Sharp Cutoff LED Luminaire for Glare-Free Uplighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing LED luminaires for field illumination are not well-suited for uplighting, as they provide excessive light and glare, and struggle to achieve a sharp cutoff, leading to hazy conditions and light trapping issues, which affect player visibility and ball tracking in sports like baseball.
Innovation Solution
A sharp cutoff LED luminaire design that transitions from full light to no light over an angle of five or fewer degrees, featuring a compact array of LEDs in a single row with optimized optics and a light trap mechanism to prevent glare and light trapping, allowing precise uplighting without excessive vertical beam spread.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If existing LED luminaires are used for uplighting, then field illumination is provided, but excessive light and glare are produced causing hazy conditions and reduced player visibility
Solution Approach 1:
The luminaire is divided into multiple LED modules arranged in a specific pattern, where each module can be independently controlled to project light in different directions. This segmentation allows the system to provide adequate uplighting while controlling glare by directing light away from player eye levels.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the luminaire are designed with different optical characteristics. The upper portion of the luminaire is optimized for uplighting with controlled beam angles, while the lower portion is designed to minimize glare. This local differentiation of optical properties enables simultaneous achievement of adequate uplighting and glare reduction.
2Illumination intensity
If existing LED luminaires are used for uplighting, then field illumination is provided, but a sharp cutoff is not achieved leading to gradual light transition
Solution Approach 1:
The luminaire incorporates adjustable optical components that can be dynamically positioned to achieve precise beam cutoff angles. The system can adapt its beam characteristics in real-time to provide sharp cutoff when needed while maintaining ease of operation through automated adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
Traditional mechanical beam shaping components are replaced with advanced optical systems including LED modules with integrated optics and controllable light guides. This substitution enables sharper cutoff precision while reducing mechanical complexity and improving overall ease of operation.
3Illumination intensity
If visors are used to control light direction, then beam cutoff is improved, but aerial objects like baseballs become trapped
Solution Approach 1:
The luminaire design transitions from traditional two-dimensionalvisor-based light control to a three-dimensional optical system using multiple LED modules arranged in specific patterns. This dimensional change allows light to be directed more precisely without creating traps for aerial objects, as the light emerges from multiple directions rather than being blocked by flat visors.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful function of trapping aerial objects is extracted and eliminated by removing traditional visor structures that create such traps. Instead, the patent uses directly mounted LED modules with integrated optics that project light without creating obstructive structures in the aerial path.
4Illumination intensity
If multiple rows of LEDs are stacked vertically, then field lighting is improved, but uplighting control and sharp cutoff become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The vertical stacking of LEDs is segmented into multiple independent modules, each capable of being controlled separately. This segmentation allows the system to provide adequate field illumination while simplifying the control of uplighting beams, as each module can be independently adjusted to achieve the desired beam characteristics without the complexity of coordinating multiple stacked rows.
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 solution provides improved player visibility by reducing glare and haze, allowing for precise illumination of the ball in flight while minimizing light waste and pole count, thus enhancing playability and reducing installation costs.
Implementation Method 1
a first array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) in a first configuration that projects a first composite beam
Implementation Method 2
a light reflective surface that shapes the first composite beam projected by the first array of LEDs
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed and described herein is a sharp cutoff LED lighting luminaire and methods of use thereof. Further disclosed is a modification thereof which allows baseballs or detritus trapped by the luminaire to fall to the ground. In the state of the art often designers will use the same type of LED lighting fixtures at the top of the pole as for low-mounted uplighting; specifically, taking an additional fixture similarly configured, inverting the orientation (i.e., so to project upward instead of downward), and mounting it relatively low on the pole. The envisioned sharp cutoff LED lighting fixture is better suited for low-mounted uplighting insomuch that it reduces back light, haze, internal glow, and perceived glare as compared to current LED lighting fixtures typically used for the same purpose.