1. A light fixture for an indoor growing facility, the light fixture comprising:

a lighting module, comprising:

a base station;

a plurality of light emitting diodes coupled to the submount;

a lens cover including an outer surface and overlying the plurality of light emitting diodes and the submount such that the lens cover and the submount define an interior therebetween;

an encapsulating material substantially filling the interior and encapsulating the plurality of light emitting diodes; and

a protective coating disposed on an outer surface of the lens cover, wherein the lens cover has a first hardness and the encapsulating material has a second hardness that is less than the first hardness.

2. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein said second hardness is less than 70 shore a.

3. The luminaire of claim 2, wherein said encapsulation material comprises a silicone gel.

4. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein the lens cover is formed of polycarbonate or polymethyl methacrylate.

5. The luminaire of claim 1, wherein said protective coating comprises an inorganic thin film coating.

6. The luminaire of claim 5, wherein the inorganic thin film coating comprises one or more of: magnesium fluoride, calcium fluoride, silica, alumina, and titania.

7. The luminaire of claim 5, wherein said protective coating has a thickness between about 10nm and about 200 nm.

8. The luminaire of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing defining a first portion and a second portion, the second portion defining a window; and

a controller disposed at least partially within the first portion, wherein the lighting module is disposed at least partially in the second portion, and the plurality of light emitting diodes are configured to project light through the window.

9. The luminaire of claim 8, wherein the housing defines a channel between the first portion and the second portion.

10. The luminaire of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of rib members extending between the first portion and the second portion and at least partially disposed in the channel.

11. A light fixture for an indoor growing facility, the light fixture comprising:

a housing defining a first portion and a second portion, the second portion defining a window;

a controller disposed at least partially within the first portion; and

a first lighting module disposed at least partially in the second portion;

a second lighting module disposed partially in the second portion, adjacent to the first lighting module, wherein:

the first lighting module and the second lighting module are physically independent from each other; and is

Each of the first and second lighting modules comprises:

a base station;

a plurality of light emitting diodes coupled with the submount and configured to project light through the window;

a lens cover including an outer surface and overlying the plurality of light emitting diodes and the submount such that the lens cover and the submount define an interior therebetween;

an encapsulating material substantially filling the interior and encapsulating the plurality of light emitting diodes; and

a protective coating disposed on an outer surface of the lens cover, wherein the lens cover has a first hardness and the encapsulating material has a second hardness that is less than the first hardness.

12. The luminaire of claim 11, wherein said second hardness is shore a less than 70.

13. The luminaire of claim 12, wherein said encapsulation material comprises a silicone gel.

14. The luminaire of claim 11, wherein the lens cover is formed of polycarbonate or polymethyl methacrylate.

15. The luminaire of claim 11, wherein said protective coating comprises an inorganic thin film coating.

16. The luminaire of claim 15, wherein the inorganic thin film coating comprises one or more of: magnesium fluoride, calcium fluoride, silica, alumina, and titania.

17. The luminaire of claim 11, wherein the housing defines a channel between the first portion and the second portion.

18. The luminaire of claim 17, further comprising a plurality of rib members extending between the first portion and the second portion and at least partially disposed in the channel.

19. A light fixture for an indoor growing facility, the light fixture comprising:

a housing defining a first portion and a second portion, the second portion defining a window;

a controller disposed at least partially within the first portion; and

a lighting module at least partially disposed in the second portion, the lighting module comprising:

a base station;

a plurality of light emitting diodes coupled with the submount and configured to project light through the window;

a lens cover including an outer surface and overlying the plurality of light emitting diodes and the submount such that the lens cover and the submount define an interior therebetween;

a silicone gel substantially filling the interior and encapsulating the plurality of light emitting diodes; and

an inorganic thin film coating disposed on an outer surface of the lens cover, wherein the lens cover has a first hardness and the silicone gel has a second hardness that is less than the first hardness.

