may be thermally coupled to the top surface 63 la of the core 630a in the cartridge 600a, e.g., via direct physical contact with the top surface 631a or via a thermal pad 390 disposed on the surface 354. Due to the vertical offset between the recessed portions 350a and 350b, the channels 635 and the ridges 636 may be vertically offset from the top surface 631a, as discussed further below.
[0291] It should be appreciated that the twist-and-lock mechanism shown in the heatsink assembly 300a and the cartridge 600a is a non-limiting example. In another example, the cartridge 600 may be securely coupled to the heatsink assembly 300a via a threaded connection mechanism (see, for example, the cartridge 600d in FIGS. 56A-56D, or the cartridge 600e and the heatsink assembly 300f in FIGS. 60A-60G).]0292] In this example, the heatsink assembly 300a may not include any onboard electronics, e.g., electronics to facilitate connection between the cable 501 of the driver module 500a andAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 the cable 93 connected to an external electrical system. However, it should be appreciated that, in some implementations, the heatsink assemblies disclosed herein may include onboard electronics (see, for example, the housing hub 570a of FIGS. 32A and 32B)
[0293] In some implementations, the heatsink assembly 300a may include an insert 391 inserted through the opening 301 to enclose and protect the interior surfaces of the baseplate 310 and the heatsink 340a defining the cavity 304 during installation. In particular, the insert 391 may appreciably reduce or, in some instances, mitigate the application of joint compound, drywall tape, paint, and / or any other substances applied to the panel 330a during installation onto the interior surfaces of the baseplate 310 and / or the heatsink 340a. In some implementations, once the joint compound is applied, the insert 391 may be removed to allow insertion of the driver module 500a and the cartridge 600a into the cavity 304. It should be appreciated that, in some implementations, the joint compound may be sanded and / or painted before the insert 391 is removed.
[0294] FIGS. 6A-6D show an example insert 391. As shown, the insert 391 may include a handle portion 392, a plug portion 394 joined to the handle portion 392, a stem portion 393 joined to the plug portion 394, and a core portion 395 joined to the stem portion 393. The handle portion 392 may provide surfaces for a user to grab, push, and / or pull by hand to insert and / or remove the insert 391. The plug portion 394 may conform in shape to the opening 301 of the heatsink assembly 300 to enclose the opening 301. At least a portion of the core portion 395 may have an exterior shape that matches the geometry of the core 630a in the cartridge 600. For example, the core portion 395 may include channels 396a and 396b to facilitate insertion past the retainers 380 in the retainer portion 350a of the heatsink 340a. The core portion 395 may further include corresponding channels 398 adjoining the channels 396a and 396b where each channel 398 includes a ridge 397 to engage the groove 385 of a corresponding retainer 380.
[0295] In this manner, the insert 391 may be inserted and secured to the heatsink assembly 300a in the same manner as the cartridge 600. For example, the insert 391 may be inserted into the cavity 304 through the opening 301. Thereafter, the insert 391 may be rotated to engage the twist and lock connector 396 with the retainers 380 of the heatsink assembly 300a. To remove the insert 391 from the heatsink assembly 300a, the insert 391 may first be rotated to disengage the twist and lock connector 396 from the retainers 380 of the heatsink assembly 300a. Once disengaged, the insert 391 may be pulled out from the cavity 304 through the opening 301.[0296J The insert 391 may be formed from various materials including, but not limited to, a metal (e.g., die-cast aluminum, sheet metal), a polymer (e.g., polyvinyl chloride (PVC),Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), polyurethane (PU), polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, and polystyrene), glass fiber, gypsum, and any combinations of the foregoing materials.1.2.2 An Example Heatsink Assembly for an Adjustable Fixture
[0297] FIGS. 7A-7L show several views of an example heatsink assembly 300b for an adjustable fixture configuration. The heatsink assembly 300b may receive and support, for example, the driver module 500a and the cartridge 600a described in Sections 1.3 and 1.4, respectively. As shown, the heatsink assembly 300b may include a panel 330b defining the opening 301 and a heatsink 340b rotatably coupled to the panel 330b. The driver module 500a and the cartridge 600a may be coupled to the heatsink 340b such that the driver module 500a and the cartridge 600a move together with the heatsink 340b as the heatsink 340b is rotated with respect to the panel 330b. The heatsink assembly 300b may incorporate one or more of the same components and / or features as the heatsink assembly 300a described in Section 1.2.1. For brevity, repeated discussion of these components and / or features is not provided below unless indicated otherwise.
[0298] The panel 330b of the heatsink assembly 300b may combine features of the panel 330a and the baseplate 310 in the heatsink assembly 300a. FIGS. 7B and 7D show the panel 330b may provide a finished opening for the lighting system 100. As shown, the bottom side of the panel 330b may include a center portion 331 surrounding the opening 301 and a recessed portion 332 disposed along the periphery of the panel 330b around the center portion 331. In some implementations, at least the center portion 331 of the panel 330a may have a surface finish that corresponds to a level 5 surface finish as set forth in Gypsum Association GA-214- 2021. The panel 330b may be formed from various materials including, but not limited to, gypsum and a composite material comprising 30% glass filled polycarbonate (e.g., LEXAN™ FR Resin 3413R).
[0299] Additionally, the panel 330b may directly support multiple flag connectors 312 that form a clamping mechanism to securely couple the heatsink assembly 300b to the housing assembly 200a. FIGS. 8A and 8B show the panel 330b may include multiple bosses 311 supporting respective flag connectors 312 where each boss 311 vertically protrudes from the top side of the panel 330b. The panel 330b may further include multiple fastener openings 317 where each fastener opening 317 is partially surrounded by one boss 311. The fastener opening 317 may receive a fastener 313 coupled to the flag connector 312 and a nut 314. FIGS. 7A-7D show the heatsink assembly 300b may further include a bracket 320b directly mounted to theAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 panel 330b. As shown, the heatsink assembly 300b may include a single bracket 320b with a lip 324 that spans the entire periphery of the panel 330b. FIG. 8C shows the bracket 320b may include multiple tabs 321 that each define a fastener opening 322. The bracket 320b may be coupled to the panel 330b by inserting fasteners 323 into corresponding fastener openings 322 and fastener openings 334 formed onto the top side of the panel 330b.
[0300] FIG. 7A further shows the heatsink assembly 300b may include a safety cable 490 (also referred to as an “aircraft cable 490” or an “earthquake cable 490”). In some implementations, the safety cable 490 may wrap around a portion of the housing assembly 200a and / or a portion of a support structure in the ceiling space 12 to provide a secondary attachment mechanism for the heatsink assembly 300a. In the event the clamping mechanism formed by the flag connectors 312 and the bracket 320b fail (e.g., during an earthquake), the safety cable 490 may prevent the heatsink assembly 300b from falling through the ceiling 10. As shown in FIG. 8C, the safety cable 490 may include at each end a ring connector 491 defining a fastener opening 492. The fasteners 323 used to securely couple the bracket 320b to the panel 330b may also be used to securely couple the safety cable 490 to the panel 330b.(030.11 In some implementations, the heatsink assembly 300b may be rotatable about multiple axes. For example, the heatsink 340b may be rotatable about a vertical axis 305a and a horizontal axis 305b (see, for example, FIG. 71). In some implementations, the angular position of the heatsink assembly 300b about the axis 305a may range from 0 degrees to 360 degrees, including all sub-ranges and values in between. In some implementations, the angular position of the heatsink assembly 300b about the axis 305b may range from 0 degrees to 45 degrees, including all sub-ranges and values in between. Herein, an angular position of 0 degrees about the axis 305b may correspond to the cartridge 600a being vertically oriented.
[0302] FIGS. 8E-8G show the heatsink 340b may be mounted to a rotation disk 420 to facilitate rotation of the heatsink 340b about the axis 305a. As shown, the rotation disk 420 may be shaped as a circle. FIG. 8D shows the rotation disk 420 may be disposed within a circular recess 337 formed on the top side of the panel 330b (see also FIGS. 9A and 9B). Thus, the rotation disk 420 and, by extension, the heatsink 340b may be rotatable with respect to the panel 330b with the rotation disk 420 sliding across the top surface of the panel 330b. FIG. 8D further shows the heatsink assembly 300b may include a retaining ring 410 to prevent removal of the rotation disk 420 from the recess 337 while still allowing the rotation disk 420 to move with respect to the panel 330b. For instance, FIGS. 7I-7L show the retaining ring 410 may be disposed on top of a peripheral portion of the rotation disk 420 and the portion of the panel 330b surrounding the recess 337. The retaining ring 410 may include multiple slots 412. TheAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 retaining ring 410 may be securely coupled to the panel 330b via fasteners 414 inserted through corresponding slots 412 of the retaining ring 410 and corresponding fastener openings 336 formed on the top side of the panel 330b.
[0303] In some implementations, the rotation of the heatsink assembly 300b about the axis 305a may be restricted from rotating more than 360 degrees clockwise and counterclockwise, e.g., to avoid twisting the cables 501, 220, and / or 93. For example, the outer edge of the rotation disk 420 may include a tab 422 that protrudes upward. The interior edge of the retaining ring 410 may include a tab 413. Thus, the rotation of the heatsink assembly 300b about the axis 305a may be restricted by the tab 422 of the rotation disk 420 physically contacting the tab 413 of the retaining ring 410.
[0304] FIGS. 8E and 8F show the rotation disk 420 may define an opening 421. Light emitted by the cartridge 600a may pass through the opening 421. The opening 421 may be dimensioned to be larger than the opening 301 of the panel 330b, in part, to avoid blocking the light emitted by the cartridge 600a when the cartridge 600a is oriented at an oblique angle about the axis 305b. The opening 421 may also be shaped to provide access to an actuator 441 of a gearbox assembly 440 (see, for example, FIG. 7B), which is described in further detail below. FIG. 8H shows the rotation disk 420 may be securely coupled to a gearbox assembly 440. As shown, fasteners 424 may be inserted into corresponding fastener openings 423 of the rotation disk and corresponding fastener openings 454 of the gearbox assembly 440 to securely couple the rotation disk 420 to the gearbox assembly 440.
[0305] The gearbox assembly 440 may be movably coupled to the heatsink 340b via a tilt rail assembly 460. For example, FIG. 81 shows the heatsink 340b may be securely coupled to the tilt rail assembly 460. The tilt rail assembly 460 may, in turn, be movably coupled to the gearbox assembly 440. The tilt rail assembly 460 may define a curved path 466. Movement of the tilt rail assembly 460 along the curved path 466 relative to the gearbox assembly 440 may thus cause the heatsink 340b and, by extension, the cartridge 600a supported by the heatsink 340b to rotate about the axis 305b.
[0306] In some implementations, the relative movement between the tilt rail assembly 460 and the gearbox assembly 440 may be accomplished using a gear-based system. For example, FIGS. 71 and 81 show the tilt rail assembly 460 may define a gear track 461 and the gearbox assembly 440 may include a gear 442 engaged to the gear track 461. For instance, the gear track 461 may comprise a plurality of teeth and the gear 442 may comprise a plurality of teeth in meshed engagement with the teeth of the gear track 461. The gear 442 may further be directly coupled to the actuator 441. In some implementations, the gear 442 may be rotated by rotatingAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 the actuator 441, e.g., by hand or using a tool (e.g., a screwdriver). As the gear 442 rotates, the gear track 461 may move along the curved path 466, which, in turn, causes the heatsink 340b and the cartridge 600a to rotate about the axis 305b. In this manner, the actuator 441 may be actuated to adjust the angular position of the cartridge 600a about the axis 305b.
[0307] FIGS. 10A-10H show several views of the gearbox assembly 440. As shown, the gearbox assembly 440 may include housings 448a and 448b, which together define a channel 453 to support the actuator 441 and the gear 442. The housings 448a and 448b may be joined together via fasteners 459 inserted through corresponding fastener openings 449 on the housings 448a and 448b. The actuator 441 may be joined to a shaft 445. The gear 442 may be coupled to the shaft 445 via a fastener 443. One or more O-rings 444 may be mounted to the shaft 445. For example, FIG. 10H shows the gearbox assembly 440 may include two O-rings444 mounted to the shaft 445. The O-rings 444 may be aligned to grooves 451 formed on each of the housings 448a and 448b along the channel 453.
[0308] The O-rings 444 may increase the friction between the shaft 445 and the channel 453 of the housings 448a and 448b. In some implementations, the frictional force between the shaft445 and the channel 453 may be sufficiently large such that the weight of the heatsink 340b, the tilt rail assembly 460, the cartridge 600a, the driver module 500a, and other components in the heatsink assembly 300b that are rotatable with the heatsink 340b (e.g., the driver cover 370b, the chimney portion 430) do not cause rotation of the gear 442 and the actuator 441 at any angular position along the curved path 466. However, the frictional force may not be so great that a user is unable to apply sufficient force to rotate the actuator 441. Thus, the O-rings 444 may be configured to provide a frictional force that is greater than or equal to a lower bound based on the combined weight of the components rotatable about the axis 305b and an upper bound based on the amount of force or torque an average person can exert.
[0309] FIG. 10H also shows the shaft 445 may include a pin 446. The pin 446 may be disposed within a pin groove 452 formed on each of the housings 448a and 448b along the channel 453. The pin 446 and the pin groove 452 may provide a mechanical stop that limits the range of rotation of the gear 442. For instance, the pin groove 452 may not circumnavigate the shaft 445, but rather, may only span a circular arc around the shaft 445. Thus, the respective ends of the circular arc correspond to the rotation limits for the gear 442.
[0310] In addition to the gear 442 and the gear track 461, the tilt rail assembly 460 may be supported by a plurality of wheels and rails. The wheels and the rails may provide, for example, smoother motion of the tilt rail assembly 460 along the curved path 466. For example, FIGS. 7K, 81 and 8 J show the tilt rail assembly 460 may include a plurality of rails 462 that, togetherAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 with the gear track 461, define a pair of channels 464 that follow the curved path 466. The gearbox assembly 440 may include a plurality of wheels 457 rotatably coupled to the housings 448a and 448b via fasteners 458 inserted through the wheels 457 and corresponding fastener openings 450 on the housings 448a and 448b. In some implementations, the wheels 457 may be arranged such that at least one wheel 457 is disposed on opposing sides of the rail 462, as shown in FIG. 7K.
[0311] FIGS. 8J-8L show multiple components, including the tilt rail assembly 460, may be securely coupled to the heatsink 340b. As shown, a driver cover 370b, a chimney portion 430, and the tilt rail assembly 460 may be securely coupled to the heatsink 340b, e.g., via fasteners 433 inserted through corresponding fastener openings 374 on the driver cover 370b, fastener openings 465 on the tilt rail assembly 460, fastener openings 432 on the chimney portion 430, and fastener openings 401 on the heatsink 340b. The driver cover 370b may support a magnet 375 to securely couple the driver module 500a to the heatsink assembly 300b. The chimney portion 430 may improve heat dissipation from the cartridge 600a by reducing the size of the cavity 304 such that a thermally conductive component is disposed in close proximity to the sides of the cartridge 600a. Acccordingly, the chimney portion 430 may define a channel 431 that surrounds the cartridge 600a.
[0312] FIG. 8M shows a pair of retainers 380 and a thermal pad 390 may be mounted to the heatsink 340b in a similar manner as the heatsink 340a. In some implementations, the chimney portion 430 may include corresponding grooves 434 to accommodate the head of the fasteners 384 used to securely couple the retainers 380 to the heatsink 340b. FIGS. 7E, 7F, and 7H further show the heatsink 340a may include a plurality of heatsink fins 341 to dissipate heat generated by the cartridge 600a and the driver module 500a. As shown, the heatsink fins may terminate along an angled surface 400. The angled surface 400 may be shaped to accommodate rotation of the heatsink 340b about the axis 305b, i.e., so that the heatsink 340b does not physically collide with the panel 330b.1.3 An Example Driver Module
[0313] As described in Section 1, the driver module 500 may electrically couple the cartridge 600 to an external electrical system (e.g., the dimmer 90 and / or the driver 92). Thus, the driver module 500 may receive electrical power and / or one or more control signal(s) from the external electrical system and supply electrical power and / or one or more control signal(s) to control light emission from the light source 650 in the cartridge 600. The driver module 500 may include an electrical cable 501 with an electrical connector 502 to connect to a cable connectedAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 to the external electrical system (e.g., the cable 220 of the housing assembly 200a, the cable 93). The driver module 500 may further include an electrical connector 560 that electrically connects to the electrical connector 660 of the cartridge 600, thus electrically coupling the driver module 500 to the cartridge 600. The driver module 500 may also be removable from the heatsink assembly 300, e.g., for servicing and / or replacement.
