Patents Assigned to Quarkstar LLC
  • Patent number: 10386039
    Abstract: A luminaire assembly includes a substrate; light emitting elements (LEEs) secured to the substrate; optical couplers arranged along the substrate, each optical coupler being positioned to receive light emitting from a corresponding one of the LEEs and to direct the light in a forward direction orthogonal to the substrate; a redirecting surface spaced apart from the couplers along the forward direction to reflect the light from the optical couplers to an ambient environment in a backward angular range; a housing comprising a support structure and a layer of a heat conducting material disposed on the support structure, where a thermal conductivity of the layer of heat conducting material is greater than a thermal conductivity of a material forming the support structure; and a heat coupling layer arranged between the substrate and the housing, the heat coupling layer being adjacent to the heat conducting material of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Charles R. McCreary, Jr., Ferdinand Schinagl
  • Patent number: 10288798
    Abstract: An illumination device includes a light source configured to emit, during operation, light with a prevalent direction of propagation different from a direction of an optical axis of the illumination device; and an optical coupler including a transparent material, the optical coupler having an input aperture, an exit aperture and a first side surface and a second side surface arranged between the input aperture and the exit aperture, the exit aperture being centered on the optical axis of the illumination device. The optical coupler receives the emitted light through the input aperture from the light source. Further, the first side surface and the second side surface redirect the received light via total internal reflection (TIR) to the exit aperture. Additionally, the redirected light is issued through the exit aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventor: Ferdinand Schinagl
  • Patent number: 10288229
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an LED lamp has a generally bulb shape. The LEDs are low power types and are encapsulated in thin, narrow, flexible strips. The LEDs are connected in series in the strips to drop a desired voltage. The strips are affixed to the outer surface of a bulb form to provide structure to the lamp. The strips are connected in parallel to a power supply, which may be housed in the lamp. Since many low power LEDs are used and are spread out over a large surface area, there is no need for a large metal heat sink. Further, the light emission is similar to that of an incandescent bulb. In other embodiment, there is no bulb form and the strips are bendable to have a variety of shapes. In another embodiment, a light sheet is bent to provide 360 degrees of light emission. Many other embodiments are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Robert V. Steele, Louis Lerman, Allan Brent York, Wilson Dau, Jacqueline Teng, George Lerman
  • Patent number: 10281096
    Abstract: A standing lamp includes a stand; first and second luminaire modules, each comprising a plurality of light emitting elements (LEEs) distributed along a first direction, a light guide and a housing configured to house at least the LEEs and to support the light guide; and a mount attaching the first and second luminaire modules to the stand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Hans Peter Stormberg, Ingo Speier
  • Patent number: 10274167
    Abstract: A variety of light-emitting devices are disclosed that are configured to output light provided by a light-emitting element (LEE). In general, embodiments of the light-emitting devices feature two or more light-emitting elements, a scattering element that is spaced apart from the light-emitting elements, an extractor element coupled to the scattering element, and a reflective element that is configured and arranged to reflect light emitted from the light-emitting elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Allan Brent York, Roland H. Haitz, Louis Lerman
  • Patent number: 10267979
    Abstract: A light shaping article includes a solid optic having a cross-sectional profile including an input interface; a convex output surface opposite the input interface; a concave first side surface extending between the input interface and the convex output surface; and a second side surface opposite the concave first side surface extending from between input interface to the convex output surface. The concave first side surface and the convex output surface are configured such that, when the solid optic receives input light having an input angular range in a plane of the cross-sectional profile, the solid optic guides the light to and emits the light from the output surface in an output angular range in the plane. A prevalent propagation direction of output light in the output angular range is tilted toward the second side surface relative to a prevalent propagation direction of input light in the input angular range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Ingo Speier, Victor E. Isbrucker
  • Patent number: 10222008