20. The luminaire of claim 19, wherein the inorganic thin film coating comprises one or more of: magnesium fluoride, calcium fluoride, silica, alumina, and titania.

21. The luminaire of claim 20, wherein the lens cover is formed of polycarbonate or polymethyl methacrylate.

Background

An indoor growing facility, such as a greenhouse, includes lighting fixtures that provide artificial lighting for plants to encourage growth. Each of these luminaires typically comprises a plurality of LEDs, which produce artificial light for the plants. However, the environment within these indoor growth facilities may contain different types of gas and/or airborne fluid particles that can cause the optical quality of the LEDs to degrade over time (e.g., yellow).

Disclosure of Invention

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a light fixture for an indoor growing facility, the light fixture comprising: a lighting module, comprising: a base station; a plurality of light emitting diodes coupled to the submount; a lens cover including an outer surface and overlying the plurality of light emitting diodes and the submount such that the lens cover and the submount define an interior therebetween; an encapsulating material substantially filling the interior and encapsulating the plurality of light emitting diodes; and a protective coating disposed on an outer surface of the lens cover, wherein the lens cover has a first hardness and the encapsulating material has a second hardness that is less than the first hardness.

According to the above aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the second hardness is shore a less than 70.

According to the above aspects of the present disclosure, wherein the encapsulating material comprises silicone gel.

According to the above aspects of the present disclosure, wherein the lens cover is formed of polycarbonate or polymethyl methacrylate.

According to the above aspects of the present disclosure, wherein the protective coating comprises an inorganic thin film coating.

According to the above various aspects of the present disclosure, wherein the inorganic thin film coating comprises one or more of: magnesium fluoride, calcium fluoride, silica, alumina, and titania.

According to the various aspects of the disclosure, wherein the protective coating has a thickness between about 10nm and about 200 nm.

According to the above aspects of the present disclosure, the luminaire further includes:

a housing defining a first portion and a second portion, the second portion defining a window; and

a controller disposed at least partially within the first portion, wherein the lighting module is disposed at least partially in the second portion, and the plurality of light emitting diodes are configured to project light through the window.

According to the above aspects of the present disclosure, the housing defines a channel between the first portion and the second portion.

According to the above aspects of the present disclosure, the light fixture further includes a plurality of rib members extending between the first portion and the second portion and at least partially disposed in the channel.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a light fixture for an indoor growing facility, the light fixture comprising: a housing defining a first portion and a second portion, the second portion defining a window; a controller disposed at least partially within the first portion; and a first lighting module disposed at least partially in the second portion; a second lighting module disposed partially in the second portion, adjacent to the first lighting module, wherein: the first lighting module and the second lighting module are physically independent from each other; and each of the first and second lighting modules comprises: a base station; a plurality of light emitting diodes coupled with the submount and configured to project light through the window; a lens cover including an outer surface and overlying the plurality of light emitting diodes and the submount such that the lens cover and the submount define an interior therebetween; an encapsulating material substantially filling the interior and encapsulating the plurality of light emitting diodes; and a protective coating disposed on an outer surface of the lens cover, wherein the lens cover has a first hardness and the encapsulating material has a second hardness that is less than the first hardness.

According to the above another aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the second hardness is shore a less than 70.

According to the above another aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the encapsulating material includes silicone gel.

According to the above another aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the lens cover is formed of polycarbonate or polymethyl methacrylate.

According to the above another aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the protective coating comprises an inorganic thin film coating.

According to the above another aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the inorganic thin film coating layer comprises one or more of: magnesium fluoride, calcium fluoride, silica, alumina, and titania.

According to the above another aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the housing defines a channel between the first portion and the second portion.