[0314] FIGS. 11A-11I show several views of an example driver module 500a incorporating the features described above. As shown, the driver module 500a may include a housing 510a and a housing 510b j oined to the housing 510a via fasteners 512 inserted through corresponding fastener openings 51 la on the housing 510a and fastener openings 51 lb on the housing 510b. Together, the housings 510a and 510b define a cavity 503 to contain various components of the driver module 500a, such as a driver module board 550, the electrical connector 560, a portion of the cable 501, a plate 531, and a bracket 520. The housings 510a and 510b may be shaped and / or dimensioned to fit through the opening 301 of the panel 330 to facilitate insertion and removal of the driver module 500a after the heatsink assembly 300a is installed. Accordingly, the horizontal dimensions of the driver module 500a (e.g., the width, the depth) may be less than or equal to the characteristic width, w, of the opening 301. For example, the horizontal dimensions of the driver module 500a may range from about 0.5 inches to about 2 inches, including all ranges and sub-ranges in between.
[0315] The driver module board 550 may provide various electronics to regulate the electrical power and / or control signal(s) received from the external electrical system and supplied to the cartridge 600. For example, the driver module 500a may be a DC-to-DC converter that receives a DC electrical input at a first voltage and a first current and provides a DC electrical output at a second voltage and a second current for the cartridge 600. In some implementations, the driver module board 550 may be a printed circuit board (PCB) incorporating various electronic components (e.g., a resistor, a capacitor, an inductor, a diode, and the like). As shown in FIGS. 11H and 111, the driver module board 550 may include fastener openings 551 to receive corresponding fasteners 512. Thus, each fastener 512 may couple the housings 510a and 510b and the driver module board 550 together. Further details on the electronics of the driver module board 550 are provided in Section 1.3.1 below.
[0316] FIG. 11H further shows the electrical connector 560 may be mounted to the driver module board 550. The electrical connector 560 may be accessible through an opening 513 in the housing 510a. As shown in FIG. 11H, the opening 513 of the housing 510a may conform in shape and dimension with the electrical connector 560. In some implementations, the electrical connector 560 may include one or more electrical contact pads. For instance, FIG.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W0011 IE shows the electrical connector 560 may include three electrical contact pads (e.g., power, ground, and dimming / color tuning). Each contact pad may contact a corresponding spring clip connector in the electrical connector 660 when the cartridge 600a and the driver module 500a are securely coupled to heatsink assembly 300a. In this manner, the driver module 500a may be electrically coupled to the cartridge 600a without using interlocking electrical connectors. This may improve the ease of connecting the cartridge 600a to the driver module 500a by only requiring the cartridge 600a to be aligned with the driver module 500a such that the electrical connector 660 contacts the electrical connector 560. Likewise, the cartridge 600a may be readily disconnected from the driver module 500a by translating and / or rotating the cartridge 600a such that the electrical connector 660 no longer contacts the electrical connector 560.[03.17] As shown in FIG. 1 IE, each electrical contact pad of the connector 560 may be shaped as a rectangle. The longer side of the rectangular electrical contact pad may be aligned with the direction of travel of the electrical connector 660, thus increasing the area available for the spring clip connectors in the electrical connector 560 to contact a corresponding electrical contact pad in the electrical connector 660. For example, the cartridge 600a may rotate about a vertical axis when it mechanically engages or mechanically disengages the heatsink assembly 300a. As the cartridge 600a rotates about the vertical axis, the electrical connector 660 may move within a horizontal plane (e.g., along a circular arc disposed within the horizontal plane). Accordingly, the rectangular electrical contact pad of the connector 560 may be oriented such that the longer side is aligned horizontal.
[0031] It should be appreciated that, in some implementations, the cartridge 600 may include one or more electrical contact pads and the driver module 500 may include one or more spring clip connectors.
[0319] The cable 501 may be directly connected to the driver module board 550 and routed through an opening 514 on the housing 510b. As described above, the cable 501 may include the connector 502 to facilitate a connection with a cable connected to the external electrical system (e.g., the cable 220 of the housing assembly 200a, the cable 93). To reduce or, in some instances, prevent damage to the wiring connections formed between the cable 501 and the driver module board 550 caused by, for example, the cable 501 being pulled, the driver module 500a may incorporate a strain relief feature for the cable 501.
[0320] For example, the driver module 500a may include a bracket 520 coupled to the housing 510b via fasteners 523 inserted through corresponding fastener openings 522 on the bracket 520 and fastener openings 518 on the housing 510b. Together, the bracket 520 and the housing 510b may form a channel for the cable 501 to pass through. The bracket 520 may furtherAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 include one or more ribs 521 and the housing 510b may include one or more ribs 517 disposed within the channel. During assembly, a portion of the cable 501 may be placed against the portion of the housing 510b defining the channel for the cable 501 (e.g., the portion that includes the rib(s) 517). The bracket 520 may thereafter be placed against the cable 501 and secured to the housing 510b via the fasteners 523. The ribs 517 and 521 may press against the portion of the cable 501 disposed within the channel, thus restricting movement of that portion of the cable 501.
[0321] In some implementations, the driver module 500a may be removably coupled to the heatsink assembly 300a via a magnetic coupling mechanism. For example, the driver module 500a may include a plate 531 disposed within a recess 516 formed on the housing 510b. The plate 531 may be positioned and oriented on the driver module 500a such that the plate 531 is aligned to the magnet 375 of the heatsink assembly 300a when the driver module 500a is inserted into the cavity 304 of the heatsink assembly 300a. The magnetic coupling between the plate 531 and the magnet 375 may be sufficiently strong to securely couple the driver module 500a to the heatsink assembly 300a. The plate 531 may be formed from various magnetized or magnetizable materials including, but not limited to, iron, steel, cobalt, nickel, and any combinations of the foregoing.
[0322] In some implementations, the driver module 500a may further include a ribbon 530 (also referred to as a "strap”) to facilitate removal of the driver module 500a from the heatsink assembly 300a. As shown in FIG. 11G, one end of the ribbon 530 may be securely coupled to the housing 510b, e.g., via a fastener or an adhesive. The ribbon 530 may be routed through an opening 515 on the housing 510b such that the other end of the ribbon 530 is disposed outside the cavity 503.
[0323] When the driver module 500a is secured to the heatsink assembly 300a, the ribbon 530 may be tucked into the cavity 304 to avoid interfering with the installation of the cartridge 600a (see, for example, FIG. 23C). When removing the driver module 500a from the heatsink assembly 300a, the ribbon 530 may be pulled through the opening 301 of the heatsink assembly 300a to provide an object for a user to grab. When the user applies a sufficient pulling force to the ribbon 530 (e.g., away from the ceiling 10), the plate 531 of the driver module 500a may be disengaged from the magnet 375 in the heatsink assembly 300a, thus allowing the driver module 500a to be pulled through the opening 301. In some implementations, pulling the driver module 500a through the opening 301 may also cause the cable 220, which is connected to the cable 501, to be pulled through as well. This, in turn, may allow the user to more easily disconnect the electrical connectors 221 and 502.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W0011.3.1 Example Driver Electronics
[0324] FIG. 11 J provides a schematic for the circuitry of the driver module board 550 which is electrically coupled to the cable 501 (e.g., to receive a 48V PWM control signal from the primary driver 92) and also electrically coupled to the electrical connector 560 (e.g., to provide one or more control signals to the light source 650). FIG. 1 IK provides a block diagram for the circuitry of the driver module board 550 illustrated in FIG. 11 J. As discussed in greater detail below, in one example implementation the circuitry of the driver module board 550 includes a PWM detector 554 to receive the 48V PWM control signal on the cable 501 (which adjusts a brightness of the light source 650 based on the duty cycle of the PWM control signal), a peak current limiter 555, a constant current buck supply 556 to generate a constant current for the light source 650, a microcontroller 557, a multi-channel multiplexer 558, and a low voltage regulator 559. As noted earlier, a frequency of the PWM control signal provided by the primary driver 92 generally is above 200Hz (typically 1kHz), thereby ensuring it is not visible to the human eye.
[0325] FIG. 1 IL provides a higher resolution illustration of a portion of the circuit shown in FIG. 11 J that includes the PWM detector 554 and the peak current limiter 555 (as well as a portion of the constant current buck supply 556 (e.g., the IC Ul) and the microcontroller 557 (e.g., the IC U2)). FIG. 1 IM provides a higher resolution illustration of a portion of the circuit shown in FIG. 11 J that includes the constant current buck supply 556, the microcontroller 557, and the multi-channel multiplexer 558. FIG. 1 IN provides a higher resolution illustration of a portion of the circuit shown in FIG. 11 J that includes the low voltage regulator 559.
[0326] With reference for the moment to FIG. 11L, regarding the PWM detector 554, this portion of the circuit level-shifts the 48 V PWM control signal received from the primary driver 92 on the cable 501. To accomplish this level shifting, the PWM detector 554 uses a Zener diode (D3) and a resistor divider network (R4 and R6) to provide the signal PWM DETECT to the microcontroller 557. A capacitor (C42) in parallel to the Zener diode (D3) is included in the PWM detector 554 to help detect the rising and falling edges of the incoming 48V PWM control signal. With reference now to FIG. UK, the microcontroller 557 uses the signal PWM DETECT provided by the PWM detector 554 to in turn control the peak current limiter 555 (e.g., via the signal Damp), control the constant current buck supply 556 (e.g., via the signals BUCK PWM and PWM 0UT2), and control the multi-channel multiplexer 558 (e.g., via the signals CH1 CTRL W and CH2 CTRL Y).Attorney Docket No. DMFL038W001]0327] As can be seen from FIG. 1 IK (as well as from FIG. 1 IL and 1 IM), the primary supply of power ultimately provided by the circuitry of the driver module board 550 to the light source 650 (via the connector 560) is the constant current buck supply 556. The constant current buck supply 556 receives its own operating power as a 48V DC input (48V_IN) derived from the 48V PWM control signal, and provides a current output LED OUT to the light source 650; the current output LED OUT to the light source is governed by the input signals BUCK PWM and PWM 0UT2 provided to the constant current buck supply 556 by the microcontroller 557. 10328] With reference now to FIG. 1 IL, constant current regulators like the constant current buck supply 556 require a significant input capacitance (e.g., a “local hold up capacitor”) to provide a low impedance source of current; without such input capacitance, the constant current buck supply 556 may become unstable or unable to accurately regulate the output current to the light source. To this end, FIG. 1 IL shows that the circuitry includes capacitor C2 as a local hold up capacitor on the voltage supply line (48V IN) for the constant current buck supply 556.
[0329] The presence of the input capacitance to the constant current buck supply 556 provided by the capacitor C2 generally results in high peak currents on every switching cycle of the input 48V PWM control signal provided by the primary driver 92. More specifically, each time the 48V PWM control signal goes high (presuming that the capacitor C2 was discharged during the previous cycle when the PWM control signal was low), a large current must be delivered to charge up the capacitor C2. Ceramic type capacitors have very low internal impedance (e.g., < 1 ohm), which could result in very high currents flowing when 48 V is applied to the capacitor. Reducing the size of the capacitor C2 reduces the time during which a peak may occur but the high peak current remains. Such high peak currents cycle-after-cycle add noise to the overall electrical system and causes voltage ringing on the 48V line (48V_IN), which in turn potentially causes harmful overvoltage spikes to damage the circuitry.
[0330] To significantly reduce the peak current drawn by the local hold up capacitor C2 during PWM control signal transitions, the peak current limiter 555 in the circuitry of the driver module board 550 is configured to limit the peak current drawn by the capacitor C2 to less than approximately 2A. To this end, a resistor (R80) having a value of between 24 -100 Ohms can be placed in series with the capacitor C2. A MOSFET (Q4) to shunt the resistor (R80) is also connected in parallel to the resistor. The MOSFET (Q4) is controlled by the microcontroller 557 (via the signal Damp applied to the gate of Q4), which is configured to turn on the MOSFET after a delay time from the PWM control signal going high (the microcontroller 557 provides the signal Damp in response to monitoring the 48V PWM control signal provided onAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 the cable 501 via the signal PWM DETECT). Once the MOSFET is turned on by the signal Damp from the microcontroller 557, the series resistor is shunted and power dissipation from the resistor is reduced.
[0331] Additionally, in one example implementation, when the microcontroller 557, via monitoring of the PWM DETECT signal, determines that the 48 V PWM control signal drops below a first predetermined threshold (e.g., approximately 40V), the microcontroller 557 disables the constant current buck supply 556 (e.g., via the signal BUCK PWM) so that further drain on the capacitor C2 is prevented. When the microcontroller 557, via monitoring of the PWM DETECT signal, determines that the 48V PWM control signal goes above a second predetermined threshold (e.g., approximately 44V), the microcontroller 557 reenables the constant current buck supply 556 (e.g., via the signal BUCK PWM) to continue delivering current via LED OUT to the light source 650.
[0332] The microcontroller 557 also is configured to determine the duty cycle and the frequency of the incoming PWM control signal based on the signal PWM DETECT provided by the PWM detector 554. As noted earlier and discussed further below, the duty cycle of the PWM control signal corresponds to a brightness of the light provided by the light source 650. In some example implementations, the frequency of the PWM control signal corresponds to a correlated color temperature (CCT) of the light provided by the light source 650 (e.g., in a light source that has light emitting devices generating two or more different spectra of light to facilitate adjustment of color and / or color temperature via proportional mixing of the different spectra).
[0333] More specifically, in some examples, the microcontroller 557 is configured to monitor the signal PWM DETECT and, in response to this signal, provide for effective control of the brightness of light provided by the light source, particularly at very low brightness levels (e.g., 0.1% of maximum brightness). To dim to very low brightness levels, the input PWM control signal would typically be required to be a pulse width with matching 0.1% duty cycle. However, when the input PWM control signal has a very narrow duty cycle, there is very little time for various capacitors within the circuitry (typically associated with the constant current buck supply 556) to appropriately charge and discharge; in particular, a PWM control signal with a narrow pulse with may result in high peak currents flowing into bulk capacitors associated with the constant current buck supply 556, or the buck supply 556 itself being starved of voltage and failing to regulate its output voltage. To overcome these issues, the microcontroller 557 is configured to rescale the PWM signal controlling the constant current buck controller (i.e., the signal PWM 0UT2) based on the input PWM control signal (asAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 represented by the signal PWM DETECT). The scaling implemented by the microcontroller 557 is such that a -1.6% duty cycle of the input PWM control signal (as represented by the signal PWM DETECT) results in a 0.1% duty cycle of the signal PWM 0UT2 (which in turn controls the constant current buck supply 556 to drive the light source to provide a light brightness of approximately 0.1% of maximum brighness). In this way, various bulk capacitors associated with the constant current buck supply 556 have sufficient time to charge without drawing high peak currents.10334] The microcontroller 557 also may be configured to determine a desired correlated color temperature (CCT) based at least in part on the measured frequency of the input PWM control signal (as represented by the signal PWM DETECT) and in turn control the light output of the light source 650 to achieve the desired CCT. In the illustrated example of the circuitry of the driver module board 550, the microcontroller 557 controls the CCT of the light output by the light source 650 by multiplexing the current delivered by the constant current buck regulator 556 between at least two different light emitting devices of the light source having different emission spectrums (e.g., different respective color temperatures).
