Wall mounted luminaire

Abstract

 An improved wall mounted luminaire (10) providing a uniformly lighted rectangular pattern with the longer sides adjacent and parallel the wall (12) on which the luminaire is to be mounted. The luminaire (10) providing a spacing criteria of 4:1 across the width of the rectangular pattern and a 6:1 spacing criteria along the length of the rectangular pattern.

Description

Background of the Invention

[0001] This invention relates to a wall mounted luminaire in general and in particular, to an improved wall mounted luminaire producing a uniformly distributed light pattern rectangular in shape, the length of which is parallel to the wall on which the wall mounted luminaire is mounted.

[0002] Typical wall mounted luminaires distribute light in front of the fixture. The lamp is mounted horizontally with direct flux from the lamp distributed directly in front of the luminaire. In such a fixture a reflector positioned behind the lamp enhances the amount of light directed to the front of the luminaire and a refractor positioned in front of the lamp provides vertical control of the light but very little lateral control. Accordingly, a typical wall mounted luminaire produces a rectangular light pattern the length axis of which is perpendicular to the axis of the lamp and the wall on which the luminaire is mounted.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] In order to provide a new and improved wall mounted luminaire, there is provided by the subject invention an improved luminaire mounted on a wall comprising a lamp for emitting light, a reflector and a refractor, said reflector and refractor directing light emitting from said lamp in a rectangular pattern with the longer sides of the rectangular pattern adjacent and parallel to the wall on which said luminaire is mounted.

[0004] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a luminaire adapted to be wall mounted for lighting sidewalks and alleys.

[0005] It is another object of the present invention to provide a wall mounted luminaire for uniformly lighting a rectangular pattern with the length of the rectangular being adjacent and parallel the wall so that fewer luminaires may be needed.

[0006] These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a review of the drawings and a study of the preferred embodiment which is given by way of illustration only.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] 

Figure 1 is an illustration of the rectangular light pattern produced by Applicant's new and improved wall mounted luminaire.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section taken along the centerline of the reflector showing the reflector in conjunction with the refractor of Applicant's luminaire.

Figure 3 is a horizontal cross-section taken through the light showing the reflector and refractor of Applicant's luminaire without any cut-outs.

Figure 4 is a frontal view of the reflector and lamp of Applicant's luminaire illustrating cut-outs in the reflector for allowing direct light from the lamp to reach the far corners along the wall.

Brief Description of the Preferred Embodiment

[0008] Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is shown a luminaire generally identified by the reference numeral 10 mounted on a wall generally identified by the reference numeral 12. The luminaire uniformly lights a rectangular pattern. The luminaire 10 provides a 4:1 spacing criteria across the width of the rectangular pattern and a 6:1 spacing along the length of the rectangular pattern. With the luminaire 10 mounted ten feet high on the wall 12 a rectangular light pattern 40 feet wide and 120 feet long is provided.

[0009] The luminaire 10 includes a reflector 14, a refractor 16, and a lamp 18. The lamp 18 has a lamp base 20 and is positioned with its lamp base 20 down and tilted toward the area to be lighted at an angle of 30° from vertical. This results in a vertical distribution of the direct flux from the lamp 18 at 60° from nadir along the centerline of the lighted area furthest from the wall. This angle increases as the lateral angle increases until the 90° vertical is reached at the 90° lateral angle. The majority of the direct flux is utilized to illuminate the desired rectangular pattern and is distributed by the prismatics of the refractor 16.

[0010] The reflector 14 is adapted to intercept light rays emitted from the lamp 18 to the wall 12 side of 90° laterally. Since it takes approximately 200 times more light than is provided by direct flux to obtain the 6:1 spacing along the length of the rectangle and 400 times more light than is normally provided by direct flux to reach the further­ most corner of the rectangular area to be lighted from the lamp 18, the reflector 14 reflects as much light as is physically possible to these areas.

[0011] As shown in the vertical cross-section taken along the center-line of the reflector in Figure 2, the reflector 14 has a parabola shaped lower portion 20 reflecting light at an 80° vertical angle from nadir. The reflector 14 has an upper portion 22 shaped to reflect light at a 15° vertical angle from nadir. As illustrated in Figure 2, the refractor 16 has a face portion 24 and a bottom area 26. The lower portion 20 of the reflector 14 reflects light through the face portion 24 of the refractor 16 and the upper portion 22 of the reflector 14 reflects light through the bottom area 26 of the refractor 16. This is illustrative of reflection along the vertical axis of the reflector 14.