According to the above-mentioned another aspect of the present disclosure, the light fixture further includes a plurality of rib members extending between the first portion and the second portion and at least partially disposed in the channel.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a light fixture for an indoor growing facility, the light fixture comprising: a housing defining a first portion and a second portion, the second portion defining a window; a controller disposed at least partially within the first portion; and a lighting module at least partially disposed in the second portion, the lighting module comprising: a base station; a plurality of light emitting diodes coupled with the submount and configured to project light through the window; a lens cover including an outer surface and overlying the plurality of light emitting diodes and the submount such that the lens cover and the submount define an interior therebetween; a silicone gel substantially filling the interior and encapsulating the plurality of light emitting diodes; and an inorganic thin film coating disposed on an outer surface of the lens cover, wherein the lens cover has a first hardness, and the silicone gel has a second hardness less than the first hardness.

According to the above further aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the inorganic thin film coating comprises one or more of: magnesium fluoride, calcium fluoride, silica, alumina, and titania.

According to the above further aspect of the present disclosure, wherein the lens cover is formed of polycarbonate or polymethyl methacrylate.

Drawings

Various embodiments will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view depicting an isometric view according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is an isometric bottom isometric view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partially exploded isometric view of the LED light fixture of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partially exploded lower isometric view of the LED light fixture of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of various components of the light fixture of FIG. 1.

Detailed Description

Embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the drawings and examples of fig. 1-6, wherein like numerals represent the same or corresponding elements throughout the views. A light fixture 20 for an indoor growing facility (e.g., a greenhouse) is generally depicted in fig. 1 and 2 and may include a housing 22, first and second lighting modules 24 and 26 (fig. 2), and a hanger assembly 28. The housing 22 may include a lamp support portion 30 and a controller support portion 32 adjacent the lamp support portion 30. The lamp support portion 30 may define a lighting socket 34 (fig. 1) and a window 36 (fig. 2) disposed below the lighting socket 34. The first and second lighting modules 24, 26 (fig. 2) may be disposed within the lighting receptacle 34 above the window 36, and may be configured to emit light through the window 36, as will be described in further detail below.

The hanger assembly 28 may facilitate hanging the luminaire 20 over one or more plants (not shown) such that light emitted from the first and second lighting modules 24, 26 through the window 36 may be transmitted to the underlying plant(s) to stimulate growth. The hanger assembly 28 may include a pair of hanger supports 38 and a hanger bracket 40. The spreader support 38 may be coupled to the housing 22 on opposite sides of the light fixture 20. The spreader bracket 40 may be coupled with the spreader supports 38 and may extend between the spreader supports 38 to facilitate suspending the light fixture 20 from the ceiling of an indoor growing facility. In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 1 and 2, the spreader bracket 40 may have a substantially J-shaped cross-sectional shape to facilitate selective suspension of the luminaire 20 from a beam or other elongated support member disposed along the ceiling of an indoor growth facility.

Referring now to fig. 3 and 4, the housing 22 may include an upper frame 42 and a cover member 44, the cover member 44 overlying (overlapping) the upper frame 42 and coupled with the upper frame 42 via welding, adhesives, releasable tabs (not shown), fasteners (not shown), or any of a variety of suitable alternative permanent or releasable fastening means. The upper frame 42 may include a bottom illumination wall 46 defining the window 36. As shown in fig. 3, the upper frame 42 may include a bottom controller wall 48 and a plurality of side walls 50 that cooperate to define a controller receptacle 52. The cover member 44 may include a cover portion 54 that overlies and covers the controller socket 52, as shown in FIG. 1. The bottom controller wall 48, the side wall 50, and the cover portion 54 may form at least a portion of the controller support portion 32 of the housing 22.

As shown in fig. 4, the first and second illumination modules 24, 26 may each include a submount 56, 58, a plurality of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) (e.g., 60 in fig. 5), and a lens cover 64, 66. Referring to fig. 5, the first lighting module 24 will now be discussed, but will be understood to represent the second lighting module 26. The LEDs 60 may comprise surface mounted LEDs that are mounted to the submount 56 by any of a variety of methods or techniques known in the art. The LEDs 60 may be any of a variety of suitable configurations that are mounted directly or indirectly to the submount 56. The LEDs 60 may comprise single color LEDs (e.g., capable of emitting only one color of light, such as white, red, or blue), multi-color LEDs (e.g., capable of emitting different colors, such as white, red, and blue), or a combination of both. The submount 56 may be formed of any of a variety of thermally conductive materials suitable for physically and thermally supporting the LEDs 60.