[0335] More specifically, the constant current buck regulator 556 provides power to all light emitting devices of the light source 650 via the signal LED OUT, which is available at the connector 560 (to be provided in common to a first terminal of all light emitting devices of the light source 650). Presuming an example in which the light source 650 has light emitting devices having two different-spectra, a second terminal of the light emitting device(s) having a first spectrum are coupled to the line LED1 RTN at the connector 560, and a second terminal of the light emitting device(s) having the second spectrum are coupled to the line LED2 RTN at the connector 560. Both of the lines LED1 RTN and LED2 RTN are provided as inputs to the multi-channel multiplexer 558. The microcontroller 557 controls the multi-channel multiplexer 558 via the signals CH1 CTRL W and CH2 CTRL Y; the signal CH1 CTRL W is applied to the gate of transistor QI in the multi-channel multiplexer 558 to selectively connect the line LED1 RTN to ground (to thereby allow current to flow from the constant current buck supply 556 through the light emitting device(s) having the first spectrum), whereas the signal CH2 CTRL Y is applied to the gate of transistor Q2 in the multi-channel multiplexer 558 to selectively connect the line LED2 RTN to ground (to thereby allow current from the constant current buck supply 556 to flow through the light emitting device(s) having the second spectrum. The multiplexing provided by the signals CH1 CTRL W and CH2 CTRL Y occurs during a time period at which the constant current buck supply isAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 enabled (as discussed above), and the ratio of multiplexing determines the color temperature of the light output by the light source 650.1.4 An Example Cartridge
[0336] As described in Section 1, the cartridge 600 may include a light source (e.g., the light source 650) to emit light. The cartridge 600 may define the aperture through which light exits the cartridge 600 (e.g., the opening 601). This aperture may, in turn, define the aperture of the lighting system 100. For example, the aperture may have a characteristic width less than or equal to about 2 inches. In some implementations, the cartridge 600 may incorporate an optical assembly to redirect and / or focus the light emitted by the light source to produce a light beam with a desired beam angle and a relatively smooth intensity profile while simultaneously reducing glare. As described above, the cartridge 600 may include the electrical connector 660 that electrically connects to the electrical connector 560 of the driver module 500, thus electrically coupling the cartridge 600 to the driver module 500. The cartridge 600 may also be removable from the heatsink assembly 300, e.g., for servicing and / or replacement.
[0337] FIGS. 12A-12P show several views of an example cartridge 600a incorporating the various features described above. The cartridge 600a may be shaped and / or dimensioned to fit through the opening 301 of the panel 330 to facilitate insertion and removal of the cartridge 600a after the heatsink assembly 300a is installed. Accordingly, the horizontal dimensions of the cartridge 600a (e.g., the width, the depth) may be less than or equal to the characteristic width, w, of the opening 301. For example, the horizontal dimensions of the cartridge 600a may range from about 0.5 inches to about 2 inches, including all ranges and sub-ranges in between.[03381 The height of the cartridge 600a along the vertical axis may be chosen such that (i) the top surface 63 la of the core 630a physically contacts the surface 354 of the heatsink 340a, e.g., for heat dissipation, and (ii) the opening 601 is disposed at or near the bottom surface of the panel 330 of the heatsink assembly 300a. In some implementations, the height of the cartridge 600a may range from about 2 inches to about 3 inches, including all ranges and sub-ranges in between. For example, the height may be equal to about 2 inches, about 2.1inches, about 2.2 inches, about 2.3 inches, about 2.4 inches, about 2.5 inches, about 2.6 inches, about 2.7 inches, about 2.8 inches, about 2.9 inches, or about 3 inches.
[0339] The light source 650 may include one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) to emit light. In some implementations, the light source 650 may emit light having a light flux up to about 500 lumens, about 600 lumens, about 700 lumens, about 800 lumens, about 900 lumens,Attorney Docket No. DMFL038W001 about 1000 lumens, about 1100 lumens, about 1200 lumens, about 1250 lumens, about 1300 lumens, about 1400 lumens, about 1500 lumens, or more than 1500 lumens. It should be appreciated that the foregoing values are an upper limit and that the light flux emitted by the light source may generally vary from 0% to 100% of the upper limit, e.g., by using the driver module 500a to facilitate dimming of the light source 650.
[0340] The term “about,” when used to describe the light flux of the light source 650, is intended to cover variations in light output that may occur during operation. For example, “about 1000 lumens” may correspond to the following ranges: 990 lumens to 1010 lumens (+ / - 1% variation), 980 lumens to 1020 lumens (+ / - 2% variation), 970 lumens to 1030 lumens (+ / - 3% variation), 960 lumens to 1040 lumens (+ / - 4% variation), 950 lumens to 1050 lumens (+ / - 5% variation), 900 lumens to 1100 lumens (+ / - 10% variation), including all values and subranges in between.
[0341] The light source 650 may emit light having a correlated color temperature (CCT). The CCT of the light output may range from about lOOOK to about 10,000K, including all subranges and values in between. For example, the CCT of the light output may be equal to about lOOOK, about 1500K, about 2000K, about 2500K, about 3000K, about 3500K, about 4000K, about 4500K, about 5000K, about 5500K, about 6000K, about 6500K, about 7000K, about 7500K, about 8000K, about 8500K, about 9000K, about 9500K, or about 10,000K. In some implementations, the CCT of the light output from the light source 650 may be tunable. For example, the CCT may be adjusted from about lOOOK to about 10,000K, including all subranges and values in between. In another example, the CCT may be adjusted from about 1800K to about 3000K, including all sub-ranges and values in between. In yet another example, the CCT may be adjusted from about 4000K to about 6500K, including all sub-ranges and values in between.
[0342] The term “about,” when used to describe the CCT of the light source 650, is intended to cover variations in light output that may occur during operation. For example, “about 1000 K” may correspond to the following ranges: 990 K to 1010 K (+ / - 1% variation), 980 K to 1020 K (+ / - 2% variation), 970 K to 1030 K (+ / - 3% variation), 960 K to 1040 K (+ / - 4% variation), 950 K to 1050 K (+ / - 5% variation), 900 K to 1100 K (+ / - 10% variation), including all values and sub-ranges in between.
[0343] The light source 650 may have a light emitting surface (LES) with a size ranging from about 0.1 mm to about 8 mm, including all sub-ranges and values in between. The size of the LES may be defined as the characteristic width of the LES, e.g., the diameter in instances where the LES is circular in shape. For example, the size of the LES may be equal to about 1 mm,Attorney Docket No. DMFL038W001 about 3 mm, about 5 mm, about 6 mm, about 6.8 mm, about 7 mm, or about 7.2 mm. The light source 650 may be configured to receive a DC electrical input. For example, the DC input may have a voltage ranging from 0 V to 36 V, including all sub-ranges and values in between. The DC input may have a current ranging from 0 mA to 340 mA, including all sub -ranges and values in between. Examples of the light source 650 include, but are not limited to, a Cree CXB1310 LED chipset, a Bridgelux Dim-to-Warm LED chipset, and a Bridgelux Tunable White LED chipset. Examples of the foregoing LED chipsets are shown in FIG. 59.
[0344] FIGS. 120 and 12P show the light source 650 may be mounted to the core 630b. The core 630b, in turn, may be mounted to the core 630a. FIGS. 140 and 14P show the core 630a may be directly coupled to the core 630b via fasteners 686 inserted through corresponding fastener openings 642 of the core 630b and fastener openings 632 of the core 630a. The core 630a may include a channel 637 and the core 630b may include a channel 645 aligned with the channel 637. Together, the channels 637 and 645 may accommodate the electrical connector 660, a connector PCB 661 joined to the electrical connector 660, and a portion of a retainer 640, which securely couples the connector PCB 661 to the core 630b.
[0345] The core 630a may further provide an interface to mechanically couple the cartridge 600a to the heatsink assembly 300a. For example, FIGS. 14D-14G show the side of the core 630a may include channels 634a and 634b that extend from the top surface 63 la to the bottom surface 631b. The channels 634a and 634b may facilitate the insertion of the core 630a into the recessed portion 350b of the heatsink 340a by allowing the sides of the core 630a to move past the retainers 380 in the recessed portion 350b. In this manner, the surface 63 la of the core 630a may physically contact the surface 354 or, alternatively, the thermal pad 390 disposed onto the surface 354.
[0346] The core 630a may further include a channel 635 adjoining each of the channels 634a and 634b. The channels 635 may each extend around the periphery of the bottom surface 63 lb. The channels 635 allow the core 630a to be rotated with the latch portion 382 of each retainer 380 moving along a corresponding channel 635. The core 630a may further include a ridge 636 disposed within each channel 635. As the cartridge 600a is rotated, the latch portion 382 of each retainer 380 may contact the ridge 636 in the channel 635, thus causing the latch portion 382 to deflect. The deflection of the latch portion 382 continues until the cartridge 600a is sufficiently rotated such that the ridge 636 moves into the groove 385 of the retainer 380. Once this occurs, the latch portion 382 may recover to its original configuration, thus locking the core 630a and, by extension, the cartridge 600a to the heatsink assembly 300a. Further detailsAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 of the twist-and-lock connection mechanism between the cartridge 600a and the heatsink assembly 300a are provided in Section 1.5 below.
[0347] Additionally, the cores 630a and 630b may dissipate heat generated by the light source 650. Accordingly, the cores 630a and 630b may be formed from various thermally conductive materials including, but not limited to, aluminum, copper, steel, and any combinations of the foregoing.
[0348] FIGS. 140 and 14P further show the light source 650 may be mounted to the bottom surface 640b of the core 630b. For example, the cartridge 600a may include a light source holder 680 that securely couples the light source 650 to the core 630b. For instance, the light source holder 680 may include fastener openings 685 that align with the fastener openings 643 of the core 630b and the fastener openings 632 of the core 630a. When the fasteners 686 are inserted through respective fastener openings 685 of the light source holder 680, fastener openings 643 of the core 630b and the fastener openings 632 of the core 630a and subsequently tightened, the light source holder 680 may clamp the light source 650 to the surface 640b of the core 630b. In some implementations, a light source PCB 662 may be disposed onto the light source 650, e.g., to electrically couple the light source 650 to the electrical connector 660. Thus, the light source holder 680, when tightened, may press the light source PCB 662 against the light source 650 and, in turn, the light source 650 against the surface 640b of the core 630b.]0349] When the cartridge 600a is installed into the heatsink assembly 300a, multiple interfaces are formed between the light source 650 and the heatsink 340a. Specifically, a first interface is formed between the light source 650 and the surface 640b of the core 630b, a second interface is formed between the surface 640a of the core 630b and the surface 63 lb of the core 630a, and a third interface is formed between the surface 63 la of the core 630a and the surface 354 of the heatsink 340a. To reduce the interfacial thermal resistance at each of the foregoing interfaces, a thermal pad or thermal paste may be disposed at each interface, i.e., between the surface 640b and the light source 650, the surfaces 631b and 640a, and the surfaces 354 and 631a. Alternatively, the surfaces 354, 631a, 631b, 640a, and 640b may be polished to reduce the surface roughness of the surface 640b, thus improving thermal contact.
[0350] For the cartridge 600a, the inclusion of two cores (i.e., cores 630a and 630b) may improve the ease of manufacture given the complexity of the features in each core. However, it should be appreciated that this is a non-limiting example. In some implementations, the cartridge 600 may include a single core where the light source 650 may be mounted to one side of the core and the other side may thermally contact the heatsink 340 in the heatsink assembly 300.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001(03511 As described above in Section 1.3, the cartridge 600a may be electrically coupled to the driver module 500a without using interlocking electrical connectors. Rather, the electrical connector 660 may include one or more spring-loaded electrical connectors that contact corresponding electrical contact pads in the electrical connector 560. In one example, FIG. 12M shows each spring-loaded electrical connectors may be a spring clip connector. The spring clip connector may be formed from a thin electrical conductor (e.g., a thin metal strip) bent into V-shape. The spring clip connectors may be positioned such that when the cartridge 600a is securely coupled to the heatsink assembly 300a, each spring clip connector physically contacts a corresponding electrical contact pad in the electrical connector 560 of the driver module 500a and bends elastically in response. The elastic bending of the spring clip connector may generate a bending force that helps maintain electrical contact between the spring clip connector in the electrical connector 660 and the electrical contact pad in the electrical connector 560. When the cartridge 600a is removed from the heatsink assembly 300a, spring clip connectors may return to their original position. In another example, each spring-loaded electrical connector may be a pogo-pin connector (see, for example, the female pogo-pin connectors in the cartridge 600b shown in FIGS. 34A-34P, or the male pogo-pin connectors in the cartridge 600d shown in FIGS. 56A-56D).
[0352] As shown in FIGS. 140 and 14P, the electrical connector 660 may be electrically and mechanically coupled to a connector PCB 661. The connector PCB 661, in turn, may be electrically coupled to the light source PCB 662 via a cable connector 663. The connector PCB 661 may include a fastener opening 664 that aligns with a fastener opening 644 on the core 630b. During assembly, a fastener 743 may be inserted through the fastener openings 644 and 664 as well as a fastener opening 742 on a retainer 740 to securely couple the connector PCB 661 to the core 630b. The retainer 740 may cover the connector PCB 661 and provide an opening 746 defined by a tab 745 for the electrical connector 660. The light source PCB 662 may include one or more electrical contacts 666 arranged to electrically contact corresponding contact pads on the light source 650. Additionally, the light source PCB 662 may further include an opening 665 for light emitted by the light source 650 to pass through. In some implementations, the opening 665 may have the same shape and / or dimensions as the LES of the light source 650.
[0353] As described above, the light source holder 680 may securely couple the light source 650 and the light source PCB 662 to the core 630b. FIGS. 140 and 14P show the light source holder 680 may define an opening 681 for light emitted by the light source 650 to pass through. In some implementations, the opening 681 may be shaped and / or dimensioned to allow theAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 optical lens 710a to be fully seated within the opening 681 such that the optical lens 710a abuts the light source PCB 662 and is, thus, located proximate to the LES of the light source 650 (see, for example, FIGS. 120 and 12P). The bottom side of the light source holder 680 may include a surface 682a that abuts the surface 692a of a lens holder 690 (also referred to herein as a “retaining ring 690”). The top side of the light source holder 680 may further include a surface 682b that abuts the surface 640b of the core 630b and a surface 682c that abuts the light source PCB 662. In other words, the surface 682c may be vertically offset from the surface 682b, thus creating a recess to accommodate the thicknesses of the light source 650 and the light source PCB 662.[ 354| The light source holder 680 may further include channels 683 that align with channels 641 of the core 630b. The channels 641 and 680 may also be referred to herein as “spring followers.” As shown in FIGS. 14M and 14N, the cartridge 600a may include a spring 608 and a stopper 609 disposed in each set of channels 641 and 683. The spring 608 and the stopper 609 form part of a touch latch mechanism, which is described in further detail below. The light source holder 680 may further include one or more fastener openings 684 that align with the fastener openings 642 of the core 630b and fastener openings 693 of the lens holder 690. As described below, fasteners 694 may be inserted through the fastener openings 642 of the core 630b, the fastener openings 684 of the light source older 680, and the fastener openings 693 of the lens holder 690 to securely couple these components together.
[0355] The cartridge 600 may include an optical assembly comprising multiple optical components that capture and redirect the emitted light to provide light output with a desired beam angle and intensity distribution. In one non-limiting example, the cartridge 600a may include an optical assembly 700a. The optical assembly 700a may comprise three optical lenses: an optical lens 710a that receives light emitted by the light source 650, an optical lens 710b that receives light redirected by the optical lens 710a, and an optical lens 710c that receives light redirected by the optical lens 710b and, in turn, directs light through the opening 601 of the cartridge 600a. Herein, the optical lens 710a may also be referred to as a “primary lens,” a “primary optic”, or a “stage 1 optic.” The optical lens 710b may also be referred to as a “stage 2 optic.” The optical lens 710c may also be referred to as a “stage 3 optic.” The lenses 710b and 710c may also be referred to collectively as “secondary lenses” or “secondary optics.” In some implementations, the optical lenses 710a and 710b may capture and collimate the light emitted by the light source 650 and the optical lens 710c may focus the light to create a crossover beam where the light is focused at a location above the opening 601 of the cartridgeAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001600a. Further details on the design and operating principle of the optical assembly 700a and other optical assemblies are provided in Section 1.4.1 below.
