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LR6 - 6" LED Downlight
Disruptive Change in Lighting
In 2006 I was fortunate to get a glimpse of a new lighting technology using LEDs that promised a revolution in "no compromise" warm light. This technology provided plenty of lumen brightness and energy efficiency over traditional lighting. I was offered a position in this company and jumped at the chance. I knew this was the future of commercial and home lighting and wanted to help bring it to market. That company was LLF (LED Lighting Fixtures) in Morrisville, NC. Our first product was a 6" downlight with 2700K, uniform warm light that output 650 lumens with only 10.5 watts of power. It would fit in most 6" off-the-shelf existing cans and lasted for 10+ years of use. When released in 2007 it was the only one of its kind.
Design and Engeering
When I joined the startup, there were still substantial engineering issues remaining to be solved. There was a new micro feature acrylic lens that needed to be attached durably to the aluminum housing. The electronics needed shielding from the case and we needed to find a good way to attach them to the current downlight cans so the light could be used as an easy replacement. I helped develop a polycarbonate lens so the snaps wouldn't break and a patented flip clip system that deflects as it is pushed into place but digs into the side walls and locks into place when turned. That lens and clip technology is still being used on downlights today.
Color mixing and Reflection
This is a photo I took for use in our marketing and award competitions to help showcase our technology. The LED PCB at the bottom of the chamber has two types of LEDs. It utilized a red and BSY (blue-shifted yellow) patented mixture to accomplish the warm light with an extremely high 90 CRI. The high reflectivity cone around the side walls helped achieve that smooth mix and high efficiency. Once the lens was snapped into place, you would never know there were those colors underneath. This was the patented technology that started it all.
Innovative and Lasting Design
This product won many lighting awards, but it also won the International Design Excellence Silver award in 2009 due to its amazing light quality, durable aluminum design, and easy installation.
This fixture created the pattern to change all commercial and home lighting to LED while not compromising on the quality of warm light expected from traditional sources. The energy efficiency and 50,000-hour lifetime of these products have driven every manufacturer across the globe to convert to LEDs. I am very proud to have been part of that groundbreaking team disrupting the traditional incandescent and fluorescent technology and reducing energy usage and costs.
- US Patents: D636,921 (CR6) Next generation