Retrofit LED Lamp with Upward Light Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Metal halide lamps have limitations such as slow brightness initiation, vulnerability to power interruptions, hazardous materials, and high labor costs for replacement, as well as a lack of recycling schemes for ballasts, making them less desirable compared to LED technology.
Innovation Solution
A retrofit LED lamp design that includes a combination of directional downlight and indirect uplight components within a transparent or translucent fixture housing, allowing for efficient light distribution and compatibility with existing magnetic ballasts, eliminating the need to remove the existing ballast during installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If metal halide lamps are used for wide area overhead lighting, then high luminous efficiency and intense white light are achieved, but the lamps contain mercury and are prone to explosion risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from gas discharge (metal halide) to solid-state lighting (LED), fundamentally changing the physical state and operating parameters of the light source. This eliminates mercury content and explosion risks while maintaining high luminous efficiency and intense white light output through advanced LED technology with luminous efficacies exceeding 100 lumens per watt.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/gas-based arc tube system with a solid-state LED system. This substitution eliminates the high-pressure gas environment that causes explosion risks and removes mercury-containing materials, while achieving comparable or superior illumination intensity through electroluminescence in solid-state semiconductor materials.
2Reliability
If LED lamps are used to replace metal halide lamps, then safety and lifespan are improved, but labor costs and installation complexity increase due to ballast removal
Solution Approach 1:
The LED lighting assembly is designed with universal compatibility to work with both magnetic and electronic ballasts. The assembly includes a socket that can accommodate ballast-adapted LED lamps, allowing the same fixture to support multiple lamp types and ballast configurations, thereby simplifying installation and replacement procedures while maintaining safety and longevity benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary adaptation layer in the form of a socket and mounting structure that mediates between the existing ballast system and the new LED technology. This intermediary component allows LED lamps to interface with legacy ballast infrastructure without requiring complete system replacement, reducing installation complexity while preserving reliability advantages.
3Use of energy by moving object
If directional downlight LEDs are used in transparent fixtures, then optical efficiency is improved, but the cave effect occurs with no light reaching the ceiling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the lighting function into multiple directional components within the same fixture. Instead of a single omnidirectional source, the system uses separate downlight-oriented LED arrays and uplight-oriented LED arrays, each optimized for its specific direction. This segmentation allows independent optimization of optical efficiency for downward lighting while ensuring adequate upward light output to illuminate the ceiling and eliminate the cave effect.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The LED retrofit lamp achieves high optical efficiency by directing over 80% of light downwards while avoiding the 'cave effect' and providing uplight to the ceiling, thus replicating the legacy light source's functionality with improved safety and reduced installation costs.
Implementation Method 1
The light generation principle is similar to what happens in gas discharge lamps, but now the discharge happens in a solid state material: orbit changing electrons cause atoms to get 'excited' and to subsequently fall back to their ground state thereby releasing its surplus energy in the form of radiation
Implementation Method 2
This allows for the light from the uplight LEDs to get refracted by the fixture and passed on towards the ceiling
Data Source
AI summary
A retrofit LED lighting system with a combination of a directional downlight component and an indirect uplight component is provided. The system comprises light emitting diodes arranged so as to replicate the function of a legacy light source in a transparent or translucent fixture housing. The LED lamp includes upwards facing LEDs emitting light upwards, and a translucent stem covering the uplight LEDs to allow the light from the LEDs to pass through it. Advantageously, the LED lamp with uplight component and a transparent/translucent stem allows the light to be directed upwards and hence, avoids having a sharp cut-off of light appearing in the middle of the reflector fixture and also avoids a lack of uplight shone on the ceiling.