[0356] As described above, the optical lens 710a may be disposed within the opening 681 of the light source holder 680. The optical lens 710a may be secured in place via the lens holder 690. FIG. 120 shows the lens holder 690 may include a top surface 692a, which abuts a peripheral portion of the optical lens 710a when the lens holder 690 is securely coupled to the light source holder 680 via the fasteners 694. The lens holder 690 may define an opening 691 for light emitted by the light source 650 to pass through. The lens holder 690 may further include a bottom surface 692b, which abuts the optical lens 710b when the cartridge 600a is fully assembled. The lens holder 690 may thus provide a way to position the optical lens 710b relative to the optical lens 710a. For instance, the height of the lens holder 690 may be chosen, in part, to equal a desired separation distance between the optical lenses 710a and 710b.
[0357] FIGS. 14J-14L show several views of the optical lenses 710b and 710c for the optical assembly 700a. As shown, each lens 710b and 710c may include a convex surface 713a and a planar surface 713b. In this example, the lens 710b may be oriented such that the planar surface 713b faces the lens holder 690 and the convex surface 713a faces the lens 710c. The lens 710c may be oriented such that the convex surface 713a faces the lens 710b and the planar surface 713b faces the opening 601 of the cartridge 600a. The periphery of each lens 710b and 710c may further include sidewalls 711.
[0358] The sidewalls 711 may align and position the lenses 710b and 710c within the cartridge 600a. For example, the lens 710b may be placed against the lens holder 690 such that the sidewall 711 of the lens 710b abuts the surface 692b of the lens holder 690. In another example, FIG. 120 shows the lenses 710b and 710c may be placed against one another such that the sidewall 711 of the lens 710b abuts the sidewall 711 of the lens 710c. By maintaining physical contact between the lens holder 690, the lens 710b (via the sidewall 711), and the lens 710c (via the sidewall 711), the lenses 710b and 710c may be positioned at desired distances to each other and the lens 710a. For example, the respective heights of the sidewalls 711 for the lenses 710b and 710c may determine the distance between the optical lenses 710b and 710c.
[0359] The cartridge 600a may include retainers 720 and 740 to securely hold the optical lenses 710b and 710c in place within the cartridge 600a and, thus, maintain physical contact between the lens holder 690 and the lenses 710b and 710c. The retainer 720 is also referred to herein as a “touch latch retainer 720.” The retainer 740 is also referred to herein as a “electrical connector retainer 740.” As shown in FIGS. 14H and 141, the retainer 720 may include a frame 721 with a retaining portion 724 disposed at a bottom end of the frame 721. The retainer 720 may beAttorney Docket No. DMFL038W001 securely coupled to the core 630b via a fastener 723 inserted through a fastener opening 722 on the frame 721 and a fastener opening 644 on the core 630b. The retaining portion 724 may be shaped as a wedge having a width larger than the width of the frame 721 (see, for example, the retainer 720 shown in FIG. 14F). As shown, the retainer 720 may be mounted to the lenses 710b and 710c such that the frame 721 is disposed within channels 712 formed between the sidewalls 711 of each lens 710b and 710c. The retaining portion 724 may be disposed within a channel 714 formed between the sidewalls 711 of the lens 710c and adjoining the channel 712. As shown in FIG. 14L, the width of the channel 714 may be greater than the width of the channel 712. The channels 712 and 714 may provide space to accommodate the frame 721 and the retaining portion 724 of the retainer 720, which, in turn, reduces the horizontal dimensions of the cartridge 600a.
[0360] The retainer 740 may similarly include a frame 741 with a retaining portion 744 disposed at a bottom end of the frame 741. The retainer 740 may be securely coupled to the core 630b via the fastener 743 inserted through the fastener opening 742 on the frame 741 and a fastener opening 644 on the core 630b. Like the retainer 720, the retaining portion 744 of the retainer 740 may be shaped as a wedge having a width larger than the width of the frame 741 (see, for example, the retainer 740 shown in FIG. 14D). In some implementations the geometry of the retaining portion 744 may be identical to the retaining portion 724. The retainer 740 may be mounted to the lenses 710b and 710c such that the frame 741 is disposed within another set of channels 712 formed between the sidewalls 711 of each lens 710b and 710c and the retaining portion 744 is disposed within another channel 714.
[0361] As shown in FIGS. 14J and 14K, each lens 710b and 710c may include a pair of channels 712 and 714 disposed on opposite sides of the lens to facilitate connection with the retainers 720 and 740. Thus, the retainers 720 and 740 may be disposed on opposite sides of the lenses 710b and 710c (see, for example, FIGS. 14E and 14G). When assembled, FIG. 14D shows a top surface 744a of the retaining portion 744 may abut a bottom surface 712a formed between one set of channels 712 and 714 of the lens 710c. FIG. 14F similarly shows a top surface 724a of the retaining portion 724 may abut a bottom surface 712a formed between the other set of channels 712 and 714 of the lens 710c. In some implementations, the retainers 720 and 740 may be dimensioned such that the retaining portions 724 and 744 apply a force that presses the stack of lenses 710b and 710c against the lens holder 690 (e.g., via contact between the surface 692b of the lens holder 690 and the planar surface 713b of the lens 710b). In this manner, the retainers 720 and 740 may maintain physical contact between the lens holder 690, the lens 710b, and the lens 710c.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001
[0362] It should be appreciated different optical assemblies may be assembled and integrated into the cartridge 600a in the same manner described above for the optical assembly 700a. For example, the optical assemblies 700b and 700c described in Section 1.4.1 below may incorporate the same features as described above, such as the lens holder 690, lenses 710b and 710c with various mounting features to facilitate coupling to the retainers 720 and 740, and the like.
[0363] The cartridge 600a may be shaped and / or dimensioned to be fully disposed within the cavity 304 of the heatsink assembly 300a. To improve the ease of maneuvering and / or removing the cartridge 600a after the cartridge 600a is inserted into the cavity 304, the cartridge 600a may incorporate a latch mechanism. The latch mechanism may be readily actuated by a user from below the ceiling 10 after the cartridge 600a is installed into the heatsink assembly 300a. When the latch mechanism is actuated by a user, the latch mechanism may cause a portion of the cartridge 600a to extend below the panel 330 through the opening 301. The user can then grab the portion of the cartridge 600a to manipulate the cartridge 600a as desired. If the cartridge 600 thereafter remains in the cavity 304, the latch mechanism may be actuated again by the user to cause the actuated portion of the cartridge 600a to retract back into the cavity 304 of the heatsink 340a. Thus, the latch mechanism may move the actuated portion of the cartridge 600a between two configurations, which are referred to herein as a “retracted configuration” (e.g., when the actuated portion is retracted into the cavity 304) and an “extended configuration” (e.g., when the actuated portion extends out from the cavity 304 through the opening 301).
[0364] In some implementations, the extended configuration may be used when installing and removing the cartridge 600a from the heatsink assembly 300a. For example, the user may grab the actuated portion of the cartridge 600a and rotate the cartridge 600a to engage or disengage the locking mechanism with the heatsink assembly 300a. In another example, the user may grab the actuated portion of the cartridge 600a to remove the cartridge 600a from the heatsink assembly 300a.
[0365] In one non-limiting example, the actuated portion of the cartridge 600a may include a sleeve 610 and a trim 670. FIGS. 12A-12P show the cartridge 600a in the retracted configuration. FIGS. 13A-13F show the cartridge 600a in the extended configuration. As shown, the sleeve 610 and the trim 670 may be displaced along a centerline axis 602 of the cartridge 600a such that the sleeve 610 and the trim 670 are further away from the top surface 631a of the core 630a in the extended configuration compared to the retracted configuration.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001In this example, the latch mechanism may be actuated by pushing the bottom end of the trim 670.
[0366] In some implementations, that latch mechanism may be actuated the same way when transitioning from the retracted configuration to the extended configuration and from the extended configured configuration to the retracted configuration. For example, if the cartridge 600a is in the retracted configuration, the user may push the bottom end of the trim 670 to transition from the retracted configuration to the extended configuration. If the cartridge 600a is in the extended configuration, the user may push the bottom end of the trim 670 to transition from the extended configuration to the retracted configuration.]0367| The sleeve 610 and the trim 670 may slidably move with respect to the other components of the cartridge 600a when transitioning between the retracted configuration and the extended configuration. In some implementations, the travel distance of the sleeve 610 and the trim 670 between the retracted configuration and the extended configuration, as measured along the centerline axis 602, may range from about 0.25 inches to about 0.75 inches, including all sub-ranges and values in between. For example, the travel distance of the sleeve 610 and the trim 670 between the retracted configuration and the extended configuration may be equal to about 0.25 inches, about 0.5 inches, or about 0.75 inches. In implementations where the bottom end of the trim 670 is disposed at or near the opening 301 of the panel 330, the travel distance of the sleeve 610 and the trim 670 may also determine how far the sleeve 610 and the trim 670 may extend below the opening 301. In other words, the bottom end of the trim 670 may extend below the opening 301 by a distance equal to the travel distance of the sleeve 610 and the trim 670 between the retracted configuration and the extended configuration.
[0368] It should be appreciated that the travel distance of the sleeve 610 and the trim 670 between the retracted configuration and the extended configuration may be less than the total allowable travel distance available to the sleeve 610 and the trim 670. For example, when transitioning from the extended configuration to the retracted configuration, the user may be required to push the bottom end of the trim 670 such that the sleeve 610 and the trim 670 move vertically upward by a sufficient distance to trigger the latch mechanism. Once triggered, the sleeve 610 and the trim 670 may then move vertically downwards, thus transitioning to the extended configuration. Thus, the total allowable travel distance may be greater than the travel distance between the retracted configuration and the extended configuration to account for the vertical movement required to trigger the latch mechanism when transitioning from the retracted configuration to the extended configuration.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001[0369| As shown in FIG. 14A, the sleeve 610 may be shaped as a hollow tube that surrounds various components of the cartridge 600a in the retracted configuration, such as the core 630b, the light source 650, the light source holder 680, the lens holder 690, and the optical assembly 700a. The trim 670 may be directly coupled to the sleeve 610. In some implementations, the trim 670 may be directly coupled to the sleeve 610 via a snap-fit connection. For example, the trim 670 may include one or more snap-fit connectors 672 disposed around a top portion of the trim 670 that couple to corresponding snap-fit openings 613 disposed on the sleeve 610. As described above, the trim 670 may define the opening 601 through which light emitted by the light source 650 and redirected by the optical assembly 700a exits the cartridge 600a. In some implementations, the trim 670 may include a contoured interior surface 673. In some implementations, the surface 673 may be axisymmetric about the centerline axis 602. The surface 673 may include a bottom end that defines the opening 601 and a top end that defines an opening 671. In some implementations, the opening 671 may have a characteristic width less than the characteristic width of the opening 601.
[0370] The latch mechanism may comprise multiple components to facilitate the actuation and displacement of the sleeve 610 and the trim 670 with respect to the other components of the cartridge 600a. For example, the latch mechanism may be a sprung mechanism. FIGS. 14M and 14N show the cartridge 600a may include a pair of springs 608 where each spring 608 is disposed within a corresponding set of channels 641 and 683. The channels 641 and 683 may have the same geometry. As shown in FIGS. 140 and 14P, each of the channels 641 and 683 may be cylindrical in shape and aligned along an axis parallel to the centerline axis 602. In some implementations, the channels 641 and 683 may not be fully enclosed. Said another way, the cross-section of the channels 641 and 683 may be a circular arc rather than a full circle. In some implementations, the circular arc may subtend an angle greater than 180 degrees. This, in turn, may prevent components disposed within the channels 641 and 683 (e.g., the stopper 609) from being removed through the open side of the channels 641 and 683.[03711 The top end of each spring 608 may be coupled to a corresponding peg 633 disposed on the bottom surface 631b of the core 630a. For example, the spring 608 may wrap around the peg 633 such that the top end of the spring 608 remains attached to the peg 633 as the length of the spring 608 changes. As shown in FIGS. 14M and 14N, the pegs 633 may be disposed within corresponding channels 641 formed on the sides of the core 630b.
[0372] The bottom end of each spring 608 may be coupled to a stopper 609. As shown in FIGS. 14M and 14N, each stopper 609 may include a peg 609c inserted into a bottom portion of the spring 608. The stopper 609 may further include a foot 609a disposed at the bottom end of theAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 spring 608. The foot 609a may be retained within the channels 641 and 683 and may slidably move along the channels 641 and 683, e.g., as the sleeve 610 moves between the retracted configuration and the extended configuration. In some implementations, the foot 609a may have a circular shape corresponding to the circular cross-section of the channels 641 and 683. The combination of the channel 641 of the core 630b and the channel 683 of the light source holder 680 may form a continuous channel that increases the travel range allowable for the stopper 609. This, in turn, may increase the distance the sleeve 610 and the trim 670 can travel between the retracted configuration and the extended configuration.[0373 | Each stopper 609 may further include a ledge 609b joined to the foot 609a. The ledge 609b may physically contact the sleeve 610. For example, FIG. 14A shows the sleeve 610 may include a pair of slots 612 that extend vertically downward from a top end of the sleeve 610. FIG. 120 shows the ledge 609b may be disposed within one of the slots 612 and physically contact a bottom side 612a of the corresponding slot 612. The spring 608, when inserted between the pegs 633 and 609c, may be under compression. Thus, the spring 608 may apply a spring force that pushes against the core 630a and the stopper 609. The spring force applied to the stopper 609 may keep the ledge 609b in contact with the bottom side 612a. In this manner, the stopper 609 may be constrained to move together with the bottom end of the spring 608 as the sleeve 610 moves relative to the core 630a.[0374 j In implementations where the springs 608 are under compression, the spring force applied to the sleeve 610 may be sufficient to move the sleeve 610 and the trim 670 from the retracted configuration to the extended configuration without further user input once the latch mechanism is triggered. In contrast, the user may be required to apply a force, e.g., by pushing the bottom end of the trim 670, to move the sleeve 610 and the trim 670 from the extended configuration to the retracted configuration even after triggering the latch mechanism.
[0375] The cartridge 600a may further include other components that restrict the range of motion of the sleeve 610 and the trim 670. For example, the retainer 740 may include a mechanical stop 748. The mechanical stop 748 may be disposed within a slot 611 formed on the sleeve 610. The stop 748 may limit how far the sleeve 610 and the trim 670 can move vertically downwards away from the core 630a. For example, FIG. 13A shows that in the extended configuration, the stop 748 may physically contact the top side 61 la of the slot 611, thus limiting further vertical downward movement of the sleeve 610 and, by extension, the trim 670.
[0376] In another example, the retainer 740 may include a mechanical stop 747 disposed directly below the electrical connector 660. The stop 748 may limit how far the sleeve 610 andAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 the trim 670 can move vertically upwards toward from the core 630a. For example, when the cartridge 600a is in the retracted configuration, the sleeve 610 may be offset from the stop 747 as shown in FIG. 121. However, when transitioning from the retracted configuration to the extended configuration, the user may push the bottom end of the trim 670, thus causing the sleeve 610 and the trim 670 to move vertically upwards to trigger the latch mechanism. In another example, the sleeve 610 and the trim 670 may be pushed vertically upwards when transitioning from the extended configuration to the retracted configuration. In both examples, the stop 747 provides a physical barrier that limits vertical upward movement of the sleeve 610 and the trim 670.[ 377| The latch mechanism of the cartridge 600a may further include components to maintain the sleeve 610 and the trim 670 in the retracted configuration or the extended configuration when the latch mechanism is not actuated. When the latch mechanism is actuated, these same components may allow the sleeve 610 and the trim 670 to transition between the retracted configuration and the extended configuration. For example, FIGS. 15B and 15C show the retainer 720 may include a touch latch connector 727 joined to the frame 721 via an arm 726. As shown in FIG. 15C, the touch latch connector 727 may protrude horizontally from the arm 726.[03781 FIG. 15A shows the touch latch connector 727 may be disposed within a touch latch opening 614 formed on the sleeve 610. The touch latch opening 614 may be shaped to guide the movement of the touch latch connector 727 along the touch latch opening 614 as the sleeve 610 and, by extension, the touch latch opening 614 move relative to the touch latch connector 727 during a transition between the retracted configuration and the extended configuration. For example, the touch latch opening 614 may define a position 603a for the touch latch connector 727 corresponding to the retracted configuration and a position 603b for the touch latch connector 727 corresponding to the extended configuration.
