LED-BASED LIGHTING RETROFIT SUBASSEMBLY APPARATUS
LED-based lighting subassemblies that serve as retrofit apparatus for conventional lighting fixtures, such as fluorescent lighting fixtures. Various retrofit subassemblies need not be configured to resemble and/or directly replace conventional light bulb types. Rather, the retrofit subassemblies may employ a variety of mechanical (and electrical) support configurations to facilitate outfitting a conventional lighting fixture with LED light sources. In some examples, pre-existing conventional lighting fixtures are incorporated as fixed or recessed structures in an architectural environment, and an LED lighting subassembly provides a convenient apparatus for retrofitting such fixtures with light sources having higher energy efficiencies as well as a wider scope of possible light generating capabilities.
1 . A lighting retrofit apparatus comprising:
at least one first LED;
at least one controller coupled to the at least one first LED and configured to control at least a first intensity of first radiation generated by the at least one first LED; and
a mechanical support to which at least the at least one first LED is coupled, the mechanical support configured such that the lighting retrofit apparatus constitutes a subassembly that is attachable to a housing of a conventional lighting fixture.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the conventional lighting fixture is a conventional fluorescent lighting fixture.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is coupled to the mechanical support.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical support is configured essentially as a U-shaped member comprising:
an elevated central portion to which the at least one first LED is coupled; and
two flanking portions on opposing sides of the elevated central portion, each flanking portion including at least one feature configured to facilitate an attachment of the apparatus to the housing of the conventional lighting fixture.
5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the at least one feature configured to facilitate the attachment of the apparatus to the housing of the conventional lighting fixture includes at least one screw hole.
6 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the elevated central portion has an elongate shape defined by a first dimension and a second dimension orthogonal to the first dimension in a plane of the elevated central portion, wherein the first dimension is longer than the second dimension.
7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the two flanking portions are disposed on the opposing sides of the elevated central portion along the first dimension.
8 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the two flanking portions are disposed on the opposing sides of the elevated central portion along the second dimension.
9 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the at least one first LED includes a plurality of LEDs arranged in at least one essentially linear array along the elevated central portion of the mechanical support.
10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of LEDs are arranged in at least two essentially linear parallel arrays along the elevated central portion of the mechanical support.
11 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one controller is coupled to the elevated central portion of the mechanical support.
12 . The apparatus of claim 4 , in combination with the housing of the conventional lighting fixture.
13 . The combination of claim 12 , wherein the conventional lighting fixture is configured as a hanging fluorescent lighting fixture, and wherein the apparatus constitutes a first retrofit subassembly that replaces at least one fluorescent tube of the hanging fluorescent lighting fixture.
14 . The combination of claim 12 , further comprising a second retrofit subassembly, wherein the second retrofit subassembly comprises:
at least one second LED-based lighting unit; and
a second mechanical support configured as a second essentially U-shaped member.
15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical support is configured as an essentially L-shaped member forming a first plane and a second plane.
16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one LED includes at least a first LED coupled to the first plane and a second LED coupled to the second plane.
17 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one LED includes at least a first plurality of LEDs coupled to the first plane and a second plurality of LEDs coupled to the second plane.
18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein each of the first plurality and second plurality of LEDs is arranged as at least one essentially linear array along the respective first and second planes.
19 . A lighting fixture, comprising:
a housing of a conventional fluorescent lighting fixture; and
an LED-based retrofit subassembly coupled to the housing of the conventional fluorescent lighting fixture, wherein the LED-based retrofit subassembly does not engage with one or more conventional fluorescent bulb sockets of the conventional fluorescent lighting fixture.
20 . The fixture of claim 19 , wherein the retrofit subassembly comprises:
at least one first LED;
at least one controller coupled to the at least one first LED and configured to control at least a first intensity of first radiation having a first spectrum generated by the at least one first LED; and
a mechanical support to which at least the at least one first LED is coupled.
21 . The fixture of claim 20 , wherein:
the retrofit subassembly further comprises at least one second LED configured to generate second radiation having a second spectrum different than the first spectrum; and
the at least one controller is further configured to control at least a second intensity of the second radiation generated by the at least one second LED so as to control an overall color or color temperature of visible light generated by the fixture.
22 . The fixture of claim 21 , wherein the at least one controller is configured as an addressable controller to receive at least one lighting control command from a network connection, and wherein at least one of the color or color temperature of the visible light generated by the fixture is based at least in part on the at least one lighting command.
23 . The fixture of claim 20 , wherein the mechanical support is configured as an essentially U-shaped member comprising:
an elevated central portion to which the at least one first LED is coupled; and
two flanking portions on opposing sides of the elevated central portion, each flanking portion including at least one feature configured to facilitate an attachment of the retrofit subassembly to the housing of the conventional lighting fixture.
24 . The fixture of claim 23 , wherein the at least one first LED includes a plurality of LEDs arranged in at least one essentially linear array along the elevated central portion of the mechanical support.
25 . The fixture of claim 24 , wherein the plurality of LEDs are arranged in at least two essentially linear parallel arrays along the elevated central portion of the mechanical support.