Abstract:
A ceiling-mounted luminaire having a bent lens that has a horizontal portion for directing light downward, and a bent or diagonal portion for directing diagonally light toward an adjacent wall. The luminaire improves the flooding of light onto the wall. An auxiliary reflector plate can be inserted within the main reflector to direct more of the source light toward the diagonal portion of the lens to improve the wall lighting.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to a ceiling-mounted luminaire.  
         [0002]     Providing lighting onto a vertical wall is often done with a flood or reflector lamp that is positioned a distance from the wall and is directed at the wall to flood the wall with light. Typically such wall-flooding lights are ceiling mounted or suspended. One type of ceiling-mounted light uses a lens to improve the photometrics of the light source, typically by orienting a planar lens at an angle that projects the light diagonally toward the wall onto which the luminaire is attached. Wall-mounted lighting has also been used to provide lighting onto the wall surface, as well as to provide the surrounding floor area with light. Nevertheless, there remains a need to improve the lighting onto a sidewall, as well as to the surrounding floor area.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The present invention relates to a ceiling-mounted luminaire for directing light at the wall, comprising: a) a support structure configured for mounting into a ceiling adjacent to the wall; b) a reflector secured to the support structure, having a reflective inner surface and an open end extending toward an opening in the ceiling; c) a powered light source disposed within the interior of the reflector; and d) a lens positioned proximate the open end of the reflector for refracting the light passing out of the open end of the reflector; wherein the lens comprises a horizontal portion for refracting a portion of the light perpendicularly downward from the ceiling, and a diagonal portion for refracting a portion of the light diagonally toward the wall.  
         [0004]     The present invention also relates to a bent lens for use in a luminaire, comprising: a first planar semi-circular portion having a surface comprising a pattern of prisms, and a second planar semi-elliptical portion having a surface comprising a pattern of prisms, the semi-elliptical portion being oriented at an angle from the first planar portion, wherein a source of light passing through the lens is directed in a first direction perpendicular to the first planar portion, and in a second direction perpendicular to the second planar portion and diagonally downward from the first direction.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]      FIG. 1  shows a side elevation view of a luminaire of the present invention with a partial cross sectional view of a reflector with a bent lens.  
         [0006]      FIG. 2  shows a partial front elevation view of the luminaire of  FIG. 1  viewed from line  2 - 2 .  
         [0007]      FIG. 3  shows a cross-sectional side view of the bent lens of the present invention.  
         [0008]      FIG. 4  shows a top plan view of the bent lens of  FIG. 3  viewed from line  4 - 4 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     The present invention provides an improved ceiling-mounted luminaire for providing light to an adjacently-disposed wall and to the surrounding floor space.  
         [0010]      FIGS. 1 and 2  show a luminaire  10  comprising a support structure  12  for conventional mounting of the luminaire into a ceiling  100  adjacent to the wall. The support structure  12  comprises a pair of hanger brackets  14  and a pan  16  for supporting other elements of the luminaire. A dome-shaped reflector  20  is secured to the support structure  12 . The reflector is illustrated with an open end  22  at its lower end having a diameter comparable to the height of the reflector. The reflector  20  has a reflective inner surface that is shaped to reflect light emitted from a light source toward the open end  22 . The open end  22  extends toward an opening in the ceiling. In the illustrated embodiment, the reflector is configured with an outwardly-extending flange  24  that can be affixed and secured to the lower end of the pan  16 .  
         [0011]     The luminaire  10  is provided with a lens  30  for directing a source of light within the reflector through the open end  22  in at least two predetermined directions. The lens  30  is positioned proximate the open end  22  of the reflector  20  for refracting the light passing out of the open end of the reflector and into the at least two directions. As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the lens  30  comprises a horizontal portion  32  for perpendicularly refracting a portion of the light in a vertically downward direction  34  from the ceiling  100 , and a diagonal portion  36  for perpendicularly refracting a portion of the light in a diagonal direction  38  downward and toward the wall. The horizontal portion  32  of the lens has a semi-circular shape. The diagonal portion  36  of the lens has a semi-elliptical shape and is oriented at an angle and projects downward from the horizontal planar portion  32 . The semi-circular and semi-elliptical portions are joined along a linear joint  40  into a unitary bent lens.  
         [0012]     Typically, the lens has a bending angle a of between about 15 degrees to 25 degrees. In the illustrated embodiment, the bending angle is about 20 degrees. The bending angle is selected to provide the desired photometrics based in part on ceiling height and placement distance from the wall.  
         [0013]     Preferably the lens comprises a pattern of prisms  42  on a surface thereof for preferential directing of the light source toward a desired direction. In the illustrated embodiment, the pattern of prisms are shown as a series of spaced-apart linear prisms that run parallel to the linear joint  40  on both the horizontal and diagonal portions of the lens, and are disposed laterally on the upper or reflector-side surface  44  of the lens, from one end of the lens to the other end along a bisecting centerline  90 . Alternative patterns for the plurality of prisms can also be used to enhance the projection of light evenly and broadly onto the wall, such as curvilinear and combinations of linear and curvilinear patterns.  
         [0014]     In the illustrated embodiment, the lens is affixed within a circular splay  50  having a tapered sidewall  52 . The splay sidewall  52  has a lower open end  54  that registers with the open end  22  of the reflector, and that has an outward-extending flange  56  for affixment to the flange  24  of the reflector. The sidewall  52  also has an open upper end  58  through which light from the light source  70  passes. In the illustrated embodiment, the semi-circular periphery of the horizontal portion  32  of the lens is secured to the upper end  58  of the sidewall  52 , and the semi-elliptical periphery of the diagonal portion  36  of the lens extends and is secured along the tapered sidewall  52  toward the lower end  54 . Typically, the splay  50  with the affixed lens  30  is configured for rotational attachment to the reflector  20  for arbitrary and precise positioning of the lens and the emitted diagonal lighting against the wall.  
         [0015]     In a preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the luminaire also comprises an auxiliary reflector  60  positioned within the reflector proximate to and above the diagonal portion  36  of the lens. The auxiliary reflector has an inwardly-directed concave inner surface made of a highly-reflective material that serves to focus and bounce light toward the diagonal portion  36  of the lens.  
         [0016]     The source of light is provided by one or more electrically-powered lamps  70  that penetrate through an opening in the upper portion of the reflector  20 , and are disposed within the interior of the reflector. The lamps  70  are affixed to lamp sockets  72  of a socket housing  74 . Electrical power is provided to the socket housing from an electrical junction  76  box via an electrical conduit  78 . In the illustrated embodiment, the reflector  20  is configured to house a pair of fluorescent tube lamps  70 , mounted side-by-side. In a preferred embodiment shown in the Figures, the distal ends or tips of the lamps  70  are oriented on a downward angle and closely proximate the surface of the diagonal portion  36  of the bent lens  30 . Since the tip of the lamp emits the most light, positioning the lamp tip on an angle, just behind the diagonal portion of the lens, maximizes the photometric benefit of the luminaire.  
         [0017]     When installed into a ceiling proximate a wall, the luminaire is positioned wherein the diagonal portion  36  is positioned away from the wall, and extends downward from the horizontal portion  32  and away from the wall.  
         [0018]     The luminaire of the present invention improves the intensity and distribution of emitted “wall washing” light onto the adjacent wall, while also providing “down light” to the surrounding floor area. The wall washing light is distributed more evenly on the wall surface, relative to conventional wall lighting luminaries. Typically, the proportional of down light to wall washing light is equal. The diagonal portion of the lens can be bent to a steeper angle than can an angled planar lens, which can provide for more light onto the wall.