[0379] When transitioning from the retracted configuration to the extended configuration, the touch latch connector 727 may follow a path 604a relative to the sleeve 610. As described above, this transition may be triggered by the user pushing the trim 670 and the sleeve 610 vertically upwards towards the core 630a. Referring to FIG. 15 A, the touch latch connector 727 may be initially located at the position 603a. In some implementations, the touch latch connector 727 may physically contact the comer 615c. When the sleeve 610 initially moves upward in response to the user pushing the trim 670, a bottom side 615d of the opening 614 may move into physical contact with a bottom end of the touch latch connector 727. The contact between the bottom end of the touch latch connector 727 and the side 615d may cause the armAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001726 to bend inward, thus displacing the touch latch connector 727 inward toward the optical assembly 700a and out of the touch latch opening 614.10380] The inward motion of the touch latch connector 727 may be facilitated, in part, by the bottom end of the touch latch connector 727 including an angled surface 728. As contact is made between the side 615d and the angled surface 728, a contact force may be applied to the angled surface 728. Due to the orientation of the angled surface 728, the contact force applied to the angled surface 728 may include a force component oriented inward toward the optical assembly 700a, which causes the inward displacement of the touch latch connector 727.
[0381] Once the touch latch connector 727 is disposed under the sleeve 610, the sleeve 610 may then be free to move downward relative to the touch latch connector 727. For example, the spring force applied by the springs 608 to the sleeve 610 (e.g., via the stoppers 609) may cause the sleeve 610 to move vertically downward. Referring again to FIG. 15 A, the touch latch connector 727 may move vertically upward relative to the sleeve 610 along the path 604a as the sleeve 610 moves downward. First, the touch latch connector 727 may move under and along the side 615e. Second, the touch latch connector 727 may move under a tab portion 615. Once the touch latch connector 727 moves past the tab portion 615, the sleeve 610 may no longer contact the angled surface 728. As a result, the arm 726 may return to its original orientation and the touch latch connector 727 may again be disposed within the opening 614. Third, the touch latch connector 727 may continue moving along the path 604a in response to the spring force applied to the sleeve 610 until it reaches the position 603b. At the position 603b, the touch latch connector 727 may contact the corner 615a. As an illustrative example, FIG. 16A shows a series of photographs that indicate the position of the touch latch connector727 within the touch latch opening 614 as the cartridge 600a transitions from the retracted configuration to the extended configuration.
[0382] In some implementations, the touch latch opening 614 and the touch latch connector 727 may be arranged such that the arm 726 is bent sideways (e.g., to the right in FIG. 15 A) when the touch latch connector 727 is disposed at the position 603a. By bending the arm 726 in this manner, a restoring force may be generated that pushes the touch latch connector 727 against the side 615e when the touch latch connector 727 is disposed within the touch latch opening 614. When the touch latch connector 727 is disposed under the sleeve 610 (e.g., due to the arm 726 also bending inward), the restoring force may cause the touch latch connector 727 to move to the left, thus keeping a portion of the touch latch connector 727 under the sleeve 610 as the latch connector 727 moves along the side 615e. In this manner, the likelihood of theAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 touch latch connector 727 getting stuck along the side 615e when the sleeve 610 moves vertically downward may be appreciably reduced or, in some instances, mitigated.
[0383] Once the touch latch connector 727 moves to the left underneath the sleeve 610, the arm 726 may no longer be bent to the side. Thus, a restoring force may no longer be applied to the touch latch connector 727. As a result, the touch latch connector 727 may return to the touch latch opening 614 when the touch latch connector 727 passes the tab portion 616 without a force pushing the touch latch connector 727 against the side 615f of the opening 614. The foregoing motion may be accomplished, in part, by the side 615e being horizontally offset from the side 615f. For example, FIG. 15A shows the side 615e may be offset to the right of the side 615f
[0384] When transitioning from the extended configuration to the retracted configuration, the touch latch connector 727 may follow a path 604b relative to the sleeve 610. As described above, this transition may be facilitated, in part, by the user actively pushing the trim 670 to move the sleeve 610 and the trim 670 upward, thus causing the touch latch connector 727 to move downward relative to the touch latch opening 614. Referring to FIG. 15A, the touch latch connector 727 may be initially located at the position 603b. In some implementations, the touch latch connector 727 may also physically contact the corner 615c of the touch latch opening 614.[0385 J As the user begins pushing the trim 670, the sleeve 610 may move vertically upwards. As a result, the touch latch connector 727 may move downwards relative to the touch latch opening 614. Initially, the touch latch connector 727 may move along the side 615f Once the touch latch connector 727 reaches the tab portion 616, subsequent vertical movement of the sleeve 610 may cause the touch latch connector 727 to physically contact the side 615b of the tab portion 616. As the sleeve 610 moves further upward, the touch latch connector 727 may remain in physical contact with the side 615b due, in part, to the arm 726 being bent sideways, thus creating a restoring force that pushes the touch latch connector 727 against the side 615b. As shown in FIG. 15, the side 615b may deflect the touch latch connector 727 to the right.]0386] After the touch latch connector 727 passes the tab portion 616, subsequent vertical movement of the sleeve 610 may cause the touch latch connector 727 to move into an end portion 617 of the touch latch opening 614. After this occurs, the user may release the trim 670. The spring force from the compressed springs 608 may then move the sleeve 610 down, thus causing the touch latch connector 727 to move upward and into the position 603a. At the position 603a, the touch latch connector 727 may contact the corner 615c. As an illustrative example, FIG. 16B shows a series of photographs that indicate the position of the touch latchAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 connector 727 within the touch latch opening 614 as the cartridge 600a transitions from the extended configuration to the retracted configuration.1.4.1 Examples of Optical Assemblies
[0387] FIG. 17A shows the light source 650 and a representation of generated light 652 emanating from a light emitting surface (LES) of the light source 650. FIG. 17A also shows, for purposes of illustration, an observer 653 perceiving at least a portion of the light 652 emanating from the LES of the light source. In some instances, the light 652 generated from the light source itself may result in perceivable glare to the observer 653 if the light source is not appropriately positioned within a lighting system, and / or if the light 652 is not refracted or “shaped” in some manner into an appropriate beam pattern (e.g., via one or more optical lenses). In FIG. 17A, the light 652 emanating from the LES of the light source 650 results in relatively high glare to the observer 653 (absent other structure or components to refract, shape and / or contain the light 652).
[0388] In architectural lighting, “glare” generally refers to visual discomfort or reduced visibility / clarity caused by excessive contrast or brightness from one or more light sources within a field of view of an observer in an illuminated space. Glare often results from a poorly controlled or overly bright light source (e.g., an exposed bright aperture or insufficient shielding relative to the surrounding environment). In particular, when considering a given downlight fixture, glare may be defined as “the sensation of visual discomfort or impairment of vision produced when a downlight’s luminous intensity or brightness (luminance) is excessively high compared to the surrounding field or viewing task, especially when the fixture is within the observer’s direct line of sight.” Thus, there are two types of glare relevant to a downlight, namely “discomfort glare” which causes annoyance or visual fatigue in the observer but does not necessarily reduce the observer’s visibility (e.g., when an observer looks up and the aperture of a downlight feels uncomfortably bright), and “disability glare” which reduces visual performance or contrast (e.g., such as light scattering in the observer’s eye that makes it harder for the observer to see surfaces or tasks directly below or near the light source).
[0389] Some relevant technical factors that influence glare in a downlight may include: 1) luminance (cd / m2) of the aperture (e.g., high luminance increases glare); 2) cutoff angle at which an observer can no longer perceive light emanating from a downlight (e.g., deeper or more shielded light sources / reflectors in a downlight can reduce glare by hiding the light source from view at typical sightlines); 3) beam spread of the downlight; and 4) background luminanceAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001(e.g., a dark ceiling or space around a bright downlight increases perceived glare due to contrast).
[0390] The “Unified Glare Rating” (UGR) is a generally accepted standardized quantitative metric introduced by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE 117-1995) for discomfort glare from luminaires in indoor spaces. UGR is given by the formula:where:• L = luminance of each visible luminaire (cd / m2)• co = solid angle of the luminaire seen by the observer (sr)• p = Guth position index (accounts for the luminaire’s location in the field of view)• Lb = background luminance (cd / m2)UGR generally applies to multiple luminaires / downlights in a given architectural space, and in some instances has less applicability for a single downlight. Notwithstanding, UGR demonstrates the generally accepted principle that if the visible luminance of the aperture of a downlight is high relative to the field of view, discomfort glare increases. Example UGR values and their interpretation are provided in the following table:In view of the foregoing, a downlight may be considered to be “low-glare” when its effective UGR is less than or equal to 19.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001{03911 The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), a global authority on illumination, also has standards for “cutoff classifications,” i.e., an angle at which light emanates from a light source relative to straight down or the nadir (e.g., a 90 degree cutoff means that some amount of light emanates horizontally from a light source), as well as recommended luminance limits for light sources in a field of view. Generally speaking, with respect to acceptable glare, the IES standards recommend avoiding visible lamp faces or light source apertures generating a luminance greater than 3,000 cd / m2 within a 45 degree line of sight of an observer, and maintaining a 40-50 degree cutoff. FIG. 17B generally illustrates the foregoing concepts relating to glare.|0392| Goniophotometric testing (often shortened to gonio testing) is a standard method used to measure and describe how a light source distributes its light in three-dimensional space, including cutoff classifications, beam angles, luminous intensity, and efficacy. More specifically, gonio testing is the process of measuring the luminous intensity (in candelas) emitted by a light source at various angles around it, using a goniophotometer. The resulting data describe how bright the light source appears in every direction, creating what’s known as a photometric distribution. The light source under test is mounted on a goniophotometer, a precision instrument that rotates the fixture around one or more axes. A photometer or detector placed at a fixed distance measures the light intensity at many angular positions (usually every 2.5° or 5°). The results are plotted in polar or Cartesian intensity diagrams, and the data are stored in a photometric file. From that data, one can compute total luminous flux (lumens), beam angles (e.g., FWHM for spotlights), zonal lumen distributions (e.g., % of lumens between 0-90°, 80-90°, etc.), cutoff classification (e.g., full cutoff, semi-cutoff), and UGR tables (for glare analysis). There are various standards that govern gonio testing (e.g., IES LM-79 - Electrical and Photometric Measurements of Solid-State Lighting Products; IES LM-75 - Goniophotometer Types and Measurement Geometry; CIE 70 — The Measurement of Luminous Intensity Distributions'). Thus, gonio testing is a foundation for glare evaluation and compliance with IES cutoff and UGR standards.{0393 | In example implementations of the small aperture recessed lighting system 100 disclosed herein, an inventive optical assembly is employed to refract light from the light source 650 such that the light emitted from the lighting system has appreciably low glare, based at least in part on the light-refracting functionality of the optical assembly. In some specific examples, based at least in part on the inventive optical assembly, the lighting system disclosed herein can effectively serve as a downlight with a UGR of less than or significantly less than 19 (and more preferably with a UGR on the order of 15 or lower, and more preferably with aAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001UGR on the order of 13 or lower), a cutoff angle on the order of 70 degrees or lower (or more preferably on the order of 40 degrees or lower), beam angles of between 15 degrees and 70 degrees (and, more specifically, 30 degrees, 45 degrees, and 60 degrees), and a luminance intensity on the order of 3000 cd / m2 or less, all through an aperture of less than two inches, and more specifically, an aperture on the order of approximately one inch.
[0394] To illustrate various concepts germane to an inventive optical assembly as disclosed herein, FIG. 17C illustrates a first optical lens 710a used in combination with the light source 650 of FIG. 17A to refract the light generated by the light source. In particular, the first optical lens 710a has a first surface to receive incident light 652 generated by the light source 650. The first optical lens has a second surface from which first refracted light 654 exits when the incident light is present. As can be readily appreciated from FIG. 17C, the first optical lens 710a alters an overall beam pattern of the first refracted light 654 (e.g., reduces a beam width of the first refracted light) as compared to the light 652 emanating from the light source 650 alone. For example, FIG. 17C illustrates that the use of the first optical lens 710a in combination with the light source 650 may result in the first refracted light 654 having a beam width (or beam angle) on the order of 70 degrees.
[0395] FIG. 17D shows a non-limiting example of an inventive optical assembly 700 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure that incorporates the first optical lens 710a shown in FIG. 17C. As shown in FIG. 17D, the optical assembly 700 includes the first optical lens 710a, a second optical lens 710b, and a third optical lens 710c. As noted above, the first optical lens 710a has a first surface to receive incident light 652, when present, and also has a second surface from which first refracted light 654 exits when the incident light is present. Similarly, the second optical lens 710b has a first surface disposed with respect to the second surface of the first optical lens to receive the first refracted light, when present; the second optical lens also has a second surface from which second refracted light 656 exits. The third optical lens 710c has a first surface disposed with respect to the second surface of the second optical lens to receive the second refracted light, when present; the third optical lens also has a second surface from which third refracted light 658 exits. FIG. 17D illustrates that the optical assembly 700 is configured and arranged such that the third refracted light 658, when present, forms a crossover beam having a focal point 655.
[0396] In general, in example implementations, the optical assembly 700 shown in FIG. 17D is configured and arranged such that a beam angle 659 of the crossover beam 658 (with the focal point 655 serving as a vertex of the beam angle 659) is in a range of from about 15 degrees to about 70 degrees. Examples of various factors governing the beam angle 659 include, butAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 are not limited to: the respective materials of the first, second and third optical lenses; the respective sizes of the first, second and third optical lenses; the respective shapes and / or orientations of the first, second and third optical lenses; and / or respective spacings between the light source 650 and the first optical lens, the first optical lens and the second optical lens, and the second optical lens and the third optical lens. In some more specific example implementations as discussed further below, the optical assembly may be configured and arranged such that the beam angle 659 is approximately or equal to 30 degrees, approximately or equal to 45 degrees, or approximately or equal to 60 degrees.
[0397] FIG. 17D shows that the optical assembly 700 may be disposed in a cartridge 600 (various examples of which are discussed in detail above in connection with FIGS. 12-16), together with the light source 650. As shown in FIG. 17D, the cartridge 600 includes an opening 601 through which the crossover beam 658 exits the cartridge. In one non -limiting example implementation, the cartridge itself, and / or one or more components of the cartridge, is / are configured such that the focal point 655 of the crossover beam 658, when the incident light 652 is present, occurs within the cartridge 600 between the second surface of the third optical lens 710c and the opening 601 of the cartridge 600. In this manner, glare from the opening 601 is significantly reduced or substantially mitigated. In the example of FIG. 17D (and as shown in some earlier figures), the cartridge may further include a trim 670 to facilitate mitigation or significant reduction of glare from the opening 601 of the cartridge when the light source generates the incident light. In one example, and interior surface of the trim 670 may be colored black to facilitate glare reduction or mitigation.
[0398] As also shown in FIG. 17D (as well as in FIGS. 14J, 14K, and 14L), each optical lens of the first optical lens 710a, the second optical lens 710b, and the third optical lens 710c may include a convex surface 713a and a planar surface 713b to facilitate refraction of light passing through the respective lenses. FIG. 18 generally illustrates this concept. As shown in FIG. 18, each air / lens boundary holds the possibility for reflection or refraction of an incident light ray. The lower the angle of incidence of a given light ray, the higher the probability of reflection of that light ray. In one aspect, as shown in FIG. 18, most of the light reflected in the optical assembly 700 impinges upon a sidewall of the cartridge 600 (or back up into the light source 650). Not much light is lost in transmission through the volume of the lens material (glass and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) lenses are generally less lossy than polycarbonate (PC) lenses).[039 J In one aspect, at least the first optical lens 710a and the second optical lens 710b are configured and arranged such that the second refracted light 656 forms a collimated beam or aAttorney Docket No. DMFL038W001 substantially collimated beam. More generally, as noted above the different shapes and orientations of the respective lenses with respect to one another may in some instances at least partially affect the beam width of the crossover beam 658 and / or the position of the focal point 655. For example, as shown in FIG. 17D and FIG. 18, the first surface of the first optical lens 710a is a planar surface 713b and the second surface of the first optical lens is a convex surface 713a; the first surface of the second optical lens 710b is a planar surface 713b and the second surface of the second optical lens is a convex surface 713a; and the first surface of the third optical lens 710c is a convex surface 713a and the second surface of the third optical lens is planar surface 713b.
