# US 2018/0320844 A1 · Baffle and associated methods for quiet-ceiling light fixtures > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0320844 A1 - Document ID: US20180320844A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/958,407 - Filed: 2018-04-20 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-02 - Assignees: ABL IP Holding LLC - Applicants: ABL IP Holding LLC - Inventors: Megan Marie Tepo; Douglas Dewayne Grove; John M. Reilly; Joseph James Onda; James Scott Conn; Jeff Robert Shaner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180320844A1 ## CPC - F21S 8/04: intended only for mounting on a ceiling or the like overhead structures (F21S8/02 takes precedence; {details of ceiling bases F21V21/03}) - F21K 9/20: Light sources comprising attachment means - F21S 8/026: {intended to be recessed in a ceiling or like overhead structure, e.g. suspended ceiling} - F21V 5/046: {the lens having a rotationally symmetrical shape about an axis for transmitting light in a direction mainly perpendicular to this axis, e.g. ring or annular lens with light source disposed inside the ring} - F21V 15/01: Housings, e.g. material or assembling of housing parts (F21V15/02 takes precedence {housings forming signs or letters G09F13/04}) - F21V 17/162: {the parts being subjected to traction or compression, e.g. coil springs} - F21V 21/005: for several lighting devices in an end-to-end arrangement, i.e. light tracks - F21V 21/044: {with elastically deformable elements, e.g. spring tongues} - F21V 21/088: Clips; Clamps - F21V 21/14: Adjustable mountings - F21V 23/02: the elements being transformers, impedances {or power supply units, e.g. a transformer with a rectifier} - F21V 29/503: of light sources (cooling arrangements structurally associated with gas-discharge or vapour-discharge lamps H01J61/52; cooling arrangements structurally associated with electric incandescent lamps H01K1/58; cooling arrangements structurally associated with light-emitting diodes H10H20/858) - H10H 20/855: Optical field-shaping means, e.g. lenses - H10W 90/00: Package configurations - F21K 9/68: Details of reflectors forming part of the light source - F21V 5/007: {Array of lenses or refractors for a cluster of light sources, e.g. for arrangement of multiple light sources in one plane (combination of two or more refractors F21V5/008)} - F21V 7/043: {with cylindrical surface} - F21V 7/28: characterised by coatings - F21V 29/763: {the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of the light emitting axis} - F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED] - Y10T 29/49117: Conductor or circuit manufacturing - F21S: NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS - F21K: NON-ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES USING LUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING ELECTROCHEMILUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING CHARGES OF COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL; LIGHT SOURCES USING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES AS LIGHT-GENERATING ELEMENTS; LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H10H: INORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES HAVING POTENTIAL BARRIERS - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - F21Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A baffle for use in a light fixture that includes one or more light emitter positions includes one or more upper edges, each of the upper edges encircling a light emitting aperture and lying within an upper region. The baffle also includes one or more lower edges that correspond in number with the one or more upper edges, each lower edge lying within a lower region, and encircling an output aperture. Plan view shapes of the upper and lower edges form closed shapes that are devoid of angles. The baffle further includes an interior baffle surface that extends downwardly from each of the upper edges to corresponding ones of the lower edges. The interior baffle surface is continuously and downwardly concave from each of the upper edges to each of the lower edges, and is devoid of angles. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A baffle for use in a light fixture that includes one or more light emitter positions, the baffle comprising: one or more upper edges, each of the one or more upper edges encircling a respective light emitting aperture for a corresponding one of the light emitter positions, wherein: each point of the one or more upper edges lies within an upper region, and plan view shapes of each of the one or more upper edges form closed shapes that are devoid of angles; one or more lower edges corresponding in number with the one or more upper edges, each of the one or more lower edges encircling a respective output aperture for the corresponding one of the light emitter positions, wherein: each point of the one or more lower edges lies within a lower region, and plan view shapes of each of the one or more lower edges form closed shapes that are devoid of angles; and an interior baffle surface that extends downwardly from each of the upper edges to corresponding ones of the lower edges, wherein: the interior baffle surface is continuously, downwardly concave from each of the upper edges to each of the lower edges, and the interior baffle surface is devoid of angles. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The baffle of claim 1, wherein the plan view shape of each of the one or more upper edges is circular. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The baffle of claim 1, wherein the plan view shape of each of the one or more lower edges is substantially rectangular but includes rounded corners so as to be devoid of angles. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The baffle of claim 3, wherein each of the lower edges forms a shorter side and a longer side, and adjacent ones of the light emitter positions abut one another along the shorter sides. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The baffle of claim 1, wherein the upper region is a first plane, and the lower region is a second plane that is parallel with the first plane. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The baffle of claim 1, wherein at least the interior baffle surface is formed of one of metal and plastic. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The baffle of claim 1, wherein at least the interior baffle surface has a diffuse finish. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The baffle of claim 1, wherein at least the interior baffle surface has a specular finish. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The baffle of claim 1, wherein at least the interior baffle surface is painted or stained. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The baffle of claim 1, wherein the interior baffle surface comprises a compound azimuthal and vertical profile. ### Claim 11 A method of generating a surface profile for a light fixture baffle, the method comprising: defining an upper edge for the light fixture baffle, wherein a plan view shape of the upper edge is a first closed shape that lies within a first region and is devoid of angles, the first closed shape defining a centroid; defining a lower edge for the light fixture baffle, wherein a plan view shape of the lower edge is a second closed shape that is devoid of angles, and lies within a second region; defining a first side profile that is devoid of angles, and connects the upper edge with the lower edge at a first azimuthal angle about the centroid; defining a second side profile that that is devoid of angles, and connects the upper edge with the lower edge at a second azimuthal angle offset from the first azimuthal angle; and interpolating side profiles from the first side profile to the second side profile, along all azimuthal angles between the first azimuthal angle and the second azimuthal angle, so as to form the surface profile, such that the surface profile transitions smoothly from the first side profile at the first azimuthal angle to the second side profile at the second azimuthal angle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of generating a surface profile for a light fixture baffle of claim 11, wherein the surface profile is a compound azimuthal and vertical profile. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of generating a surface profile for a light fixture baffle of claim 11, wherein the first region is an upper plane and the second region is a lower plane that is parallel with the upper plane. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of generating a surface profile for a light fixture baffle of claim 13, wherein a vertical spacing between the first region and the second region is sufficient to block a line of sight from beneath the light fixture baffle to any point within the first closed shape, at any position that is further from the upper plane than the lower plane, and lies at an angle greater than 55 degrees away from a line extending vertically from the centroid. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of generating a surface profile for a light fixture baffle of claim 11, wherein interpolating each of the first and second side profiles comprises maintaining continuity of the surface profile with both of the upper edge and the lower edge at all azimuthal angles between the first azimuthal angle and the second azimuthal angle. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of generating a surface profile for a light fixture baffle of claim 11, wherein the plan view shape of the upper edge is circular and the plan view shape of the lower edge is substantially rectangular, with rounded corners so as to be devoid of angles. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of generating a surface profile for a light fixture baffle of claim 11, wherein: the first and second azimuthal angles are offset by approximately ninety degrees from one another; and each of the upper and lower edges is symmetric about each of the first azimuthal angle and the second azimuthal angle; such that the surface profile is a first quadrant surface profile; and further comprising generating corresponding second, third and fourth quadrant baffle surface profiles by generating mirrored versions of the first quadrant surface profile, to form a composite surface profile about a three hundred sixty degree azimuthal angle range.