Abstract:
A light fixture, particularly adapted for cove lighting, includes an angled reflector assembly that directs light from a fluorescent tube generally toward the back wall of a cove that is above the electrical sockets of the light fixture. The angled reflector assembly is designed such that light is directed from the main illumination portion of the fluorescent tube, rather than from the cool spots of the fluorescent tube. The light fixture reduces dark spot formation in the backlighting of the back wall and therefore provides a relatively even illumination pattern.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention is generally directed to lighting systems and, more particularly, to a light fixture to be used in a recessed manner, such as in an architectural cove, to provide generally shadow-free backlighting of a wall so as to indirectly illuminate a space or room. 
         [0002]    In addition to their aesthetic features, architectural coves also provide a recess in which lighting systems may be installed to indirectly illuminate a space, such as a bedroom or hallway. Conventional cove light fixtures are installed either end-to-end in a single row or in a pair of staggered or overlapped rows along or proximate the back wall of the cove. 
         [0003]    Cove light fixtures typically use elongated fluorescent tubes as the light source. The tubes are coupled between a pair of sockets to electrically connect the tube to a power source. The sockets are generally in-line with the tube and thus form a non-luminous feature at each end of the light fixture. When arranged end-to-end, the adjacent non-luminous sockets effectively form a gap in the illumination field of the tube. This can create dark spots in the backlighting of the back wall of the cove. 
         [0004]    Staggering the light fixtures has been one proposed solution to reduce dark sports and provide a more consistent illumination field. However, staggering the light fixtures is generally considered an inefficient solution. More particularly, to maximize efficiency, the least amount of watts per foot for a desired overall luminosity should be used. Staggering the light fixtures increases the amount of watts that is provided per linear foot. Additionally, for narrow coves, it may be difficult to install the light fixtures in a staggered arrangement. 
         [0005]    In another proposed solution, a cove light fixture has been developed that includes an adjustable saw tooth baffle combined with a kicker reflector to reduce socket shadows (dark spots). The saw tooth baffle has a white front edge that diffuses light emitted by the fluorescent tube. The front edge, however, must be adjusted over the life of the fluorescent tube. Additionally, the kicker reflector is installed parallel to the fluorescent tube and is designed to capture the majority of its reflected light from the dim cool spot of the fluorescent tube and direct it toward the shadow area above the electrical socket. The dim cool spot is generally defined by a couple of inches of the fluorescent tube that is adjacent an electrical socket and degrades at a faster rate than the remainder of the fluorescent tube. Thus, the effectiveness of the kicker reflector is reduced over the life of the fluorescent tube. 
         [0006]    Therefore, there remains a need to provide an energy efficient solution for reducing dark spot formation in the backlighting of a wall using fluorescent lighting fixtures. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present inventors have found that that luminosity of conventional fluorescent tubes is sufficient to illuminate the dark spot associated with the non-luminous sockets when the light output of the tube is judiciously directed toward the otherwise dark spot. In this regard, the present invention is directed to a light fixture, particularly adapted for cove lighting, which includes an angled reflector assembly that directs light from the fluorescent tube generally toward the back wall of the cove that is above an electrical socket. The angled reflector assembly is designed such that light is directed, not from the cool spot of the fluorescent tube, but from the main illumination portion of the fluorescent tube. In this regard, the reflector assembly does not need to be adjusted during the life of the fluorescent tube nor is the effectiveness of the reflector assembly affected by the accelerated degradation of the cool spot. 
         [0008]    Therefore, it is one object of the present invention to provide a cove lighting fixture that provides a relatively uniform backlighting of a wall absent dark spots typically associated with the electrical sockets. 
         [0009]    It is a further object of the invention to provide a reflector assembly for a cove lighting fixture that reflects light from the non-cool spot portions of a fluorescent tube toward the portion of a wall proximate an electrical socket of the lighting fixture. 
         [0010]    It is yet another object of the invention to provide a reflector assembly for a cove lighting fixture that can be factory installed without requiring in-field adjustments during the life of the light fixture. 
         [0011]    Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the present invention, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    Preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout. 
           [0013]    In the drawings: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is top plan view of a portion of space having an architectural cove in which lighting fixtures according to the present invention have been installed; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a section view of a representative lighting fixture taken along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is an isometric view of a representative lighting fixture according to one aspect of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a partial isometric view of two lighting fixtures, similar in construction to that shown in  FIG. 3 , installed in-line in an end-to-end arrangement; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a schematic representation of an illumination pattern provided by a conventional cove lighting fixture arrangement; and 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a schematic representation of an illumination pattern provided by a cove lighting fixture arrangement comprised of lighting fixtures similar to that shown in  FIGS. 3-4 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0020]    The present invention will be described with respect to light fixtures having elongated light tubes and arranged in a linear fashion to illuminate a room  10 . In one preferred embodiment, the light fixtures, collectively designated  12 , are positioned in an architectural cove  14 , partially shown in  FIG. 1 , formed above the space or room  10  to be illuminated. As well-known in the art, in addition to the aesthetics that an architectural cove  14  may provide, the cove  14  provides a recess  16  in which the light fixtures  12  can be positioned and thus hidden from view. The architectural cove  14  is generally defined by a floor  18  that supports a back wall  20  and a front wall  22 . The front wall  22  has a height less than the back wall  20  and thus allows light illuminated from the fixtures  12  to exit the recess  16  and provide indirect and diffused lighting of the room  10 . 
         [0021]    The light fixtures  12  are arranged, in a preferred implementation, so as to be positioned against the back wall  20 . Positioning of the fixtures  12  in proximity to the back wall  20  reduces shadow and hot spot formation on the back wall  20 . Additionally, the fixtures  12  are preferably installed such that the top of the fixtures  12  is slightly below the line-of-sight over the front wall  22 . This allows for the maximum amount of light output into the room  10  while maintaining the light fixtures  12  hidden from view. 