[0400] The arrangement and orientation of optical lenses shown in FIG. 17D and FIG. 18 is suitable for realizing beam angles 659 in a range of from approximately 45 degrees to 60 degrees for the crossover beam 658. For smaller beam angles (e.g., 30 degrees), in one example implementation the orientation of the third optical lens is flipped such that the first surface of the third optical lens 710c is a planar surface 713b and the second surface of the third optical lens is convex surface 713a.[040.1] More specifically, FIGS. 19A, 19B and 19C illustrate three optical assemblies 700a, 700b and 700c whose configuration and arrangement of components respectively correspond to generating crossover beams 658 having beam angles of 30 degrees (FIG. 19 A), 45 degrees (FIG. 19B) and 60 degrees (FIG. 19C). Based on the arrangements shown in FIGS. 19A-19C, in some implementations, different cartridges 600 may include different ones of the optical assemblies 700a, 700b and 700c to facilitate light emission with different beam angles. In practice, a cartridge that provides light at a first beam angle may be readily swapped out with another cartridge that provides light at a different beam angle.
[0402] In various design implementations of an optical assembly 700 according to the inventive concepts disclosed herein, a distance between the light emitting surface (LES) of the light source 650 and the first surface of the first optical lens 710a is relevant to determining a light efficiency or light output ratio (LOR) for the optical assembly (i.e., the ratio of measured light output from the optical assembly to the incident light 652 provided by the light source 650). Generally speaking, the smaller the distance between the LES and the first surface of the first optical lens, the higher the LOR. FIG. 20 shows a table of LOR and beam angle for an optical assembly, based on a first optical lens 710a made of glass and scaled for a 6 millimeter LES, wherein the first optical lens is disposed with respect to the LES at different distances. In FIG. 20, the second optical lens 710b is made of glass, and the table provides two options for this lens (e.g., 6 mm diameter and 7.2 mm diameter). The third optical lens 710c is madeAttorney Docket No. DMFL038W001 of polycarbonate (PC), and the table similarly provides two options for this lens (e.g., 6 mm diameter and 7.2 mm diameter). From FIG. 20, it may be readily ascertained that a smaller distance between the LES of the light source and the first optical lens provides for a relatively higher LOR.
[0403] As discussed above in connection with FIGS. 12-16, a cartridge 600 in which an optical assembly 700 may be housed includes various other components to facilitate maintaining respective components of the optical assembly inside the cartridge itself, and with particular spacings or gaps between the respective components of the optical assembly. For example, a lens holder 690 may be employed to secure at least the first optical lens and to facilitate positioning of the first optical lens with respect to the second optical lens. Additionally, each of the second optical lens 710b and the third optical lens 710c may include a sidewall 711 to facilitate positioning of at least the second optical lens 710b and the third optical lens 710c with respect to each other. In one example, the sidewall of the second optical lens abuts a surface 692b of the lens holder, and the sidewall of the second optical lens abuts the sidewall of the third optical lens to maintain the optical assembly 700 in the cartridge 600 at prescribed distances between the respective optical lenses.
[0404] FIG. 21 shows example ray traces for different light sources 650 having respectively different sizes for the light emitting surface (LES), all using the same example arrangement of the optical assembly 700. From FIG. 21, it may be observed that, generally speaking, a smaller size for the LES corresponds to a crossover beam having a smaller beam angle.
[0405] FIG. 22A shows a photograph of an example cartridge mounted to a heatsink and having an optical assembly to provide light with low glare.]0406J FIG. 22B shows a series of photographs comparing the observed light emission from an example cartridge (left) in a lighting system according to the present disclosure and a conventional lighting fixture (right) at various viewing angles.1.5 An Example Installation of the Lighting System
[0407] A non-limiting example method for installing the lighting system 100 in a new construction installation may include the following steps: (1) inserting the housing assembly 200 into the ceiling space 12; (2) securely coupling the housing assembly 200 to one or more support structures (e.g., a wood joist, a metal joist, a T-bar, a hat channel); (3) routing the electrical cable 93 into the cavity 201, e.g., by removing a knockout on the housing assembly 200 to form the feedthrough 232; (4) installing a sheet of drywall onto the support structuresAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 to form the ceiling 10; (5) forming an opening 11 in the ceiling 10 (e.g., by cutting the drywall) in the shape of the panel 330; (6) routing the electrical cable 93 and the electrical connector 94 through the heatsink assembly 300 such that the electrical connector 94 is accessible through the opening 301; (7) inserting the heatsink assembly 300 into the cavity 201 of the housing assembly 200 such that the panel 330 is aligned to the opening 11; (8) securely coupling the heatsink assembly 300 to the housing assembly 200; (9) applying joint compound to integrate the panel 330 into the ceiling 10; (10) optionally, painting and / or otherwise finishing the panel 330 and the ceiling 10; (11) connecting the electrical connector 502 of the driver module 500 to an electrical connector of a cable connected to an external electrical system (e.g., the electrical connector 221 of the cable 220, or the electrical connector 94 of the cable 93); (12) inserting the driver module 500 into the heatsink assembly 300 through the opening 301; (13) coupling the driver module 500 to the heatsink assembly 300 (e.g., by maneuvering the driver module 500 to align a magnet coupled to the driver module 500 to a magnet coupled to the heatsink assembly 300); (14) inserting the cartridge 600 into the heatsink assembly 300; and (15) coupling the cartridge 600 to the heatsink assembly 300 (e.g. by engaging a locking mechanism), which, in turn, also electrically couples the electrical connector 660 of the cartridge 600 to the electrical connector 560 of the driver module 500.[0408| It should be appreciated the foregoing method is a non-limiting example. In particular, certain steps may be performed before or after other steps. For example, the steps of inserting the driver module 500 into the heatsink assembly 300 (step 12) and coupling the driver module 500 to the heatsink assembly 300 (step 13) may be performed before the heatsink assembly 300 is installed into the housing assembly 200 (step 7). In other words, the driver module 500 may be pre-installed into the heatsink assembly 300. Additionally, before the heatsink assembly 300 is installed, the driver module 500 may be connected to the cable 220, e.g., via a pigtail connection. Thereafter, the heatsink assembly 300 may be installed and joint compound may be applied.[0409| As an illustrative example, FIGS. 23A-23C show the steps of inserting the driver module 500 into the heatsink assembly 300 (step 12) and coupling the driver module 500 to the heatsink assembly 300 (step 13) for the example driver module 500a shown in FIGS. 11 A- 111 and the heatsink assembly 300a shown in FIGS. 4A-4K. As shown in FIG. 23 A, the connector 502 on the cable 501 may be inserted through the opening 301 and into the cavity 304 of the heatsink 340a followed by the other components of the driver module 500a. Although not shown, the connector 502 may be connected to the connector of a cable connected to an external electrical system (e.g., the connector 221, or the connector 94). As the driverAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 module 500a is inserted into the cavity 304, the connector 502 and at least a portion of the cable 501 may pass through the opening 344 of the heatsink 340a. FIG. 23B shows that driver module 500a, once inserted into the cavity 304, may be maneuvered to securely couple the driver module 500a to the heatsink assembly 300a. For instance, the cavity 304 may provide sufficient room to tilt the driver module 500a. FIG. 23C shows the driver module 500a is securely coupled to the heatsink assembly 300a when the plate 531 of the driver module 500a is aligned to the magnet 375 of the heatsink assembly 300a. As described above, the plate 531 may be magnetically coupled to the magnet 375, thus securing the driver module 500a. FIG. 23C further shows the ribbon 530 of the driver module 500a may be tucked into the cavity 304.
[0410] FIGS. 23D-23F illustrate the foregoing steps of inserting the cartridge 600 into the heatsink assembly 300 (step 14) and coupling the cartridge 600 to the heatsink assembly 300 (step 15) for the example cartridge 600a shown in FIGS. 12A-12P and the heatsink assembly 300a shown in FIGS. 4A-4K. As shown in FIG. 23D, the cartridge 600a may be in the extended configuration (see FIGS. 13 A-13F) when inserted into the cavity 304 through the opening 301. The extended configuration may provide the user a portion of the cartridge 600a (e.g., the trim 670) below the opening 301 to grab to facilitate insertion of the cartridge 600a into the cavity 304. As shown in FIG. 23D, the cartridge 600a may be inserted into the cavity 304 such that the top surface 631a of the core 630a thermally contacts the surface 354 of the heatsink 340a. This may be facilitated, in part, by aligning the cartridge 600a in such a way that the core 630a is able to move past the retainers 380 disposed within the recessed portion 350a of the heatsink 340a. For example, FIG. 24A shows the cartridge 600a may be inserted such that the channel 634a of the core 630a is aligned to one retainer 380 and the channel 634b is aligned to the other retainer 380 and the electrical connector 560 of the driver module 500a. Once inserted, FIG. 24B shows the retainers 380 may be aligned to respective bottom portions of the channels 634a and 634b.
[0411] For the cartridge 600a, the locking mechanism may comprise a twist-and-lock mechanism as described in Section 1.4. To engage the twist-and-lock mechanism, FIG. 23E shows the cartridge 600a may be rotated with respect to the heatsink assembly 300a. During this step, the cartridge 600a may remain in the extended configuration, e.g., to provide the user a portion of the cartridge 600a to grab to rotate the cartridge 600a. As the cartridge 600a is rotated, the relative movement between the cartridge 600a and the heatsink assembly 300a may cause one retainer 380 to enter the channel 635 adjoining the channel 634a and the other retainer 380 to enter the channel 635 adjoining the channel 634b. As each retainer 380 moves along a corresponding channel 635, the latch portion 382 of each retainer 380 may physicallyAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 contact respective ridges 636 disposed in each channel 635. This contact may cause the latch portion 382 to deflect, e.g., into a corresponding recess 351 formed on the heatsink 340a. As the cartridge 600a is further rotated, the latch portion 382 may be deflected by the ridge 636 until the ridge 636 aligns with the groove 385 on the retainer 380. Once the ridge 636 is aligned to the groove 385, the ridge 636 may provide a mechanical stop that limits further rotation of the cartridge 600a with respect to the heatsink assembly 300a. The geometry of the ridge 636 and the groove 385, however, may allow the cartridge 600a to be rotated in the opposite direction, i.e., with the respective latch portions 382 moving past the ridge 636 and out from the channel 635, when sufficient force is applied to rotate the cartridge 600a, thus allowing the cartridge 600a to disengage from the heatsink assembly 300a.[04.12] FIGS. 24C and 24D show the cartridge 600a after being rotated to engage the twist- and-lock mechanism. As shown, the latch portion 382 of each retainer 380 is disposed in a corresponding channel 635 and the respective ridges 636 of the cartridge 600a are aligned to corresponding grooves 385. Additionally, the electrical connector 660 of the cartridge 600a is shown in electrical contact with the electrical connector 560 of the driver module 500a. Thus, in some implementations, engaging the locking mechanism to secure the cartridge 600 to the heatsink assembly 300 may also electrically couple the cartridge 600 to the driver module 500.
[0413] FIG. 23F shows once the cartridge 600a is securely coupled to the heatsink assembly 300a, the latch mechanism of the cartridge 600a may be actuated to transition the cartridge 600a from the extended configuration to the retracted configuration. As shown, the sleeve 610 and the trim 670 may be moved into the cavity 304 such that the bottom end of the trim 670 is disposed within or slightly above the opening 301 of the panel 330a. As described in Section 1.4, the latch mechanism for the cartridge 600a may be triggered by pushing the bottom end of the trim 670.[04.14] As described above, the driver module 500 and the cartridge 600 may be removably coupled to the heatsink assembly 300. After installation, the driver module 500 and the cartridge 600 may be readily removed, e.g., for servicing and / or replacement, in a tool-free manner. An illustrative example method for removing the cartridge 600 from the lighting system 100 may include the following steps: (1) decoupling the cartridge 600 from the heatsink assembly 300 (e.g., by disengaging the locking mechanism); and (2) removing the cartridge 600 from the heatsink assembly 300 through the opening 301. For the cartridge 600a, the foregoing steps may be performed, in part, by performing the steps shown in FIGS. 24D-F in reverse. For example, the latch mechanism of the cartridge 600a may be triggered to transition the cartridge 600a from the retracted configuration to the extended configuration. Thereafter,Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 the user may grab the cartridge 600a and rotate it to disengage the twist-and-lock mechanism. Thereafter, the cartridge 600a may be pulled out of the cavity 304 through the opening 301 of the heatsink assembly 300a.
[0415] An illustrative example method for removing the driver module 500 from the lighting system 100 may include the following steps following the removal of the cartridge 600: (1) decoupling the driver module 500 from the heatsink assembly 300 (e.g., by disengaging the locking mechanism); and (2) removing the cartridge 600 from the heatsink assembly 300 through the opening 301. For the driver module 500a, the foregoing steps may be performed, in part, by performing the steps shown in FIGS. 24A-C in reverse. For example, the ribbon 530 may be pulled out through the opening 301. Thereafter, the user may grab the ribbon 530 and pull the remainder of the driver module 500a out through the opening 301 of the heatsink assembly 300a. In some implementations, the cable 501 may be pulled through the opening 301 while still attached to the cable connected to the external electrical system (e.g., the cable 220, the cable 93), thus providing the user access to these cables.2.1 A Second Example of a Small Aperture Recessed Lighting System[0416J Following below is another example recessed lighting system that includes a housing assembly 200b, a heatsink assembly 300c, a driver module 500b, and a cartridge 600b. This example lighting system may incorporate one or more of the same components and / or features from the housing assembly 200a, the heatsink assemblies 300a or 300b, the driver module 500a, or the cartridge 600a as described in Section 1. For brevity, repeated discussion of these components and / or features are not provided below unless indicated otherwise.
[0417] FIGS. 25A and 25B show another example housing assembly 200b with a heatsink assembly 300c partially inserted into the housing assembly 200b. As shown, the housing assembly 200b may define a single cavity to contain the heatsink assembly 300c and any wiring connections to an externa electrical system. In this example, one or more knockouts 231 may be disposed on the top and the sides of the housing 230. FIGS. 26A-26G show several additional views of the housing assembly 200b where the housing 230 is removed to more clearly show the placement of the heatsink assembly 300c.
[0418] FIGS. 27A-27O show several views of the example heatsink assembly 300c. In this example, the heatsink assembly 300c may include a housing hub 570a, which may contain electronics to facilitate connection with the driver module 500b, the cartridge 600b, and an external electrical system. For instance, FIG. 27J shows the housing hub 570a may include a housing hub PCB 571 with connectors 502, 572, and 573. The connector 502 may connect toAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 an electrical cable that is connected to the external electrical system (e.g., the cable 220, or 93). The connector 572 may connect to the connector 560 of the driver module 500b. The connector 573 may connect to another connector 574 via a cable and the connector 574, in turn, may connect to the connector 660 of the cartridge 600b. In this manner, the housing hub 570a may connect separately to the driver module 500b, the cartridge 600b, and the external electrical system. Additionally, the housing hub 570a may include features to retain the driver module 500b, such as the magnet 375.|041.9] FIGS. 28A-28C show several views of the heatsink assembly 300c partially disassembled with the baseplate 310 removed from the other components of the heatsink assembly 300c. FIGS. 29A-29C show the housing hub 570a may be directly coupled to the heatsink 340c, in part, via a heatsink cover 360. FIGS. 30A-30E show the heatsink 340c may support retainers 386a and 386b, which provide a twist-and-lock connection mechanism for securing the cartridge 600b to the heatsink assembly 300c. As shown, the retainer 386a may also support the electrical connector 574.]0420] FIGS. 31A and 3 IB show how the driver module 500b is aligned to the housing hub 570a when installed into the heatsink assembly 300c. FIGS. 32A and 32B further show an exploded view of the housing hub 570a. As shown, the housing hub 570a may include a housing 575 supporting the housing hub PCB 571.(0421 ] FIGS. 33A-33K show several views of the driver module 500b. In this example, the electrical connector 560 may be oriented and arranged to align with the electrical connector 572 of the housing hub 570a rather than directly with the connector 660 of the cartridge 600b. The driver module 500b may further include the ribbon 530 to facilitate removal through the opening 301 of the heatsinks assembly 300c.