    Abstract: A variety of illumination devices for general illumination utilizing solid state light sources (e.g., light-emitting diodes) are disclosed. In general, an illumination device can include multiple light sources that are disposed on a substrate, where at least some of the light sources include a light-emitting diode (LED) and a corresponding inelastic scattering element surrounding, at least in part, the LED. The inelastic scattering elements can have different light emission spectra. The illumination device can further include a light-mixing element adapted to receive light that is output by the light sources, where, during operation of the illumination device, each inelastic scattering element inelastically scatters light emitted from its corresponding LED, and the light-mixing element mixes the light received from the inelastic scattering elements to provide the output light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventor: Ferdinand Schinagl
  • Patent number: 10203446
    Abstract: An illumination device includes a light-emitting element (LEEs); a light guide extending in a forward direction from a first end to a second end to receive at the first end LEE light and to guide the light to the second end, such that divergence of the light received at the first end and divergence of the guided light that reaches the second end are substantially the same; a light divergence modifier optically coupled to the light guide at the second end to receive the guided light, to modify the divergence of the guided light, such that the light provided by the light divergence modifier has a modified divergence different from the divergence of the guided light; and an optical extractor optically coupled to the light divergence modifier, to output into the ambient environment light provided by the light divergence modifier as output light in one or more output angular ranges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Allan Brent York, Louis Lerman, Ferdinand Schinagl, Wilson Dau, Hans Peter Stormberg
  • Patent number: 10190762
    Abstract: Devices used for workspace illumination include, for example, a panel and a solid-state based optical system arranged inside an enclosure of the panel. The panel can be a cubicle divider. In one aspect, an illumination device includes a mount; a panel including a first face and a second opposing face. The panel is vertically supported by the mount along a horizontal dimension of the first and second faces. Further, the panel forms an enclosure between the first and the second face. Additionally, the illumination device includes a first luminaire module arranged in the enclosure and configured to output light in a first output angular range. The light output in the first output angular range has a prevalent propagation direction with a vertical component towards a first target area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Wilson Dau, Ingo Speier, Ferdinand Schinagl, Edgar R. Velasquez
  • Patent number: 10180240
    Abstract: Illumination devices with adjustable optical elements configured to provide a variable illumination pattern of an area are described. The adjustable optical elements of the illumination devices can be traversed relative to a surface (e.g., a ceiling of a room) to vary the light distribution and/or intensity to the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Tien-Man Ng, Ingo Speier, Wilson Dau, Louis Lerman, Hans Peter Stormberg
  • Patent number: 10162098
    Abstract: A luminaire includes (i) light-emitting elements (LEEs), (ii) couplers to receive light from the LEEs and to redirect the received light, and (iii) a light guide including input and output ends and a pair of opposing surfaces both extending along an axis of the light guide. The light guide receives light from the couplers at the input end and guides light along the axis to the output end. The luminaire includes (iv) a diffuser adjacent the light guide to diffuse at least a portion of the light output by the light guide, and (v) a reflector to receive the light emitted from the output end of the light guide, such that light output by the light guide without impinging on the diffuser impinges on only one of the surfaces of the reflector. When operated, the luminaire outputs light within first and second output angular ranges.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventor: Louis Lerman
  • Patent number: 10151446
    Abstract: A variety of light-emitting devices are disclosed that are configured to output light provided by a light source. In general, embodiments of the light-emitting devices feature a light source and an extractor element coupled to the light source, where the extractor element includes, at least in part, a total internal reflection (TIR) surface. Luminaires incorporating light-emitting devices of this type are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Ingo Speier, Hans Peter Stormberg, Robert C. Gardner, Gregory A. Magel, Ferdinand Schinagl, Roland H. Haitz
  • Patent number: 10146005
    Abstract: A light shaping article includes a solid optic having a cross-sectional profile including an input interface; a convex output surface opposite the input interface; a concave first side surface extending between the input interface and the convex output surface; and a second side surface opposite the concave first side surface extending from between input interface to the convex output surface. The concave first side surface and the convex output surface are configured such that, when the solid optic receives input light having an input angular range in a plane of the cross-sectional profile, the solid optic guides the light to and emits the light from the output surface in an output angular range in the plane. A prevalent propagation direction of output light in the output angular range is tilted toward the second side surface relative to a prevalent propagation direction of input light in the input angular range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Ingo Speier, Victor E. Isbrucker
