IP Library Granted Patent US 10,363,325
Granted Patent B2
US 10,363,325 · App. 16/027,107 · Granted Jul 30, 2019

Lighting device that deactivates dangerous pathogens while providing visually appealing light

Inventors: James W. Hawkins (Lake Forest, IL); Nathan D. Heiking (Pleasant Prairie, WI); Patrick J. Marry (Hawthorn Woods, IL)
Assignee: KENALL MANUFACTURING COMPANY
A61L2/084A61L9/18A61N5/06A61N5/0624F21K9/00F21K9/233F21S8/026F21V5/04F21V7/00F21V9/30F21V19/006F21V23/0442F21V23/0471F21V29/70F21V33/0068H05B33/0854H05B33/0857H05B33/0872H05B33/0884H05B37/02H05B37/0227H05B37/0272A61L2/24A61L2202/11A61L2202/14A61L2202/25A61L2209/111A61L2209/12A61L2209/15A61L2209/16A61N2005/0652A61N2005/0663F21W2131/20F21Y2101/00F21Y2105/10F21Y2113/13F21Y2115/10F24F13/078H01L33/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,363,325
App. No.
16/027,107
Filed
Jul 3, 2018
Granted
Jul 30, 2019
Kind
B2
Art Unit
1799
USPC
422/22
Abstract

A lighting system configured to provide light and disinfect air in an environment. The lighting system includes an HVAC unit configured to provide air to the environment, and a lighting device configured to deactivate microorganisms in the air. The lighting device includes a housing, means for mounting the housing to a surface in the environment, one or more first light-emitting elements arranged in the housing and configured to each produce disinfecting light having a wavelength in a first range of wavelengths, and one or more second light-emitting elements arranged in the housing and configured to each produce disinfecting light having a wavelength in a second range of wavelengths different from the first range of wavelengths. The disinfecting light produced by the first light-emitting elements and the disinfecting light produced by the second light-emitting elements mix to form a combined light, the combined light being visible light other than white light.

Claims (30)

1. A system configured to provide light and disinfect air in an environment, the system comprising:

an HVAC unit configured to provide air to the environment; and

a lighting device configured to deactivate microorganisms in the air, the lighting device comprising:

a housing;

means for mounting the housing to a surface in the environment;

one or more first light-emitting elements comprising one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged in the housing and configured to each produce disinfecting light having a wavelength in a first range of wavelengths; and

one or more second light-emitting elements arranged in the housing and configured to each produce disinfecting light having a wavelength in a second range of wavelengths different from the first range of wavelengths;

wherein the disinfecting light produced by the one or more LEDs and the disinfecting light produced by the one or more second light-emitting elements mix to form a combined light, the combined light being visible light other than white light, and

wherein the visible light has u′, v′ coordinates on the 1976 CIE Chromaticity Diagram that lie outside of an area that is bounded (i) vertically between 0.007 Duv below and 0.007 Duv above a planckian locus defined by the ANSI C78.377-2015 color standard, and (ii) horizontally between a correlated color temperature (CCT) isoline of between approximately 1500K and 7000K.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lighting device heats air proximate to the lighting device to a temperature that is greater than a temperature of the air provided by the air handling unit, thereby creating an air convection current proximate to the lighting device.

3. The lighting device of claim 1 , wherein the combined light has a disinfecting dose of at least 0.06 J/cm 2 measured from any unshielded point in the environment.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lighting device further comprises:

means for maintaining a junction temperature of the one or more LEDs below a maximum operating temperature of the one or more LEDs; and

means for directing the disinfecting light produced by the one or more LEDs and the disinfecting light produced by the one or more second light-emitting elements.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more second light-emitting elements comprise one or more light-converting elements.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more light-converting elements comprise one or more phosphors.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more phosphors comprise red phosphors and green phosphors.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first range of wavelengths comprises wavelengths between 400 nm and 420 nm, and wherein the second range of wavelengths comprises wavelengths greater than 500 nm.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the second range of wavelengths comprises wavelengths between 530 nm and 580 nm or between 600 nm and 650 nm.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the lighting device further comprises one or more third light-emitting elements arranged in the housing and configured to each produce disinfecting light having a wavelength in a third range of wavelengths different from the first and second ranges of wavelengths.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first range of wavelengths comprises wavelengths less than 500 nm, the second range of wavelengths comprises wavelengths between 530 nm and 580 nm, and the third range of wavelengths comprises wavelengths between 600 nm and 650 nm.

12. A method, comprising:

providing air to an environment via an HVAC unit;

deactivating microorganisms in the air in the environment via a lighting device, the lighting device comprising a housing, means for mounting the housing to a surface in the environment, one or more first light-emitting elements comprising one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) arranged in the housing and configured to each produce disinfecting light having a wavelength in a first range of wavelengths, and one or more second light-emitting elements arranged in the housing and configured to each produce disinfecting light having a wavelength in a second range of wavelengths different from the first range of wavelengths, wherein the disinfecting light produced by the one or more LEDs and the disinfecting light produced by the one or more second light-emitting elements mix to form a combined light, the combined light comprising visible light other than white light, and wherein the visible light has u′, v′ coordinates on the 1976 CIE Chromaticity Diagram that lie outside of an area that is bounded (i) vertically between 0.007 Duv below and 0.007 Duv above a planckian locus defined by the ANSI 078.377-2015 color standard, and (ii) horizontally between a correlated color temperature (CCT) isoline of between approximately 1500K and 7000K.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising circulating the air proximate to the lighting device.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the act of providing air to the environment via the HVAC unit comprises providing air to a first room in the environment via the HVAC unit, and wherein the act of deactivating microorganisms in the air in the environment via the lighting device comprises deactivating microorganisms in the air in the first room via the lighting device, the method further comprising providing, via the HVAC unit, a portion of the air in the first room to a second room in the environment, the second room being structurally separate from the first room.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the act of deactivating microorganisms in the air in the environment via the lighting device comprises outputting the combined light at a disinfecting dose of at least 0.06 J/cm 2 measured from any unshielded point in the environment.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first range of wavelengths comprises wavelengths between 400 nm and 420 nm.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first range of wavelengths comprises wavelengths of about 405 nm.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first range of wavelengths has an integrated irradiance of at least 0.035 mW/cm 2 measured from any unshielded point in the environment that is 1.5 m from any point on any external most luminous surface of the lighting device.

Assignments (3)
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 3, 2024
From: PINNACLE ARCHITECTURAL LIGHTING, INC.; KENALL MANUFACTURING CO.
To: LEGRAND LIGHTING MANUFACTURING CO.
Reel/Frame 069475/0661 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CORRECT THE INVENTORSHIP PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 047128 FRAME: 0794. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Feb 5, 2019
From: HAWKINS, JAMES W.; HEIKING, NATHAN D.; MARRY, PATRICK J.
To: KENALL MANUFACTURING COMPANY
Reel/Frame 048261/0519 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 21, 2018
From: HAWKINS, JAMES W.; HEIKING, NATHAN D.
To: KENALL MANUFACTURING COMPANY
Reel/Frame 047128/0794 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation In Part 15485926 · Apr 12, 2017
Continuation 15178349 · Jun 9, 2016
Provisional Application 62190113 · Jul 8, 2015
Provisional Application 62185391 · Jun 26, 2015
Related Publication 20180311386A1 · Nov 1, 2018
Cited By (5)
US 12,186,437 US 12,194,167 US 12,264,815 US 12,345,404 US 12,350,386