权利要求：
A luminaire comprising:
at least one light-emitting diode (LED) ;
a plurality of light-transmitting bodies; wherein each light-transmitting body of the plurality of light-transmitting bodies comprises:
a first surface through which light from the at least one LED enters the light-transmitting body;
a second surface through which the light exits the light-transmitting body;
a core coupled to both the first surface and the second surface, such that light propagates through the core between the first surface and the second surface; and
wherein, the first surface is situated below a plane of the second surface; wherein, a first light-transmitting body in the plurality of light-transmitting bodies is tessellated in relation to at least one second light-transmitting body in the plurality of light-transmitting bodies, the first light-transmitting body comprising a concealing portion that conceals a concealed portion of the first surface of the second light-transmitting body from view at an acute angle relative the normal vector of any of the second surfaces of the light-transmitting bodies of the plurality of light-transmitting bodies.
The luminaire of claim 1, wherein each light-transmitting body further comprises microstructures configured to redirect light incident thereto, a spatial arrangement of the microstructures inside the light-transmitting bodies, and the shape of the core of the light-transmitting bodies is adapted such that any surface element of the second surfaces emits a proportion of the light that entered the light-transmitting body through at least one of its first surfaces.
The luminaire of claim 2, wherein the spatial arrangement of the microstructures inside the light-transmitting bodies, and the shape of the core of the light-transmitting bodies is adapted to maintain a deviation of amount of emitted light from any surface element of the plurality of second surfaces from an average amount of emitted light from all surface elements of the plurality of second surfaces less than 20%.
The luminaire of claim 1, further comprising a third light-transmitting body in the plurality of light-transmitting bodies, wherein the second light-transmitting is tessellated in relation to the third light-transmitting body and a concealing portion of the second light-transmitting body conceals a concealed portion of the first surface of the third light-transmitting body from view at the acute angle relative the normal vector of any of the second surfaces of the light-transmitting bodies of the plurality of light-transmitting bodies; wherein the third light-transmitting is tessellated in relation to the first light-transmitting body and a portion of the third light-transmitting body conceals a concealed portion of the first surface of the third first-transmitting body from view at the acute angle relative the normal vector of any of the second surfaces of the light-transmitting bodies of the plurality of light-transmitting bodies.
The luminaire of claim 1, wherein any first light-transmitting body in the plurality of light-transmitting bodies is arranged relative to the second light-transmitting body and a third light-transmitting body in the plurality of light-transmitting bodies, such that the first surface and the segment of the core of the first light-transmitting body are contained in the concealed portion of the first-light-transmitting body which is a cavity underneath the second surface of the second light-transmitting body in the plurality of light-transmitting bodies;
and the second surface of the first light-transmitting body covers from above a cavity in which the first surface and the segment of the core of the third light-transmitting body in the plurality of light-transmitting bodies is contained.
The luminaire of claim 5, wherein a recursive relation on indices of the plurality of light-transmitting bodies is applied, such that any second surface of a light-transmitting body covers from above one and only one first surface and a segment of the core of another light-transmitting body, and that any first surface and the segment of the core of a light-transmitting body is disposed in a cavity within the concealed portion underneath one and only one second surface of another light-transmitting body.
The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the light-transmitting body is thinner at a greater separation from the first surface than at a shorter separation from the first surface, given that both the shorter and greater separations are above a threshold, such that the relative amount of the light that propagates through the light-transmitting body that is redirected by reflection to exit the second surface increases as the distance from the shorter to the greater separation increases.
The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the surface elements of the second surface closest to the first surface of the light-transmitting body are positioned in relation to the core and the first surface, such that surface elements of the second surface closest to the first surface of the light-transmitting body are reachable by light that enters through the first surface and that propagates through the light-transmitting body in a path without scattering of a scattering angle greater than about 45 degrees.
The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the core of the light-transmitting body is made of polymethylmethacrylate.
The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the core of the light-transmitting body is a contiguous body of transparent or semi-transparent material molded such that the first surface is below the second surface.
The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the core of the light-transmitting body is comprised of two parts coupled at an interface, wherein only one part is molded in a non-planar shape such that the first surface is below the second surface.
The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the second surfaces of the light-transmitting body have a surface area more than one-hundred times as large as the surface area of the first surfaces of the light-transmitting body.
The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the microstructures of the light-transmitting bodies are comprised of particles of Titanium Oxide that redirect light by random scattering.
The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the microstructures of the light-transmitting bodies are comprised of sub-millimeter indentations into the second surface of the light-emitting bodies.
The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the plurality of microstructures of the light-emitting bodies is contained within a sub-millimeter layer adjacent the second surfaces of the light-emitting bodies.
The luminaire of claim 1, further comprising an internal electrical driver that is concealed as the luminaire is electrically powered and is viewed from an acute angle relative the normal vector of any of the second surfaces.
The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the LED emits light comprised of red, green, blue and white light of tuneable magnitudes as defined by a tuneable electrical current that electrically powers the LED.