  • Patent number: 10146002
    Abstract: The present technology relates to luminaires including light-emitting elements (LEEs), a luminaire module, and at least one optical modifier, where the optical modifier is arranged relative to the luminaire module to receive a fraction of light emitted by the LEEs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Louis Lerman, Allan Brent York, Ferdinand Schinagl, Wilson Dau, Hans Peter Stormberg
  • Patent number: 10132466
    Abstract: A bidirectional light sheet including at least first and second arrays of bare LED chips having top and bottom electrodes, where the arrays of LEDs are sandwiched between at least two transparent substrates having conductors bonded to the electrodes without wires, forming light sheets to emit light from opposite surfaces of the light sheet to create a bidirectional light sheet. The light sheet may be suspended from a ceiling to be non-parallel to the ceiling A reflector or a plurality of lenses may be included in the light sheet to emit light at any peak intensity angle to achieve a predetermined light emission pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Wilson Dau, Louis Lerman, Allan Brent York
  • Patent number: 10132988
    Abstract: A variety of luminaire modules are disclosed that are configured to output light provided by multiple light-emitting elements (LEEs). In general, embodiments of the luminaire modules feature at least two LEEs disposed on at least one substrate, at least two light guides that receive light from corresponding LEEs of the at least two LEEs, and at least one optical extractor that receives light from corresponding light guides from the at least two light guides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventor: Allan Brent York
  • Patent number: 10132986
    Abstract: Illumination systems are described for illuminating a target area, e.g., a floor of a room, using active illumination devices in optical communication with passive illumination devices. The active and passive illumination devices of the illumination system are configured and arranged relative to each other in a variety of ways so a variety of intensity distributions can be provided by the illumination system. Such illumination system is implemented to provide light for particular lighting applications, including office lighting, garage lighting, or cabinet lighting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Hans Peter Stormberg, Louis Lerman, Robert C. Gardner, Ingo Speier, Allan Brent York
  • Patent number: 10107459
    Abstract: A variety of light-emitting devices are disclosed that are configured to output light provided by a light-emitting element (LEE). In general, embodiments of the light-emitting devices feature a light-emitting element disposed in a recess, a scattering element that is spaced apart from the light-emitting element and an extractor element coupled to the scattering element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Roland H. Haitz, Hans Peter Stormberg
  • Patent number: 10107456
    Abstract: A solid state lamp, such as one that can replace an incandescent light bulb, has a base portion having an electrical connector for connection to a source of power, such as an Edison-type connector for connection to the mains voltage. An AC/DC converter in the base converts the mains voltage to a suitable light emitting diode (LED) drive voltage. A plurality of receptacles on the base connects to electrodes of plug-in modules. Each plug-in module supports a plurality of low power LEDs connected in series. The strings of LEDs on different modules are connected in parallel when connected to the receptacles. The modules and base are configured to allow a user to operate the lamp with different combinations of modules to generate a desired light output from the lamp. For example, the user can recreate the lumens equivalent of a 20 W, 40 W, or 60 W bulb by using one, two, or three modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: Wilson Dau, Louis Lerman, Allan Brent York, Robert V. Steele, Jacqueline Teng, George Lerman
  • Patent number: 10107475
    Abstract: A light-emitting device includes a lens of refractive index n having a spherical exit surface of radius R and a luminous element positioned such that at least a portion of an edge of an emitting surface of the luminous element lies on a sphere of radius R/n opposite the exit surface, whereby that portion of the edge of the emitting surface is aplanatically imaged by the spherical exit surface. The light-emitting device may further include one or more reflective sidewalls arranged to reflect a fraction of light emitted from the luminous element before it is refracted by the exit surface. A luminaire incorporating a housing and a light-emitting device of this type is also provided, which may include one or more additional optical elements such as reflectors or lenses to further direct and shape light from the light-emitting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Quarkstar LLC
    Inventors: George E. Smith, Robert C. Gardner