Light unit with built in antenna
View Patent ↗A lighting unit comprises a solid state lighting element ( 10 ). An upper housing ( 18 ) forms a light mixing chamber ( 20 ) over the solid state lighting element ( 10 ) and a loop-shaped antenna ( 22 ) is held by the upper housing ( 18 ), wherein the upper housing ( 18 ) comprises a reflective inner wall at least where it defines the mixing chamber ( 20 ) and said solid state lighting element ( 10 ) is inside said reflective inner wall. This makes use of the component which defines the mixing chamber ( 20 ) to hold a loop-shaped antenna ( 22 ) in place above the lighting element ( 10 ) and therefore away from the heat generated by the lighting element ( 10 ) and away from any metallic heat sink or heat spreading components ( 16 ).
1. A lighting unit comprising:
a solid state lighting element;
a base part which houses driver circuitry for the solid state lighting element;
an upper housing which forms a light mixing chamber over the solid state lighting element; and
a loop-shaped antenna,
wherein the upper housing comprises retaining members which hold the loop-shaped antenna, wherein the upper housing comprises a reflective inner wall at least where it defines the mixing chamber and said solid state lighting element is inside said reflective inner wall.
2. A lighting unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the base part comprises a heat spreading plate and a heat sink, wherein the heat spreading plate and solid state lighting element are at the top of the base part.
3. A lighting unit as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the upper housing has legs which are a snap fit into openings of the heat spreading plate.
4. A lighting unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the upper housing is overmoulded over the loop-shaped antenna.
5. A lighting unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the retaining members are at the top quarter of the height of the upper housing.
6. A lighting unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the loop-shaped antenna extends around least 270 degrees.
7. A lighting unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the lighting element is mounted on a circuit board and the loop-shaped antenna extends in a plane parallel to the circuit board.
8. A lighting unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the upper housing comprises:
a tubular portion with said reflective inner wall forming the light mixing chamber wherein said solid state lighting element is in the bottom of the tubular portion;
a cap portion at the top of the tubular portion, said cap portion extending outward radially from the tubular portion; and
said retaining members is at the cap portion.
9. A lighting unit as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a cover over the upper housing and the antenna, wherein the cover has a lid part at least over the mixing chamber.
10. A lighting unit as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the upper housing has channels leading to the mixing chamber, the lid part is a light scattering part, and the cover further comprises:
connecting legs which sit in the channels; and
a top cover part connected to the lid part by the connecting legs, the top cover part extending over the top of the upper housing and over the antenna.
11. A lighting unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the antenna comprises a quarter or three quarter wavelength antenna.
12. A lighting unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the solid state lighting element comprises a plurality of LEDs.
13. A lighting unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the driver circuitry comprises an RF receiver circuit coupled to the antenna for receiving wireless RF commands.