         [0022]    To further reduce the formation of shadows and hot spots on the back wall  20 , the light fixtures  12  are arranged in a linear fashion and end-to-end. Thus, for example, light fixture  24  should be positioned in line with and abut another light fixture (not shown) at end  26 . Similarly, light fixture  28  is in-line with and abuts another light fixture (not shown) at end  30 . 
         [0023]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a sectional view of a representative light fixture is shown. For purposes of illustration, light fixture  24  will be described, but it is understood that each of the light fixtures is similarly constructed. Light fixture  24  includes a primary reflector  32  that includes a vertical surface  34  that abuts against back wall  20 . A horizontal surface  36  extends from a bottom end  38  of the vertical surface  34  and runs along the floor  18  of the cove  14 . The primary reflector  32  further includes a doubly-angled surface  40  that extends from the end  42  of the horizontal surface  36  and extends generally toward the interior surface  44  of front wall  22 . 
         [0024]    In a preferred embodiment, the vertical, horizontal, and doubly-angled surfaces are composed of reflective material, such as a reflective material laminate or reflective material paint. The use of such reflective material for redirecting light from a light source, such as a fluorescent tube, is well-known in the art. 
         [0025]    The light fixture  24  further includes an elongated lamp  46 , such as fluorescent tube, that emits light along multiple light paths at various angles to the primary reflector  32 . Some of the light paths are angled toward the horizontal and angled surfaces  36 ,  40 . For example, light path  48  is redirected by the horizontal surface  36  along path  50  and into the room  10 . Light paths  52 ,  54 , on the other hand, are redirected by the angled surface  40  along paths  56 ,  58 , respectively, and against the back wall  20 . The light fixture  24  further includes an electrical socket  60  that in conventional cove lighting fixtures, as described above, results in shadows along the back wall generally above the socket  60 . The present invention, however, overcomes this drawback of conventional light fixtures using additional (secondary) reflectors, as will be described in greater detail below. As will be described, in one embodiment, the secondary reflectors are fastened to the primary reflector. In an alternate embodiment, the secondary reflectors are constructed from or otherwise integrally formed with the primary reflector  32 . 
         [0026]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , elongated lamp  46  extends parallel to the length of the vertical surface  34  between a pair of electrical sockets  66 ,  68 . Each electrical socket is mounted to the vertical surface  34  or any other surface. The electrical sockets provide connection points for securing the lamp  46  to the light fixture  24 , as is well-known. Specifically, each end of the elongated lamp  46  includes a pin  62 ,  64  that engages respective sockets  66 ,  68 . The light fixture  24  further includes secondary reflectors  70 ,  72  respectively coupled proximate sockets  66 ,  68 . Each secondary reflector  70 ,  72  includes an angled plate  74 ,  76  extending from a body member  78 ,  80 . The body members  78 ,  80  are coupled to the horizontal surface  36  of the primary reflector  32  or any other surface using fasteners, such as  82 ,  84 . In one embodiment, each body member may be machined to form holes that align with tabs extending from the horizontal surface. In this embodiment, each primary reflector  32  could be attached to the light fixture by aligning the holes in the body member with the tabs and press-fitting the reflector against the horizontal surface or any other surface. The angled plates  74 ,  76  are oriented such that light is reflected in the general direction above the sockets  66 ,  68 . 
         [0027]    The light fixtures  12  are designed to be arranged end-to-end, such as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . For example, light fixtures  24  and  86  are arranged in-line with one another such that secondary reflector  70  is proximate secondary reflector  88  of light fixture  86 . Secondary reflector  88  is similar in construction to secondary reflector  70 . Specifically, secondary reflector  88  has a reflector body  90  with an angled reflector plate  92  extending therefrom. The secondary reflector  88  is secured to the horizontal surface  94  of primary reflector  96  using fastener  98 . The secondary reflectors  70 ,  88  cooperate to direct light from respectively associated lamps  46 ,  100  to illuminate the dark spot associated with the electrical sockets  66 ,  102 . Only one pin  62 ,  101  for lamps  46 ,  100 , respectively, are shown but it is understood that opposite ends of the lamps  46 ,  100  also include pin that engage respective sockets. To reduce the gap between adjacent light fixtures and help maintain the linearity of the arrangement, adjacent fixtures may be coupled to one another using a linking bracket  103  and conventional fasteners  104 , such as mounting bolts. 
         [0028]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , as referenced above, conventional light fixtures, designated L 1 , L 2 , when arranged end-to-end, create a dark spot, designated DS, above the adjacent electrical sockets, designated S 1 , S 2 , in the combined illumination field, I 1 , of the fixtures. Light fixtures according to the present invention, generally designated L 3 , L 4 , include reflectors, generally designated R 1 , R 2  that, as shown in  FIG. 6 , provide illumination of the otherwise dark spot adjacent sockets S 3 , S 4  to provide a uniform illumination field,  12 . In this regard, the present invention provides more consistent backlighting of the back wall  20  than conventional lighting fixtures. 
         [0029]    In a preferred embodiment, each primary reflector  32  is made from a single sheet of reflective material, e.g., metal, using known fabrication techniques. It is contemplated however that the primary reflectors could be formed from multiple sheets of reflective material and then joined together in a conventional manner, e.g., welding. Additionally, to provide a consistent lamination pattern, it is preferred that the reflectors, both primary and secondary, for adjacent light fixtures have similar reflectance characteristics; however, the invention is not so limited. 
         [0030]    Many changes and modifications could be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof. The scope of these changes will become apparent from the appended claims.