Reconfigurable modular lighting system

Abstract

A reconfigurable modular lighting assembly, including at least two tube sections, each tube section having an end cap thereon and including at least one light emitting diode light source. An interconnection unit including multiple tube section receiving locations that each physically, releasably connect one end of a first of the at least two tube sections to one end of a second of the at least two tube sections such that the tube sections are adjacent and form a positive angle between them; and provide for interchangeably electrically connecting the light sources in the tube sections to a source of electrical power. Control data paths are operatively connected to each of the light emitting diode light sources via the interconnection unit to allow for control of the light emitting diode light sources when the at least two tube sections are respectively connected to the interconnection unit at the tube section receiving locations.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A reconfigurable modular lighting assembly, comprising:
 at least two tube sections each having an end cap thereon, the tube sections each comprising at least one light emitting diode light source;   an interconnection unit comprising a plurality of tube section receiving locations that each
 i) physically, releasably connect one end of a first of the at least two tube sections to one end of a second of the at least two tube sections such that the at least two tube sections are adjacent to each other and form a positive angle between them; and 
 ii) provide for interchangeably electrically connecting the light emitting diode light sources in the at least two tube sections to a source of electrical power. 
   
     
     
         2 . The reconfigurable modular lighting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the tube sections are straight. 
     
     
         3 . The reconfigurable modular lighting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the tube sections are curved. 
     
     
         4 . The reconfigurable modular lighting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one light emitting diode light source comprises at least one of:
 inorganic LEDs, organic LEDs, polymer LEDs (PLEDs), flexible LEDs (FLEDs), phosphor-based LEDs or quantum dot LEDs.   
     
     
         5 . The reconfigurable modular lighting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the positive angle is approximately 90°. 
     
     
         6 . The reconfigurable modular lighting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the positive angle is approximately 180°. 
     
     
         7 . The reconfigurable modular lighting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the interconnection unit comprises exactly two tube section receiving locations. 
     
     
         8 . The reconfigurable modular lighting assembly of  claim 7 , wherein the exactly two tube section receiving locations maintain two tube sections at the positive angle of approximately 90° relative to each other. 
     
     
         9 . The reconfigurable modular lighting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the interconnection unit comprises exactly three tube section receiving locations. 
     
     
         10 . The reconfigurable modular lighting assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the exactly three tube section receiving locations maintain three tube sections at the positive angle of approximately 90° relative to each other. 
     
     
         11 . The reconfigurable modular lighting assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the exactly three tube section receiving locations maintain three tube sections in a “T” shaped configuration. 
     
     
         12 . The reconfigurable modular lighting assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the interconnection unit comprises at least four tube section receiving locations. 
     
     
         13 . The reconfigurable modular lighting assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the at least four tube section receiving locations comprise at least five tube section receiving locations. 
     
     
         14 . The reconfigurable modular lighting assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the at least four tube section receiving locations will maintain tube sections in one of:
 a “sea urchin”-like configuration, or   an “X” configuration.   
     
     
         15 . The reconfigurable modular lighting assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the at least two tube sections comprise a multiplicity of tube sections, the reconfigurable modular lighting assembly further comprising:
 multiple interconnection units arranged to configure the multiplicity of tube sections into a compound shape.   
     
     
         16 . The reconfigurable modular lighting assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising an intermediate connector physically disposed between one tube section and a tube section receiving location. 
     
     
         17 . The reconfigurable modular lighting assembly of  claim 16 , wherein the multiple tube section receiving locations are identical and the intermediate connector comprises a standardizing connector configured for mating with an accommodating connector of the tube section receiving location so as to allow the one tube section to be interchangeably connected to any of the multiple tube section receiving locations. 
     
     
         18 . An interconnection unit for use in a reconfigurable modular lighting assembly comprising:
 a plurality of tube section receiving locations that each are configured to receive a tube section having multiple light emitting diode light sources therewithin;   each tube section receiving location being configured to releasably
 i) provide a power connection to one end of a received tube section, and 
 ii) constrain the received tube section in place when connected thereto; 
   wherein the tube section receiving locations are offset at a positive angle relative to each other such that, when two tube sections are releasably connected to different, adjacent tube section receiving locations, the two tube sections will be at the positive angle.   
     
     
         19 . The interconnection unit of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 an intermediate connector configured to adapt a specific tube section having a first style of power connection in a first configuration to the power connections within the tube section receiving locations when the first configuration does not matingly correspond to a configuration of the power connections of the tube section receiving locations.   
     
     
         20 . The interconnection unit of  claim 18 , wherein the positive angle is approximately 90°. 
     
     
         21 . The interconnection unit of  claim 18 , wherein the positive angle is approximately 180°. 
     
     
         22 . The interconnection unit of  claim 18 , wherein the multiple tube section receiving locations comprise at least four tube section receiving locations, each offset from the others by at least approximately 90°.