[0422] FIGS. 34A-34P show several views of the cartridge 600b in the retracted configuration. FIGS. 35A-35D show several views of the cartridge 600b in the extended configuration. In this example, the electrical connector 660 may comprise female pogo-pin connectors for connection with the electrical connector 574, which comprises male pogo-pin connectors. FIGS. 36A-36K show the various components in the cartridge 600b and their assembly.
[0423] FIGS. 37A-37G show a series of figures illustrating the installation of the driver module 500b and the cartridge 600b into the heatsink assembly 300c. FIG. 37A shows the driver module 500b may be inserted into the heatsink assembly 300c through the opening 301. FIGS. 37B and 37C show the driver module 500b may be maneuvered such that the plate 531 of the driver 500b aligns with the magnet 375 supported by the housing hub 570a. FIG. 37D shows the cartridge 600b may then be inserted into the heatsink assembly 300c through the openingAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001301. The cartridge 600b may initially be in an extended configuration such that a portion of the cartridge 600b protrudes below the panel 330c to facilitate coupling to the heatsink assembly 300c.
[0424] FIG. 37G shows the cartridge 600b may then be coupled to the heatsink assembly 300c via a twist and lock mechanism. The twist and lock mechanism provides a way to securely couple the cartridge 600b to the heatsink assembly 300c without requiring the electrical connectors 660 to be disposed on the top surface 63 la of the top core 630a. Thus, the electrical connectors 660 may remain disposed on the side of the cartridge 600b and the entirety of the top surface 631a of the top core 630a may be used to dissipate heat from the cartridge 600b, thus providing greater cooling. As an alternative to the twist and lock mechanism, a snap-in feature or a threaded connection mechanism may be used to securely couple the cartridge 600b to the heatsink assembly 300c. The cartridge 600b may then be pushed into a retracted configuration where the bottom of the cartridge 600b is aligned with the bottom surface of the panel 330c. The transition between the extended and retracted configurations is facilitated by a built-in latch mechanism, such as the latch mechanism in the cartridge 600a. In the manner described above, the driver module 500b and the cartridge 600b may be installed and / or uninstalled without requiring use of any tools.
[0425] FIGS. 38A-38C show the orientation of the cartridge 600b when initially inserted into the heatsink 340c and the subsequent rotation of the cartridge 600b to engage the locking mechanism and, in turn, electrically couple the connector 660 of the cartridge 600b to the electrical connector 574 of the heatsinks assembly 300c.2.2 A Third Example of a Small Aperture Recessed Lighting System
[0426] Following below is another example recessed lighting system that includes a heatsink assembly 300d, a driver module 500c, and a cartridge 600c. This example lighting system may incorporate one or more of the same components and / or features from the housing assemblies 200a or 200b, the heatsink assemblies 300a-300c, the driver modules 500a or 500b, or the cartridges 600a or 600b as described in Sections 1 and 2.1. For brevity, repeated discussion of these components and / or features are not provided below unless indicated otherwise.
[0427] FIGS. 39A-39K show another example heatsink assembly 300d with a heatsink 340d. In this implementation, the driver module 500c may be directly coupled to a cable 501 that supplies electrical power and / or a control signal (e.g., to facilitate dimming or color mixing / tuning). Thus, the heatsink assembly 300d may not include a housing hub with separate electronics. Rather, the heatsink assembly 300d may include a driver cover 370c, whichAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 provides alignment features and the magnet 375 to retain the driver module 500c to the heatsink assembly 300d. The cable 501 may be installed during assembly of the driver module 500c and include an electrical connector 502 to connect to a corresponding cable in the built environment (e.g., a cable 220 or 93 connected to the building mains). Alternatively, the cable 501 may be installed into the driver module 500c during installation of the lighting system.
[0428] In this implementation, the driver module 500c may be directly coupled to a cable 501 that supplies electrical power and / or a control signal (e.g., to facilitate dimming or color mixing / tuning). Accordingly, when the driver module 500c is removed, the cable 501 may also be pulled below the ceiling 10.
[0429] The cartridge 600c may be electrically coupled directly to the driver module 500c via electrical connectors 660 and 560, respectively. The electrical connectors 560 and 660 may not include a cable or a locking mechanism. In some implementations, the electrical connectors 560 and 660 may be spring-loaded electrical connectors (e.g., spring clip connectors, pogo pin connectors, and the like).
[0430] FIGS. 40A and 40B show the assembly of an example panel 330d and a baseplate 310 of the heatsink assembly 300d. FIGS. 41A and 41B show the assembly of the heatsink 340d and the baseplate 310. As shown, the baseplate 310 may include a chimney portion 325 and one or more bosses 311 to support a flag connector 312. The chimney portion 325 may dissipate heat generated by the cartridge 600c. FIGS. 42 A and 42B show the assembly of the driver cover 370c to the heatsink 340d. FIGS. 43A and 43B show the assembly of multiple retainers 380 and a thermal pad 390 to the heatsink 340d. FIGS. 44A and 44B show how the driver module 500c is aligned to the driver cover 370c when installed into the heatsink assembly 300d. FIG. 45 further shows an exploded view of the driver cover 370c, which includes a magnet 375 as described above.(043.11 FIGS. 46A-46I show several views of the driver module 500c. FIGS. 47A-47N show several views of the cartridge 600c in the retracted configuration. FIGS. 48A-48F show several views of the cartridge 600c in the extended configuration. FIGS. 49A-49L show the various components in the cartridge 600c and their assembly.
[0432] In this implementation, the cartridge 600c may include a two-part heatsink (e.g., a top core 630a and a bottom core 630b), in part, to provide greater ease of manufacture. FIG. 50 show several additional example designs for a two-part heatsink that may be integrated into the cartridge 600c.
[0433] FIGS. 51 A- 51C show several views of the touch latch mechanism used to transition the cartridge 600c between the retracted configuration and the extended configuration. The latchAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 mechanism shown may operate in a similar manner to the latch mechanism described in Section 1.4.2.3 A Fourth Example of a Small Aperture Recessed Lighting System
[0434] Following below is another example recessed lighting system that includes a housing assembly 200c, a heatsink assembly 300e, a driver module 500d, and a cartridge 600d. This example lighting system may incorporate one or more of the same components and / or features from the housing assemblies 200a or 200b, the heatsink assemblies 300a-300d, the driver modules 500a-500c, or the cartridges 600a-600c as described in Sections 1, 2.1, and 2.2. For brevity, repeated discussion of these components and / or features are not provided below unless indicated otherwise.
[0435] FIGS. 52A-52D show several views of another example housing assembly 200c. As shown, the housing assembly 200c may include a single cavity to contain the heatsink assembly 300e and various wiring connections to an external electrical system. In this example, the housing assembly 200c may provide a circular opening 213 to receive the heatsink assembly 200c. In some implementations, the opening 213 may have a radius equal to about 5.6 inches. In some implementations, the total height of the housing 230 may be equal to about 3 inches. In this example, the housing assembly 200c may be used with drywall having a 0.5 inch thickness. However, it should be appreciated that the dimensions of the drywall are nonlimiting.
[0436] FIGS. 53A-53G show several views of another example heatsink assembly 300e. As shown, the heatsink assembly 300e may include a heatsink 340e and a housing hub 570b. In some implementations, the heatsink 340e may have a radius equal to about 5.5 inches. The total height of the heatsink 340e may be equal to about 2.9 inches. In this example, the heatsink assembly 300e may include a panel 330e configured as a mud-in plate. To integrate the panel 330e into the ceiling, joint compound may be applied across the entire surface of the panel 330e up to the opening 301.
[0437] FIGS. 54A-54E show several views of the driver module 500d.
[0438] FIGS. 55A-55F show several views illustrating the installation of the heatsink assembly 300e into the housing assembly 200c. In some implementations, the housing assembly 200c may be installed into a ceiling space 12. Thereafter, a drywall panel forming the ceiling 10 may be installed. Then, the ceiling 10 may be cut and the heatsink assembly 300e may be inserted and securely coupled to the housing assembly 200c. FIG. 55B shows that during installation of the heatsink assembly 300e, an electrical cable (e.g., the cable 220) may be connected to theAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 connector 502 of the housing hub 570b. FIGS. 55C and 55D show the flag connectors 312 in the heatsink assembly 300e may be rotated and tightened to securely couple the heatsink assembly 300e to the housing assembly 200c. Once the heatsink assembly 300e is installed, the panel 330e may be fastened to the ceiling 10, e.g., via four screw fasteners. Before or after applying joint compound, the driver 500d may be installed into the heatsink assembly 300e.
[0439] FIGS. 56A-56K show several views of the cartridge 600d. The cartridge 600d provides another example with a spring -loaded outer sleeve 610 that can transition between two positions corresponding to a retracted configuration and an extended configuration for below- ceiling serviceability.
[0440] In this example, the cartridge 600d may be securely coupled to heatsink assembly 300e via a threaded connection mechanism. For example, FIG. 56C shows the top portion of the cartridge 600d may include a threaded connector 699. Additionally, one or more male pogopin connectors forming the connector 660 may be disposed on top of the threaded connector 699. The pogo-pin connectors may be aligned to the connector 574 when the cartridge 600d is fully fastened.
[0441] FIG. 56D shows the cartridge 600d may include an optical assembly with three lenses. As before, the lenses may redirect and focus the light emitted by the light source 650 to form a crossing beam of light focused at the exit aperture of the cartridge 600d (e.g., the opening 601).(0442] FIG. 56E shows the cartridge 600d may include a retainer 740 to catch the sleeve 610 when transitioning to the extended configuration. The retainer 740 may provide, in part, redundancy and may reduce or, in some instances, prevent stress being applied to the touch latch connector 727.(0443] FIG. 56F shows the lenses 710b and 710c may be located and held in place by encircling the base of the lens 710c with the retainers 720 and 740. In this manner, the lenses 710b and 710c may be secured without using any snap-fit connectors or fasteners.
[0444] FIG. 56G shows a light source holder 680 and a spacer 398 may be incorporated into the cartridge 600d between the light source 650 and the optical lens 710a. In some implementations, this arrangement may reduce unwanted heating of the lens 710a by the light source 650. The spacer 398, for example, may be formed from a metal.
[0445] FIG. 56H shows the cartridge 600e may include a two-part heatsink comprising the cores 630a and 630b. Splitting the heatsink into two components may provide benefits in terms of manufacturability and assembly. For example, the cores 630a and 630b may be extruded,Attorney Docket No. DMFL038W001 thus saving machining complexity. Moreover, separate cores 630a and 630b may allow for better wire access during assembly.
[0446] FIG. 561 shows that in implementations where the connector 660 is disposed onto the top surface 631a of the core 630a, a 2-pin connector may occupy less space compared to a 3- pin connector. For example, a 2-pin connector may increase the surface area in thermal contact with heatsink 340e by 26% compared to a 3 -pin connector. However, it should be appreciated that 2-pin and 3 -pin connectors are readily contemplated herein. Moreover, in some implementations, the connector 660 may be disposed onto the side of the cartridge 600e, thus allowing all of the surface 63 la to thermally contact the heatsink 340e.
[0447] FIG. 56J shows the various features of the sleeve 610 (e.g., the slots 611, the slot 612, the snap-fit openings 613, the touch latch opening 614) may be formed as negative cutouts instead of positive add-ons. By forming these features in this manner, the sleeve 610 may be fabricated using an extrusion process.
[0448] FIG. 56K shows the core 630b may include channels 641 (also referred to as “spring followers 641”) to transmits force from the springs 608 to the sleeve 610 and prevent the springs 608 from bowing outwards (e.g., out of the channels 641) during operation.
[0449] FIGS. 57A-57C show several exploded views of the cartridge 600e.
[0450] FIGS. 58A-58C show several example optical assemblies to form light beams with various beam angles (e.g., 30 degrees, 45 degrees, 60 degrees). As shown, the optical lens 710a may be same across the various optical assemblies. However, the optical lenses 710b and 710c may vary to produce the different light outputs. In some implementations, the optical lenses 710a-710c may be formed from glass. It should be appreciated, however, this is a non-limiting example and other materials for the optical lenses 710a-710c are contemplated herein (see Section 1.4.1).[045.1] FIG. 59 shows several examples of LED chipsets that may used as the light source 650 in the cartridge 600d. It should be appreciated that each LED chipset may have a separate corresponding led holder 680.2.4 A Fifth Example of a Small Aperture Recessed Lighting System
[0452] Following below is another example recessed lighting system that includes a heatsink assembly 300f, a driver module 500e, and a cartridge 600e. This example lighting system may incorporate one or more of the same components and / or features from the housing assemblies 200a-200c, the heatsink assemblies 300a-300e, the driver modules 500a-500d, or the cartridgesAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001600a-600d as described in Sections 1, 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3. For brevity, repeated discussion of these components and / or features are not provided below unless indicated otherwise.
[0453] FIGS. 60A-60G show an example heatsink assembly 300f that provides electrical connections that separately connect to a driver module 500e, a cartridge 600e, and an external electrical system. As shown, the heatsink assembly 300f may include a wiring hub 590 electrically coupled to a first connector for the driver module 500e, a second connector for the cartridge 600e via a first plurality of wires, and the external electrical system via a second plurality of wires.
[0454] The driver module 500e may be inserted into the heatsink assembly 300f and retained within the heatsink assembly 300f via a magnetic attachment mechanism. Once aligned, the electrical connector 560 of the driver module 500e may electrically connect to the first connector.
[0455] The cartridge 600e may be inserted into the heatsink assembly 300f and retained within the heatsink assembly 300f via a threaded connection mechanism. As shown, the electrical connectors 660 on the cartridge 600e may be male pogo-pin connectors disposed onto the top side of the cartridge 600e. The connector 660 may electrically connect to the electrical connector 574, which comprises a plurality of contact pads.
[0456] In this example, the cartridge 600e may not include a built-in latch mechanism. Rather, a latch mechanism may be integrated into the heatsink assembly 300f. For instance, the heatsink assembly 300f may include a housing 480 and a chimney portion 482. The housing 480 may be slidably movable with respect to the chimney portion 482. The housing 480 may further support the electrical connector 574 for the cartridge 600e. The chimney portion 482 may include a retainer 483. Once the cartridge 600e is screwed into the housing 480, the latch mechanism may be actuated, e.g., by pressing the bottom end of the cartridge 600e, to transition from an extended configuration to a retracted configuration where the cartridge 600e and the housing 480 are together moved upwards with respect to the chimney portion 482.3. Conclusion
[0457] All parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and / or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the inventive teachings is / are used. It is to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented primarily by way of example and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, inventive embodiments may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. InventiveAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and / or method described herein.10458] In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and / or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and / or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the inventive scope of the present disclosure. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement of respective elements of the exemplary implementations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The use of a numerical range does not preclude equivalents that fall outside the range that fulfill the same function, in the same way, to produce the same result.
[0459] Also, various inventive concepts may be embodied as one or more methods, of which at least one example has been provided. The acts performed as part of the method may in some instances be ordered in different ways. Accordingly, in some inventive implementations, respective acts of a given method may be performed in an order different than specifically illustrated, which may include performing some acts simultaneously (even if such acts are shown as sequential acts in illustrative embodiments).
[0460] All publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
[0461] All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and / or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.10462] The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.”
[0463] The phrase “and / or,” as used herein in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, z.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and / or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e. , “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and / or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and / or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements); etc.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001
[0464] As used herein in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and / or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and / or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, z.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of’ or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used herein shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or “exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.
[0465] As used herein in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “at least one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and / or B”) can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other elements); etc.
[0466] In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as “comprising,” “including,” “carrying,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” “holding,” “composed of,” and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, z.e., to mean including but not limited to. Only the transitional phrases “consisting of’ and “consisting essentially of’ shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as set forth in the United States Patent Office Manual of Patent Examining Procedures, Section 2111.03.
