Light diffuser

A lighting system for directing light toward an area desired to be illuminated, said lighting system comprising a first lighting unit, including:

• a lamp for generating the light, the lamp being elongated along a longitudinal axis for generating the light;
• a diffuser including a curved member that is positioned between the lamp and the area desired to be illuminated, the curved member being generally parallel to the longitudinal axis and symmetric about a plane that extends through the longitudinal axis, the curved member including:
• a first curved portion on one side of said plane of symmetry, said first curved portion extending from a first end, disposed adjacent the plane of symmetry and spaced from the lamp, to a second end, disposed adjacent the lamp and spaced from the plane of symmetry, and
• a second curved portion on an opposite side of said plane of symmetry, said second curved portion extending from a first end of the second curved portion to a second end of the second curved portion disposed adjacent the lamp and spaced from the plane of symmetry, the first end of the second curved portion being disposed adjacent the plane of symmetry and adjacent the first end of the first curved portion at least one of said first curved portion and said second curved portion defining a convex face oriented towards the lamp;
• and
• a troffer for housing the lamp, the troffer including:
• an attachment for removably attaching the diffuser to the troffer,
• a reflector that reflects light towards the area desired to be illuminated, the reflector being positioned so that the lamp is located between the reflector and the curved member, the curved reflector being symmetrical about the plane of symmetry.

A method of forming a diffuser for directing light toward an area desired to be illuminated, the method comprising:

• forming a curved member so that it includes a first curved portion and a second curved portion, symmetric to the first curved portion about a plane of symmetry, said curved member being formed so that it is generally parallel about a longitudinal axis,
• forming the first curved portion so that it extends from a first end, disposed adjacent the plane of symmetry, and a second end, second end spaced from the plane of symmetry, and
• forming the second curved portion so that it extends from a first end, disposed adjacent the plane of symmetry, to a second end, spaced from the plane of symmetry, the first end of the second curved portion being disposed adjacent the first end of the first curved portion, the second end of the second curved portion being spaced from the plane of symmetry;
• wherein at least one of the said first curved portion and said second curved portion defines a convex face oriented towards the lamp.