The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the plurality of light-transmitting bodies comprises four light-transmitting bodies, wherein the second surfaces are shaped as squares, and the luminaire appears as a square as the luminaire is viewed from the acute angle relative the normal vector of any of the second surfaces.
A method for generating light from a plurality of light-transmitting bodies, the method comprising:
powering, by an electric driver, at least one light-emitting diode (LED) , the at least one LED coupled to a plurality of light-transmitting bodies; and
arranging the light-transmitting bodies relative each other, such that a cavity underneath a first light-transmitting body houses segments of a second light-transmitting body; and
emitting light from the at least one LED, the light distributed such that the electric driver, the LED, and parts of the light-transmitting bodies are concealed from an observer as the electric driver powers the LED, and the observer views the emitted light from an acute angle relative any normal vector of the illuminated surfaces of the light-transmitting bodies.
The method of claim 19, further comprising propagating the light that entered the light-transmitting body from the electrically powered LED to the illuminated surfaces, such that any surface element of the illuminated surfaces emits a proportion of the light.
The method of claim 20, further comprising propagating the light that entered the light-transmitting body from the electrically powered LED to the illuminated surfaces, such that the deviation of amount of emitted light from any surface element of the illuminated surfaces from the average amount of emitted light from all surface elements of the illuminated surfaces is less than 20%.
The method of claim 19, further comprising spatial arranging of any first light-transmitting body in the plurality of light-transmitting bodies relative one second and one third light-transmitting body in the plurality of light-transmitting bodies, such that the LED coupled to the first light-transmitting body is fully contained in a cavity underneath the illuminated surface of the second light-transmitting body in the plurality of light-transmitting bodies, and the illuminated surface of the first light-transmitting body covers from above a cavity in which the LED coupled to the third light-transmitting body in the plurality of light-transmitting bodies is contained.
The method of claim 22, further comprising positioning the light transmitting bodies in accordance with a recursive relation on the indices of the plurality of light-transmitting bodies, such that any illuminated surface of a light-transmitting body covers from above at least one LED coupled to one other light-transmitting body of the plurality of light-transmitting bodies, and that any LED coupled to a light-transmitting body of the plurality of light-transmitting bodies is in a cavity underneath one and only one illuminated surface of another light-transmitting body.
A luminaire comprising:
at least one light-emitting diode (LED) ;
a light-transmitting body; the light-transmitting body including:
a first surface through which light from the at least one LED enters the light-transmitting body and is dispersed through reflection or re-direction to generate at least first and second light rays;
a second surface through which light exits the light-transmitting body, the first surface situated below a the plane of the second surface;
a core coupled to both a first surface and a second surface, such that the light can propagate between the first surface and the second surface;
microstructures configured to redirect light incident in relation to at least one of the at least one first surface, the second surface, and the core;
at least one opaque layer which blocks light incident thereto; wherein the first surface and the second surface include structural features that cause internal reflection whereby the first light rays propagate through the light-transmitting body, reflect off the first surface and exit the second surface directly, and the second light rays propagate through the light-transmitting body, reflect internally within the core and exit the second surface at a position proximate to the opaque surface;
wherein at least one segment of the core covers at least one cavity in which the LED, the first surface and the opaque layer is contained, and
wherein at least one segment of the second surface is disposed above said concealed segment of the core such that, the LED, the opaque layer, the plurality of first surfaces are concealed as the luminaire is electrically powered and is viewed from an acute angle relative the normal vector of the second surface.
The luminaire of claim 24, wherein the spatial arrangement of the microstructures inside the light-transmitting bodies, and the shape of the core of the light-transmitting bodies are configured such that any surface element of the second surfaces emits a proportion of the light that entered the light-transmitting body through at least one of its first surfaces.
The luminaire of claim 25, wherein the spatial arrangement of the microstructures inside the light-transmitting bodies, and the shape of the core of the light-transmitting bodies is adapted such that a deviation of amount of emitted light from any surface element of the plurality of second surfaces from an average amount of emitted light from all surface elements of the plurality of second surfaces is less than 20%.
The luminaire of claim 23, comprising a first cavity and a second cavity, each of which contains an LED, a first surface and an opaque layer, wherein the shape of the core of the light-transmitting body and the placement of microstructures and the relative placement of the cavities are configured, such that a portion of all light from the LED of the first cavity enters the light-transmitting body through the first of the first surfaces, propagates through the core of the light-transmitting body to the segment of the core of the light-transmitting body that covers the second cavity in which the second LED, the second of the first surfaces and the second of the opaque layers are contained, and by reflection and scattering exits the light-transmitting body through the segment of the second surface above said segment of the core of the light-transmitting body.
The luminaire of claim 23, wherein the core of the light-transmitting body is made of polymethylmethacrylate.
The luminaire of claim 23, wherein the core of the light-transmitting body is a contiguous body of transparent or semi-transparent material molded such that the first surface is below the second surface.
The luminaire of claim 23, wherein the core of the light-transmitting body is comprised of two parts coupled via an interface, wherein only one part is molded in a non-planar shape such that the first surface is below the second surface.