The lens cover 64 may overlie the submount 56 and the LED60 and may be coupled to the submount 56 by fasteners 67 or any of a variety of suitable alternative coupling devices. The lens cover 64 may include a substantially planar substrate 68 and a plurality of optical lens elements 70 protruding from the substrate 68. Each optical lens element 70 may be substantially aligned with one respective LED60 and may be configured to redistribute light emitted from the LED60 toward an area beneath the luminaire 20 (e.g., toward one or more plants). In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 4 and 5, each optical lens element 70 may have a retracted elliptical shape. However, the optical lens element 70 may be any of a variety of suitable alternative shapes or combinations thereof to achieve the desired redistribution of light emitted from the LEDs 60.

As shown in fig. 5, the LEDs 60 may each be aligned with a respective one of the optical lens elements 70 such that the physical center P and the focal center F are coaxial. In another embodiment, the LEDs 60 may each be slightly offset from a respective one of the optical lens elements 70 such that the physical center P and the focal center F are non-coaxial. In one embodiment, the lens cover 64 may have a unitary, one-piece construction formed from a polycarbonate material and/or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). However, it should be understood that the lens cover 64 may be formed of any of a variety of suitable alternative translucent or transparent materials that may protect the underlying LEDs from environmental conditions and may also house a plurality of optical lens elements 70 for redistributing light transmitted from the underlying LEDs.

The lens cover 64 may be spaced apart from the submount 56 such that the lens cover 64 and the submount 56 cooperate to define an interior 72 therebetween. An encapsulant 74 may be disposed in interior 72 such that encapsulant 74 substantially fills interior 72 and encapsulates LED60 therein. Encapsulant material 74 may be formed of an optically neutral (or enhanced) material that may reduce optical losses in interior 72 that would otherwise occur without encapsulant material 74 (e.g., if there is air in interior 72). In one embodiment, the interior 72 may be filled with sufficient encapsulant 74 (e.g., completely filled) such that the interior 72 is substantially free of air bubbles or other media that may adversely affect the optical integrity between the LED60 and the lens cover 64. The encapsulant 74 may also protect the LEDs 60 from environmental conditions, such as gaseous fluids (e.g., greenhouse gases), that may bypass the lens cover 64. In one embodiment, the encapsulant material 74 may be a silicone gel, such as a methyl type silicone (e.g., polydimethylsiloxane) or a phenyl type silicone, having a refractive index between about 1.35 and 1.6. It should be understood that any of a variety of suitable alternative materials are contemplated for use with the encapsulant material 74.

The encapsulant material 74 may be substantially softer than the lens cover 64 (e.g., the encapsulant material 74 may have a hardness that is less than a hardness of the lens cover 64). In one embodiment, the encapsulant material 74 may be a flowable material, such as a fluid or gel that may be injected or otherwise dispensed into the interior 72 after the lens cover 64 is assembled on the submount 56. In another embodiment, the encapsulant material 74 may be coated on the lens cover 64 and/or on the submount 56 and LEDs 60 prior to assembling the lens cover 64 on the submount 56.

Still referring to fig. 5, a protective coating 76 may be disposed on an outer surface 77 of the lens cover 64. The protective coating 76 may be hydrophobic, oleophobic, and/or chemically resistant such that the outer surface of the lens cover 64 is protected from harmful environmental conditions that may otherwise adversely affect the optical performance of the optical lens element 70. Additionally or alternatively, the protective coating 76 may optionally enhance the transmission quality of the optical lens element 70. In one embodiment, the protective coating 76 may be a thin film inorganic material that protects from environmental conditions (e.g., chemical etching) and also improves the overall transmission quality of the optical lens element 70. The thin film inorganic material may have a thickness between about 10nm and about 200nm and may have a refractive index greater than about 1.49. Some examples of suitable thin film inorganic materials include MgF2, CaF2, SiO2, Al2O3, and/or TiO 2. While the protective coating 76 is shown as a single layer arrangement, it should be understood that the protective coating 76 may alternatively be a multi-layer arrangement, either homogeneous (multiple layers of the same material) or heterogeneous (multiple layers of different materials).