Claims
Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001CLAIMS1. An optical assembly (700) to refract light, the optical assembly comprising: a first optical lens (710a) having a first surface to receive incident light (652), when present, the first optical lens having a second surface from which first refracted light (654) exits when the incident light is present; a second optical lens (710b) having a first surface disposed with respect to the second surface of the first optical lens to receive the first refracted light, when present, the second optical lens having a second surface from which second refracted light (656) exits; and a third optical lens (710c) having a first surface disposed with respect to the second surface of the second optical lens to receive the second refracted light, when present, the third optical lens having a second surface from which third refracted light (658) exits, wherein the optical assembly is configured and arranged such that the third refracted light, when present, forms a crossover beam having a focal point (655).
2. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein the optical assembly is configured and arranged such that a beam angle (659) of the crossover beam, with the focal point as a vertex of the beam angle, is in a range of from about 15 degrees to about 70 degrees.
3. The optical assembly of claim 2, wherein the beam angle is one of: approximately or equal to 30 degrees; approximately or equal to 45 degrees; or approximately or equal to 60 degrees.
4. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein at least the first optical lens and the second optical lens are configured and arranged such that the second refracted light forms a collimated beam or a substantially collimated beam.
5. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein each optical lens of the first optical lens, the second optical lens, and the third optical lens includes a convex surface (713a) and a planar surface (713b).
6. The optical assembly of claim 5, wherein: the first surface of the first optical lens is the planar surface;Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 the second surface of the first optical lens is the convex surface; the first surface of the second optical lens is the planar surface; the second surface of the second optical lens is the convex surface; the first surface of the third optical lens is the convex surface; and the second surface of the third optical lens is the planar surface.
7. The optical assembly of claim 5, wherein: the first surface of the first optical lens is the planar surface; the second surface of the first optical lens is the convex surface; the first surface of the second optical lens is the planar surface; the second surface of the second optical lens is the convex surface; the first surface of the third optical lens is the planar surface; and the second surface of the third optical lens is the convex surface.
8. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein the first optical lens is a glass lens.
9. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the second optical lens or the third optical lens is a polycarbonate (PC) lens.
10. The optical assembly of claim 1, further comprising a lens holder (690) to secure at least the first optical lens and to facilitate positioning of the first optical lens with respect to the second optical lens.
11. The optical assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the second optical lens and the third optical lens includes a sidewall (711) to facilitate positioning of at least the second optical lens and the third optical lens with respect to each other.
12. The optical assembly of claim 11, further comprising a lens holder (690) to secure at least the first optical lens and to facilitate positioning of the first optical lens with respect to the second optical lens.
13. The optical assembly of claim 12, wherein: the sidewall of the second optical lens abuts a surface (692b) of the lens holder; and the sidewall of the second optical lens abuts the sidewall of the third optical lens.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W00114. A cartridge (600), comprising: the optical assembly of any of claim 1 through claim 13; a light source (650) to generate the incident light; and an opening (601) through which the crossover beam exits the cartridge; wherein the cartridge is configured such that the focal point of the crossover beam, when the incident light is present, occurs within the cartridge between the second surface of the third optical lens and the opening of the cartridge.
15. A cartridge (600), comprising: the optical assembly of claim 1; a light source (650) to generate the incident light; and an opening (601) through which the crossover beam exits the cartridge; wherein the cartridge is configured such that the focal point of the crossover beam, when the light source generates the incident light, occurs within the cartridge between the second surface of the third optical lens and the opening of the cartridge.
16. The cartridge of claim 15, wherein the opening of the cartridge has a characteristic aperture width of less than or equal to two inches.
17. The cartridge of claim 16, wherein the characteristic aperture width is in a range of from approximately 0.5 inches to approximately 2 inches.
18. The cartridge of claim 16, wherein the characteristic aperture width is approximately or equal to 1.0 inch.
19. The cartridge of claim 16, wherein a shape of the opening of the cartridge is one of a circle, an oval, a square, a rectangle, or a polygon.
20. The cartridge of claim 19, wherein: the shape of the opening of the cartridge is the circle; and the characteristic aperture width is a diameter of the circle.
21. The cartridge of claim 20, wherein the diameter is in a range of from approximately 0.5 inches to approximately 2 inches.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W00122. The cartridge of claim 21, wherein the diameter is approximately or equal to 1.0 inch.
23. The cartridge of claim 21, wherein: a cartridge shape of the cartridge is cylindrical; and a cartridge diameter of the cartridge is equal to or approximately the same as the diameter of the opening of the cartridge plus twice a wall thickness of the cartridge.
24. The cartridge of claim 15, wherein the cartridge is configured and arranged such that a beam angle (659) of the crossover beam, with the focal point as a vertex of the beam angle, is in a range of from about 15 degrees to about 70 degrees.
25. The cartridge of claim 24, wherein the beam angle is one of: approximately or equal to 30 degrees; approximately or equal to 45 degrees; or approximately or equal to 60 degrees.
26. The cartridge of claim 24, further comprising a lens holder (690) to secure at least the first optical lens and to facilitate positioning of the first optical lens with respect to the second optical lens.
27. The cartridge of claim 26, wherein each of the second optical lens and the third optical lens includes a sidewall (711) to facilitate positioning of at least the second optical lens and the third optical lens with respect to each other.
28. The cartridge of claim 27, wherein: the sidewall of the second optical lens abuts a surface (692b) of the lens holder; and the sidewall of the second optical lens abuts the sidewall of the third optical lens.
29. The cartridge of claim 24, wherein the cartridge is configured and arranged to significantly mitigate glare at a viewing angle that is greater than the beam angle of the crossover beam when the light source generates the incident light.Attorney Docket No. DMFL038W00130. The cartridge of claim 24, further comprising a trim (670) to significantly mitigate glare from the opening of the cartridge when the light source generates the incident light.
31. The cartridge of claim 15, wherein: the light source has a light emitting surface (LES); and a characteristic LES width of the LES is in a range of from approximately 0.1 mm to approximately 8 mm.
32. The cartridge of claim 15, further comprising a spring-loaded touch latch mechanism to vary a length of the cartridge.
33. The cartridge of claim 15, further comprising an electrical connector (660) coupled to the light source, wherein the electrical connector includes a plurality of electrical spring contacts.
34. The cartridge of claim 15, further comprising a twist-and-lock mechanism comprising at least one channel (635) and at least one ridge (636).
35. The cartridge of claim 15, further comprising: at least one core (630a, 630b) thermally coupled to the light source.
36. A heatsink assembly (300), comprising: the cartridge of any of claim 15 through claim 35; a heatsink (340); and a locking mechanism (380) to mechanically and thermally couple the cartridge to the heatsink.
37. A heatsink assembly (300), comprising: the cartridge of claim 15; a heatsink (340); and a locking mechanism (380) to mechanically and thermally couple the cartridge to the heatsink.
38. The heatsink assembly of claim 37, wherein:Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 the cartridge further comprises: at least one core (630a, 630b) thermally coupled to the light source; and a twist-and-lock mechanism comprising at least one channel (634a, 634b, 635) formed in the at least one core and at least one ridge (636) formed on the at least one core; and the locking mechanism of the heatsink assembly mechanically engages with the twist- and-lock mechanism of the cartridge.
39. The heatsink assembly of claim 37, further comprising: a driver module (500) thermally coupled to the heatsink (340) and electrically coupled to the cartridge.
40. The heatsink assembly of claim 39, wherein: the driver module includes a plurality of electrical connectors (560); and the cartridge includes a plurality of electrical spring contacts (660) coupled to the light source; and the plurality of electrical spring contacts of the cartridge and the plurality of electrical connectors of the driver module electrically couple the cartridge and the driver module when the locking mechanism of the heatsink assembly mechanically engages with the twist-and- lock mechanism of the cartridge.
41. The heatsink assembly of claim 40, wherein: the cartridge further comprises a spring-loaded touch latch mechanism to vary a length of the cartridge so as to facilitate insertion and removal of the cartridge in the heatsink assembly.
42. The heatsink assembly of claim 41, wherein: a cartridge shape of the cartridge is cylindrical; and a cartridge diameter of the cartridge is in a range of from approximately 0.5 inches to approximately 2 inches.
43. A recessed lighting system, comprising: a heatsink assembly defining a cavity and an opening, the opening having a diameter of about 1 inch;Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 a cartridge disposed in the cavity and removably coupled to the heatsink assembly, the cartridge having a light source configured to emit light through the opening of the heatsink assembly, the cartridge being removable from the heatsink assembly through the opening; and a driver module, disposed in the cavity and removably coupled to the heatsink assembly, to receive electrical power from an external electrical system and supply regulated electrical power to the light source of the cartridge, the driver module being removable from the heatsink assembly through the opening.
44. The recessed lighting system of claim 43, wherein each of the cartridge and the driver module is coupled to the heatsink assembly via a tool-free connection mechanism.
45. The recessed lighting system of claim 43, wherein the driver module is coupled to the heatsink assembly via a magnet.
46. The recessed lighting system of claim 43, wherein the cartridge is coupled to the heatsink assembly via a twist-and-lock connection mechanism.
47. The recessed lighting system of claim 43, wherein the cartridge is coupled to the heatsink assembly via a threaded connection mechanism.
48. The recessed lighting system as in any of claims 43-47, wherein: the cartridge further comprises a first electrical connector; and the driver module comprises a second electrical connector electrically coupled to the first electrical connector, wherein at least one of the first electrical connector or the second electrical connector comprises a spring-loaded electrical connector.
49. The recessed lighting system of claim 48, wherein at least one of the first electrical connector or the second electrical connector comprises an electrical contact pad.
50. The recessed lighting system of claim 49, wherein at least one of the first electrical connector or the second electrical connector comprises one of an electrical spring clip connector or a pogo-pin connector.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W00151. The recessed lighting system of claim 48, wherein the first electrical connector is disposed on a side of the cartridge.
52. The recessed lighting system as in any of claims 43-47, wherein the cartridge is electrically coupled directly to the driver module without using an interlocking electrical connector.
53. The recessed lighting system as in any of claims 43-47, wherein the driver module is a direct current (DC)-to-DC converter.
54. The recessed lighting system as in any of claims 43-47, wherein the cartridge further comprises a spring-loaded touch latch mechanism to vary a length of the cartridge so as to facilitate insertion and removal of the cartridge in the heatsink assembly.
55. The recessed lighting system of claim 54, wherein the latch mechanism is actuated by pressing a bottom end of the cartridge.
56. The recessed lighting system as in any of claims 43-47, wherein the cartridge further comprises an optical assembly to redirect the light emitted by the light source such that the light forms a crossover beam having a focal point located within the cartridge.
57. The recessed lighting system of claim 56, wherein the optical assembly comprises: a first optical lens to receive the light emitted by the light source; a second optical lens to receive the light redirected by the first optical lens; and a third optical lens to receive the light redirected by the second optical lens.
58. The recessed lighting system as in any of claims 43-47, wherein the heatsink assembly comprises: a panel configured for integration into a ceiling, the panel defining the opening, wherein a portion of the panel surrounding and adjoining the opening has a surface finish sufficient to not require application of joint compound when the recessed lighting system is installed into the ceiling.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W00159. The recessed lighting system of claim 58, wherein the panel has a level 5 surface finish as defined by Gypsum Association GA-214-2021.
60. The recessed lighting system of claim 58, wherein panel is formed from at least one of gypsum or 30% glass filled polycarbonate.
61. The recessed lighting system as in any of claims 43-47, wherein: the cavity is a first cavity; and the recessed lighting system further comprises: a housing assembly configured for attachment to one or more support structures in a ceiling, the housing assembly defining a second cavity to contain at least a portion of the heatsink assembly, the driver module, and the cartridge.
62. The recessed lighting system of claim 61, wherein the heatsink assembly is coupled to the housing assembly via a clamping mechanism.
63. The recessed lighting system of claim 62, wherein the clamping mechanism comprises: a flag connector configured to contact a portion of the housing assembly; and a bracket configured to contact a portion of the ceiling.
64. A recessed lighting system, comprising: a housing assembly defining a cavity and an aperture, the aperture having a diameter of about 1 inch; a cartridge, disposed in the cavity and removably coupled to the housing assembly, having a light source configured to emit light through the aperture, the cartridge being removable from the housing assembly through the aperture; and a driver module, disposed in the cavity and removably coupled to the housing assembly, to supply DC power to the light source, the driver module being removable from the housing assembly through the aperture, wherein the cartridge and the driver module are removable from the housing assembly without use of any tools.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W00165. The recessed lighting system of claim 64, wherein the light source is configured to emit the light with a luminous flux up to at least 1000 lumens.
66. The recessed lighting system of claim 64, wherein the driver module is directly coupled to one or more wires supplying the DC power.
67. The recessed lighting system of claim 66, wherein: the cartridge is electrically coupled directly to the driver module using a plurality of spring-loaded electrical connectors.
68. The recessed lighting system of claim 67, wherein the plurality of spring-loaded electrical connectors comprises a plurality of pogo pin connectors.
69. The recessed lighting system of claim 67, wherein the plurality of spring-loaded electrical connectors comprises a plurality of spring clip connectors.
70. The recessed lighting system of claim 66, wherein the cartridge is electrically coupled to the driver module without using any wire or cable.
71. The recessed lighting system of claim 66, wherein the cartridge is electrically coupled to the driver module without using an electrical connector with a locking mechanism.
72. The recessed lighting system of claim 64, wherein the cartridge is coupled to the housing assembly via a twist and lock mechanism.
73. A recessed lighting system, comprising: a housing assembly defining a cavity and an aperture; a driver module, disposed in the cavity, configured to supply DC power; and a cartridge, disposed in the cavity, having a light source configured to receive the DC power and emit light, the cartridge being electrically coupled to the driver module via a plurality of spring-loaded electrical connectors.
74. The recessed lighting system of claim 73, wherein the driver module receives the DC power via one or more wires with a splice connector.Attorney Docket No. DMFI-038W00175. The recessed lighting system of claim 74, wherein: the driver module is removably coupled to the housing assembly; and the driver module is removable through the aperture of the housing assembly.
76. The recessed lighting system of claim 75, wherein when the driver is removed from the housing assembly through the aperture, at least one of the one or more wires or the splice connector at least partially pass through the aperture.
77. A recessed lighting system, comprising: a housing assembly, comprising: a baseplate defining an aperture; and a heatsink assembly, coupled to the baseplate, defining a cavity; a driver module, disposed in the cavity, configured to supply DC power; and a cartridge disposed in the cavity, the cartridge comprising: a light source configured to receive the DC power and emit light; and a core, to mechanically support the light source and thermally dissipate heat generated by the light source away from the light source, the core having a top surface in physical contact with the heatsink assembly to facilitate transfer of the heat from the core to the heatsink assembly, the top surface being substantially flat such that all of the top surface of the core conducts heat directly to the heatsink assembly.
78. The recessed lighting system of claim 77, wherein: the cartridge is electrically coupled to the driver module via a plurality of spring- loaded electrical connectors; and the spring-loaded electrical connectors are disposed along a side of the core.
79. A recessed lighting system, comprising: a housing assembly defining a cavity and an aperture, the aperture having a diameter of about 1 inch; a cartridge, disposed in the cavity and removably coupled to the housing assembly, having a light source configured to emit light having a luminous flux of at least 1000 lumens through the aperture, the cartridge being removable from the housing assembly through the aperture; andAttorney Docket No. DMFI-038W001 a driver module, disposed in the cavity and removably coupled to the housing assembly, to supply DC power to the light source, the driver module being removable from the housing assembly through the aperture.
80. A recessed lighting system, comprising: a housing assembly defining a cavity and an aperture, the housing assembly comprising: a housing hub having electronic circuitry to receive electrical power; a cartridge, disposed in the cavity, having a light source configured to emit light, the cartridge being electrically coupled to the electronic circuity of the housing hub via a first plurality of pogo pin connectors; and a driver module, disposed in the cavity, to supply DC power to the light source, the driver module being electrically coupled to the electronic circuity of the housing hub via a second plurality of pogo pin connectors.
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