The luminaire of claim 23, wherein the second surfaces of the light-transmitting body have a surface area more than one-hundred times as large as the surface area of the first surfaces of the light-transmitting body.
The luminaire of claim 23, wherein the microstructures of the light-transmitting bodies are comprised of particles of Titanium Oxide that redirect light by random scattering.
The luminaire of claim 23, wherein the microstructures of the light-transmitting bodies are comprised of sub-millimeter indentations into the second surface of the light-emitting bodies.
The luminaire of claim 23, wherein the plurality of microstructures of the light-emitting bodies is contained within a sub-millimeter layer adjacent the second surfaces of the light-emitting bodies.
The luminaire of claim 23, further comprising an internal electrical driver that is concealed as the luminaire is electrically powered and is viewed from an acute angle relative the normal vector of any of the second surfaces.
The luminaire of claim 23, wherein the LED emits light comprised of red, green, blue and white light of tuneable magnitudes as defined by tuneable electrical current that electrically powers the LED.
The luminaire of claim 23, wherein four distinct cavities are situated at the four corners of the light-transmitting body with a second surface in the shape of a square, wherein each cavity contains at least one LED, a first surface, and an opaque material surface, wherein the shape of the core of the light-transmitting body and the placement of microstructures are configured, such that a portion of the light that enters the light-transmitting body through the first of the first surfaces exits through the segments of the second surface above the second, third and fourth cavity.
The luminaire of claim 23, wherein three distinct cavities are situated at the three apexes of the light-transmitting body with a second surface in the shape of an equilateral triangle, wherein each cavity contains at least one LED, a first surface, and an opaque material surface, wherein the shape of the core of the light-transmitting body and the placement of microstructures are configured, such that a portion of the light that enters the light-transmitting body through the first of the first surfaces exits through the segments of the second surface above the second and third cavity.
A method for emitting light, the method comprising:
powering, using an electric driver, at least one light-emitting diode (LED) , and coupling the at least one LED to one light-transmitting body that includes:
a first surface through which light from the at least one LED enters the light-transmitting body;
a second surface through which light exits the light-transmitting body;
a core coupled to both the first surface and the second surface, such that light propagates through the core between the first surface and the second surface;
wherein, the first surface is situated below a plane of the second surface; and
wherein at least one segment of the light-transmitting body covers from above at least one cavity in which the LED is contained, wherein the segment of the light-transmitting body is of a finite thickness, and the electric driver, the LED, and parts of the light-transmitting body are concealed from an observer as the electric driver powers the LED, and the observer views the emitted light from an acute angle relative any normal vector of the illuminated surface of the light-transmitting body.
The method of claim 39, further comprising propagating the light that entered the light-transmitting body from the LED to the illuminated surfaces such that any surface element of the illuminated surfaces emits a nonzero proportion of the light.
The method of claim 40, further comprising propagating the light that entered the light-transmitting body from the LED to the illuminated surfaces such that a deviation of amount of emitted light from any surface element of the illuminated surfaces from an average amount of emitted light from all surface elements of the illuminated surfaces is less than 20%.
A luminaire attachment frame system for operation in combination with a plurality of appreciably flat luminaires, each luminaire having an interior surface and an exterior surface, the luminaire attachment frame system comprising:
a plurality of frames, each frame having a front face, a back face and at least two edges, each frame configured to receive a luminaire of the plurality of appreciably flat luminaires;
a plurality of slots disposed in each of the edges of the frames, each slot connecting an exterior surface of a first frame and an interior of a second frame along an axis in a plane of the front and back of the frame system;
at least one latch disposed within each frame detachably coupling the front face of the frame to the interior surface of the luminaire;
a plurality of conductive bodies configured to electrically couple the plurality of luminaires such that every luminaire of the plurality of luminaires is electrically powered when at least one luminaire in the plurality of luminaires is electrically powered, emitting light that conceals that conceals the frame and the at least one notch from view at an acute angle relative a normal vector of at least one of the plurality of luminaires.
The luminaire attachment frame system of claim 42, further comprising a plurality of holes between a front face and a back face of each frame, through which at least one screw or nail inserted attaches the frame to a rigid surface in contact with the back face of the frame.
The luminaire attachment frame system of claim 42, wherein the electrical signal transferred between a pair of adjacent luminaires by conduction of the conductive body, is modulated such that a data array can be transferred from one luminaire to the other luminaire.
The luminaire attachment frame system of claim 42, wherein the slots are shaped to accommodate a cable, such that a luminaire coupled to a frame conceals the cable that bridges across adjacent luminaires through the slots, and as the luminaire is electrically powered and is viewed from an acute angle relative the normal vector of the exterior surface.
The luminaire attachment frame system of claim 42, having three edges.
The luminaire attachment frame system of claim 42, having four edges.
The luminaire attachment frame system of claim 42, having five edges.
The luminaire attachment frame system of claim 42, wherein a pair of corresponding slots of the plurality of slots corresponding to separate adjacent frames are provided in parallel alignment with the adjacent frames and are configured to accommodate a conductive body of the plurality of conductive bodies that bridges between the frames.