It should be understood that the light emitted by the first lighting module 24 may conform to a lighting distribution (e.g., a range of colors, an overall distribution of light, a thermal distribution) defined by the physical configuration of the first lighting module 24 (e.g., the type of LEDs 60 used (e.g., single or multi-color), the physical layout of the LEDs 60, the optics provided by the lens elements (e.g., 68), the encapsulating material (e.g., 74), the protective coating (e.g., 76), and the overall power consumption). Although various examples of physical configurations of the first lighting module have been described above and shown in the figures, it should be understood that any of a variety of suitable alternative physical configurations of the first lighting module 24 may be contemplated for achieving the desired lighting distribution.

Referring now to fig. 1 and 3, a heat dissipation member 78 may be disposed on each of the first and second lighting modules 24, 26 and may be configured to dissipate heat away from the first and second lighting modules 24, 26. Heat sink 78 may be formed from any of a variety of thermally conductive materials, such as aluminum or copper. The heat sink 78 may be in contact with the submount 56, 58 on the opposite side from the LEDs (e.g., 60). Heat generated by the LEDs (e.g., 60) may be transferred from the pedestals 56, 58 to the heat sink 78 and dissipated to the surrounding environment through the plurality of fins 80. In one embodiment, a heat dissipating compound (not shown), such as a thermal paste, may be disposed between the pedestals 56, 58 and the heat sink 78 to enhance thermal conductivity therebetween. Although the heat dissipation member 78 is shown as an integral component provided on the first and second lighting modules 24, 26, it should be understood that dedicated heat dissipation members may alternatively be provided for each of the first and second lighting modules 24, 26.

Referring now to fig. 3, a controller 82 may be disposed in the controller receptacle 52 and may be configured to power and control the first and second lighting modules 24, 26. As shown in fig. 1, the cover portion 54 of the cover member 44 may overlie the controller socket 52 and the controller 82. The cover portion 54 may serve as a heat sink for the controller 82 and may include a plurality of fins 84 to dissipate heat from the controller 82. A heat dissipating compound (not shown), such as a thermal grease, may be provided between the cover portion 54 and the controller 82 to enhance thermal conductivity therebetween. The upper frame 42 and the cover member 44 may be formed of a thermally conductive material such as aluminum, for example. Heat from the first and second lighting modules 24, 26 and the controller 82 may be transferred throughout the housing 22 to effectively supplement the cooling performance of the heat sink 78 and the cover portion 54.

Referring now to fig. 1 and 2, the housing 22 may define a channel 85 extending between the lamp support portion 30 and the controller support portion 32 such that the first and second lighting modules 24, 26 and the controller 82 are physically spaced apart from one another. The channel 85 may be configured to allow air to flow between the lamp support portion 30 and the controller support portion 32 to enhance cooling of the first and second lighting modules 24, 26 and the controller 82 during operation. In one embodiment, as shown in fig. 3, the housing 22 may include a plurality of rib members 86 extending between the lamp support portion 30 and the controller support portion 32 to provide structural rigidity therebetween.

Referring now to fig. 6, the controller 82 may include a power module 88 and an LED driver module 90. The power module 88 may be coupled with the LED driver module 90, and the LED driver module 90 may be coupled with (e.g., in parallel with) each of the first lighting module 24 and the second lighting module 26. The power module 88 may include a power input 92 coupled to a power source (not shown), such as an a/C power source, for communicating external power to the power module 88 to power the first and second lighting modules 24, 26. The power module 88 may be configured to condition external power from a power source (e.g., convert AC power to DC power) to facilitate powering the LEDs (e.g., 60). In one embodiment, the luminaire 20 may be configured to operate with an input power of between about 85VAC to about 347VAC (e.g., a load capacity of 750 watts).