[0012] As shown in the horizontal cross-section taken through the light source of the lamp 18 in Figure 3 (not showing the cut-outs of Figure 4) the reflector 14 has outer portions 28 and 30 and inner portions 32 and 34. The outer portion 28 of the reflector 14 reflects light at a 60° lateral angle crossing over through the lamp while the inner portion 34 of the reflector 14 reflects light laterally 60°.

[0013] The inner portion 34 of reflector 14 reflects light laterally opposite than the outer portion 30 of the reflector 14 and the outer portion 28 of the reflector 14 reflects light laterally opposite than the inner portion 32 of the reflector 14.

[0014] As illustrated in Figure 3, the refractor 16 has side portions 36 and 38. Both the outer portions 28 of the reflector 14 and the inner portion 34 of the reflector 14 reflect light through the side portion 38 of the refractor 16 and both the outer portion 30 of the reflector 14 and the inner portion 32 of the reflector 14 reflect light through the side portion 36 of the refractor 16.

[0015] Since as illustrated above the reflector 14 is reflecting light to the outer or farthest corners of the rectangular pattern, the corners of the rectangular pattern along the wall 12 are lighted by direct light from the lamp 18 sent through the side walls 36 and 38 of the refractor 16. In order to provide uniformity of illumination of the rectangular light pattern desired as shown in Figure 4 cut-outs 40 and 42 are provided in the outer portions 28 and 30 of the reflector 14 to increase the amount of direct light directed to the corner of the rectangular pattern adjacent the wall 12. While the cut-outs 40 and 42 decrease the amount of light reflected by the outer portions 28 and 30 of the reflector 14 to the outer or far corner of the illuminated rectangular area, the inner portions 32 and 34 of the reflector 14 reflect a large quantity of light to the far corner of the illuminated rectangular area. The cut-out areas 40 and 42 are of such a size as to allow approximately 80% of the vertical bare lamp light along the 90° lateral plane to pass directly through the refractor.

[0016] From the foregoing it can be seen that there has been provided by the subject invention, a new and improved wall mounted luminaire which provides a uniform distribution of light in a rectangular pattern, the longer side of the rectangular pattern being adjacent the wall on which the luminaire is mounted and the other longer side of the rectangular pattern being parallel to the wall on which the luminaire is mounted. It should also become apparent that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The preferred embodiment of my invention has been shown by way of illustration only.

Claims

1. A luminaire adapted to be mounted on a wall comprising a lamp for emitting light, a reflector and a refractor, said reflector and said refractor directing light emitted from said lamp in a rectangular pattern with the longer sides of the rectangular pattern adjacent and parallel to the wall on which said luminaire is mounted.

2. A luminaire as defined in Claim 2 wherein the rectangular pattern produced has a 4:1 spacing criteria across the width of the rectangular pattern and 6:1 spacing criteria along the length of the rectangular pattern.

3. A luminaire as defined in Claim 2 wherein said lamp has a base and is positioned with its base down and is tilted at a 30° angle from vertical and toward an area to be lighted.

4. A luminaire as defined in Claim 3 wherein said reflector has a parabola shaped lower portion reflecting light at a 80° vertical angle from nadir.

5. A luminaire as defined in Claim 4 wherein said reflector has an upper portion which reflects light at a 15° vertical angle from nadir.

6. A luminaire as defined in Claim 5 wherein said reflector has a centerline with an inner portion and an outer portion on each side of said centerline the inner and outer portions of each side sending light laterally at 60° but to laterally opposite sides of the rectangular pattern.

7. A luminaire as defined in Claim 6 wherein said outer portions of said reflector have cut-outs for allowing light from the lamp to pass directly through the refractor to increase the amount of direct light in the corner of the rectangular pattern adjacent the wall.

8. A luminaire as defined in Claim 7 wherein said cut-outs in the outer portions are of a size to allow approximately 80% of vertical bare lamp light along the 90° lateral plane to pass directly to the refractor.

Drawing