MODULAR LED-BASED LIGHTING APPARATUS FOR SOCKET ENGAGEMENT, LIGHTING FIXTURES INCORPORATING SAME, AND METHODS OF ASSEMBLING, INSTALLING AND REMOVING SAME

• Main Authors: PIEPGRAS, Colin, MORGAN, Frederick M, MCCORMICK, Kevin, BLACKWELL, Michael, EL, Brian, MOLLNOW, Tomas
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 16.12.2020
• Subjects: BLASTING; ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMSTHEREOF; HEATING; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHERARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLEEXTERIORS; WEAPONS

Modular lighting fixtures that allow convenient installation and removal of LED-based light-generating modules and controller modules. In one example, a modular lighting fixture includes a housing configured to be recessed into or disposed behind an architectural surface such as ceiling, wall, or soffit, in new or existing construction scenarios. The fixture housing includes a socket configured to facilitate one or more of a mechanical, electrical and thermal coupling of the light-generating module to the fixture housing. The ability to easily engage and disengage the LED-based light-generating module with the socket, without removing the fixture housing itself, allows for straightforward replacement of the light-generating module upon failure, or exchange with another module having different light-generating characteristics. Modular lighting controllers for such fixtures also may be easily installed in or removed from the fixture housing via the same access route by which the light-generating module is installed and removed.