Luminaire having a lensed reflector system for improved light distribution control

• Main Author: NGAI; PETER Y. Y
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 24.09.1991
• Subjects: BLASTING; FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMSTHEREOF; HEATING; INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21Sand F21V, RELATING TO THEFORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THELIGHT EMITTED; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHERARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; WEAPONS

A lensed reflector system for a luminaire produces a specular beam of reflected light to provide a degree of directivity to an otherwise non-directive reflector surface. The lensed reflector system is formed by a prismatic lens material, such as a Fresnel lens, overlaying a reflector substrate having, in one aspect of the invention, a diffuse reflecting surface. The combination of the diffuse reflector and prismatic lens, together with the positioning of the reflector system in relation to the luminaire's light source, provides a reflector system which uniquely exhibits both diffuse and specular reflection characteristics depending on the angle at which the reflector system is viewed. The lensed reflector system of the invention can suitably be used in indirect lighting systems employing compact fluorescent lamps for increasing the spread of light from the fixture onto adjacent wall surfaces. The invention also comtemplates a lensed reflector system having a specular reflector substrate wherein a beam of enhanced specular reflectance is produced from an otherwise normally specular reflecting surface.