# US 2021/0278062 A1 · Apparatus, method, and system for reducing moisture in led lighting fixtures > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0278062 A1 - Document ID: US20210278062A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/303,240 - Filed: 2021-05-25 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2019-01-14 - Assignees: Musco Corporation - Applicants: Musco Corporation - Inventors: GABRIEL P. GROMOTKA; KURT C. HERR, JR.; LUKE C. MCKEE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210278062A1 ## CPC - F21V 15/00: Protecting lighting devices from damage (protection from thermal damage F21V29/00; gas-tight or water-tight arrangements F21V31/00) - F21V 31/03: with provision for venting {(for vehicle head lights F21S45/33; for vehicle rear lights F21S41/192)} - F21V 3/04: characterised by materials, surface treatments or coatings - F21V 29/763: {the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of the light emitting axis} - F21W 2131/10: Outdoor lighting - F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED] - F21V: FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - F21W: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO USES OR APPLICATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS - 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 ## Abstract Sealed LED lighting fixtures operated under certain conditions (e.g., outdoors, in cold ambient environments, at high operating current, and/or in non-hermetic environments) will oftentimes exhibit condensation on an inner surface of the emitting face of the fixture. When occurring, said condensation impairs the ability to produce useful light—namely, light harnessed and directed in a manner so to provide lighting for a task (or otherwise desired)—by diffusing light emitted from the lighting fixture. Envisioned are apparatus, methods, and systems to reduce moisture in sealed LED lighting fixtures so to reduce or eliminate condensation, and in a manner that addresses both fixtures already in the field and those being assembled in a factory setting. In one form, a carrier embedded with desiccant is positionally mounted inside the fixture in a desired position which has no or minimal impact on light output from the fixture. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device to reduce moisture in a lighting fixture comprising: a. a desiccant material embedded in a carrier body; and b. one or more parts to affix the carrier body with embedded desiccant material relative to a portion of the lighting fixture in an internal space of the lighting fixture. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the one or more parts comprise: a. a first structure affixed to the portion of the lighting fixture; and b. a second structure adapted to resiliently restrain the carrier body with embedded desiccant material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The device of claim 2 wherein the carrier body is flexible and the one or more parts further comprise structure to resiliently restrain the carrier body with embedded desiccant material when flexed into a shape. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The device of claim 3 wherein the portion of the lighting fixture comprises a housing having a perimeter, and wherein the shape of the flexed carrier body with embedded desiccant material approximates a perimeter of a glass at the housing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The device of claim 4 wherein the perimeter of the glass at the housing is smaller than the perimeter of the housing, and wherein the glass at the housing defines an emitting face of the lighting fixture. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 in combination with a lighting fixture wherein the lighting fixture contains a plurality of LEDs on one or more LED boards. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The combination of claim 6 wherein the desiccant material is non-corrosive with respect to LEDs or LED boards. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The combination of claim 6 further comprising one or more light directing or redirecting devices associated with the plurality of LEDs. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The combination of claim 8 wherein the desiccant material is selected, at least in part, on an amount of moisture contained in or absorbed by the one or more light directing or redirecting devices. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the desiccant material is selected, at least in part, on capacity to absorb an amount of moisture over an operating lifespan of the lighting fixture. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The combination of claim 8 wherein the light directing device comprises a secondary lens. ### Claim 12 A method of reducing moisture in an internal space of a lighting fixture comprising: a. determining an amount of moisture to be reduced in the lighting fixture over a predetermined time period; b. determining a size and shape of flexible carrier body with embedded desiccant having a capacity to absorb the amount of moisture over the predetermined time period; and c. installing the flexible carrier body with embedded desiccant in a structure affixed to a portion of the lighting fixture in the internal space of the lighting fixture such that the flexible carrier body with embedded desiccant is positioned in situ relative to a feature of the lighting fixture. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the step of installing the flexible carrier body with embedded desiccant in a structure affixed to a portion of the lighting fixture comprises installing the flexible carrier body proximate one or more sides of a light transmissive surface of the lighting fixture in the internal space of the lighting fixture. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the light transmissive surface of the lighting fixture defines an emitting face of the lighting fixture and wherein the structure affixed to a portion of the lighting fixture is installed such that it (i) is not directly viewable through the light transmissive surface and (ii) does not adversely impact useful light produced by the lighting fixture. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the step of installing the flexible carrier body with embedded desiccant in a structure affixed to a portion of the lighting fixture comprises installing the flexible carrier body proximate one or more sides of an LED light source in the internal space of the lighting fixture. ### Claim 16 A lighting fixture comprising: a. one or more light sources mounted to a substrate in thermal contact with a heat sink; b. a body with an internal space extending from the substrate to an opening; c. a glass face mounted at the opening to the body and having an interior side exposed to the internal space of the body; and d. a carrier embedded with a desiccant positioned in the internal space at one or more of a perimeter of the glass face or the light sources effectively outside light output from the light sources; e. so that the desiccant position is effective to deter or remove condensation of moisture on the interior side of the glass face. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The lighting fixture of claim 16 wherein the carrier is a flexible gas and liquid permeable material defining a volume, and the desiccant is distributed throughout the volume. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The lighting fixture of claim 17 wherein the carrier is a flexible foam and the desiccant is any of a molecular sieve, silica gel, or silica beads. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The lighting fixture of claim 16 wherein the size, shape, and volume of the carrier and the type, amount, and distribution of the embedded desiccant is predetermined based on an estimation of desiccant efficiency needed to effectively deter condensation inside the fixture over a predetermined time period. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The lighting fixture of claim 19 wherein the predetermined time period is an estimated useful or normal operating life of the lighting fixture.