The LED driver module 90 may include a control input 94 coupled with a control source (not shown), such as a greenhouse controller, for example, which communicates control signals to the LED driver module 90 to control the first lighting module 24 and the second lighting module 26, as will be described in further detail below. With a suitable signal protocol, such as BACnet, ModBus, or RS485, the LED driver module 90 may be configured to communicate according to any of a variety of communication protocols.

The power input 92 and the control input 94 may be routed to a receptacle 96 (fig. 2 and 6), the receptacle 96 configured to interface with a plug (not shown) that may communicate external power and control signals to the power module 88 and the LED driver module 90, respectively. In one embodiment, the receptacle 96 may be a Wieland-type (Wieland-type) connector, although other types of connectors are contemplated. It should be understood that although power and control signals are shown as being transmitted through the receptacle 96 (e.g., via the same cable), the light fixture 20 may alternatively include separate ports for power and control signals, such that the power and control signals may be transmitted along different cables to the power module 88 and the LED driver module 90.

The LED driver module 90 may be configured to control over time (e.g., light recipe) one or more of: the intensity, color, and spectrum of light produced by the LED (e.g., 60). The LED driver module 90 may independently control the light formulations of the first and second lighting modules 24, 26 such that the first and second lighting modules 24, 26 define respective first and second lighting regions that are independently controllable in a lighting environment. The light formulas of the first and second illumination areas may be tailored accordingly to accommodate the lighting requirements of the plants provided in the lighting environment. For example, when the plants provided in each of the first and second lighting areas are the same (or have similar lighting requirements), the respective light formulas of the first and second lighting modules 24, 26 may be the same to provide a substantially uniform lighting environment between the first and second lighting areas. When a group of plants provided in a first lighting area has different lighting requirements than a group of plants provided in a second lighting area, the light formulas of the first and second lighting modules 24, 26 may be customized to accommodate the different lighting requirements between the groups of plants. In one embodiment, the first lighting module 24 and the second lighting module 26 may have unique addresses such that the control signal may assign a separate lighting recipe (via the LED driver module 90) to each of the first lighting module 24 and the second lighting module 26 based on their unique addresses. It should be understood that although the LED driver module 90 is described as being configured to control the light formulation of each of the first and second lighting modules 24, 26, the LED driver module 90 may additionally or alternatively be configured to control any of a variety of suitable alternative variable lighting characteristics of the first and second lighting modules 24, 26 (e.g., any lighting characteristics that may be controlled in real-time by a control signal).

The first lighting module 24 and the second lighting module 26 may be self-contained, independent units that are physically separate from each other. Thus, the physical configuration and variable lighting characteristics of each of the first and second lighting modules 24, 26 may be independently selected to allow customization of the first and second lighting regions to achieve a desired lighting environment. In one embodiment, the first lighting module 24 and the second lighting module 26 may be interchanged with different lighting modules during the life cycle of the plant to optimize the lighting environment of the plant throughout the life cycle of the plant.

The foregoing description of embodiments and examples has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the forms described. Many modifications are possible in light of the above teaching. Some of those modifications have been discussed, and others will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to illustrate various embodiments. Of course, the scope is not limited to the examples or embodiments set forth herein, but may be employed in any number of applications and equivalent arrangements by those of ordinary skill in the art. Rather, it is intended that the scope be defined by the claims appended hereto. Additionally, for any methods claimed and/or described, whether the method is described in conjunction with a flow diagram or not, it should be understood that any explicit or implicit order of steps performed in the performance of the method does not imply that the steps must be performed in the order presented, and may be performed in a different order or in parallel, unless otherwise specified or required by the context.