Elongated LED luminaire and associated methods

1. A luminaire comprising:

a lamp comprising:

an outer structure,

a light source configured to emit a source light and carried by the outer structure,

a middle structure connected to the outer structure, and

a bi-pin base connected to the middle structure;

a light guide having an inner surface and an outer surface; and

a heat dissipating frame having a contact surface in thermal communication with the outer surface of the light guide and comprising a plurality of heat sink rods positioned to abut each other to define the contact surface of the heat dissipating frame;

wherein the light source is configured to emit the source light so as to be incident upon the inner surface of the light guide; and

wherein the light guide is configured to change the source light into a shaped light that illuminates a space proximate to the luminaire.

2. The luminaire according to claim 1 wherein the bi-pin base comprises a pin lock configured to anchor the lamp to a standard fluorescent socket.

3. The luminaire according to claim 1 wherein the outer structure of the lamp further comprises a shelf and an optic; and wherein the light source is disposed on the shelf and oriented such that the source light emitted from the light source passes through the optic.

4. The luminaire according to claim 1 wherein the light guide is further configured to change the source light into the shaped light using at least one of collimation, concentration, refraction, conversion, reflection, and diffusion.

5. The luminaire according to claim 1 wherein the inner surface of the light guide comprises an optically transmissive material and a reflective material that are configured, in combination, to change the source light into the shaped light.

6. The luminaire according to claim 1 wherein the light guide comprises a conversion material configured to convert a wavelength of the source light so that the wavelength of the shaped light is defined as having a converted wavelength range.

7. The luminaire according to claim 1 wherein the light guide comprises a bi-pin connector configured to mechanically attach to a standard fluorescent socket.

8. The luminaire according to claim 7 wherein the light guide comprises a mounting aperture positioned opposite the bi-pin connector; and wherein the mounting aperture is sized to fittedly receive at least one of the bi-pin base and the middle structure of the lamp such that a portion of the outer structure of the lamp is positioned adjacent to the light guide.

9. The luminaire according to claim 8 wherein the light guide comprises a substantially elongated-basket shape between the bi-pin connector and the mounting aperture.

10. The luminaire according to claim 1 wherein the heat dissipating frame comprises a through-hole positioned on a substantially frustoconical attaching end of the heat dissipating frame.

11. A luminaire comprising:

a lamp comprising:

an outer structure,

a light source configured to emit a source light and carried by the outer structure,

a middle structure connected to the outer structure, and

a bi-pin base connected to the middle structure;

a light guide having an inner surface and an outer surface and comprising:

a bi-pin connector configured to mechanically attach to a standard fluorescent socket, and

a mounting aperture positioned opposite the bi-pin connector,

wherein the mounting aperture is sized to fittedly receive at least one of the bi-pin base and the middle structure of the lamp such that a portion of the outer structure of the lamp is positioned adjacent to the light guide; and

a heat dissipating frame having a contact surface in thermal communication with the outer surface of the light guide;

wherein the light source is configured to emit the source light so as to be incident upon the inner surface of the light guide; and

wherein the light guide is configured to change the source light into a shaped light that illuminates a space proximate to the luminaire.

12. The luminaire according to claim 11 wherein the bi-pin base comprises a pin lock configured to anchor the lamp to a standard fluorescent socket.

13. The luminaire according to claim 11 wherein the outer structure of the lamp further comprises a shelf and an optic; and wherein the light source is disposed on the shelf and oriented such that the source light emitted from the light source passes through the optic.

14. The luminaire according to claim 11 wherein the light guide is further configured to change the source light into the shaped light using at least one of collimation, concentration, refraction, conversion, reflection, and diffusion.

15. The luminaire according to claim 11 wherein the inner surface of the light guide comprises an optically transmissive material and a reflective material that are configured, in combination, to change the source light into the shaped light.

16. The luminaire according to claim 11 wherein the light guide comprises a conversion material configured to convert a wavelength of the source light so that the wavelength of the shaped light is defined as having a converted wavelength range.

17. The luminaire according to claim 11 wherein the light guide comprises a bi-pin connector configured to mechanically attach to a standard fluorescent socket.

18. The luminaire according to claim 11 wherein the heat dissipating frame comprises a through-hole positioned on a substantially frustoconical attaching end of the heat dissipating frame.

19. The luminaire according to claim 11 wherein the light guide comprises a substantially elongated-basket shape between the bi-pin connector and the mounting aperture.

20. The luminaire according to claim 11 wherein:

the middle structure comprises a heat sink section in thermal communication with the light source; and

the heat dissipating frame comprises a through-hole disposed on an attaching end of the heat dissipating frame and positioned such that a rim of the through-hole is in thermal communication with the heat sink section of the middle structure of the luminaire.